Light source driving device and method for driving light source

1. A light source driving device comprising:

a single interface circuit configured to receive a PWM dimming instruction signal or a DALI dimming instruction signal as a dimming instruction signal and generate a serial signal in accordance with the dimming instruction signal;

a dimming controller configured to determine whether the serial signal generated by the interface circuit is based on the PWM dimming instruction signal or the DALI dimming instruction signal and to generate a dimming signal according to a result of the determination; and

a drive circuit configured to drive a light source according to the dimming signal generated by the dimming controller,

wherein the dimming controller comprises:

an information determination unit configured to determine whether the received serial signal is based on the PWM dimming instruction signal or the DALI dimming instruction signal and to generate DALI command information or PWM dimming information according to a result of the determination;

a DALI dimming signal generation unit configured to receive the DALI command information and to generate the dimming signal based on the DALI command information; and

a PWM dimming signal generation unit configured to receive the PWM dimming information and to generate the dimming signal based on the PWM dimming information.

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

wherein the information determination unit comprises:

a waveform measuring unit configured to measure a cycle of the serial signal and to output measurement information indicating a result of the measurement; and

a waveform analyzing unit configured to receive the measurement information and to determine whether the serial signal contains a DALI frame based on the measurement information.

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

wherein the waveform analyzing unit is configured to:

output PWM dimming information to the PWM dimming signal generation unit when the cycle of the received serial signal is shorter than or equal to a preset value and the serial signal contains no DALI frame; and

output DALI command information to the DALI frame control unit if the received serial signal contains a DALI frame.

4. A method for driving a light source according to a dimming instruction signal, the method comprising:

receiving a PWM dimming instruction signal or a DALI dimming instruction signal as the dimming instruction signal;

generating a serial signal in accordance with the dimming instruction signal;

determining whether the serial signal is based on the PWM dimming instruction signal or the DALI dimming instruction signal;

generating a dimming signal according to a result of the determination; and

driving a light source according to the dimming signal,

wherein the dimming signal generating step further comprises:

generating DALI command information or PWM dimming information according to a result of the determination;

generating the dimming signal based on the DALI command information when the DALI command information is generated; and

generating the dimming signal based on the PWM dimming information when the PWM dimming information is generated.

5. The method according to claim 4 ,

wherein the dimming signal generating step further comprises:

determining whether the serial signal contains a DALI frame; and

determining whether a cycle of the serial signal is shorter than or equal to a preset value when determined that the serial signal contains no DALI frame.

6. The method according to claim 5 ,

wherein the DALI frame determining step and the cycle determining step is repeated during a predetermined time period starting from a reception of the serial signal.