Smart pixel lighting and display microcontroller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9959815-B2
Application number	US-201715479962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2017
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A light emitting assembly is described. In one embodiment, one or more light emitting diode (LED) devices and one or more microcontrollers are bonded to a same side of a substrate, with the one or more microcontrollers to switch and drive the one or more LED devices.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light emitting assembly comprising:
a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) devices; and
a plurality of microcontrollers, wherein the plurality of microcontrollers are electrically coupled with each other, and the plurality of microcontrollers are electrically coupled with the plurality of LED devices to switch and drive the plurality of LED devices;
one or more data drivers electrically coupled with the plurality of microcontrollers;
one or more scan drivers electrically coupled with the plurality of microcontrollers; and
a plurality of digital inputs to each microcontroller;
wherein each microcontroller comprises a digital logic, the digital logic including an input block, an output block, and a data storage module.

2. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a V dd input to each microcontroller.

3. The assembly of claim 2 , further comprising a V ss input to each microcontroller.

4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the output block includes a digital control logic coupled with a digital-to-analog converter.

5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each microcontroller further comprises a relay output coupled with the input block and one or more microcontrollers of the plurality of microcontrollers.

6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of LED devices comprises a plurality of groups of LED devices, and each microcontroller is coupled to a corresponding group of LED devices.

7. The assembly of claim 6 , wherein each group of LED devices is coupled in parallel to a corresponding microcontroller LED output.

8. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein the output block includes a digital control logic coupled with a digital-to-analog converter.

9. The assembly of claim 7 , wherein each microcontroller further comprises a relay output coupled with the input block and one or more microcontrollers of the plurality of microcontrollers.

10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each microcontroller includes a plurality of microcontroller LED outputs.

11. The assembly of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of LED devices comprises a plurality of groups of LED devices, and each microcontroller LED output is coupled to a corresponding group of LED devices.

12. The assembly of claim 11 , wherein each group of LED devices is coupled in parallel to a corresponding microcontroller LED output.

13. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein the output block includes a digital control logic coupled with a digital-to-analog converter.

14. The assembly of claim 12 , wherein each microcontroller further comprises a relay output coupled with the input block and one or more microcontrollers of the plurality of microcontrollers.

15. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a timing controller coupled with the one or more data drivers.

16. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein each microcontroller is in electrical connection with a plurality of pixels to drive a corresponding group of LED devices in each pixel.

17. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor is selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, electrical sensor, thermal sensor, and pressure sensor.

18. The assembly of claim 17 , wherein each sensor is not located within a microcontroller of the plurality of microcontrollers.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Sakariya Kapil V
• Bibl Andreas
• Mcgroddy Kelly

Classifications

• G09G3/30

  using electroluminescent panels · CPC title

• G09G2330/028

  Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers in a matrix display other than LCD · CPC title

• G09G2300/0404

  Matrix technologies · CPC title

• G02F1/1336

  Illuminating devices · CPC title

• G09G3/2088

  with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix · CPC title