Circuit and method for sensing open-circuit lamp of a backlight unit and display device with circuit for sensing open-circuit lamp of backlight unit

1. A circuit for driving a lamp, comprising:

a reference voltage output unit, the reference voltage output unit providing a reference voltage;

a voltage sensor, the voltage sensor detecting a sensed voltage corresponding to a status of a lamp, the status of the lamp including an open-circuit status and a closed-circuit status;

a comparator, the comparator comparing the sensed voltage with the reference voltage and outputting a result indicating the status of the lamp;

an enable signal output unit for outputting an enable signal; and

an enable signal control unit, the enable signal control unit receiving the result indicating the status of the lamp, the enable signal control unit disabling the enable signal output unit when the result indicates the status of the lamp being the open-circuit status,

wherein the voltage sensor includes first and second voltage-dividing circuits connected to both electrodes of the lamp, respectively, and the sensed voltage includes first and second sensed voltages output from the first and second voltage-dividing circuits, respectively, and

wherein the first and second sensed voltages are compared with the reference voltage to thereby detect the lamp being open-circuit.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the enable signal control unit includes a transistor.

3. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage divider includes first and second resistors connected in series between the electrode of the lamp and the ground.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the comparator includes an operational amplifier (OP-AMP).

5. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the lamp is one of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), an external electrode fluorescent lamp (EEFL), and a flat lamp.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein a voltage is supplied to an electrode of the lamp, the voltage sensor including a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor receiving the voltage supplied to the electrode of the lamp, the second conductor facing the first conductor with a gap and acquiring an induced voltage at the second conductor, the induced voltage being the sensed voltage.

7. The circuit of claim 6 , wherein the first conductor is on a first side of a printed circuit board and the second conductor is on a second side of the printed circuit board.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein a voltage is supplied to an electrode of the lamp, the voltage sensor including a conductor adjacent to the electrode of the lamp and having a gap with the lamp, the conductor acquiring an induced voltage from an electric field around the lamp.

9. The circuit of claim 8 , wherein the conductor is on a printed circuit board, which is disposed at a bottom side of a cover bottom, the cover bottom including a sensing hole that extends along a direction crossing the lamp.

10. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the conductor corresponds to the sensing hole.

11. The circuit of claim 8 , wherein the conductor includes a cable, the cable including a metallic core and an insulating surrounding the metallic core, a portion of the metallic core being exposed at a region adjacent to the electrode of the lamp.

12. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the cable extends along a direction crossing the lamp.

13. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the conductor further includes a conductive cover covering the exposed portion of the metallic core.

14. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the cable includes only one exposed portion of the metallic core.

15. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein the cable is one of a flexible printed circuit (FPC) and a flexible flat cable (FFC).

16. A method for driving a lamp, the method comprising:

providing a reference voltage;

detecting a sensed voltage corresponding to a status of a lamp, the status of the lamp including an open-circuit status and a closed-circuit status;

comparing the sensed voltage with the reference voltage and outputting a result indicating the status of the lamp;

receiving the result indicating the status of the lamp; and

disabling an enable signal control unit when the result indicates the status of the lamp being the open-circuit status;

wherein detecting a sensed voltage includes connecting first and second voltage-dividing circuits to both electrodes of the lamp, respectively, and detecting first and second sensed voltages output from the first and second voltage-dividing circuits, respectively, and

wherein comparing the sensed voltage with the reference voltage and outputting a result indicating the status of the lamp includes comparing the first and second sensed voltages with the reference voltage to thereby detect the lamp being open-circuit.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of detecting the sensed voltage corresponding to the status of the lamp includes:

providing a first conductor, the first conductor receiving a voltage supplied to an electrode of the lamp;

providing a second conductor facing the first conductor with a gap; and

acquiring an induced voltage at the second conductor, the induced voltage being the sensed voltage.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the step of detecting the sensed voltage corresponding to the status of the lamp includes:

providing a conductor adjacent to an electrode of the lamp and having a gap with the lamp; and

acquiring an induced voltage by the conductor from an electric field around the lamp.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein providing the conductor includes:

providing a cable, the cable including a metallic core and an insulating surrounding the metallic core; and

exposing a portion of the metallic core at a region adjacent to the electrode of the lamp.