A signal transmission chip, a display module and a display screen

Abstract

The application discloses a signal transmission chip, a display module and a display screen, and particularly relates to the technical field of LED display screens, and the signal transmission chip comprises a trigger module, a storage module and a processing module; the storage module stores a first parameter used for configuring a driving current of a constant-current driving chip; the trigger module is used for generating a trigger signal; and the processing module is used for processing the first parameter in the storage module according to the trigger signal, so as to output a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant-current driving chip. The signal transmission chip provided by the application realizes the configuration of the default driving current of the constant-current driving chip without external resistance by storing and processing the first parameter, and on this basis, the display screen user can also adjust the driving current of the constant-current driving chip without external resistance based on the existing controller, so that the existing use habit of the display screen user can be adapted.

Description

[0001] This invention is a divisional application of the patent application filed on May 24, 2023, entitled "A signal transmission chip, display module and display screen", with application number 202310586887.6. Technical Field

[0002] This invention relates to the field of LED display technology, specifically to a signal transmission chip, a display module, and a display screen. Background Technology

[0003] LED (Light Mitting Diode) displays are dot matrix modules or pixel units composed of light-emitting diodes. They are widely used in the field of information display due to their high reliability, long service life, strong environmental adaptability, and low operating costs.

[0004] A complete LED display typically includes a display module, a controller, and other components. The display module is equipped with a constant current driver chip, which generates a stable drive current to ensure stable operation of the LED display and plays a crucial role in its quality. In different display environments, the drive current of the constant current driver chip needs to be adjusted by the controller.

[0005] In practical applications, commonly used constant current driver chips generate drive current based on external resistors mounted on the display module. These external resistors are typically configured by the display manufacturer and are fixed after the display module leaves the factory. If we call the drive current generated by the constant current driver chip based on the external resistor the default drive current, then the default drive current that each constant current driver chip can currently generate is fixed after the display module leaves the factory. Therefore, the controller can directly send current gain to the constant current driver chip to adjust its default drive current, enabling the constant current driver chip to output the target drive current.

[0006] With increasing integration requirements, constant current driver chips without external resistors have emerged in the market. These chips generate drive current without relying on external resistors on the display module. However, display manufacturers cannot configure external resistors to create a default drive current for these resistor-free constant current driver chips. Therefore, since these chips lack a default drive current, controllers cannot directly control the target drive current output based on current gain, thus hindering the widespread adoption of resistor-free constant current driver chips. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This invention provides a signal transmission chip, a display module, and a display screen, aiming to overcome the above-mentioned technical problems and realize the configuration of the drive current of a constant current drive chip without external resistors. This allows display screen users to adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors based on their existing controllers, thus adapting to the existing usage habits of display screen users.

[0008] To address the aforementioned problems, from a first aspect, the present invention discloses a signal transmission chip, which includes: a trigger module, a storage module, and a processing module;

[0009] The storage module stores the first parameter for configuring the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors.

[0010] The trigger module is used to generate trigger signals;

[0011] The processing module is used to process the first parameter in the storage module according to the trigger signal, so as to output a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the triggering module includes a protocol parsing submodule; the protocol parsing submodule is used to parse the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip and generate a trigger signal.

[0013] Optionally, the protocol parsing submodule further includes a parsing unit and a counting unit; the parsing unit is used to parse the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip, and when the first communication signal is a target signal, it controls the counting unit to count; when the counting of the target signal exceeds a first preset threshold, the counting unit generates a trigger signal.

[0014] Optionally, the protocol parsing submodule further includes a parsing unit and a timing unit; the parsing unit is used to parse the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip, and when the first communication signal is the target signal, control the timing unit to start timing; the timing unit is used to generate a trigger signal after timing for a first preset duration.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the triggering module includes a power-on reset submodule; the power-on reset submodule is used to generate a trigger signal directly or after a delay after the signal transmission chip is powered on.

[0016] The processing module of this invention can be implemented in different ways:

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the processing module includes a control submodule and a protocol processing submodule; the control submodule is used to control the reading of a first parameter in the storage module according to a trigger signal; the protocol processing submodule is used to convert the read first parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current driver chip, and output the second communication signal.

[0018] In another embodiment of the present invention, the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; the processing module includes a control submodule, an arithmetic submodule, and a protocol processing submodule; the control submodule is used to control the reading of a first parameter in the storage module according to the first trigger signal; the arithmetic submodule is used to perform arithmetic on the read first parameter and second parameter to generate a third parameter; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; the protocol processing submodule is used to convert the third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal.

[0019] The third parameter, after being generated, can be output in any of the following ways:

[0020] Optionally, the third parameter, after being generated, is processed by the protocol processing submodule and then output to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0021] Optionally, the trigger signal also includes a second trigger signal; the control submodule is also used to store the third parameter generated by the calculation submodule, and according to the second trigger signal, control the transmission of the stored third parameter to the protocol processing submodule, so that it can be processed by the protocol processing submodule and output to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, the storage module further stores a third parameter range; the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; the processing module includes a control submodule, an arithmetic submodule, a judgment submodule, and a protocol processing submodule; the control submodule is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module according to the first trigger signal; the arithmetic submodule is used to perform arithmetic on the read first parameter and the second parameter to generate a third parameter; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; the judgment submodule judges the third parameter based on the third parameter range in the storage module, and outputs the target third parameter based on the judgment result; the protocol processing submodule is used to convert the target third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and outputs the second communication signal.

[0023] Optionally, the third parameter is Z, and the range of the third parameter is Z[0:X];

[0024] If the judgment result is Z[0]<Z<Z[X], then the judgment submodule will output Z as the third parameter of the target;

[0025] If the judgment result is Z < Z[0], then the judgment submodule will output Z[0] as the third parameter of the target;

[0026] If the judgment result is Z[X] < Z, then the judgment submodule will output Z[X] as the third parameter of the target.

[0027] Similarly, based on this embodiment, the target third parameter can be output in any of the following ways after it is generated:

[0028] Optionally, the target third parameter is generated, processed by the protocol processing submodule, and then output to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0029] Optionally, the trigger signal also includes a second trigger signal; the control submodule is also used to store the target third parameter output by the judgment submodule, and according to the second trigger signal, control the transmission of the stored target third parameter to the protocol processing submodule, so that it is processed by the protocol processing submodule and output to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0030] In another embodiment of the present invention, the storage module further stores a second parameter range; the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; the processing module includes a control submodule, a judgment submodule, an arithmetic submodule, and a protocol processing submodule; the control submodule is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module according to the first trigger signal; the judgment submodule judges the second parameter based on the second parameter range in the storage module, and outputs a target second parameter based on the judgment result; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; the arithmetic submodule is used to perform a calculation on the read first parameter and the target second parameter to generate a third parameter; the protocol processing submodule is used to convert the third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal.

[0031] Optionally, the second parameter is G, and the range of the second parameter is G[0:X];

[0032] If the judgment result is G[0]<G<G[X], then the judgment submodule will output G as the second parameter of the target;

[0033] If the judgment result is G < G[0], then the judgment submodule will output G[0] as the second parameter of the target;

[0034] If the judgment result is G[X] < G, then the judgment submodule will output G[X] as the second parameter of the target.

[0035] The third parameter, after being generated, can be output in any of the following ways:

[0036] Optionally, the third parameter, after being generated, is processed by the protocol processing submodule and then output to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0037] Optionally, the trigger signal also includes a second trigger signal; the control submodule is also used to store the third parameter generated by the calculation submodule, and according to the second trigger signal, control the transmission of the stored third parameter to the protocol processing submodule, so that it can be processed by the protocol processing submodule and output to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0038] In conjunction with any of the above embodiments, in one embodiment of the present invention, the signal transmission chip further includes a selection module; the selection module selects to output either the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip or the second communication signal transmitted by the processing module based on a strobe signal.

[0039] Optionally, based on embodiments of the present invention, a signal amplifier may be provided between the output terminal of the selection module and the output terminal of the signal transmission chip.

[0040] In addition, the signal transmission chip of the present invention also has the function of controlling the constant current drive chip to reduce unnecessary power consumption.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the signal transmission chip does not receive display data for transmission to the constant current drive chip within a second preset time period, the processing module is further configured to output a pre-configured energy-saving instruction; wherein the energy-saving instruction is used to control the constant current drive chip to save energy.

[0042] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the display data received by the signal transmission chip for transmission to the constant current drive chip is all 0, the processing module is further configured to output a pre-configured energy-saving instruction; wherein the energy-saving instruction is used to control the constant current drive chip to save energy.

[0043] In a second aspect, the present invention also discloses a display module, including a constant current driving chip and a signal transmission chip as described in the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the signal transmission chip is directly or indirectly connected to the constant current driving chip.

[0044] In a third aspect, the present invention also discloses a display screen, including a controller and a display module as described in the second aspect of the present invention, wherein the controller is connected to a constant current drive chip via a signal transmission chip.

[0045] This invention has the following advantages:

[0046] The signal transmission chip provided by this invention stores a first parameter, thereby fixing the default drive current that the constant current drive chip without external resistors can generate when the display module leaves the factory. Based on this, the controller can directly control the output target drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors through the signal transmission chip based on the current gain. This invention overcomes the current problem that controllers cannot directly control the output target drive current of constant current drive chips without external resistors based on current gain. The technical solution provided by this invention is applicable to existing display controllers on the market, and display users can also adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors using their existing controllers. From another perspective, this invention can also be considered to be adapted to the existing usage habits of display users, that is, it does not change the usage habits developed by users when using constant current drive chips with external resistors, enabling users to use constant current drive chips without external resistors without any obstacles. Attached Figure Description

[0047] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention.

[0048] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of the signal transmission chip of the present invention;

[0049] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal transmission chip according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0050] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal transmission chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal transmission chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal transmission chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0053] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal transmission chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0054] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal transmission chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0055] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a signal transmission chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0056] Figure 9 This is a structural block diagram of the display module according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0057] Figure 10 This is a structural block diagram of the display screen according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0059] 10-Storage module; 20-Trigger module; 201-Protocol parsing submodule; 202-Power-on reset submodule; 30-Processing module; 301-Control submodule; 302-Protocol processing submodule; 303-Calculation submodule; 304-Judgment submodule; 40-Selection module. Detailed Implementation

[0060] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0061] As described in the background section, existing constant current drive chips with external resistors have a default drive current at the factory when the display module leaves the factory. Therefore, the controller can adjust the default drive current of the constant current drive chip to obtain the target drive current simply by configuring the current gain (GAIN). In other words, most controllers on the market have a current gain (GAIN), and display users are accustomed to adjusting the drive current of the constant current drive chip to output the target drive current by configuring or selecting the current gain (GAIN) in the controller.

[0062] However, in the prior art, constant current drive chips without external resistors do not have the default drive current described herein when shipped from the factory. This causes the constant current drive chip to be unable to output the target drive current even when the controller sends the current gain GAIN to it. This technical problem greatly limits the widespread adoption of constant current drive chips without external resistors.

[0063] In view of this, the present invention proposes a signal transmission chip, with reference to Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic block diagram of the signal transmission chip of the present invention. The signal transmission chip includes: a storage module 10, a trigger module 20, and a processing module 30, wherein:

[0064] The storage module 10 stores a first parameter for configuring the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors.

[0065] Trigger module 20 is used to generate trigger signals;

[0066] The processing module 30 is used to process the first parameter in the storage module 10 according to the trigger signal, so as to output a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip.

[0067] The storage module 10 used to store the first parameter in this invention can be a non-volatile memory (NVM), which has the characteristic that the stored data is not lost even when power is off. This invention utilizes the storage module 10 to store the first parameter. After any power-on, when the trigger module 20 generates a trigger signal, the processing module 30 can process the first parameter in the storage module 10 according to the trigger signal to output a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip. Obviously, the second communication signal output at this time is obtained by processing the first parameter. Therefore, the constant current drive chip can also parse the first parameter or the processed data of the first parameter (such as the third parameter or target third parameter below) from the second communication signal. Thus, the constant current drive chip can generate a drive current based on the first parameter or the processed data of the first parameter.

[0068] The drive current configured in the first parameter can be understood as the default drive current mentioned earlier. Display manufacturers can determine the required default drive current output by the constant current drive chip without external resistors based on the actual display application needs. Then, they can calculate the corresponding first parameter based on the default drive current and write it into the storage module 10 of the signal transmission chip. Once the display module leaves the factory, the first parameter is fixed, and therefore the default drive current generated by the constant current drive chip without external resistors is also fixed based on the first parameter.

[0069] In practical applications, the signal transmission chip can send the first parameter to the constant current driver chip first, and then send the current gain GAIN to the constant current driver chip; or the current gain GAIN can be sent to the signal transmission chip first, and the signal transmission chip can calculate the first parameter and the current gain GAIN and then send them to the constant current driver chip. Therefore, in this invention, the processing module 30 can process the first parameter in the storage module 10 through a protocol conversion process. This can be understood as converting the first parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current driver chip and then sending it directly to the constant current driver chip. This allows the constant current driver chip to generate a default drive current based on the first parameter. Subsequently, if the controller sends the current gain GAIN to the constant current driver chip through the signal transmission chip, the default drive current in the constant current driver chip can be adjusted to output the target drive current. Alternatively, the processing module 30 can process the first parameter in the storage module 10 through arithmetic operations and protocol conversion. That is, the processing module 30 performs arithmetic operations on the current gain GAIN and the first parameter and then converts it into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current driver chip. At this time, the constant current driver chip can directly generate the target drive current based on the parameter in the second communication signal (such as the third parameter or the target third parameter mentioned below).

[0070] As can be seen, based on the signal transmission chip provided by this invention, the storage and processing of the first parameter enables the configuration of the default drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors. Furthermore, the controller can directly adjust the target drive current of the constant current drive chip based on the default drive current and the current gain GAIN. The technical solution provided by this invention is applicable to existing display controllers on the market, allowing display users to adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors using their existing controllers. From another perspective, this invention can also be considered to be adapted to the existing usage habits of display users, that is, it does not change the user's habits developed from using constant current drive chips with external resistors, enabling users to use constant current drive chips without external resistors without any obstacles.

[0071] In this invention, corresponding to the configurable circuitry in a conventional constant current drive chip without external resistors, after the first parameter or the data after processing the first parameter (hereinafter referred to as the third parameter or target third parameter) is sent to the constant current drive chip, circuit parameters such as current, resistance, or voltage in the constant current drive chip can be adjusted. Ultimately, this achieves the goal that the constant current drive chip without external resistors can generate a drive current of the default drive current magnitude defined herein based on the first parameter, or that the constant current drive chip without external resistors can generate the target drive current described herein based on the data after processing the first parameter. For example, the first parameter can be used to control the mirror ratio of the current mirror in the constant current drive chip to adjust the minimum unit current Iunit in the constant current drive chip without external resistors, thereby enabling the constant current drive chip to generate the default drive current based on the first parameter.

[0072] For the specific circuit of the constant current drive chip without external resistors described in this article, please refer to relevant existing technologies; this invention does not limit it. It is worth emphasizing that a constant current drive chip without external resistors means that the chip can still generate drive current without relying on external resistors on the display module, but this should not be interpreted as meaning that there are no external resistors on the display module. The form in which the first parameter is expressed in the storage module 10, and the specific circuit parameters in the constant current drive chip that the first parameter adjusts, can be set based on the circuit structure of the constant current drive chip. This invention does not limit this; it is sufficient that the constant current drive chip generates a default drive current based on the first parameter.

[0073] Optionally, the trigger signal of the present invention can be generated based on an external signal received by the signal transmission chip. In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 2 As shown, the trigger module 20 includes a protocol parsing submodule 201; the protocol parsing submodule 201 is used to parse the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip and generate a trigger signal.

[0074] Furthermore, the protocol parsing submodule 201 can generate trigger signals based on the following implementation methods:

[0075] In one implementation, the protocol parsing submodule 201 further includes a parsing unit (not shown) and a counting unit (not shown). The parsing unit parses the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip and controls the counting unit to count when the first communication signal is a target signal. The counting unit generates a trigger signal when the count of the target signal exceeds a first preset threshold. In this implementation, the counting unit can be connected to the processing module 30. The counting unit transmits a default level signal to the processing module 30. When the count exceeds the first preset threshold, the default level signal flips as the trigger signal. In actual circuits, the counting unit can be implemented using a counter or a digital circuit with counting function. Its circuit structure is conventional technology in this field and is not limited here.

[0076] In another implementation, the protocol parsing submodule 201 further includes a parsing unit (not shown) and a timing unit (not shown). The parsing unit parses the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip and controls the timing unit to start timing when the first communication signal is the target signal. The timing unit generates a trigger signal after timing for a first preset duration. In this implementation, the timing unit can be connected to the processing module 30. The timing unit transmits a default level signal to the processing module 30, and after timing for a first preset duration, the default level signal flips to serve as the trigger signal. The circuit structure of the timing unit is not limited here and is considered conventional technology in the field.

[0077] In another implementation, the trigger signal is generated when the protocol parsing submodule 201 determines that the first communication signal is an instruction to send the first parameter, an instruction to send the subsequent third parameter, or an instruction to send the target third parameter. In this implementation, the protocol parsing submodule 201 can also be understood as the aforementioned parsing unit, which is connected to the processing module 30 and thus transmits the trigger signal to the processing module 30. The parsing unit parses the first communication signal according to the configured communication protocol rules to obtain the data or instructions carried in the first communication signal. It is usually implemented using digital circuits. Protocol parsing is a conventional technique in this field. Based on different communication protocol rules, the specific circuits of different parsing units may be different. This invention does not limit the specific circuit. For example, when the signal transmission chip is a buffer chip, the parsing unit can obtain the corresponding instructions (such as an instruction to send the first parameter) or data (such as the second parameter of this invention) by parsing the first communication signals LE, CLK, and SDI.

[0078] In various embodiments of the present invention, the signal received by the signal transmission chip is named the first communication signal, and the signal output by the signal transmission chip after processing the first parameter in the storage module 10, which can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, is named the second communication signal. Preferably, the first communication signal and the second communication signal have the same communication protocol.

[0079] Optionally, the trigger signal of the present invention can be generated based on the internal signal of the signal transmission chip. In another embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the trigger module 20 includes a power-on reset submodule 202; the power-on reset submodule 202 is used to generate a trigger signal directly or after a delay after the signal transmission chip is powered on. The delay duration of the power-on reset submodule 202 is not limited in this embodiment.

[0080] As mentioned above, in this invention, the processing module 30 can process the first parameter in the storage module 10 in a protocol conversion manner, or it can be a combination of computation and protocol conversion. Therefore, the processing module 30 of this invention can be implemented in different ways. Some embodiments are listed below for illustrative purposes.

[0081] In one embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, the processing module 30 includes a control submodule 301 and a protocol processing submodule 302. The control submodule 301 is used to control the reading of the first parameter from the storage module 10 according to the trigger signal. The protocol processing submodule 302 is used to convert the read first parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current driver chip, and output the second communication signal. Since the second communication signal output to the constant current driver chip in this embodiment of the invention is obtained by directly converting the first parameter, the constant current driver chip can obtain the first parameter by parsing the second communication signal and generate a default drive current based on the first parameter. At this time, if the user sends the current gain GAIN to the constant current driver chip through the controller, the default drive current in the constant current driver chip can be adjusted to obtain the target drive current.

[0082] In practical applications, the control submodule 301 can be combined with any of the aforementioned embodiments of the processing module 30 to obtain the trigger signal, thereby realizing the embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments of the present invention, the protocol processing submodule 302 can be directly connected to the storage module 10 or directly connected to the control submodule 301, so that the protocol processing submodule 302 can receive the first parameter read from the storage module 10. The process by which the protocol processing submodule 201 converts or encapsulates parameters in one chip into a form that can be recognized by another different chip is called protocol processing, which can also be called protocol conversion or protocol generation. This protocol processing technology is a conventional technical means in the field, and it is usually implemented using digital circuits. Depending on the different chip applications, the actual circuits may differ, and the present invention does not limit this.

[0083] In yet another embodiment of the invention, such as Figure 5 As shown, the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; the processing module 30 includes a control submodule 301, an arithmetic submodule 303, and a protocol processing submodule 302; the control submodule 301 is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module 10 according to the first trigger signal; the arithmetic submodule 303 is used to perform arithmetic on the read first parameter and the second parameter to generate a third parameter; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; the protocol processing submodule 302 is used to convert the third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal. In this embodiment, since the second parameter is also a parameter that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip, the arithmetic submodule 303 can perform logical operations on the first parameter and the second parameter to obtain the third parameter. After the third parameter is converted into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, it is sent to the constant current drive chip. The constant current drive chip can obtain the third parameter by parsing the second communication signal and generate a drive current based on the third parameter. Under this circuit logic, when the second parameter is the current gain GAIN sent by the user through the controller, the operation submodule 303 performs the operation between the current gain GAIN and the first parameter and uses it as the third parameter in this embodiment of the invention, which can realize the adjustment of the target drive current of the constant current drive chip in one step.

[0084] The specific circuitry of the arithmetic submodule 303 is not limited herein. Based on the concept of this invention, those skilled in the art can determine the calculation logic between the first and second parameters according to the actual adjustable circuit of the constant current drive chip, and design the specific operation method of the arithmetic submodule 303 based on the calculation logic, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and compound operations. For example, the third parameter is equal to the product of the first and second parameters. Regarding the method by which the signal transmission chip obtains the second parameter, this embodiment of the invention is not limited herein. In one optional method, the protocol parsing module of the signal transmission chip (such as the aforementioned protocol parsing submodule 201) parses the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip, and when it is determined that the first communication signal carries the second parameter, transmits the second parameter to the arithmetic submodule 303.

[0085] For example, the display manufacturer pre-writes the first parameter, used to configure the constant current drive chip to output a default drive current of 5mA, into the storage module 10 in the signal transmission chip. Currently, the configurable current gain range of controllers on the market is 10% to 200%. Users can send the corresponding current gain GAIN (usually 100%) to the signal transmission chip of this invention through the controller according to their own display requirements (such as brightness requirements). The protocol parsing submodule 201 in the signal transmission chip transmits the received current gain GAIN to the control submodule 301. The control submodule 301 uses the received current gain GAIN as the first trigger signal, reads the first parameter from the storage module 10, and then transmits the first parameter and the current gain GAIN to the calculation submodule 303. The calculation submodule 303 calculates the first parameter and the current gain GAIN and outputs the third parameter. The third parameter is processed by the protocol processing submodule 302 and transmitted to the constant current drive chip in the form of a second communication signal. The constant current drive chip obtains the third parameter by parsing the second communication signal and outputs the target drive current based on the third parameter. As can be seen in this example, the current gain range that the corresponding controller can be configured to be 10% to 200%, and the constant current drive chip can finally output a target drive current that varies in the range of 0.5mA to 10mA. For users, the brightness can be adjusted from 10% to 200% under the display effect configured by the display manufacturer.

[0086] In practical applications, the control submodule 301 can be combined with any of the aforementioned embodiments of the processing module 30 to obtain the trigger signal, thereby realizing the embodiments of the present invention. In the embodiments of the present invention, the arithmetic submodule 303 can be directly connected to the storage module 10 or directly connected to the control submodule 301, so that the arithmetic submodule 303 can receive the first parameter read from the storage module 10, and further, the third parameter generated by the arithmetic submodule 303 can be written into the storage module 10.

[0087] In this embodiment of the invention, there are several ways to output the third parameter to the outside of the signal transmission chip:

[0088] In one implementation method, such as Figure 5 As shown, the operation submodule 303 is directly connected to the protocol processing submodule 302, so that the third parameter is directly output to the outside of the signal transmission chip after being generated and processed by the protocol processing submodule 302.

[0089] In another implementation, the trigger signal also includes a second trigger signal; the control submodule 301 is also used to store the third parameter generated by the calculation submodule 303, and according to the second trigger signal, control the transmission of the stored third parameter to the protocol processing submodule 302, so that it can be processed by the protocol processing submodule 302 and output to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0090] It should be noted that in this implementation, since the second trigger signal is also generated by the trigger module 20, the second trigger signal can also be implemented based on any triggering method of the present invention. When the trigger module 20 includes the aforementioned timing unit or counting unit, the first preset duration timed by the timing unit or the preset threshold counted by the counting unit should be different when generating the first trigger signal and the second trigger signal. In other words, the first preset duration shown in the present invention is only used to distinguish it from the second preset duration described below, and it should not be interpreted as the delay duration corresponding to the generation of the first trigger signal or the delay duration corresponding to the generation of the second trigger signal. In practice, regarding the generation of the second trigger signal, when the trigger module 20 includes a timing unit, the timing unit can also be connected to the control submodule 301, so that when the control submodule 301 stores the third parameter generated by the calculation submodule 303, it controls the timing unit to start timing, thereby generating the second trigger signal. Of course, in practice, the second trigger signal can also be generated based on other implementation methods, which are not limited here.

[0091] It should be noted that, in this implementation, the memory used to store the third parameter can be a different memory than the memory used to store the first parameter (not shown in the figure). Preferably, it can be a memory that is easily erasable and rewritable, such as a register.

[0092] In yet another embodiment of the invention, such as Figure 6As shown, the storage module 10 also stores a third parameter range; the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; the processing module 30 includes a control submodule 301, an arithmetic submodule 303, a judgment submodule 304, and a protocol processing submodule 302; the control submodule 301 is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module 10 according to the first trigger signal; the arithmetic submodule 303 is used to perform arithmetic on the read first parameter and the second parameter to generate a third parameter; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; the judgment submodule 304 judges the third parameter based on the third parameter range in the storage module 10, and outputs the target third parameter based on the judgment result; the protocol processing submodule 302 is used to convert the target third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and outputs the second communication signal. Under this circuit logic, when the second parameter is the current gain GAIN sent by the user through the controller, the operation submodule 303 performs an operation on the current gain GAIN and the first parameter, and uses it as the third parameter in this embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the judgment submodule 304 determines whether the third parameter output by the operation submodule 303 is within the range of the third parameter, and the protocol processing submodule 302 outputs the second communication signal obtained by converting the target third parameter to the constant current driver chip. After the constant current driver chip parses the second communication signal, it can obtain the target third parameter and generate a driving current. At this time, the driving current generated can effectively limit the impact of the user's random adjustment operation on the display screen and the constant current driver chip, ensure the display effect, and reduce the power consumption of the constant current driver chip.

[0093] In this embodiment, the specific circuit description of the arithmetic submodule 303 and the method by which the arithmetic submodule 303 obtains the second parameter can be referred to the foregoing content, and will not be repeated here. One input terminal of the judgment submodule 304 can be connected to the storage module 10 or the control submodule 301 to receive the range of the third parameter, and the other input terminal is directly or indirectly connected to the arithmetic submodule 303 to receive the third parameter. The output terminal is connected to the protocol processing submodule 302.

[0094] Optionally, the third parameter is Z, and the range of the third parameter is Z[0:X]. If the judgment result is Z[0]<Z<Z[X], then the judgment submodule 304 will output Z as the target third parameter. If the judgment result is Z<Z[0], then the judgment submodule 304 will output Z[0] as the target third parameter. If the judgment result is Z[X]<Z, then the judgment submodule 304 will output Z[X] as the target third parameter.

[0095] In this embodiment of the invention, there are several ways to output the target third parameter to the outside of the signal transmission chip:

[0096] In one implementation, the judgment submodule 304 is directly connected to the protocol processing submodule 302, and the target third parameter is directly output to the outside of the signal transmission chip after being processed by the protocol processing submodule 302 after being generated.

[0097] In another implementation, the trigger signal further includes a second trigger signal; the control submodule 301 is also used to store the target third parameter output by the judgment submodule 304, and, according to the second trigger signal, control the transmission of the stored target third parameter to the protocol processing submodule 302, so that it is processed by the protocol processing submodule 302 and output to the outside of the signal transmission chip. In this implementation, the explanation of the second trigger signal and the related explanation of storing the target third parameter can be found in the foregoing content, and will not be repeated here.

[0098] In another embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 7 The storage module 10 also stores a second parameter range; the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; the processing module 30 includes a control submodule 301, a judgment submodule 304, an arithmetic submodule 303, and a protocol processing submodule 302; the control submodule 301 is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module 10 according to the first trigger signal; the judgment submodule 304 judges the second parameter based on the second parameter range in the storage module 10, and outputs the target second parameter based on the judgment result; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; the arithmetic submodule 303 is used to perform a calculation on the read first parameter and the target second parameter to generate a third parameter; the protocol processing submodule 302 is used to convert the third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal. Similarly, based on this embodiment, the constant current drive chip generates a drive current according to the third parameter, which can also effectively control the impact of user operation on the display screen and the constant current drive chip, ensure the display effect, and reduce the power consumption of the constant current drive chip.

[0099] In this embodiment, one input terminal of the judgment submodule 304 can be connected to the storage module 10 or the control submodule 301 to receive the second parameter range, and the other input terminal is used to receive the second parameter. The output terminal is connected to the arithmetic submodule 303. For a detailed description of the circuit of the arithmetic submodule 303 and the method by which the arithmetic submodule 303 obtains the second parameter, please refer to the foregoing content; further details will not be elaborated here.

[0100] Based on the embodiments of the present invention, optionally, the second parameter is G, and the range of the second parameter is G[0:X]. If the judgment result is G[0]<G<G[X], then the judgment submodule 304 outputs G as the target second parameter; if the judgment result is G<G[0], then the judgment submodule 304 outputs G[0] as the target second parameter; if the judgment result is G[X]<G, then the judgment submodule 304 outputs G[X] as the target second parameter.

[0101] Similarly, the third parameter can be output in any of the aforementioned ways after it is generated, which will not be elaborated on here.

[0102] In practice, the data line between the controller and the constant current driver chip is not necessarily a direct connection. To ensure signal integrity, a buffer chip is added where the connection is long to increase the driving capability and ensure timing matching. Existing buffer chips are characterized by the input signal being directly output after passing through the buffer; therefore, the signal transmission chip can be specifically modified from existing buffer chips. In one embodiment of the present invention, as... Figure 8 The diagram illustrates a schematic of a signal transmission chip based on a modified buffer chip according to the present invention. The signal transmission chip further includes a selection module 40. The selection module 40, based on a strobe signal, selects to output either a first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip or a second communication signal transmitted by the processing module 30. Based on the configuration of the selection module 40 in this embodiment, the existing communication method between the buffer chip and the constant current driver chip is retained, while also enabling low-cost configuration of the drive current of the constant current driver chip.

[0103] Corresponding to the different implementations of the aforementioned processing module 30, the selection module 40 can be applied to the aforementioned... Figure 4-7 In any embodiment, one input terminal of the selection module 40 can be connected to the input terminal of the signal transmission chip or the aforementioned protocol parsing submodule 201, and the other input terminal can be connected to the output terminal of the protocol processing submodule 302.

[0104] If module 40 is selected and applied as described above Figure 4In this embodiment, the selection module 40 actually selects whether to directly output the signal received by the signal transmission chip (i.e., the first communication signal) to the outside of the signal transmission chip or to output the first parameter (which is actually represented as the second communication signal in transmission) to the outside of the signal transmission chip. In this embodiment, the strobe signal can be generated by the control submodule 301. For example, when the control submodule 301 reads the first parameter from the storage module 10, it sends the strobe signal to the selection module 40, causing the selection module 40 to output the second communication signal output by the protocol processing submodule 302. The strobe signal can also be generated by the protocol processing submodule 302; or the strobe signal can also be generated by the trigger module 20, such as the aforementioned protocol parsing submodule 201. The specific implementation of this invention is not limited in this respect.

[0105] If module 40 is selected and applied as described above Figure 5 or Figure 7 In the illustrated embodiment, the selection module 40 actually selects whether to directly output the signal received by the signal transmission chip (i.e., the first communication signal) to the outside of the signal transmission chip or to output the third parameter (which is actually manifested as the second communication signal in transmission) to the outside of the signal transmission chip. In this embodiment, the strobe signal can be generated by the control submodule 301, the trigger module 20, or the protocol processing submodule 302, etc. The specific implementation of this invention is not limited in this respect.

[0106] If module 40 is selected and applied as described above Figure 6 In the embodiment shown, the selection module 40 actually selects whether to directly output the signal received by the signal transmission chip (i.e., the first communication signal) to the outside of the signal transmission chip or to output the target third parameter (which is actually manifested as the second communication signal in transmission) to the outside of the signal transmission chip.

[0107] Optionally, based on embodiments of the present invention, a signal amplifier is provided between the output terminal of the selection module 40 and the output terminal of the signal transmission chip. By providing the signal amplifier, the signal passing through the signal transmission chip can be amplified, improving anti-interference capabilities. Specifically, the signal amplifier can be implemented using a buffer.

[0108] Furthermore, reducing unnecessary energy consumption of LED displays has become one of the goals pursued in this field. To achieve this goal, the signal transmission chip of this invention also has the function of controlling the constant current drive chip to reduce unnecessary energy consumption:

[0109] In one embodiment of the present invention, when the signal transmission chip does not receive display data for transmission to the constant current drive chip within a second preset time period, the processing module 30 is further configured to output a pre-configured energy-saving instruction; wherein the energy-saving instruction is used to control the constant current drive chip to save energy.

[0110] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the display data received by the signal transmission chip for transmission to the constant current drive chip is all 0, the processing module 30 is further used to output a pre-configured energy-saving instruction; wherein the energy-saving instruction is used to control the constant current drive chip to save energy.

[0111] In various embodiments of the present invention, the display data can be understood as grayscale data in the art, and may also include corresponding display control signals. After receiving the display data, the constant current drive chip generates a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal based on the display data to control the duration of the drive current output to the LED chips.

[0112] This invention places a signal transmission chip on the transmission link between the display data sending end (e.g., the controller) and the constant current driver chip. The signal transmission chip determines whether display data for transmission to the constant current driver chip has not been received, or whether the received display data is all zeros, thereby deciding whether to control the constant current driver chip to save energy. This effectively reduces unnecessary energy consumption by the constant current driver chip. In the two embodiments described above, compared to the method where the constant current driver chip determines whether it has received display data or whether the received display data is all zeros to enter energy-saving mode, this invention uses a signal transmission chip to control whether the constant current driver chip saves energy, enabling faster energy saving. Furthermore, since the signal transmission chip is connected to multiple constant current driver chips in a full-color LED display, it can also control the constant current driver chips to enter energy-saving mode in batches. Simultaneously, compared to setting a display data detection function (i.e., identifying whether display data has not been received or whether the received display data is all zeros) within the constant current driver chip, the display data detection function is completed within the signal transmission chip, which also saves the area of ​​the constant current driver chip, reducing the overall manufacturing cost of the display screen.

[0113] In terms of specific circuits, the signal transmission chip also includes an instruction configuration module (not shown in the figure), which can be implemented based on the following circuit structure: the protocol parsing submodule 201 is used to parse the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip and to perform timing. If no display data for transmission to the constant current drive chip is received within a second preset time period, or if all the received display data for transmission to the constant current drive chip is 0, the submodule directly or indirectly outputs a signal to the instruction configuration module, so that the instruction configuration module outputs a pre-configured energy-saving instruction to the constant current drive chip through the protocol processing submodule 302.

[0114] The protocol parsing submodule 201 determines whether display data has been received or whether the received display data is all zeros. This can be achieved in a similar way to the constant current drive chip determining whether it has received display data or whether the received display data is all zeros. This invention does not limit this to a specific method.

[0115] In this embodiment, the energy-saving command is used to control the constant current driver chip to save energy. The specific energy-saving method may be to control the constant current driver chip to disconnect the power supply, or to control all or part of the circuit of the constant current driver chip to enter a low-power mode. The present invention does not limit the specific energy-saving method.

[0116] Regarding the function of signal transmission chips controlling constant current drive chips to save energy, this function applies to constant current drive chips with external resistors as well as constant current drive chips without external resistors. In other words, the constant current drive chip that receives the energy-saving command can be a constant current drive chip with external resistors or a constant current drive chip without external resistors.

[0117] As for the signal transmission chip that can control the energy saving of the constant current drive chip, the signal transmission chip can be a chip obtained by improving the existing buffer chip, or it can be a signal transmission chip that can at least realize the configuration of the default drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistor, as disclosed in any embodiment of the present invention.

[0118] Based on the same inventive concept, and referring to Figure 9 The present invention also discloses a display module, including a constant current driving chip and a signal transmission chip as described in the present invention, wherein the signal transmission chip is directly or indirectly connected to the constant current driving chip.

[0119] In this embodiment, the signal transmission chip and the constant current drive chip are mounted on the display module, allowing the display manufacturer to write the first parameter into the storage module 10 of the signal transmission chip. Once the display module leaves the factory, the first parameter is fixed, thus fixing the default drive current generated by the constant current drive chip without external resistors. When the processing module within the signal transmission chip receives a trigger signal, it can transmit the stored first parameter or the processed data of the first parameter (such as the aforementioned third parameter or target third parameter) to the constant current drive chip in the form of a second communication signal recognizable by the constant current drive chip, causing the constant current drive chip to generate the default drive current or the target drive current. That is, based on the signal transmission chip's storage and processing of the first parameter provided by this invention, the default drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors is configured. Furthermore, the controller can directly control the output target drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors based on current gain. The technical solution provided by this invention is applicable to existing display controllers on the market, allowing display users to adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors on the display module using their existing controllers. From another perspective, this invention can also be considered to be adapted to the existing usage habits of existing display screen users, that is, it does not change the usage habits that users have developed when using constant current drive chips with external resistors, and can enable users to use constant current drive chips without external resistors without any obstacles.

[0120] In this invention, the direct or indirect connection between the signal transmission chip and the constant current drive chip means that the output terminal of the signal transmission chip and the constant current drive chip can be directly connected, or they can be indirectly connected through basic electronic components such as resistors that do not affect the change of signals, parameters or data. The specific connection method is not limited in this invention.

[0121] Based on the same inventive concept, and referring to Figure 10 The present invention also discloses a display screen, including a controller and a display module as described in the present invention, wherein the controller is connected to a constant current drive chip through a signal transmission chip.

[0122] The technical solution provided by this invention is applicable to existing display controllers on the market. Display users can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors based on their existing controllers. From another perspective, this invention can also be considered to be adapted to the existing usage habits of display users, that is, it does not change the usage habits that users have developed when using constant current drive chips with external resistors, and can enable users to use constant current drive chips without external resistors without any obstacles.

[0123] It should be noted that the various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, with each embodiment focusing on the differences from other embodiments. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. It is also worth noting that the terms "first" and "second" mentioned in this specification are merely distinctions between different objects and do not imply any order or sequence.

[0124] This invention discloses a signal transmission chip, a display module, and a display screen, specifically relating to the field of LED display screen technology. The technical solution provided by this invention is applicable to existing display screen controllers on the market, allowing display screen users to adjust the target drive current of a constant current drive chip without external resistors based on their existing controllers. From another perspective, this invention can also be considered to be adapted to the existing usage habits of display screen users, that is, it does not change the usage habits developed by users when using constant current drive chips with external resistors, enabling users to use constant current drive chips without external resistors without any obstacles.

[0125] The technical solution provided by the present invention has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will know that there will be different forms of changes in the specific implementation and application scope based on the present invention. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all implementations here, but obvious changes or modifications derived therefrom are still within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A signal transmission chip, characterized in that, include: Triggering module, storage module, and processing module; The storage module is a non-volatile memory and is used to store a first parameter, which is used to configure the drive current of the constant current drive chip without external resistors. The triggering module is used to generate a trigger signal; The processing module is used to control the reading of a first parameter in the storage module according to the trigger signal, process the read first parameter to generate a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal so that the constant current drive chip generates a drive current based on the second communication signal.

2. The signal transmission chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The triggering module includes a protocol parsing submodule, which is used to parse the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip and generate the trigger signal. or, The triggering module includes a power-on reset submodule, which is used to generate the trigger signal directly or after a delay after the signal transmission chip is powered on.

3. The signal transmission chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The processing module includes a control submodule and a protocol processing submodule; The control submodule is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module according to the trigger signal; The protocol processing submodule is used to convert the read first parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal.

4. The signal transmission chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; The processing module includes a control submodule, a computation submodule, and a protocol processing submodule; The control submodule is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module according to the first trigger signal; The calculation submodule is used to perform calculations on the read first parameter and second parameter to generate a third parameter; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; The protocol processing submodule is used to convert the third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal.

5. The signal transmission chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage module also stores a third parameter range; the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; The processing module includes a control submodule, a calculation submodule, a judgment submodule, and a protocol processing submodule; The control submodule is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module according to the first trigger signal; The calculation submodule is used to perform calculations on the read first parameter and second parameter to generate a third parameter; wherein, the second parameter is a data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; The judgment submodule judges the third parameter based on the third parameter range in the storage module, and outputs the target third parameter based on the judgment result; The protocol processing submodule is used to convert the target third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal.

6. The signal transmission chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage module also stores a second parameter range; the trigger signal includes a first trigger signal; The processing module includes a control submodule, a judgment submodule, a calculation submodule, and a protocol processing submodule; The control submodule is used to control the reading of the first parameter in the storage module according to the first trigger signal; The judgment submodule judges the second parameter based on the second parameter range in the storage module, and outputs the target second parameter based on the judgment result; wherein, the second parameter is the data signal received by the signal transmission chip that can adjust the drive current of the constant current drive chip; The calculation submodule is used to perform calculations on the read first parameter and the target second parameter to generate a third parameter; The protocol processing submodule is used to convert the third parameter into a second communication signal that can be recognized by the constant current drive chip, and output the second communication signal.

7. The signal transmission chip according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, The signal transmission chip also includes a selection module; The selection module selects to output either the first communication signal received by the signal transmission chip or the second communication signal transmitted by the processing module, based on the gating signal.

8. The signal transmission chip according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the display data received by the signal transmission chip for transmission to the constant current drive chip is all 0, or when no display data for transmission to the constant current drive chip is received within a second preset time period, the processing module is further configured to output a pre-configured energy-saving instruction; wherein the energy-saving instruction is used to control the constant current drive chip to save energy.

9. A display module, characterized in that, It includes a constant current driving chip and a signal transmission chip as described in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the signal transmission chip is directly or indirectly connected to the constant current driving chip.

10. A display screen, characterized in that, It includes a controller and a display module as described in claim 9, wherein the controller is connected to the constant current drive chip via the signal transmission chip.

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