IP Library Granted Patent US 8,803,447
Granted Patent B2
US 8,803,447 · App. 13/714,661 · Granted Aug 12, 2014

Light source control device and light source control method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,803,447
App. No.
13/714,661
Granted
Aug 12, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A light source control device controlling a light source that emits light corresponding to supplied current and a color wheel having a plurality of color segments that converts the light emitted from the light source, the light source control device includes: a current generation circuit, which supplies current to the light source, based on a control signal for controlling an amount of the light of the light source; and a control circuit unit, which stores a plurality of modulation factors corresponding to the plurality of color segments and has a plurality of calculation units corresponding to the plurality of color segments, and which operates the calculation unit corresponding to the segment in synchronization with each segment to thus calculate control information of the control signal.

Claims (33)

1. A light source control device controlling a light source that emits light corresponding to supplied current and a color wheel having a plurality of color segments that converts the light emitted from the light source, the light source control device comprising:

a current generation circuit, which supplies current to the light source, based on a control signal for controlling an amount of the light of the light source; and

a control circuit unit, which stores a plurality of modulation factors corresponding to the plurality of color segments and has a plurality of calculation units corresponding to the plurality of color segments, and which operates the calculation unit corresponding to the segment in synchronization with each segment to calculate control information of the control signal.

2. The light source control device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal,

wherein the control information is a duty ratio of the PWM signal,

wherein the light source is an electric discharge lamp that emits the light corresponding to supplied alternating current (AC) current,

wherein the current generation circuit comprises:

a direct current (DC) voltage generation circuit that outputs a DC voltage in response to the duty ratio of the input PWM signal;

a detection circuit that detects an output current value of the DC voltage generation circuit; and

an AC voltage generation circuit that converts the DC voltage into an AC voltage and supplies the AC current resulting from the AC voltage to the electric discharge lamp that is the light source,

wherein the control circuit unit operates the calculation unit corresponding to the segment in synchronization with each segment, and

wherein the calculation unit corresponding to the segment calculates the duty ratio so that the output current value approximates to a target current value corresponding to the segment, and thus outputs the PWM signal having the duty ratio.

3. The light source control device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the control circuit unit further comprises:

a DC driving control circuit that generates the PWM signal, which is pulse width-modulated based on the duty ratio and outputs the same to the DC voltage generation circuit; and

a calculation circuit that stores the plurality of modulation factors corresponding to the plurality of color segments and has the plurality of calculation unit corresponding to the plurality of color segments.

4. The light source control device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the calculation circuit further comprises:

a current conversion unit that converts a detection value of the output current, which is output from the DC voltage generation circuit, into a digital value;

a segment determination unit that determines segment information based on an external synchronizing signal synchronizing with each segment;

a target current setting unit that sets the modulation factors, based on the segment information, and sets the target current value corresponding to the segment information based on the modulation factors and the digital value;

a plurality of duty calculation units that calculates the duty ratio so that the digital value approximates to the target current value, in synchronization with each segment; and

a processing selection unit that selects and operates the duty calculation unit corresponding to the segment information.

5. The light source control device according to claim 4 ,

wherein the calculation circuit further comprises:

a plurality of first modulation factors and a plurality of first duty calculation units relating to a first mode, and

a plurality of second modulation factors and a plurality of second duty calculation units relating to a second mode,

wherein, in the first mode, the processing selection unit sets the first modulation factors based on the segment information, and selects and operates any one of the first duty calculation units corresponding to the segment information, and

wherein, in the second mode, the processing selection unit sets the second modulation factors based on the segment information, and selects and operates any one of the second duty calculation units corresponding to the segment information.

6. A light source control method of a light source control device that controls: a light source that emits light corresponding to supplied current; a control circuit unit that has a color wheel having a plurality of color segments that converts the light emitted from the light source, a plurality of modulation factors corresponding to the plurality of color segments and a plurality of calculation units corresponding to the plurality of color segments, and a current generation circuit that supplies current to the light source, based on a control signal for controlling an amount of the light of the light source, the method comprising:

operating the calculation unit corresponding to the segment in synchronization with each segment to calculate control information of the control signal, and

supplying current based on the control signal to the light source.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2020
From: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
To: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
Reel/Frame 051803/0293 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2012
From: NAKAMURA, YOSHIHIRO
To: MINEBEA CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 029470/0036 →