Circuit detection and light-emitting diode controller

Abstract

This relates to electronic circuits, specifically to circuit detection and light-emitting diode controllers. [Solution] The exemplary detection circuit element includes a bypass circuit element configured to selectively bypass a series of light-emitting diodes from a light-emitting diode driver; a first voltage detection circuit element configured to compare the voltage at a first terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes with a first reference voltage and output a first index of the comparison; and a logic circuit element configured to output a circuit type based on the first index.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This description generally relates to electronic circuits, and more particularly to circuit detection and light emitting diode controllers.

Background Art

[0002] Driver circuits provide power to one or more electrical components. For example, a light emitting diode (LED) driver circuit provides power to one or more LEDs. The operation of an electrical component powered by a driver circuit can be controlled by a controller. For example, an LED controller can control the on / off state, brightness, color, etc. of a series of LEDs, and / or can control individual LEDs or groups of LEDs within a series of LEDs. A series of LEDs can include one or more LEDs connected in series and / or in parallel.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] Regarding a circuit detection and light emitting diode controller, an exemplary detection circuit element includes a bypass circuit element configured to selectively bypass / cut off a series of light emitting diodes from a light emitting diode driver, a first voltage detection circuit element configured to compare a voltage at a first terminal of the series of light emitting diodes with a first reference voltage and output a first indicator of the comparison, and a logic circuit element configured to output a circuit type based on the first indicator. Other examples are also described.

[0004] Regarding circuit detection and light-emitting diode controllers, the exemplary detection circuit element includes a switch having a first terminal configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal configured to be coupled to a second terminal of a series of light-emitting diodes. The detection circuit element includes a first comparator having a first input terminal coupled to a second terminal of a series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal coupled to a first reference voltage. The detection circuit element includes a second comparator having a first input terminal coupled to a first terminal of a series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal coupled to a second reference voltage. The detection circuit element includes a logic circuit element having a first input terminal coupled to the output of the first comparator and a second input terminal coupled to the output of the second comparator, and a logic circuit element configured to output an index of the circuit type of a controller of a series of light-emitting diodes. Other examples are also described.

[0005] Regarding circuit detection and light-emitting diode controllers, the illustrated light-emitting diode controller includes a current source, a current sink, and a driver coupled to the current source and current sink. The light-emitting diode controller includes a transistor coupled to the output of the driver. The light-emitting diode controller includes a switch, the switch having a first terminal coupled to the anodes of a series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal configured to be coupled to the cathodes of a series of light-emitting diodes. The light-emitting diode controller includes a first comparator, the first comparator having a first input terminal coupled to the cathodes of a series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal coupled to a first reference voltage. The light-emitting diode controller includes a second comparator, the second comparator having a first input terminal coupled to the anodes of a series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal coupled to a second reference voltage. The light-emitting diode controller includes a logic circuit element, the logic circuit element having a first input terminal coupled to the output of the first comparator, a second input terminal coupled to the output of the second comparator, and an output for outputting an indicator of the circuit type of the controller of a series of light-emitting diodes to the current source and current sink. Other examples are also provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] An exemplary circuit for driving and controlling a light-emitting diode (LED) as disclosed herein is illustrated.

[0007] [Figure 2] Another exemplary circuit for driving and controlling an LED as disclosed herein is illustrated.

[0008] [Figure 3] This is a truth table illustrating the logic of the logic circuit elements in Figure 1 and / or Figure 2.

[0009] [Figure 4] Figure 1 and / or Figure 2 are flowcharts illustrating the operation of the LED dot controller.

[0010] The drawings are not necessarily to scale. Generally, the same reference numbers in the drawings and herein refer to the same or similar features and / or parts (functionally and / or structurally). While the drawings indicate areas with clear lines and boundaries, some or all of these lines and boundaries may be idealized. In practice, boundaries or lines may be invisible, blended, or irregular. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] When two circuits interact with each other, the design and structure of one circuit can affect the operation of the other. For example, a driver circuit for an LED may be implemented as a current-sink type LED driver, a current-source type LED driver, etc. An LED controller that controls LEDs driven by such drivers may need to modify its operation depending on the type of driver circuit. For example, an LED controller may include a series of gate drivers connected to a series of transistors (e.g., field-effect transistors (FETs)) to control a series of LEDs. The gate drivers may also be powered by an internal current source and an internal current sink of the LED controller. The amount of current source relative to the amount of current sink varies depending on the type of LED driver and how the current driver powers the LEDs. If the current source and current sink are not properly balanced based on the type of LED driver circuit, leakage current may partially turn on the LEDs even when the LED controller is controlling the LEDs to be off. Leakage currents resulting from compensation mismatches (e.g., an imbalance between the current sourced in a circuit element and the current sinked in a circuit element) can accumulate and become excessive through the first or last LED in a series of LEDs, resulting in undesirable LED brightness or color cast (e.g., the hue and color of the light emitted by the LEDs).

[0012] Typically, a front-end LED driver acts as a current regulator, supplying current through a series of LEDs. When the LED driver is disabled, zero current is supplied to each LED in the series. For current-sink type LED drivers, such as floating back drivers, the anode of the top LED of the series is connected to the system VIN. When the ratio N of the internal current source is less than the ratio K of the internal current sink of the LED dot controller (e.g., a controller that can control the operation of individual LEDs and / or groups of LEDs), mismatched current flows from VIN to the internal current sink of the dot controller through the series of LEDs. However, for current-source type LED drivers, such as back drivers, the cathode of the bottom LED of the series is connected to ground. Therefore, when the ratio N of the internal current source is greater than the ratio K of the internal current sink of the LED dot controller, mismatched current flows from the internal current source of the dot controller through the series of LEDs through ground.

[0013] An example LED controller described herein utilizes a circuit to detect the circuit type of an LED driver connected to a series of LEDs and adjusts the internal current source and internal current sink of the LED dot controller to compensate for the detected circuit type. As used herein, a series of LEDs includes any arrangement of multiple LEDs that may be connected in series and / or parallel, such as a series of LEDs, multiple LEDs connected in series, a matrix of LEDs connected in rows and columns, or other configurations. While the example disclosed herein utilizes a detection circuit in the context of an LED dot controller, the detection circuit may be used in other applications where circuit detection and / or compensation is desired.

[0014] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary circuit 100 for driving and controlling light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The exemplary circuit 100 includes an LED driver 102, which includes an input voltage 104 and a current sink 106. The exemplary circuit 100 further includes a series of LEDs 110-116. The exemplary circuit 100 also includes an LED dot controller 120.

[0015] The illustrated LED driver 102 is a current-sink type LED driver. The illustrated input voltage 104 is coupled to the anode of the first LED 110. The first terminal of the current sink 106 is coupled to the cathode of the fourth LED 116, and the second terminal of the current sink 106 is coupled to ground. The illustrated example LED driver 102 is an integrated circuit. Alternatively, any other structure may be used to implement the LED driver 102.

[0016] LEDs 110-116 are for matrix lighting (a lighting element that uses multiple LEDs to provide light sources such as grids or columns), such as stage lighting, surgical lighting, and machine vision lighting. Alternatively, the LEDs may be of any type. For example, LEDs 110-116 may be individually controlled LEDs whose brightness, color, etc., can be controlled. In the example LEDs 110-116, the first LED 110 is connected in series such that it includes an anode connected to the input voltage 104 and a cathode connected to the anode of the second LED 112. The second LED 112 includes a cathode connected to the anode of the third LED 114. The third LED 114 includes a cathode connected to the anode of the fourth LED 116. The fourth LED 116 includes a cathode connected to the first terminal of the current sink 106 of the LED driver 102. The current sink 106 includes a second terminal connected to ground.

[0017] The illustrated LED dot controller 120 includes an adjustable current source 122, an adjustable current sink 124, a set of transistors 126-132, a set of drivers 134-140, a pulse generator circuit element 150, a bypass circuit element 152, a first detection circuit element 154, a second voltage detection circuit element 156, and a logic circuit element 158. Although the LED dot controller 120 is a dot controller, any type of light-emitting diode controller can be used.

[0018] The illustrated example adjustable current source 122 is adjustable in that the amount of current sourced by the adjustable current source 122 can be adjusted (for example, adjusted in response to detection of the circuit type of the LED driver 102). To facilitate adjustment, the example adjustable current source 122 includes an adjustable current mirror, where several current mirroring branches can be selected to control the amount of current sourced. The output of the example current mirror is connected to the positive voltage terminal of each driver in the set of drivers 134-140.

[0019] The illustrated example adjustable current sink 124 is adjustable in that the amount of current sunk by the adjustable current sink 124 can be adjusted. To facilitate adjustment, the example adjustable current sink 124 includes an adjustable current mirror, where several current mirroring branches can be selected to control the amount of current sunk. The inputs of the example current mirror are connected to the negative voltage terminals of each driver in the set of drivers 134-140.

[0020] The set of example transistors 126–132 are field-effect transistors (FETs), each of which includes a drain connected to the anode of each transistor in the set of transistors 126–132, and a source connected to the cathode of each transistor in the set of transistors 126–132. Each of the set of example transistors 126–132 further includes a gate connected to the output of each driver in the set of drivers 134–140.

[0021] Accordingly, the adjustable current source 122 and the adjustable current sink 124 supply power to the drivers of the set of drivers 134-140. The drivers of the set of drivers 134-140 may additionally include one or more inputs for controlling the operation of the drivers. For example, the inputs may provide indicators such as brightness, color, enable / disable, and the drivers 134-140 control transistors 126-132 to control the outputs of LEDs 110-116, respectively.

[0022] The illustrated pulse generator circuit element 150 is a one-shot circuit for generating an output pulse. Alternatively, the pulse generator circuit element 150 may be any type of element for controlling the operation of the bypass circuit element 152 and signaling to logic 158. For example, the pulse generator circuit element 150 may be an output from a control device that selectively enables the bypass circuit element 152 and signals logic 158. The illustrated pulse generator circuit element 150 includes an output connected to the driver input for the bypass circuit element 152 and a lock terminal for logic circuit element 158.

[0023] The exemplary bypass circuit element 152 is a switch that is triggered to close when the pulse generator circuit element 150 is high. Alternatively, the bypass circuit element 152 may be implemented by any other component that can bypass the LED driver 102 from LEDs 110-116 so that the voltages in the voltage source 104 and current sink 106 can be measured. The exemplary bypass circuit element 152 includes a first terminal coupled to the anode of the first LED 110 and a second terminal coupled to the cathode of the fourth LED 116. When the bypass circuit element 152 is activated (e.g., the switch is closed), the first terminal is coupled to the second terminal to bypass the LED driver 102 from LEDs 110-116.

[0024] The exemplary first voltage detection circuit element 154 and the second voltage detection circuit element 156 are comparators, and such comparators compare the voltage at a first terminal such as a positive input terminal with the voltage at a second terminal such as a negative input terminal, and output a high voltage when the voltage at the positive input terminal is greater than the voltage at the negative input terminal, and output a low voltage when the voltage at the positive input terminal is not greater than the voltage at the negative input terminal. The first voltage detection circuit element 154 and the second voltage detection circuit element 156 may be implemented by any other type of circuit to determine the voltage level. The exemplary LED dot controller 120 includes both the first voltage detection circuit element 154 and the second voltage detection circuit element 156, but other implementations of the LED dot controller 120 may include a single voltage detection circuit.

[0025] In one example, the positive terminal of the first voltage detection circuit element 154 is coupled to the first end of the set of LEDs 110 - 116 (e.g., the anode of the first LED 110), and the negative terminal of the first voltage detection circuit element 154 is coupled to a first reference voltage. The output of the first voltage detection circuit element 154 is coupled to the first input terminal of the logic circuit element 158.

[0026] The positive terminal of the second voltage detection circuit element 156 is coupled to the second end of the set of LEDs 110-116 (e.g., the cathode of the fourth LED 116), and the negative terminal of the second voltage detection circuit element 156 is coupled to a second reference voltage. The output of the second voltage detection circuit element 156 is coupled to the second input terminal of the logic circuit element 158. According to the illustrated example where the switch 152 is not an ideal switch, the first reference voltage Vref1 is greater than the second reference voltage Vref2 such that there is a parasitic capacitance coupled in parallel with the set of LEDs 110-116 when the switch 152 is closed. In one example, Vref1 - Vref2 is between 2V and 3V (e.g., Vref1 - Vref2 = 2.5V). In some situations where the switch 152 is an ideal switch, Vref1 and Vref2 can be configured at the same voltage level (e.g., 4V). Vref1 and Vref2 can be configured to ensure that when the LED driver is deactivated, a current flowing through the set of LEDs 110-116 can be sensed due to the type of LED driver.

[0027] The logic circuit element 158 outputs two values (D_ARC_CS and D_ARC_CK) based on the voltages at the first input terminal and the second input terminal of the logic circuit element 158 when a lock input coupled to the pulse generator circuit element 150 goes high. According to the illustrated example, D_ARC_CS is set to a first logic state (e.g., logic high) to indicate that the detected circuit (e.g., LED driver 102) is a current source type circuit, and D_ARC_CK is set to a first logic state (e.g., logic high) to indicate that the detected circuit is a current sink type circuit. The logic circuit element 158 can be implemented by digital logic circuit elements (e.g., AND gates, OR gates, NOR gates, etc.). Alternatively, the logic circuit element 158 may be implemented by a controller such as a microcontroller, a processor, etc. An exemplary truth table for implementing the logic circuit element 158 is described in conjunction with FIGURE 3.

[0028] The output of the logic circuit element is coupled to an adjustable current source 122 and an adjustable current sink 124. To avoid leakage currents that would cause LEDs 110-116 to be activated when they are intended to be disabled or otherwise not behave as expected, the exemplary adjustable current source 122 and exemplary adjustable current sink 124 are adjustable so that all current in the circuit 100 is sunk to the current sink 124, ensuring that there is no available leakage current for LEDs 110-116. The amount of current to source and sink depends on the type of LED driver 102. For example, for a current sink type driver 102, the amount of current sourced by the adjustable current source 122 should be greater than the amount of current sunk by the adjustable current sink 124 (e.g., N > K). For example, the adjustable current source 122 may include logic to enable an additional current mirror branch when D_ARC_CK is high and D_ARC_CS is low (or other value indicating that the LED driver 102 is a current sink type driver).

[0029] Figure 2 illustrates another exemplary circuit 200 for driving and controlling LEDs as disclosed herein. Exemplary circuit 200 includes the same LEDs 110-116 and an LED dot controller 120. However, the LED driver 202 is a current source type driver circuit including a current source 204 and a ground connection 206. The output of the current source 204 is coupled to the anode of the first LED 110, and the ground connection 206 is coupled to the cathode of the fourth LED 116.

[0030] To avoid leakage currents that could inadvertently activate LEDs 110-116, for current-source type driver 202, the amount of current sinked by the adjustable current sink 124 should be greater than the amount of current sourced by the adjustable current source 122 (e.g., K > N). For example, the adjustable current sink 124 may include logic to enable an additional current mirror branch when D_ARC_CS is high and D_ARC_CK is low (or other value indicating that LED driver 102 is a current-source type driver).

[0031] Therefore, as illustrated by Exemplary Circuit 100 and Exemplary Circuit 200, the same LED dot controller 120 can be used with both current-source type LED drivers and current-sink type LED drivers.

[0032] In the examples in Figures 1 and 2, transistors 126 to 132 are n-channel metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). Alternatively, transistors 126 to 132 may be n-channel field-effect transistors (FETs), n-channel insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), n-channel junction field-effect transistors (JFETs), NPN bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), or equivalent p-type devices with minor modifications. Transistors 126 to 132 may be depletion-mode devices, drain-extension devices, enhancement-mode devices, natural transistors, or other types of device structure transistors. Transistors 126 to 132 may also be mounted in or on a silicon substrate (Si), silicon carbide substrate (SiC), gallium nitride substrate (GaN), or gallium arsenide substrate (GaAs).

[0033] Figure 3 is a truth table 300 illustrating the illustrative logic of the logic circuit element 158 ​​in Figure 1 and / or Figure 2. As shown in Table 300, when the first voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates a high measured voltage (e.g., greater than the first reference voltage) and the second voltage detection circuit element 156 indicates a high measured voltage (e.g., greater than the second reference voltage), the logic circuit element 158 ​​determines that the connected circuit is a current sink type detection circuit. When the first voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates a low measured voltage (e.g., less than the first reference voltage) and the second voltage detection circuit element 156 indicates a low measured voltage (e.g., less than the second reference voltage), the logic circuit element 158 ​​determines that the connected circuit is a current source type detection circuit. When the first voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates that the measured voltage is high (e.g., greater than the first reference voltage) and the second voltage detection circuit element 156 indicates that the measured voltage is low (e.g., less than the second reference voltage), the logic circuit element 158 ​​outputs low for both D_ARC_CK and D_ARC_CS, which indicate other / unsupported conditions. When the first voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates that the measured voltage is low (e.g., less than the first reference voltage) and the second voltage detection circuit element 156 indicates that the measured voltage is high (e.g., greater than the second reference voltage), the logic circuit element 158 ​​outputs low for both D_ARC_CK and D_ARC_CS, which indicate other / unsupported conditions.

[0034] Figure 4 is a flowchart representing an exemplary machine-readable instruction and / or exemplary operation 400, which may be executed, instantiated, or performed by a programmable circuit element to perform circuit type detection, for example, to control an LED controller. For example, part or all of operation 400 may be implemented by a controller that executes the instruction, a controller that is programmed by the instruction, etc. The exemplary machine-readable instruction and / or exemplary operation 400 in Figure 4 begins in block 402, where a bypass circuit element 152 bypasses LEDs 110-116 from LED drivers 102 or 202. A first voltage detection circuit element 152 measures the voltage at the first end of LEDs 110-116 (e.g., at the anode of the first LED 110) (block 404). A second voltage detection circuit element 154 measures the voltage at the second end of LEDs 110-116 (e.g., at the cathode of the fourth LED 116) (block 406).

[0035] Logic circuit element 158 ​​determines whether the output of the first voltage detection circuit element 152 indicates that the voltage at the first end of LEDs 110-116 is greater than the first reference voltage (block 408). If the voltage at the first end of LEDs 110-116 is greater than the first reference voltage, logic circuit element 158 ​​determines whether the output of the second voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates that the voltage at the second end of LEDs 110-116 is greater than the second reference voltage (block 410). When the output of the second voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates that the voltage at the second end of LEDs 110-116 is greater than the second reference voltage, the logic circuit element detects that the LED drivers 102 and 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current sink type circuits (block 412), and outputs an indicator to adjust the adjustable current source 122 to source more current than the adjustable current sink 124 (block 414), or adjust the adjustable current sink 124 to sink less current than the adjustable current source 122 sources (block 414).

[0036] In one example, N of the adjustable current source 122 may be configured to a first value, a second value greater than the first value, and a third value greater than the second value. Initially, N is set to the second value. In response to logic circuit element 158 ​​detecting that the LED drivers 102, 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current sink type circuits (block 412), the adjustable current source 122 sets N to the third value so as to source more current than the adjustable current sink 124 sinks (block 414). In response to logic circuit element 158 ​​detecting that the LED drivers 102, 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current source type circuits (block 418), the adjustable current source 122 sets N to the first value so as to source less current than the adjustable current sink 124 sinks (block 420).

[0037] In another example, K of the adjustable current sink 124 may be configured to a fourth value, a fifth value greater than the fourth value, and a sixth value greater than the fifth value. Initially, K is set to the fifth value. In response to logic circuit element 158 ​​detecting that the LED drivers 102, 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current sink type circuits (block 412), the adjustable current sink 124 sets K to the fourth value so as to sink less current than the adjustable current source 122 sinks (block 414). In response to logic circuit element 158 ​​detecting that the LED drivers 102, 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current source type circuits (block 418), the adjustable current sink sets K to the sixth value so as to sink more current than the adjustable current source 122 sources (block 420). Adjustments to the adjustable current source 122 and adjustable current sink 124 may be performed in parallel in response to detection, or one of the adjustable current source 122 and adjustable current sink 124 may be fixed and the other of the adjustable current source 122 and adjustable current sink 124 may be adjusted in response to detection. The first to sixth values ​​are configured such that each LED in the set of LEDs 110 to 116 has zero current if the LED driver is disabled or the LED driver is configured to control the current flowing through the set of LEDs 110 to 116 to zero after the adjustment in response to detection.

[0038] Returning to block 408, when the voltage at the first end of LEDs 110-116 is not greater than the first reference voltage, logic circuit element 158 ​​determines whether the output of the second voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates that the voltage at the second end of LEDs 110-116 is greater than the second reference voltage (block 416). When the output of the second voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates that the voltage at the second end of LEDs 110-116 is not greater than the second reference voltage, the logic circuit element detects that the LED drivers 102 and 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current source type circuits (block 418) and outputs an indicator to adjust the adjustable current sink 124 to sink more current than the adjustable current source 122 (block 420).

[0039] Returning to block 416, when the output of the second voltage detection circuit element 154 indicates that the voltage at the second end of LEDs 110-116 is greater than the second reference voltage, the logic circuit element 158 ​​outputs an indicator that causes the adjustable current sink 124 to adjust to sink approximately the same current as the adjustable current source 122.

[0040] In an ideal situation where switch 152 is an ideal switch, the first reference voltage Vref1 and the second reference voltage Vref2 are set to be the same as each other, for example, 4V, so that during detection when switch 152 is closed, the voltage at the anode of LED 110 and the voltage at the cathode of LED 116 are the same. In such a situation, it is also possible to use only one of the first and second voltage detection circuit elements 154 and 156, that is, if the sensed voltage is greater than the provided reference voltage, for example, 4V, the logic circuit element detects that the LED drivers 102 and 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current sink type circuits (block 412), and if the sensed voltage is less than the provided reference voltage, for example, 4V, the logic circuit element detects that the LED drivers 102 and 202 connected to LEDs 110-116 are current source type circuits (block 418).

[0041] The operation 400 in Figure 4 may be executed and / or instantiated by a programmable circuit element to implement all or part of the detection circuit elements (150-158) and / or the LED dot controller 120. The programmable circuit element may be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, FPGAs, microprocessors, CPUs, GPUs, DSPs, or microcontrollers from any desired family or manufacturer. The programmable circuit element may be implemented by one or more semiconductor-based (e.g., silicon-based) devices.

[0042] As described above, the operation illustrated in Figure 4 may be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer-readable and / or machine-readable instructions) stored in one or more non-temporary computer-readable or machine-readable media. Where used herein, the terms non-temporary computer-readable media, non-temporary computer-readable storage media, non-temporary machine-readable media, and non-temporary machine-readable storage media are explicitly defined to include any type of computer-readable storage device or storage disk, excluding propagating signals and transmission media. Examples of such non-temporary computer-readable media, non-temporary computer-readable storage media, non-temporary machine-readable media, or non-temporary machine-readable storage media include one or more optical storage devices, magnetic storage devices, HDDs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), CDs, DVDs, caches, any type of RAM, registers, or any other storage devices or storage disks that store information for any duration (e.g., over a long period, permanently, for a short period, for temporary buffering, for caching information). As used herein, the terms “non-transient computer-readable storage device” and “non-transient machine-readable storage device” are defined to include any physical (mechanical, magnetic, electromechanical, or electrical) hardware for holding information for a period of time, but exclude propagating signals and transmission media. Examples of non-transient computer-readable storage devices or non-transient machine-readable storage devices include one or a combination of any type of random-access memory, any type of read-only memory, solid-state memory, flash memory, optical disks, magnetic disks, disk drives, or RAID (redundant array of independent disks).As used herein, the term "device" means a physical structure such as one or a combination of mechanical, electromechanical, or electrical equipment, hardware, or circuit elements, which may or may not be composed of computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc., or which may or may not be manufactured to execute computer-readable instructions, machine-readable instructions, etc.

[0043] The terms “include” and “inclusive” (and all their forms and tenses) are used herein as open-ended terms. Therefore, if a claim uses any form of “include” or “inclusive” (e.g., include, inclusive, containing, encompassing, having, etc.) as part of the preamble or any type of claim, additional elements, terms, etc., may exist without falling outside the scope of the corresponding claim or description. The phrase “at least,” as used herein, is open-ended, for example, when used as a transitional term in the preamble of a claim, just as the terms “include” and “inclusive” are open-ended. The term “and / or,” when used in the form of, for example, A, B, and / or C, refers to any combination or subset of (1) A only, (2) B only, (3) C only, (4) A and B, (5) A and C, (6) B and C, or (7) A, B and C. In this specification, when used in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and things, “at least one of A and B” means an implementation that includes any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, when used in this specification in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects, and things, the phrase “at least one of A or B” means an implementation that includes any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. When used in this specification in the context of describing the implementation or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities, etc., the phrase “at least one of A and B” means an implementation that includes any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the implementation or execution of a process, instruction, action, activity, etc., the phrase "at least one of A or B" means an implementation that includes any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, or (3) at least one A and at least one B.

[0044] Where used herein, singular references (e.g., “a (a), (an),” “the first,” “the second,” etc.) do not exclude plurals. Where used herein, “a certain” object refers to one or more objects. The terms “a certain,” “one or more,” and “at least one” are used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, although listed individually, multiple means, elements, or actions may be implemented, for example, by the same entity or object. Furthermore, individual features may be included in different examples or claims, but these may be combined in some cases, and inclusion in different examples or claims does not imply that the combination of features is unfeasible or unfavorable.

[0045] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term “above” refers to the relationship between two parts with respect to the Earth’s surface. The first part is above the second part if the second part has at least one portion between the Earth’s surface and the first part. Similarly, as used herein, the first part is “below” the second part if the first part is closer to the Earth’s surface than the second part. As described above, the first part may be above or below the second part, in which case there may be other portions between them, there may be no other portions between them, the first and second parts may be in contact, or the first and second parts may not be in direct contact with each other.

[0046] Notwithstanding the foregoing, when referring to at least one of a semiconductor device (e.g., a transistor), a semiconductor die containing a semiconductor device, or an integrated circuit (IC) package containing a semiconductor die during manufacturing, “on top of” refers, not to the ground, but rather to the underlying substrate on which the relevant components are manufactured, assembled, mounted, supported, or otherwise provided. Thus, as used herein, unless otherwise stated or implied by the context, a first component in a semiconductor die (e.g., a transistor or other semiconductor device) is “on top of” a second component in a semiconductor die when the first component is further away from the substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) on which the two components are manufactured or otherwise provided than the second component during manufacturing. Similarly, unless otherwise stated or implied by the context, a first component in an IC package (e.g., a semiconductor die) is “on top of” a second component in an IC package during manufacturing when the first component is further away from the printed circuit board (PCB) on which the IC package is mounted or attached. Semiconductor devices are often used in orientations different from their orientation during manufacturing. Therefore, when referring to one or a combination of semiconductor devices (e.g., transistors), semiconductor dies containing semiconductor devices, or integrated circuit (IC) packages containing semiconductor dies in use, the definition of "on top of" in the preceding paragraph (i.e., the term "on top of" describing the relationship between two parts relative to the ground) is likely to depend on the context of use.

[0047] As used in this patent, describing any part (e.g., a layer, film, area, region, or plate) as being located on another part in any way (e.g., positioned on, situated on, placed on, or formed on) indicates that the referenced part is in contact with the other part, or that the referenced part is located on another part with one or more intermediate parts in between.

[0048] As used herein, references to connections (e.g., attached, joined, connected, and joined) may include intermediate members between elements referenced by at least one of the references to connections or the relative movement between those elements, unless otherwise specified. Thus, a reference to a connection does not necessarily indicate that two elements are directly connected or in a fixed relationship with one another. As used herein, the statement that any part is "in contact" with another part is defined as meaning that there is no intermediate part between the two parts.

[0049] Unless otherwise specifically stated, descriptors such as “first,” “second,” and “third” are used herein without any sense of priority, physical order, placement in a list, or any other sorting, nor are they used in any other way to indicate such order. Rather, they are used simply as at least one of markings or arbitrary names to distinguish elements for the sake of clarity in the examples described. In some examples, the descriptor “first” may be used to refer to an element in a mode for carrying out the invention, while the same element may be referred to by different descriptors such as “second” or “third” in the claims. In such cases, such descriptors are simply used to clearly distinguish those elements within the context of the argument (e.g., the claims), where they might otherwise share the same name.

[0050] Where used herein, “approximately” and “about” modify the subject / value to acknowledge the existence of potential variations that may occur in real-world applications. For example, “approximately” and “about” may modify dimensions that may not be precise due to at least one of manufacturing tolerances or other real-world imperfections. For instance, “approximately” and “about” may indicate that such dimensions may be within a tolerance of + / - 10%, unless otherwise specified herein.

[0051] As used herein, “substantially real-time” means something that occurs nearly instantaneously, acknowledging that real-world delays may exist regarding computing time, transmission, etc. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, “substantially real-time” means real-time plus one second.

[0052] As used herein, the term “in communication” includes variations thereof and encompasses one or a combination of direct communication or indirect communication through one or more intermediate components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication or continuous communication, but rather also includes at least one selective communication of periodic intervals, scheduled intervals, non-periodic intervals, or a single event.

[0053] As used herein, “programmable circuit element” is defined to include at least one of the following: (1) one or more application-specific electrical circuits (e.g., application-specific circuits (ASICs)) configured to perform a particular operation and comprising one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors); or (2) one or more general-purpose semiconductor-based electrical circuits comprising one or more semiconductor-based logic devices (e.g., electrical hardware implemented by one or more transistors) and comprising instructions for performing one or more particular functions or operations. Examples of programmable circuit elements include central processing units (CPUs) capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations or functions; FPGAs programmable with a second instruction to construct or configure at least one of the field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to instantiate one or more operations or functions corresponding to a first instruction; graphics processor units (GPUs) capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations or functions; digital signal processors (DSPs), XPUs, network processing units (NPUs) capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations or functions; one or more microcontrollers capable of executing a first instruction to perform one or more operations or functions; or integrated circuits such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). For example, an XPU may be implemented by a heterogeneous computing system that includes multiple types of programmable circuit elements (e.g., one or more FPGAs, one or more CPUs, one or more GPUs, one or more NPUs, one or more DSPs, etc., and any combination thereof) and orchestration techniques (e.g., application programming interfaces (APIs)) that allow computing tasks to be assigned to any of the multiple types of programmable circuit elements that are suitable and available to perform the computing task.

[0054] As used herein, an integrated circuit / circuit element is defined as one or more semiconductor packages containing one or more circuit elements such as transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, current paths, and diodes. For example, an integrated circuit may be implemented as one or more of the following: an ASIC, FPGA, chip, microchip, programmable circuit element, semiconductor substrate combining multiple circuit elements, or a system-on-a-chip (SoC).

[0055] In this description, the term “to connect” may include connections, communications, or signaling paths that enable a functional relationship consistent with this description. For example, if device A generates a signal to control device B in order to perform a certain action, then (A) in the first example, device A is connected to device B by a direct connection, or (B) in the second example, device A is connected to device B via an intermediary component C, such that device B is controlled by device A via a control signal generated by device A, provided that the intermediary component C does not alter the functional relationship between device A and device B.

[0056] A device “configured” to perform a certain task or function may be built at time of manufacture by the manufacturer to be configurable (or reconfigurable) by a user after manufacture to perform that function, or to perform that function / or other additional or alternative function (e.g., at least one of programming or a wired connection). Such building may be done via at least one of the device’s firmware or software programming, via at least one of the device’s hardware components and interconnection configurations or layouts, or a combination thereof.

[0057] As used herein, the terms “terminal,” “node,” “interconnection,” “pin,” and “lead” are interchangeable. Unless otherwise specified, these terms are generally used to mean the interconnection or termination between device elements, circuit elements, integrated circuits, devices, or other electronic or semiconductor components.

[0058] In this description and in the claims, the “circuit element” described may include one or more circuits. A circuit or device described herein as including a particular component may instead be adapted to be coupled to those components to form the circuit or device described. For example, a structure described as including one or more semiconductor elements (such as transistors), one or more passive elements (such as one or a combination thereof of resistors, capacitors, or inductors), or one or more sources (such as voltage and / or current sources) may instead include only semiconductor elements in a single physical device (e.g., at least one of semiconductor dies or integrated circuit (IC) packages), which may be adapted to be coupled to at least some of the passive elements or sources to form the structure described, either during or after manufacturing, for example, by at least one of the end user or a third party.

[0059] The circuits described herein are reconfigurable to include replaced components in order to provide functionality that is at least partially similar to the functionality available before the component replacement. Components indicated as resistors generally represent any one or more elements coupled in series or parallel to provide the amount of impedance represented by the indicated resistor, unless otherwise specified. For example, a resistor or capacitor shown and described herein as a single component may instead be multiple resistors or capacitors coupled in parallel between the same nodes. For example, a resistor or capacitor shown and described herein as a single component may instead be multiple resistors or capacitors coupled in series between the same two nodes as a single resistor or capacitor. While certain elements in the described examples are included in an integrated circuit and others are outside the integrated circuit, additional or fewer features may be incorporated into the integrated circuit in other exemplary embodiments. Also, some or all features illustrated as being outside the integrated circuit may be included in the integrated circuit, and some features illustrated as being inside the integrated circuit may be incorporated outside the integrated circuit. As used herein, the term “integrated circuit” means one or more circuits that are at least one of the following: (1) incorporated in / on a semiconductor substrate, (2) incorporated into a single semiconductor package, (3) incorporated within the same module, or (4) incorporated in / on the same printed circuit board.

[0060] The use of the term "grounding" in the foregoing description includes at least one of chassis grounding, earth grounding, floating grounding, virtual grounding, digital grounding, common grounding, or any other form of grounding connection applicable to or suitable for the teachings of this description. Unless otherwise stated, "about," "approximately," or "substantially" preceding a value means a reasonable range of + / - 10% of the stated value, or, if the value is zero, a range of values ​​near zero.

[0061] Within the scope of the claims of the present invention, modifications may be made to the exemplary embodiments described, and other embodiments are possible.

[0062] From the above, it will be understood that exemplary systems, apparatus, articles, and methods are described that can detect and / or utilize circuit type detection to construct the operation of a controller such as an LED dot controller. The described systems, apparatus, articles, and methods improve upon conventional controllers by enabling a single controller to be used with multiple different circuits (e.g., different types of LED driver circuits). Furthermore, the disclosed controllers can be tuned to reduce the likelihood of leakage current (e.g., leakage current flowing through LEDs). The described systems, apparatus, articles, and methods also cover one or more improvements in the operation of machines such as computers or other electronic, electromechanical, or mechanical devices.

Claims

1. A detection circuit element, A bypass circuit element configured to selectively bypass a series of light-emitting diodes from a light-emitting diode driver, A first voltage detection circuit element is configured to compare the voltage at the first terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes with a first reference voltage and output a first index of the comparison, A logic circuit element configured to output a circuit type based on the first indicator, A detection circuit element, including the above.

2. A detection circuit element according to claim 1, further comprising a second voltage detection circuit element configured to compare the voltage at the second terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes with a second reference voltage and output a second index of the comparison.

3. A detection circuit element according to claim 2, wherein the logic circuit element is configured to output the circuit type based on the first indicator and the second indicator.

4. A detection circuit element according to claim 1, further comprising a pulse generator.

5. A detection circuit element according to claim 4, wherein the pulse generator is a one-shot circuit element.

6. A detection circuit element according to claim 5, wherein the bypass circuit element includes a switch controlled by the one-shot circuit element.

7. A detection circuit element according to claim 6, wherein the switch is configured to connect the first terminal to the second terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes.

8. A detection circuit element, A switch having a first terminal configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a series of light-emitting diodes, and a second terminal configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes, A first comparator having a first input terminal coupled to the second terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes, and a second terminal coupled to a first reference voltage, A second comparator having a first input terminal coupled to the first terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes, and a second terminal coupled to a second reference voltage, A logic circuit element having a first input terminal coupled to the output of the first comparator and a second input terminal coupled to the output of the second comparator, wherein the logic circuit element is configured to output an indicator of the circuit type of the controller of the series of light-emitting diodes, A detection circuit element, including the above.

9. A detection circuit element according to claim 8, further comprising a one-shot circuit element, wherein the switch includes a third terminal coupled to the one-shot circuit element.

10. A detection circuit element according to claim 8, wherein the logic circuit element includes a lock terminal coupled to the one-shot circuit element.

11. A detection circuit element according to claim 8, wherein the first terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes is the anode of the first light-emitting diode of the series of light-emitting diodes, and the second terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes is the cathode of the second light-emitting diode of the series of light-emitting diodes.

12. A detection circuit element according to claim 8, wherein the first reference voltage is greater than the second reference voltage.

13. A detection circuit element according to claim 8, wherein when a first comparator indicates that the voltage at the second terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes is greater than the first reference voltage, the logic circuit element is configured to output an indicator that the circuit type is a current sink.

14. A detection circuit element according to claim 8, wherein when a first comparator indicates that the voltage at the second terminal of the series of light-emitting diodes is smaller than the first reference voltage, the logic circuit element is configured to output an indicator that the circuit type is a current sink.

15. A light-emitting diode controller, A current source and Current sink and, A driver coupled to the current source and the current sink, A transistor coupled to the output of the driver, A switch having a first terminal connected to the anodes of a series of light-emitting diodes, and a second terminal configured to be connected to the cathodes of the series of light-emitting diodes, A first comparator having a first input terminal coupled to the cathode of the series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal coupled to a first reference voltage, A second comparator having a first input terminal coupled to the anode of the series of light-emitting diodes and a second terminal coupled to a second reference voltage, A logic circuit element having a first input terminal coupled to the output of the first comparator, a second input terminal coupled to the output of the second comparator, and an output for outputting an indicator of the circuit type of the controller of the series of light-emitting diodes to the current source and the current sink, A light-emitting diode controller, including a light-emitting diode controller.

16. A light-emitting diode controller according to claim 15, further comprising a light-emitting diode driver coupled to the series of light-emitting diodes.

17. A light-emitting diode controller according to claim 15, wherein the transistor includes a source coupled to the anode of the series of light-emitting diodes and a drain coupled to the current sink.

18. A light-emitting diode controller according to claim 15, wherein the current source includes a current mirror.

19. A light-emitting diode controller according to claim 18, wherein the current mirror is configured to adjust in response to the circuit type output by the logic circuit element.

20. A light-emitting diode controller according to claim 18, wherein the current sink includes a current mirror, and the current mirror of the current sink is configured to adjust in response to the circuit type output by the logic circuit element.

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