Adaptable backlight
A liquid crystal display arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned to backlight a liquid crystal display. A plurality of electrical conductors are each electrically connected to, and provide electrical power to, a different respective subset of the light emitting diodes. An electronic controller is electrically coupled to each of the conductors and individually controls conduction of electricity through each of the conductors to thereby change a brightness of at least one of the subsets of the light emitting diodes relative to a brightness of at least one other subset of the light emitting diodes during operation of the motor vehicle.
1. A liquid crystal display arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
a liquid crystal display;
a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned to backlight the liquid crystal display;
a plurality of electrical conductors, each of the conductors being electrically connected to, and configured to provide electrical power to, a different respective subset of the light emitting diodes;
an electronic controller electrically coupled to each of the conductors and configured to individually control conduction of electricity through each of the conductors to thereby change a brightness of at least one of the subsets of the light emitting diodes relative to a brightness of at least one other said subset of the light emitting diodes during operation of the motor vehicle; and
a plurality of user-actuatable controls electrically connected to the electronic controller for individually adjusting the respective brightnesses of the subsets of the light emitting diodes.
2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein, within each said subset of light emitting diodes, the light emitting diodes are grouped, clustered and/or adjacent to each other such that all the light emitting diodes in a same group illuminate a same area of the liquid crystal display.
3. The arrangement of claim 1 further comprising an LED driver board interconnected between the electrical conductors and the electronic controller.
4. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the electronic controller comprises an LED driver board.
5. The arrangement of claim 1 further comprising an LCD controller and driver connected to the liquid crystal display.
6. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the user-actuatable controls comprise dials.
7. A method of presenting a display in a motor vehicle, the method comprising:
installing a liquid crystal display in the motor vehicle;
positioning a plurality of light emitting diodes to backlight the liquid crystal display;
electrically connecting each of a plurality of electrical conductors to a different respective subset of the light emitting diodes;
using each of the conductors to provide electrical power to the different respective subset of the light emitting diodes;
individually controlling conduction of electricity through each of the conductors to thereby change a brightness of at least one of the subsets of the light emitting diodes relative to a brightness of at least one other said subset of the light emitting diodes during operation of the motor vehicle;
electrically connecting a plurality of user-actuatable controls to the electronic controller; and
enabling a user to individually adjust the respective brightnesses of the subsets of the light emitting diodes by actuating at least one of the controls.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein, within each said subset of light emitting diodes, the light emitting diodes are grouped, clustered and/or adjacent to each other such that all the light emitting diodes in a same group illuminate a same area of the liquid crystal display.
9. The method of claim 7 further comprising interconnecting an LED driver board between the electrical conductors and an electronic controller which performs the individually controlling step.
10. The method of claim 7 wherein the individually controlling step is performed by an LED driver board.
11. The method of claim 7 further comprising connecting an LCD controller to the liquid crystal display.
12. The method of claim 7 wherein the user-actuatable controls comprise dials.
13. A liquid crystal display arrangement for a motor vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
a liquid crystal display;
a plurality of light emitting diodes positioned to backlight the liquid crystal display;
a plurality of electrical conductors, each of the conductors being electrically connected to, and configured to provide electrical power to, a different respective one of the light emitting diodes;
an electronic controller electrically coupled to each of the conductors and configured to control flow of electrical current through each of the light emitting diodes individually to thereby change a brightness of at least one of the light emitting diodes relative to a brightness of at least one other said light emitting diode during operation of the motor vehicle; and
a plurality of user-actuatable controls electrically connected to the electronic controller for individually adjusting the respective brightnesses of the light emitting diodes.
14. The arrangement of claim 13 further comprising an LED driver board interconnected between the electrical conductors and the electronic controller.
15. The arrangement of claim 13 wherein the electronic controller comprises an LED driver board.
16. The arrangement of claim 13 further comprising an LCD controller and driver connected to the liquid crystal display.
17. The arrangement of claim 13 wherein the user-actuatable controls comprise dials.