Display Power Shutdown Circuit for Overcurrent Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing display devices are vulnerable to damage from overcurrents flowing through switching elements, which can occur during normal operation, leading to potential malfunctions and damage to the switching elements.

Innovation Solution

A display device with a protection circuit that includes a voltage generator and a timing controller to monitor and control the output of voltages, allowing for the detection of overcurrents and triggering a shutdown to prevent damage to switching elements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a protection circuit is added to detect overcurrents and trigger shutdown, then reliability of switching elements is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveswitching element protectionVSAvoidcircuit structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A current detector is introduced as an intermediary component between the voltage generator and the switching elements. The detector monitors current flow and provides protection by triggering a shutdown signal when overcurrent is detected, thereby protecting the switching elements without requiring direct modification of their structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The protection circuit implements feedback by continuously monitoring the current through the switching elements and automatically responding to abnormal conditions. When the current detector detects overcurrent, it sends a feedback signal to the voltage generator to shut down the output, creating a closed-loop protection mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If multiple detections are required before triggering overcurrent signal, then false positives are reduced, but response time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidshutdown delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection during a blanking period before normal operation begins. By detecting abnormal current flow in advance and preparing the shutdown mechanism beforehand, the system can respond more quickly when actual overcurrent occurs during operation, reducing the effective response time loss

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The current detector monitors current continuously and performs multiple comparisons against threshold values. By requiring multiple detections or sustained abnormal conditions before triggering shutdown, the system filters out transient noise while still maintaining rapid response to genuine overcurrent conditions through optimized detection logic

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4131231B1Display device and driving method thereof
Publication Date: 2025.10.01 SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO LTD
  • EP4131231B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4131231B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4131231B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Disclosed is a display device including a first output part, a second output part, a power supply circuit connected to input terminals of the first output part and the second output part, a first sensing part connected to an output terminal of the first output part, a second sensing part connected to an output terminal of the second output part, a first voltage output terminal connected to the first sensing part and the second sensing part, a plurality of pixels connected to the first voltage output terminal and configured to display an image, and a defect determination part controlling shutdown of the power supply circuit by comparing a first sensing value and a second sensing value, which are received from the first sensing part and the second sensing part, with a first reference value and a second reference value having a level lower than the first reference value.