Light-emitting diode driver, light-emitting diode module and corresponding system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11006507-B2
Application number	US-201916414934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2019
Priority date	May 18, 2018
Publication date	May 11, 2021
Grant date	May 11, 2021

Abstract

According to one exemplary embodiment, a light-emitting diode driver is provided, having: a differential first interface, a single-ended second interface, wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured to use the first interface to communicate according to a bidirectional differential bus communication protocol as a slave, to use the second interface to communicate according to a single-ended bus protocol and to transpose signals between the first interface and the second interface, and to supply one or more light-emitting diodes with electric power on the basis of signals received via the first interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light-emitting diode driver, comprising:
a differential first interface; and
a single-ended second interface,
wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured to use the first interface to communicate according to a bidirectional differential bus communication protocol as a slave, to use the second interface to communicate according to a single-ended bus protocol and to transpose signals between the first interface and the second interface, and to supply one or more light-emitting diodes with electric power based on signals received via the first interface.

2. The light-emitting diode driver as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the light-emitting diode driver has an address, and
wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured:
to supply the one or more light-emitting diodes with the electric power based on signals received via the first interface that comprise the address of the light-emitting diode driver, and
to transpose signals received via the first interface that have an address different than the address of the light-emitting diode driver onto the second interface for forwarding.

3. The light-emitting diode driver as claimed in claim 2 ,
wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured:
to receive first address information via the first interface in an initialization phase,
to receive the address of the light-emitting diode driver based on the first address information and not to forward the first address information via the second interface, and
to receive, after the first address information, at least second address information via the first interface and to forward the at least second address information via the second interface in the initialization phase.

4. The light-emitting diode driver as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein a physical layer of the bidirectional differential communication protocol corresponds to the physical layer of a Controller Area Network (CAN) communication protocol.

5. The light-emitting diode driver as claimed in claim 1 ,
wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured to obtain synchronization information via the first interface and to perform a communication via the first interface, via the second interface, a supply of the one or more light-emitting diodes, or multiple light-emitting diodes with the electric power based on the synchronization information.

6. A light-emitting diode driver, comprising:
at least one single-ended interface,
wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured to use the at least one single-ended interface to communicate according to a single-ended bus protocol,
wherein the light-emitting diode driver has an address, and
wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured to supply one or more light-emitting diodes with electric power on based on signals received via the at least one single-ended interface that comprise the address of the light-emitting diode driver, wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured to obtain synchronization information via the at least one single-ended interface and to perform a communication via the at least one single-ended interface, or a supply of one light-emitting diode, or multiple light-emitting diodes with the electric power based on the synchronization information.

7. The light-emitting diode driver as claimed in claim 6 ,
wherein the at least one single-ended interface has a first single-ended interface and a second single-ended interface,
wherein the light-emitting diode driver is configured:
to receive first address information via the first single-ended interface in an initialization phase,
to receive the address of the light-emitting diode driver based on the first address information and not to forward the first address information via the second single-ended interface, and

to receive, after the first address information, at least second address information via the first single-ended interface and to forward the at least second address information via the second single-ended interface in the initialization phase.

8. A light-emitting diode module, comprising:
a first group of light-emitting diodes;
a first light-emitting diode driver comprising a differential first interface, and a single-ended second interface, wherein the first light-emitting diode driver is configured to use the first interface to communicate according to a bidirectional differential bus communication protocol as a slave, to use the second interface to communicate according to a single-ended bus protocol and to transpose signals between the first interface and the second interface, and to supply one or more light-emitting diodes of the first group of light-emitting diodes with electric power based on signals received via the first interface, wherein the first group of light-emitting diodes is associated with the first light-emitting diode driver for supplying the electric power;
at least one second group of light-emitting diodes;
at least one second light-emitting diode driver comprising at least one single-ended interface, wherein the second light-emitting diode driver is configured to use the at least one single-ended interface to communicate according to the single-ended bus protocol, wherein the second light-emitting diode driver has an address, and wherein the second light-emitting diode driver is configured to supply one or more light-emitting diodes of the at least one second group of light-emitting diodes with the electric power based on signals received via the at least one single-ended interface that comprise the address of the second light-emitting diode driver, wherein each of the at least one second group of light-emitting diodes is associated with the at least one second light-emitting diode driver for supplying the electric power;
a single-ended bus system connected to the second interface of the first light-emitting diode driver and to the at least one single-ended interface of the at least one second light-emitting diode driver.

9. A light-emitting diode module, having:
a first light-emitting diode driver, comprising:
a differential first interface,
a single-ended second interface,
wherein the first light-emitting diode driver is configured to use the first interface to communicate according to a bidirectional differential bus communication protocol as a slave, to use the second interface to communicate according to a single-ended bus protocol and to transpose signals between the first interface and the second interface;

at least one group of light-emitting diodes;
at least one second light-emitting diode driver comprising at least one single-ended interface, wherein the at least one second light-emitting diode driver is configured to use the at least one single-ended interface to communicate according to the single-ended bus protocol, wherein the at least one second light-emitting diode driver has an address, and wherein the at least one second light-emitting diode driver is configured to supply one or more light-emitting diodes of the at least one group of light-emitting diodes with electric power based on signals received via the at least one single-ended interface that comprise the address of the second light-emitting diode driver, wherein each of the at least one group of light-emitting diodes is associated with a respective second light-emitting diode driver of the at least one second light-emitting diode driver for supplying the electric power; and
a single-ended bus system connected to the second interface of the first light-emitting diode driver and to the at least one single-ended interface of the at least one second light-emitting diode driver.

10. The light-emitting diode module as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Kreuter Hans-Peter
• Galvano Maurizio
• Logiudice Andrea
• Mignoli Franco
• Scenini Andrea

Classifications

• H05B47/198

  Grouping of control procedures or address assignation to light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/18 Primary

  via data-bus transmission · CPC title

• F21V23/004

  arranged on a substrate, e.g. a printed circuit board · CPC title

• H04L12/403

  with centralised control, e.g. polling · CPC title

• H05B45/00

  Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title