Fused LED Pixel Components for Overcurrent Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Inorganic light-emitting diode (LED) displays face issues with manufacturing defects that cause excessive current flow, leading to overheating and performance problems, with existing solutions either requiring complex circuit components or resulting in diminished light output.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of fused LEDs, where each LED is connected in series with a sacrificial fuse that becomes non-conductive when a predetermined current is exceeded, providing overcurrent protection and allowing for simple detection and correction of faults.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If each LED is protected with complex circuit components (resistors, current-limiting diodes, sensing circuits), then overcurrent protection is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveovercurrent protectionVSAvoidcircuit components
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The harmful LED is extracted from the circuit by blowing its fuse, removing the defective element that causes overcurrent without requiring complex protection circuits for each LED

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The fuse is a disposable, low-cost component that sacrifices itself (blows) to protect the expensive LED and circuitry, replacing complex reusable protection circuits with simple sacrificial elements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Reliability

If redundant light emitters are used to improve manufacturing yields, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing yieldVSAvoidlight emitters
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Fuses are pre-installed with each LED during manufacturing, enabling automatic protection and isolation of defective LEDs before they can cause system-wide failures or require manual intervention

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The fuse automatically detects and isolates defective LEDs through self-service protection机制, eliminating the need for external monitoring circuits or manual inspection of each LED's current characteristics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Device complexity

If no overcurrent protection is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but harmful effects (overheating, performance problems) increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecircuit componentsVSAvoidoverheating
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The fuse acts as an intermediary protective element between the power source and the LED, automatically interrupting current flow when overheating or overcurrent conditions occur without requiring complex monitoring circuits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution effectively prevents overheating and maintains light output by rendering faulty LEDs non-conductive, thereby ensuring reliable operation and easy fault detection and correction in LED displays.

Implementation Method 1

a fuse having first and second fuse electrical contacts, the first fuse electrical contact electrically connected in series with the first LED electrical contact

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFusing:

Implementation Method 2

an LED having first and second LED electrical contacts for providing power to the LED to cause the LED to emit light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission from diode: Light Emitting Diode

Data Source

PatentEP3433852B1Display with fused leds
Publication Date: 2024.12.18 X DISPLAY CO TECH LTD
  • EP3433852B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3433852B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3433852B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~4

AI summary

A display having fused light-emitting diodes (LEDs) includes a display substrate and an array of pixel components disposed on the display substrate. Each pixel component comprises a light-emitting diode and an electrical fuse electrically connected in series with the light-emitting diode. The micro-transfer printable pixel components include an LED having first and second LED electrical contacts for providing power to the LED to cause the LED to emit light, a fuse having first and second fuse electrical contacts, the first fuse electrical contact electrically connected in series with the first LED electrical contact, a first electrode connected to the second fuse electrical contact, and a second electrode connected to the second LED electrical contact.