LED backlight driver system and driving method therefor

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is an LED backlight driver system. The LED backlight driver system comprises a backlight timing controller, at least one first LED light panel, and at least one second LED light panel. The first LED light panel and the second LED light panel are each provided with a plurality of driver links. The backlight timing controller sends a backlight brightness driving instruction to each driver link. The backlight brightness driving instruction further comprises a first position relationship instruction or a second position relationship instruction. The first position relationship instruction controls a driver chip to acquire a backlight brightness data packet according to a first position correspondence, and the second position relationship instruction controls a driver chip to acquire a backlight brightness data packet according to a second position correspondence. The present invention solves the problem in the practical application of a plurality light panels relating to inconsistent driving sequence of driver chips on the light panels caused by physical positioning relationships between the light panels and the backlight timing controller. Thus, the backlight timing control and LED light panels can be more flexibly configured on the LED backlight panel, so as to greatly save the wiring area.

Description

LED Backlight Driving System and Driving Method Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of image display technology, and in particular to an LED backlight driving system and driving method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the LED driving technology used in Mini-LED backlight panels typically employs a single LED driver chip to control and drive multiple channels of LED strings, with these multiple LED driver chips connected in a single-wire chain, as shown in Figure 1. Only a single signal line is used in the communication link, minimizing communication wiring and simplifying wiring in integrated circuit design. This is used in some Mini-LED backlight modules and integrated circuit systems to achieve efficient and stable communication between the master and multiple slave devices. The automatic address encoding method for slave devices allows for fast and accurate address encoding of slave devices in the chained communication link; the use of specific encoding methods (Manchester encoding or pulse width encoding) ensures the anti-interference and stability of data transmission.

[0003] In existing technologies, LED driver chips and LED light-emitting elements are typically integrated into an LED lamp board, which is then connected to a backlight timing controller (Bcon) external to the LED lamp board to form an LED backlight driving system. In practical applications, to save on wiring, the backlight timing controller (Bcon) is often located in the middle of different LED lamp boards, as shown in Figure 2. For lamp board A, since the serial direction of the LED driver chips is from top to bottom, it can be ensured that the LED driver chips in each driving channel sequentially acquire backlight brightness data from top to bottom and drive the LED light-emitting elements for backlight brightness display. However, for lamp board B, since the serial direction of its LED driver chips is from bottom to top, the bottom LED driver chip in each driving channel acquires the backlight brightness data first and drives the LED light-emitting elements for backlight brightness display. This causes the backlight brightness display to be inconsistent with the pixel scanning method of the liquid crystal display panel above the backlight panel, resulting in poor display quality.

[0004] Therefore, a new LED backlight driving system and driving method are needed for multi-lamp LED backlight panels in the existing technology to ensure that the driving chips on different lamp panels can be driven in the same direction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical objective of this invention is to provide an LED backlight driving system and method. Based on this invention, the LED backlight driving system and method can solve the problem in multi-LED backlight panels where the positional relationship between the backlight timing controller and the LED panels prevents the LED panels from being driven in the same physical direction.

[0006] Based on the above technical objectives, the present invention provides an LED backlight driving system, the LED backlight driving system comprising a backlight timing controller and at least one first LED board and at least one second LED board;

[0007] Both the first LED light board and the second LED light board are provided with multiple LED driving links, and each LED driving link is a serial communication link composed of at least multiple LED driving chips connected in series.

[0008] The backlight timing controller sends a backlight brightness driving command to each LED driving link. The data frame of the backlight brightness driving command includes at least a frame header and backlight brightness data bits.

[0009] The frame header is used by the LED driver chip to identify its physical order in the LED driving link, and the backlight brightness data bits contain multiple backlight brightness data packets arranged in sequence.

[0010] The backlight brightness driving instruction also includes a first position relationship instruction or a second position relationship instruction, and the backlight brightness driving instruction sent by the backlight timing controller to the LED driving link of the first LED board also includes the first position relationship instruction; the backlight brightness driving instruction sent by the backlight timing controller to the LED driving link of the second LED board also includes the second position relationship instruction.

[0011] The first type of positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to obtain the backlight brightness data packet in the backlight brightness data bit according to the first positional correspondence relationship;

[0012] The second type of positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to obtain the backlight brightness data packet in the backlight brightness data bit according to the second positional correspondence relationship.

[0013] In one embodiment, the first positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to sequentially acquire the backlight brightness data packets in the backlight brightness data bits in a forward order.

[0014] In one embodiment, the second positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to sequentially acquire the backlight brightness data packets in the backlight brightness data bits in reverse order.

[0015] In one embodiment, the data frame of the backlight brightness driving instruction includes control command bits, and the first position relationship instruction or the second position relationship instruction is included in the control command bits.

[0016] In one embodiment, each LED driver chip is provided with a first data transmission port D1 and a second data transmission port D2; the first data transmission port D1 of each LED driver chip is connected to the second data transmission port D2 of the adjacent preceding LED driver chip, and the second data transmission port D2 of each LED driver chip is connected to the first data transmission port D1 of the adjacent following LED driver chip; the first LED driver chip in the LED driving link is connected to the transmission port of the backlight timing controller.

[0017] In one embodiment, when the LED backlight driving system adopts a one-way communication method, the second data transmission port of the last LED driver chip in the LED driving link is connected to the input port of the backlight timing control.

[0018] In one embodiment, when the LED backlight driving system adopts a bidirectional communication method, the second data transmission port of the last LED driver chip in the LED driving link is left unused.

[0019] In one embodiment, after receiving a data bit, the LED driver chip transmits a data bit to the next-level LED driver chip through a read / write operation.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, one or more embodiments of the present invention may have the following advantages:

[0021] This invention utilizes the control of the order in which data packets in the backlight brightness data bits are acquired by the LED driver chip to control the order in which the LED driver chip drives the LED components in the LED driving link. This solves the problem of inconsistent driving order of the driver chips on the LED board caused by the physical positional relationship between the LED board and the backlight timing controller in practical applications with multiple LED boards. This allows for more flexible configuration of the backlight timing controller and LED boards on the LED backlight panel, significantly saving wiring area.

[0022] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and other advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description and the drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0023] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used in conjunction with the embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a single-wire serial communication link structure for an LED driver chip in the prior art;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship between the LED lamp board and Bcon in the LED backlight driving system given in the prior art;

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the instruction data frame structure sent by the backlight timing controller Bcon of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the data frame transmission timing of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] It should be understood that when an element or layer is referred to as "on," "adjacent to," "connected to," or "coupled to" other elements or layers, it may be directly on, adjacent to, connected to, or coupled to other elements or layers, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as "directly on," "directly adjacent to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" other elements or layers, there are no intervening elements or layers. It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or portions should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or portion from another element, component, area, layer, or portion. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of this invention, the first element, component, area, layer, or portion discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, area, layer, or portion. And when a second element, component, area, layer, or portion is discussed, it does not imply that the first element, component, area, layer, or portion necessarily exists in this invention.

[0030] Spatial relation terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “under,” “above,” “above,” etc., are used herein for convenience of description to describe the relationship between one element or feature shown in the figure and other elements or features. It should be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the figure, spatial relation terms are intended to also include different orientations of the device in use and operation. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, then the element or feature described as “below,” “under,” or “below” other elements or features will be oriented “above” other elements or features. Therefore, the exemplary terms “below” and “under” can include both above and below orientations. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or otherwise) and the spatial descriptive terms used herein will be interpreted accordingly.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention. When used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including,” when used in this specification, identify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups. When used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of the associated listed items.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] The LED backlight driving system of this embodiment includes a backlight timing controller Bcon, at least one first LED board, and at least one second LED board.

[0034] Both the first and second LED light boards are equipped with multiple LED driving links. Each LED driving link includes multiple LED driver chips, and each LED driver chip is equipped with a first data transmission port D1 and a second data transmission port D2. The multiple LED driver chips are serially connected to form a serial communication link.

[0035] The serial communication link refers to the connection between the first data transmission port D1 of each LED driver chip and the second data transmission port D2 of the adjacent preceding LED driver chip, and the connection between the second data transmission port D2 of each LED driver chip and the first data transmission port D1 of the adjacent following LED driver chip. The first LED driver chip in the LED driver link is connected to the transmission port of the backlight timing controller Bcon.

[0036] Each of the LED driver chips has multiple LED driver channel pins, which are used to connect to LED light-emitting elements to control the LED light-emitting elements to emit light.

[0037] As shown in Figure 3, the instruction data frame structure sent by the backlight timing controller Bcon in this embodiment includes at least a frame header (Start_Bits), control command bits (Command), and backlight brightness data bits (DATA). Depending on control requirements, it may also include register address bits (Reg_Addr), echo data bits (Echo), and data packet length bits (Data_Len).

[0038] The data frame header (Start_Bits) is used to identify the physical sequence position of the driver chip that currently receives the data frame on the serial communication link. The initial data frame header (Start_Bits) sent by the backlight timing controller Bcon has a data format of "Bit S + Bit 1". When the first LED driver chip in the LED driving link receives this data frame header, it automatically adds a data bit to the header, making the header "Bit S + Bit 0 + Bit 1". The "Bit 0" represents that the first LED driver chip is the first in the physical sequence position on the serial communication link. Correspondingly, after the first LED driver chip identifies its own sequence position through the header, it collects the corresponding brightness data packet in the subsequent backlight brightness data bits as the backlight brightness data that it needs to drive for display.

[0039] Similarly, the frame header received by the first input terminal of the second LED driver chip is "Bit S + Bit 0 + Bit 1". The second LED driver chip adds a data bit to this, changing the frame header to "Bit S + Bit 0 + Bit 0 + Bit 1". The two "Bit 0"s represent the second LED driver chip's physical position in the serial communication link as the second chip. Accordingly, after the second LED driver chip identifies its own position through the frame header, it collects the corresponding brightness data packet from the subsequent backlight brightness data bits as the backlight brightness data it needs to drive for display. This process continues until all n driver chips have obtained the corresponding brightness data packet from the backlight brightness data bits as the backlight brightness data they need to drive for display.

[0040] It is important to emphasize that this invention employs a serial communication method. Therefore, each LED driver chip does not wait for the entire data frame to be received before passing it to the next-level LED driver chip. Instead, it transmits one data bit to the next-level LED driver chip after receiving each data bit and performing a read / write operation. As shown in Figure 4, for example, when the first LED driver chip receives Bit S in the frame header, it immediately passes Bit S to the second LED driver chip. Similarly, the second LED driver chip also immediately passes Bit S to the next-level driver chip. Therefore, the LED driver chips on the serial communication link receive Bit S almost simultaneously.

[0041] Furthermore, when the first LED driver chip receives Bit 1 of the frame header, it determines that the frame header has been received. Therefore, it does not immediately forward Bit 1, but instead sends Bit 0 to the next level and sends Bit 1 in the next data transmission cycle.

[0042] Similarly, except for the frame header data which uses the above data transmission method, the rest, such as the control command bit (Command), backlight brightness data bit (DATA), register address bit (Reg_Addr), echo data bit (Echo), and data packet length bit (Data_Len), all use this data transmission method.

[0043] The core of this invention lies in adjusting the correspondence between the data packets at the corresponding positions in the backlight brightness data bits after the LED driver chip learns its physical sequence position in the LED driving link.

[0044] For example, an LED driving link is configured with m LED driver chips. The control command bit of the data frame is configured with two position relationship instructions. The first position relationship instruction is to sequentially read the data packets in the backlight brightness data bits. That is, after the first LED driver chip reads the frame header and control command bits, it knows that it is the first LED driver chip. And the control command bit is set with the first position relationship instruction. Then, when the first data packet in the backlight brightness data bits is transmitted to the first LED driver chip, the first LED driver chip reads the first data packet as the brightness data to drive the LED element.

[0045] The second positional relationship instruction involves reading the data packets in the backlight brightness data bits in reverse order. That is, after the first LED driver chip reads the frame header and control command bits, it knows it is the first LED driver chip, and the control command bits are set to the second positional relationship instruction. Therefore, when the last data packet in the backlight brightness data bits is transmitted to the first LED driver chip, the first LED driver chip reads this last data packet as the brightness data to drive the LED element. Similarly, under the second positional relationship instruction, the last driving unit in the driving link reads the first data packet in the backlight brightness data bits as the brightness data to drive the LED element when the first data packet is transmitted.

[0046] Based on the aforementioned first and second positional relationship instructions, this embodiment further specifies that the data sent by the backlight timing controller Bcon to the first LED board includes the first positional relationship instruction, and the data sent by the backlight timing controller Bcon to the second LED board includes the second positional relationship instruction. This solves the problem of the driver chip below the B board receiving backlight data and emitting light only when the positional relationship between the B board and the controller Bcon is established. In other words, the LED driving link controlling the B board can read data packets starting from the last driver chip and drive the LED elements first.

[0047] Furthermore, based on the aforementioned first and second position relationship instructions, this embodiment can add a data packet start reading position instruction, which, along with the data packet start reading position instruction, controls the position of the LED driver chip on the LED driving link that begins reading data packets. For example, when the first position relationship instruction is valid and the data packet start reading position instruction is 2, the first LED driver chip does not respond to the data packets in the backlight brightness data bits, while the second LED driver chip begins reading the first data packet in the backlight brightness data bits, the third LED driver chip begins reading the second data packet in the backlight brightness data bits, and so on. Similarly, when the second position relationship instruction is valid and the data packet start reading position instruction is m-3 (m being the number of driver chips on the aforementioned LED driving link), the (m-3)th LED driver chip begins reading the first data packet in the backlight brightness data bits, the (m-4)th LED driver chip begins reading the second data packet in the backlight brightness data bits, and so on.

[0048] This invention can be any possible system, method, and / or computer program product at the level of integrated technical detail. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium (or media) having computer-readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to execute aspects of the invention.

[0049] A computer-readable storage medium can be a tangible device that can hold and store instructions used by an instruction execution device. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, electronic storage devices, magnetic storage devices, optical storage devices, electromagnetic storage devices, semiconductor storage devices, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes the following: a portable computer floppy disk, a hard disk, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), a portable optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital universal disc (DVD), a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanical encoding device, such as a punch card or raised structure in a groove on which instructions are recorded, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer-readable storage medium, as used herein, should not be construed as a transient signal itself, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., light pulses through fiber optic cables), or electrical signals transmitted through wires.

[0050] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a suitable computing / processing device, or via a network, such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and / or a wireless network, to an external computer or external storage device. This network may include copper transmission cables, optical fiber transmission, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards them to a computer-readable storage medium within the suitable computing / processing device.

[0051] Computer-readable program instructions used to perform the operations of this invention may be assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, configuration data for integrated circuits, or source code or object code written in one or more programming languages ​​and any combination of procedural programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer, partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet through an Internet service provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs) may execute the computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information from the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry and thereby perform aspects of the invention.

[0052] This document describes aspects of the invention with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0053] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions / actions specified in one or more blocks of a flowchart and / or block diagram. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium capable of instructing a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and / or other apparatus that operates in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium storing the instructions includes an article of manufacture comprising instructions for implementing aspects of the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks.

[0054] Computer-readable program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable devices or other apparatuses for producing computer-implemented processes, such that the instructions executed on the computer, other programmable devices or other apparatuses perform the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram boxes.

[0055] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the invention. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. In some alternative implementations, the functions indicated in a block may occur outside the order indicated in the diagram. For example, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be completed as a single step, executed concurrently, substantially concurrently, in a manner that overlaps partially or entirely in time, depending on the functions involved, or sometimes these blocks may be executed in reverse order. It will also be noted that each block illustrated in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0056] This application describes embodiments with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (devices), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowchart illustrations and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0057] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

[0058] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide steps for implementing the functions specified in one or more flowcharts and / or one or more block diagrams.

Claims

1. An LED backlight driving system, the LED driving system comprising: A backlight timing controller and at least one first LED board and at least one second LED board; Both the first LED light board and the second LED light board are provided with multiple LED driving links, and each LED driving link is a serial communication link composed of at least multiple LED driving chips connected in series. The backlight timing controller sends a backlight brightness driving command to each LED driving link. The data frame of the backlight brightness driving command includes at least a frame header and backlight brightness data bits. The frame header is used by the LED driver chip to identify its physical order in the LED driving link, and the backlight brightness data bits contain multiple backlight brightness data packets arranged in sequence. The backlight brightness driving instruction also includes a first position relationship instruction or a second position relationship instruction, and the backlight brightness driving instruction sent by the backlight timing controller to the LED driving link of the first LED board also includes the first position relationship instruction; the backlight brightness driving instruction sent by the backlight timing controller to the LED driving link of the second LED board also includes the second position relationship instruction. The first type of positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to obtain the backlight brightness data packet in the backlight brightness data bit according to the first positional correspondence relationship; The second type of positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to obtain the backlight brightness data packet in the backlight brightness data bit according to the second positional correspondence relationship.

2. The LED backlight driving system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first type of positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to sequentially acquire the backlight brightness data packets in the backlight brightness data bits in a forward order.

3. The LED backlight driving system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The second type of positional relationship instruction controls the LED driver chip to acquire the backlight brightness data packets in the backlight brightness data bits in reverse order.

4. The LED backlight driving system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data frame of the backlight brightness driving instruction contains control command bits, and the first position relationship instruction or the second position relationship instruction is contained in the control command bits.

5. The LED backlight driving system according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each LED driver chip is provided with a first data transmission port D1 and a second data transmission port D2; the first data transmission port D1 of each LED driver chip is connected to the second data transmission port D2 of the adjacent preceding LED driver chip, and the second data transmission port D2 of each LED driver chip is connected to the first data transmission port D1 of the adjacent following LED driver chip; the first LED driver chip in the LED driving link is connected to the transmission port of the backlight timing controller.

6. The LED backlight driving system according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the LED backlight driving system adopts a one-way communication method, the second data transmission port of the last LED driver chip in the LED driving link is connected to the input port of the backlight timing control.

7. The LED backlight driving system according to claim 5, characterized in that, When the LED backlight driving system adopts a bidirectional communication method, the second data transmission port of the last LED driver chip in the LED driving link is left unused.

8. The LED backlight driving system according to claim 1, characterized in that, After receiving a data bit, the LED driver chip transmits a data bit to the next-level LED driver chip through a read / write operation.

9. An LED backlight panel, the LED backlight panel comprising a plurality of LED driving units and a plurality of LED lamp groups, wherein the LED driving units are configured using the LED backlight driving system as described in any one of claims 1-8.

10. An LED display device, the LED display device comprising the backlight panel as described in claim 9.

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