Two-Terminal IC Chip for LED Drivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional LED drivers require additional pins and external components like capacitors, increasing the bill-of-materials cost and complexity, while existing integrated circuits for LED drivers often have multiple terminals that complicate the design and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A two-terminal integrated circuit (IC) chip with time-varying voltage-current characteristics and phase-locked power supplies, which integrates control and power supply functions into two terminals, eliminating the need for external capacitors and reducing the number of pins, thereby simplifying the design and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional LED drivers use multiple terminals and external capacitors, then power supply stability is improved, but device complexity and bill-of-materials cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions (power supply, control, and energy storage) into a single integrated circuit chip with only two terminals. The internal power supply circuit includes phase-locked power supplies and integrated capacitors that are merged within the chip, eliminating the need for external capacitors and reducing terminal count while maintaining power supply stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The two-terminal IC chip performs multiple functions simultaneously: it provides power supply, stores energy internally, controls LED current, and maintains stability across varying conditions. This multi-functional integration reduces the need for separate external components while achieving the same or better performance.
2Reliability
If conventional LED drivers use external capacitors, then power supply continuity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates energy storage capacitors and power supply circuits within the IC chip itself, merging functions that traditionally required external components. This integration eliminates the need for separate external capacitors, reducing bill-of-materials costs while maintaining power supply continuity through the internal capacitor network.
Solution Approach 2:
The IC chip contains its own internal power supply and energy storage capacitors, making it self-sufficient. The chip does not require external capacitors to maintain power supply continuity, as it can store and regulate power internally, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and simplifying assembly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional LED drivers use multiple pins, then functional versatility is improved, but system size and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges control circuits, power management, and LED driving functions into a single two-terminal IC chip. By integrating these functions internally, the system footprint is reduced while maintaining full control versatility through time-varying voltage-current characteristics and phased-locked power supply control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent achieves functional versatility not through additional terminals but through time-domain control mechanisms. The IC chip uses time-varying voltage-current characteristics and phased-locked control signals to provide multiple functions through a minimal two-terminal interface, effectively moving from spatial expansion (more pins) to temporal control (time-varying characteristics).
Data Source
AI summary
A two-terminal IC chip and method thereof. For example, a two-terminal IC chip includes a first chip terminal, a second chip terminal, a first switch configured to receive a control signal, a first capacitor coupled to the first switch, a second switch configured to receive the control signal, a second capacitor coupled to the second switch, a third switch configured to receive the control signal, and a third capacitor coupled to the third switch. A first terminal voltage is a voltage of the first chip terminal, a second terminal voltage is a voltage of the second chip terminal, and a chip voltage is equal to a difference between the first terminal voltage and the second terminal voltage.