Reduced Voltage Drivers for High Activation Light Emitting Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Driver circuits face challenges in controlling light emitting elements with activation voltages greater than their operational voltage levels, leading to limitations in increasing the number of elements without increasing board space or power consumption.
Innovation Solution
The common terminal of light emitting elements is connected to a node different from the ground or supply potential of the drivers, allowing drivers with reduced voltage drop capacity to generate power signals that exceed activation voltages by using a power supply to bias the common terminal below or above the ground voltage, ensuring the voltage drop across the elements meets the activation requirement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If drivers with reduced voltage drop capacity are used, then board space and power consumption are reduced, but the ability to drive light emitting elements with higher activation voltages is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a power supply as an intermediary component that provides additional voltage to the common terminal of the light emitting elements. This mediator enables the driver circuit to achieve the required activation voltage across the light emitting element without requiring the driver itself to have high voltage drop capacity, thus resolving the contradiction between using reduced-voltage drivers and driving high-voltage elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the voltage reference dimension by introducing a separate power supply voltage (Vcc) that is added to the driver output voltage. Instead of relying solely on the driver's voltage drop capability, the solution adds voltage from another dimension (the power supply), allowing the total voltage across the light emitting element to exceed the driver's individual voltage drop capacity.
2Productivity
If more light emitting elements are added to the system, then resolution and functionality are improved, but the quantity of drivers required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the driver circuit universal by enabling it to drive light emitting elements with various activation voltages through the common power supply connection. Instead of requiring different drivers for different voltage requirements, the same driver circuit can accommodate elements with higher activation voltages by utilizing the additional voltage from the power supply, thus reducing the quantity of different driver types needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the power supply function with the driver circuit operation by connecting the common terminal of the light emitting elements to the power supply. This combination allows the driver and power supply to work together as an integrated system, where the power supply provides the necessary voltage headroom for driving multiple elements without requiring proportionally more drivers.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the voltage drop across the driver is reduced, then power consumption is reduced, but the voltage available to exceed activation voltage of light emitting elements is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the voltage provision function between two separate components: the driver circuit provides control and a portion of the voltage, while the power supply provides the additional voltage needed to reach the activation voltage. This segmentation allows each component to operate within its optimal voltage range, with the driver consuming less power while the power supply compensates for the reduced voltage drop capability.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a method includes outputting, by a power supply and across a supply node and a ground node, a supply power signal; and selectively outputting, by a driver, a power signal to a second terminal of a light emitting element that has a first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the light emitting element is coupled to a load node, wherein a supply terminal of the driver is coupled to the supply node, wherein a ground terminal driver is coupled to the ground node, and wherein a difference between a potential of the supply node and a potential of the ground node is less than an activation voltage of the light emitting element.