LED Driver Bus Acknowledgment Using Embedded Safety Information
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current LED driver communication protocols face inefficiencies due to low data rates and complexity, particularly in systems using LIN interfaces, which can lead to increased implementation costs and reduced safety information transmission speed.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a high-speed lighting bus protocol that uses safety information as an acknowledgement for write access frames, eliminating the need for arbitration fields and allowing for higher data rates, thereby simplifying the communication protocol and reducing network utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional LIN communication protocols are used for LED driver communication, then implementation is simpler with existing protocols, but data transmission speed is limited to less than 20 kbit/s and network utilization is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the data rate parameter from traditional LIN protocol speeds (less than 20 kbit/s) to high-speed lighting bus speeds (greater than 100 kbit/s), enabling faster safety information transmission while maintaining protocol simplicity through deterministic single-host architecture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the arbitration mechanism from the communication protocol, removing the complexity of arbitration fields and host arbitration processes that are present in traditional LIN and CAN protocols, thereby simplifying the protocol while enabling higher speeds
2Reliability
If traditional LIN protocol with separate read/write frames and acknowledgments is used, then communication is reliable, but network utilization is high and safety information delivery is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple communication frames (write access frame, acknowledgment frame, and safety information frame) into a single integrated transaction. The safety information is embedded within the acknowledgment response, eliminating the need for separate read access frames and reducing the number of message exchanges
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous safety monitoring by having the driver continuously generate and transmit safety information as part of the normal acknowledgment process, rather than requiring separate periodic read operations. This ensures safety information is always available without interrupting the control signal flow
3Productivity
If high-speed lighting bus protocol without arbitration is implemented, then data rate increases above 100 kbit/s and network utilization decreases, but protocol implementation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a deterministic single-host architecture where the controller (host) automatically initiates all communication transactions without requiring arbitration. The driver (servant) simply responds to host-initiated transactions, eliminating the need for complex arbitration logic in the driver and simplifying the overall system implementation
Data Source
AI summary
A method for driving a set of light emitting diodes (LEDs) may include receiving a write access frame by a driver via a bus configured for connection with a controller and the driver. The write access frame includes brightness information. The method may further include controlling, by the driver, the set of LEDs based on the brightness information and determining, by the driver, safety information while controlling the set of LEDs based on the brightness information. The method may further include outputting, by the driver and at the bus, the safety information to acknowledge receipt of the write access frame.