Software-Controlled Voltage Selection for Display Driver IC Size Reduction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional information displaying devices, such as electronic shelf labels and personal authentication cards, face challenges in downsizing and weight reduction due to the volume occupied by booster circuits in small-sized display devices, and the circuit scale becomes larger when driven by hardware-based voltage generating means.
Innovation Solution
The information displaying device employs a software-controlled boost mechanism with a voltage output portion using a voltage divider resistance circuit and a selector to generate and select driving voltages, allowing the display to start independently of a booster circuit, and includes a temperature detection system to adjust driving voltages based on ambient temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hardware-based booster circuit is used to generate driving voltages, then the display device can operate reliably across temperature variations, but the circuit scale and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the hardware-based booster circuit (electrical system) with a software-controlled voltage selection mechanism. The driver IC uses software control signals to select pre-configured voltage division ratios through a voltage selection circuit, eliminating the need for complex hardware voltage boosting components while maintaining reliable operation across temperature variations.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver IC integrates multiple functions into a single component: it performs both display driving and voltage generation through software control. The voltage selection circuit, controlled by software, can dynamically select different voltage division ratios to adapt to different operating conditions, making the driver IC a universal solution that replaces both the booster circuit and voltage divider.
2Ease of operation
If a hardware-based booster circuit is used to generate driving voltages, then the display can start independently, but the device becomes thicker and larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the physical booster circuit with a software-controlled voltage selection mechanism integrated in the driver IC. This substitution eliminates the need for additional hardware layers and components that would increase device thickness, while the software control ensures independent startup capability through programmable voltage initialization.
3Volume of stationary object
If the circuit scale is reduced by removing the booster circuit, then the device can be downsized, but the complexity of voltage control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the voltage control functionality into the driver IC by integrating a voltage selection circuit that is controlled by software. This consolidation combines what would otherwise be separate control elements into a unified system, reducing the need for additional control circuits and external components, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture while enabling circuit scale reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The driver IC performs self-configuration of driving voltages through software control. The voltage selection circuit automatically selects appropriate voltage division ratios based on software control signals, eliminating the need for external control circuits or manual configuration, and reducing overall system complexity despite the sophisticated voltage management requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An information displaying device is provided with a display portion that displays an image based on display information and a predetermined driving voltage, a CPU that sets a boost target value of the driving voltage of the display portion, a voltage divider resistance circuit that divides a power supply voltage to generate output candidates of the driving voltage having plural output values, a selector that selects the output values, successively, based on tap selection signals from a lower rank of the output candidates of the driving voltages in the voltage divider resistance circuit to a higher rank thereof and boosts the driving voltage and a slow starter that compares an output value of the driving voltage boosted by the selector with the boost target value set by the CPU, determines whether or not the output value of the driving voltage reaches the boost target value, and drives the display portion at the driving voltage reaching the boost target value based on a determination result thereof. This enables the display portion to start independent of any booster circuit of hardware configuration and enables a circuit scale as a whole to be made smaller.