Display panel driver circuit and overheat protection device thereof
A display panel driver circuit includes multiple drivers adapted for cooperatively driving a display panel and each operable under a protection mode, and an overheat protection device including multiple protection circuits, each of which controls a respective one of the drivers to operate under the protection mode in response to receipt of an enable signal, an interface circuit which transmits the enable signal to each of the protection circuits in response to receipt of a warning signal, and multiple temperature detection circuits, each of which is able to detect a temperature associated with a respective one of the drivers, and outputs the warning signal to the interface circuit based on the temperature thus detected.
1. A display panel driver circuit, comprising:
a plurality of drivers, which are adapted for cooperatively driving a display panel, and each of which is operable under a protection mode so as to protect the display panel from damaging due to overheat; and
an overheat protection device which includes:
a plurality of protection circuits, each of which is electrically connected to a respective one of said drivers and controls the respective one of said drivers to operate under the protection mode in response to receipt of an enable signal;
an interface circuit which is electrically connected to each of said protection circuits and transmits the enable signal to each of said protection circuits in response to receipt of a warning signal; and
a plurality of temperature detection circuits, each of which is electrically connected to said interface circuit, is able to detect a temperature associated with a respective one of said drivers, and is able to output the warning signal to said interface circuit based on the temperature thus detected.
2. The display panel driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein each of said temperature detection circuits outputs the warning signal upon determining that the temperature detected is thereby greater than a predetermined threshold.
3. The display panel driver circuit of claim 2 , wherein said interface circuit includes a plurality of input/output units which are electrically connected to one another and are each further electrically connected to a respective one of said protection circuits and a respective one of said temperature detection circuits, each of said input/output units outputting the enable signal in response to receipt of the warning signal by one of said input/output units.
4. The display panel driver circuit of claim 3 , wherein each of said input/output units includes:
an input/output terminal which is electrically connected to said input/output terminals of all other ones of said input/output units;
a voltage terminal which is adapted to be electrically connected to a voltage source; and
a switch which has a first terminal electrically connected to said voltage terminal, a second terminal electrically connected to said input/output terminal, and a control terminal electrically connected to the respective one of said temperature detection circuits, and connecting said first and second terminals to each other upon receipt of the warning signal.
5. The display panel driver circuit of claim 1 , wherein said drivers cooperatively output to the display panel a black frame instead of a normal frame when operating under the protection mode.
6. An overheat protection device adapted to control a plurality of drivers which cooperatively drive a display panel and each of which is operable under a protection mode, said overheat protection device comprising:
a plurality of protection circuits, each of which is electrically connected to a respective one of the drivers and controls the respective one of the drivers to operate under the protection mode in response to receipt of an enable signal;
an interface circuit which is electrically connected to each of said protection circuits and transmits the enable signal to each of said protection circuits in response to receipt of a warning signal; and
a plurality of temperature detection circuits, each of which is electrically connected to said interface circuit, is able to detect a temperature associated with a respective one of the drivers, and is able to output the warning signal to said interface circuit based on the temperature thus detected.
7. The overheat protection device of claim 6 , wherein each of said temperature detection circuit outputs the warning signal upon determining that the temperature detected thereby is greater than a predetermined threshold.
8. The overheat protection device of claim 6 , wherein said interface circuit includes a plurality of input/output units which are electrically connected to one another and are each further electrically to a respective one of said protection circuits and a respective one of said temperature detection circuits, each of said input/output units outputting the enable signal in response to receipt of the warning signal by one of said input/output units.
9. The overheat protection device of claim 8 , wherein each of said input/output units includes:
an input/output terminal which is electrically connected to said input/output terminals of all other ones of said input/output units;
a voltage terminal which is adapted to be electrically connected to a voltage source; and
a switch which has a first terminal electrically connected to said voltage terminal, a second terminal electrically connected to said input/output terminal, and a control terminal electrically connected to the respective one of said temperature detection circuits, and connecting said first and second terminals to each other upon receipt of the warning signal.
10. The overheat protection device of claim 6 , wherein in response to receipt of the enable signal, said protection circuits respectively control the drivers to cooperatively output to the display panel a black frame instead of a normal frame so that the drivers operate under the protection mode.