IP Library Granted Patent US 9,030,123
Granted Patent B2
US 9,030,123 · App. 13/398,966 · Granted May 12, 2015

Illuminating apparatus and driving method thereof

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,030,123
App. No.
13/398,966
Granted
May 12, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An illuminating apparatus includes a drive circuit that generates a drive current, and an organic light emitting panel that receives the drive current and that emits light. The drive circuit is capable of controlling a color temperature of the emitted light from the organic light emitting panel by controlling a current strength of the drive current and is capable of controlling a brightness of the emitted light according to a pulse width of the drive current.

Claims (34)

1. An illuminating apparatus, comprising:

a drive circuit that generates a drive current; and

an organic light emitting panel that receives the drive current to emit light and that includes a plurality of organic light emitting layers to emit light of different color components,

wherein the drive circuit is capable of controlling a color temperature from the organic light emitting panel by controlling a current strength of the drive current, and is capable of controlling a brightness of the emitted light according to a pulse width of the drive current, and

wherein the organic light emitting panel includes:

an anode,

a first light emitting layer that emits light having a first color component by a first combination of electrons and holes,

a second light emitting layer that emits light having a second color component different from the first color component by a second combination of the electrons and the holes, and

a cathode.

2. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the organic light emitting panel further includes an electron transport/hole blocking layer that blocks transport of the electrons or blocks transport of the holes.

3. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the organic light emitting panel further includes a carrier generation layer between the first and second light emitting layers.

4. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the organic light emitting panel further includes at least one of a hole injection/transport layer that is adjacent to the anode and that transports the holes in response to the drive current, and an electron injection/transport layer that is adjacent to the cathode and that transports the electrons in response to the drive current.

5. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the organic light emitting panel further includes a third light emitting layer that emits light having a third color component by a third combination of the electrons and the holes.

6. The illuminating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the third color component is a same color component as the first color component and the second light emitting layer is between the first and third light emitting layers.

7. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the organic light emitting panel includes a plurality of light emitting units, the light emitting units receiving the drive current and being serially connected to one another.

8. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the organic light emitting panel includes at least one of a first auxiliary electrode that is connected to the anode and a second auxiliary electrode that is connected to the cathode, the first and second auxiliary electrodes being formed in a mesh structure.

9. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the drive circuit includes:

a brightness control unit that controls the pulse width of the drive current in response to a brightness control signal, and

a color temperature control unit that controls the current strength of the drive current in response to a color temperature control signal, the color temperature signal corresponding to red, green, and/or blue colors.

10. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first color component is one of a red color and a blue color and the second color component is another one of the red color and the blue color.

11. The illuminating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illuminating apparatus is a backlight unit of a liquid crystal display device.

12. A method of driving an illuminating apparatus, the illuminating apparatus including an organic light emitting panel that receives a drive current to emit light and that includes a plurality of organic light emitting layers to emit light of different color components, the method comprising:

controlling a pulse width of the drive current in response to a brightness control signal;

controlling a current strength of the drive current in response to a color temperature control signal; and

outputting the drive current to the organic light emitting panel,

wherein the organic light emitting panel that receives the drive current includes a first light emitting layer emitting light having a first color component by a first combination of electrons and holes and a second light emitting layer emitting light having a second color component by a second combination of the electrons and the holes.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the organic light emitting panel further includes an electron transport/hole blocking layer that blocks transport of the electrons or blocks transport of the holes.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the organic light emitting panel further includes a carrier generation layer between the first and second light emitting layers.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the organic light emitting panel further includes a third light emitting layer emitting light having a third color component by a third combination of the electrons and the holes.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the third color component is a same color component as the first color component and the second light emitting layer is between the first and third light emitting layers.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein the organic light emitting panel includes a plurality of light emitting units, the light emitting units receiving the drive current and being serially connected to one another.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the organic light emitting panel includes at least one of a first auxiliary electrode that is connected to an anode and a second auxiliary electrode that is connected to a cathode, and the first and second auxiliary electrodes being formed in a mesh structure.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first color component is one of a red color and a blue color and the second color component is another of the red color and the blue color.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the illuminating apparatus is a backlight unit of a liquid crystal display device.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Sep 11, 2012
From: SAMSUNG MOBILE DISPLAY CO., LTD.
To: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 029096/0174 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2012
From: CHOI, SUNG-JIN; LEE, YONG-HAN
To: SAMSUNG MOBILE DISPLAY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 027830/0406 →