IP Library Granted Patent US 11,438,982
Granted Patent B2
US 11,438,982 · App. 16/991,489 · Granted Sep 6, 2022

LED pulse width modulation with active turn-off

Inventor: Zhi Hua Song (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Lumileds LLC
H05B45/325H05B45/44
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,438,982
App. No.
16/991,489
Granted
Sep 6, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A control system for an LED array includes a pulse width modulator to supply signals having rising edges and a falling edges to the plurality of LEDs. A plurality of parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements connected in parallel between the pulse width modulator and the respective LEDs.

Claims (26)

1. A control system for a light emitting diode (LED) array, comprising:

a pulse width modulator to supply signals having rising edges and falling edges to a plurality of LEDs of the LED array;

a voltage source;

a current source; and

a plurality of parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements including a plurality of switches and a plurality of current sources, one switch of the switches and one current source of the current sources for each LED, each switch of the switches connected in parallel with a respective LED of the plurality of LEDs and each current source of the current sources electrically connected in series with the respective LED, the plurality of parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements actively discharge a parasitic capacitance of the respective LED and reduce a discharge time of the parasitic capacitance from the respective LED.

2. The control system of claim 1 , wherein plurality of LEDs comprise a matrix pixel array.

3. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the rising edges and falling edges have a same slope.

4. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of LEDs are common anode LEDs.

5. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of LEDs are common cathode LEDs.

6. The control system of claim 1 , wherein the current sources are configured to operate at 180 degrees phase relationship with respect to the pulse width modulator.

7. The control system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is controlled by three metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) switches M 1 , M 2 , and M 3 , with parasitic capacitance discharge occurring through M 1 .

8. The control system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is controlled by three metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) switches M 1 , M 2 , and M 3 , with M 1 being a P-channel MOSFET connected in parallel to LED 1 and forming a totem pole pair with a N-Channel MOSFET M 2 , and parasitic capacitance discharge occurring through M 1 .

9. A control system for a light emitting diode (LED) array, comprising:

a control module providing image data corresponding to an image to be displayed by the LED array, the image data including pulse width modulation (PWM) data for each of a plurality of LEDs of the LED array;

a pulse width modulator connected to the control module to receive PWM data from the control module and to supply PWM signals having a rising edge and a falling edges to the plurality of LEDs; and

a plurality of parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements including a plurality of switches and a plurality of current sources, one switch of the switches and one current source of the current sources for each LED, each switch of the switches connected in parallel with a respective LED of the plurality of LEDs and each current source of the current sources electrically connected in series with the respective LED, the plurality of parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements actively discharge a parasitic capacitance of the respective LED and reduce a discharge time of the parasitic capacitance from the respective LED.

10. The control system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is controlled by three metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) switches M 1 , M 2 , and M 3 , with parasitic capacitance discharge occurring through M 1 .

11. The control system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of LEDs is controlled by three metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) switches M 1 , M 2 , and M 3 , with M 1 being a P-channel MOSFET connected in parallel to LED 1 and forming a totem pole pair with a N-Channel MOSFET M 2 , and parasitic capacitance discharge occurring through M 1 .

12. The control system of claim 9 , wherein plurality of LEDs comprise a matrix pixel array.

13. A control method for a light emitting diode (LED) array, comprising:

providing the LED array including a plurality of LEDS;

powering the plurality of LEDs with a pulse width modulator to supply signals having rising edges and falling edges; and

discharging a parasitic capacitance of each of the plurality of LEDS using separately connected parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements, each of the parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements including a plurality of switches and a plurality of current sources, one switch of the switches and one current source of the current sources for each LED, each switch of the switches connected in parallel with a respective LED of the plurality of LEDs and each current source of the current sources electrically connected in series with the respective LED, the plurality of parasitic capacitance discharge circuit elements actively discharge a parasitic capacitance of the respective LED and reduce a discharge time of the parasitic capacitance from the respective LED.

14. The control method of claim 13 , further comprising:

closing the switches during a falling edge of the falling edges; and

opening the switches before an immediately subsequent rising edge of the rising edges.

Assignments (7)
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT SUPPLEMENT Recorded Jul 24, 2025
From: ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072281/0565 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2025
From: LUMILEDS LLC
To: ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
Reel/Frame 070936/0940 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 31, 2025
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
To: LUMILEDS, LLC
Reel/Frame 070074/0554 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2025
From: SOUND POINT AGENCY LLC
To: LUMILEDS LLC; LUMILEDS HOLDING B.V.
Reel/Frame 070046/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 5, 2023
From: LUMILEDS LLC; LUMILEDS HOLDING B.V.
To: SOUND POINT AGENCY LLC
Reel/Frame 062299/0338 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Dec 9, 2022
From: LUMILEDS, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH
Reel/Frame 062114/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 12, 2020
From: SONG, ZHI HUA
To: LUMILEDS LLC
Reel/Frame 053474/0001 →