LED Display Timing Controller Shared Signal Line Multiplexing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing number of signal transmission lines between a timing controller and a panel driver in LED display devices leads to stability issues, increased complexity, and higher costs, particularly due to the decreasing pitches among pixels.
Innovation Solution
A data communication structure where a timing controller and a panel driver use a single signal transmission line for both image data and state data signals, with switching elements controlling the transmission periods to reduce the number of connections and complexity, utilizing a daisy chain method among driver ICs to transmit signals efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate signal transmission lines are used for image data signals and state data signals, then signal transmission reliability is improved, but the number of transmission lines increases leading to increased complexity and cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate transmission lines for image data signals and state data signals into a single shared transmission line. The controller and panel driver use switching elements to multiplex these different signal types over the same physical connection, reducing the total number of transmission lines while maintaining reliable signal transmission through time-division or switching-based separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission line is designed to serve multiple functions by carrying both image data signals from the controller to the panel driver and state data signals from the panel driver back to the controller. This multi-functional transmission line replaces what would traditionally require separate dedicated lines for each signal type.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the number of signal transmission lines is increased to maintain stability, then connection stability is improved, but the complexity and cost inside the display device increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple transmission lines are merged into a single shared line that carries both image data and state data. Switching elements are introduced to manage the sharing, ensuring stable connections while reducing the overall number of physical connections required in the display device.
Solution Approach 2:
Switching elements act as intermediaries between the controller and panel driver, managing the shared transmission line to ensure stable signal transmission. These switching elements coordinate the flow of different signal types over the same physical connection, maintaining connection stability while reducing line count.
3Productivity
If more transmission lines are used to support decreasing pixel pitches, then data transmission capability is improved, but the number of connections and associated costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission line is designed to handle multiple types of data traffic including image data signals and state data signals bidirectionally. This multi-functional approach allows a single connection to replace what would traditionally require multiple separate connections, maintaining data transmission capability while reducing the quantity of connections.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic switching or time-division multiplexing to alternate between transmitting image data signals from controller to panel driver and receiving state data signals from panel driver to controller. This periodic action allows efficient use of a single transmission line for multiple data types.
Data Source
AI summary
A display device includes a plurality of light emitting diodes and a plurality of pixel driver circuits for driving the plurality of light emitting diodes; a panel driver including a plurality of driver integrated circuits (ICs) and a first switching element; a timing controller including a second switching element; and a signal transmission line connecting the first switching element and the second switching element. The timing controller is configured to control the first switching element and the second switching element to transmit an image data signal from the timing controller to the panel driver through the signal transmission line during a first time period, and control the first switching element and the second switching element to receive a state data signal of the display panel from the panel driver through the signal transmission line during a second time period different from the first time period.