Open loop backlight LED driver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11798462-B2
Application number	US-202117507717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2021
Priority date	Oct 22, 2020
Publication date	Oct 24, 2023
Grant date	Oct 24, 2023

Abstract

Light emitting diode display panels with an open loop amplifier resulting in better brightness accuracy and matching between multiple light emitting diode strings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a display panel with a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs);
a brightness level detector configured to set target charge delivered to the light emitting diodes for a given brightness level;
an integrator configured to determine accumulated charge delivered to the light emitting diodes;
a analog comparator configured to compare the set target charge and the determined accumulated charge;
a peak current driver configured to deliver charge to the light emitting diodes;
a pulse width modulation control configured to terminate current from the peak current driver to the light emitting diode when the analog comparator determines that the determined accumulated charge is equal to the set target charge associated with the measured current;
a first digital-to-analog converter configured to receive a digital peak current signal and convert the peak current signal into an analog peak current signal; and,
an amplifier configured to receive the analog peak current signal and to output an amplified peak current signal to the light emitting diode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first digital-to-analog converter meets a linear region step size resolution.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the measured current from the brightness level detector is a digital signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
a second digital-to-analog converter configured to:
receive the set target charge from the brightness level detector,
convert the set target charge into an analog reference voltage, and
output the analog reference voltage to the analog comparator.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the second digital-to-analog converter is designed to meet a brightness step resolution.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the apparatus is a tablet computer, mobile phone, augmented reality display, notebook computer, computer display, or digital watch.

7. A method of operating a display panel comprising:
measuring current delivered to a light emitting diode of the display panel;
determining accumulated charge delivered to the light emitting diode with an integrator;
comparing the measured current and the determined accumulated charge with a analog comparator;
delivering charge to the light emitting diodes with a peak current driver;
terminating current from the peak current driver to the light emitting diode when the analog comparator determines that the determined accumulated charge is equal to a target charge associated with the measured current with a pulse width modulation control; and,
wherein the delivering charge to the light emitting diode further comprises:
receiving a digital peak current signal with a first digital-to-analog converter;
converting the peak current signal into an analog peak current signal with the first digital-to-analog converter;
receiving the analog peak current signal with an amplifier; and,
outputting an amplified peak current signal to the light emitting diode with the amplifier;
wherein the first digital-to-analog converter meets a linear region step size resolution.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the measured current from the brightness level detector is a digital signal.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:
receive the measured current from the brightness level detector with a second digital-to-analog converter;
converting the measured current into an analog measured current with the second digital-to-analog converter; and
outputting the analog measured current to the analog comparator with the second digital-to-analog converter.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the second digital-to-analog converter is designed to meet a brightness step resolution.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the display panel is in a tablet computer, mobile phone, augmented reality display, notebook computer, computer display, or digital watch.

12. An apparatus comprising:
a display panel with multiple channels with a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs);
a brightness level detector configured to measure current delivered to the light emitting diodes; and,
a plurality of current drivers configured to deliver charge to the light emitting diodes, each current driver comprising:
an integrator configured to determine accumulated charge delivered to the light emitting diodes of at least one of the multiple channels;
a analog comparator configured to compare the measured current and the determined accumulated charge;
a pulse width modulation control configured to terminate current from a peak current driver to the light emitting diode when the analog comparator determines that the determined accumulated charge is equal to a target charge associated with the measured current; and,
a first digital-to-analog converter configured to receive a digital peak current signal and convert the peak current signal into an analog peak current signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first digital-to-analog converter meets a linear region step size resolution.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
an amplifier configured to receive the analog peak current signal and to output an amplified peak current signal to the light emitting diode.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:
a second digital-to-analog converter configured to:
receive the measured current from the brightness level detector,
convert the measured current into an analog measured current, and
output the analog measured current to the analog comparator.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the apparatus is a tablet computer, mobile phone, augmented reality display, notebook computer, computer display, or digital watch.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Navabi-Shirazi Mohammad J
• Gu Ming
• Lara Ascorra Alejandro
• Brown James E

Classifications

• G09G3/32 Primary

  semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• G09G5/10

  Intensity circuits · CPC title

• G09G2320/064

  by time modulation of the brightness of the illumination source · CPC title

• G09G2360/142

  the light being detected by light detection means within each pixel · CPC title

• G09G2360/147

  the originated light output being determined for each pixel · CPC title