IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,402,687
Granted Patent B2
US 11,402,687 · App. 16/897,100 · Granted Aug 2, 2022

Display backlighting systems with cancellation architecture for canceling ghosting phenomena

Inventors: Vehbi Calayir (San Jose, CA); James E. Brown (San Jose, CA); Bret Rothenberg (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G02F1/133603H05B45/10H05B45/325H05B45/3725G02F1/133612
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,402,687
App. No.
16/897,100
Granted
Aug 2, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to an electronic device with a display. The display includes a first array of light-emitting diodes of a backlight unit to generate backlight for the display with each LED including an anode and a cathode. A first switch selectively couples a power supply voltage to a common anode of the first array of LEDs to control illumination of the first array of LEDs. A first discharge switch selectively couples a first voltage level to the common anode of the first array of LEDs to discharge the common anode to prevent an undesired current path through the first array of LEDs and associated undesired illumination.

Claims (42)

1. An electronic device with a display, the display comprising:

a first array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of a backlight unit to generate backlight for the display with each LED including an anode and a cathode;

a first switch to selectively couple a power supply voltage to a common anode of the first array of LEDs to control illumination of the first array of LEDs; and

a first discharge switch to selectively couple a first voltage level to the common anode of the first array of LEDs to discharge the common anode to prevent an undesired current path through the first array of LEDs and associated undesired illumination;

a second array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of the backlight unit to generate backlight for the display with each LED including an anode and a cathode;

a second switch to selectively couple the power supply voltage to a common anode of the second array of LEDs to control illumination of the second array of LEDs;

a second discharge switch to selectively couple a second voltage level to the common anode of the second array of LEDs to discharge the common anode to prevent an undesired current path through the second array of LEDs and associated undesired illumination; and

a first precharge switch to selectively couple a third voltage level or LED power supply to a common cathode of the first and second arrays of LEDs to pre-charge the common cathode to prevent the undesired current path through the second array of LEDs and associated undesired illumination.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:

driver circuitry coupled to the first array of the LEDs, wherein the driver circuitry is configured to generate drive signals for causing illumination of the first array of LEDs when the first switch couples the power supply voltage to the common anode.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage level comprises a ground voltage level.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first voltage level comprises a voltage level that is sufficient to discharge the common anode to a voltage level that is less than a threshold voltage level for illuminating the first array of LEDs.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first discharge switch comprises a tri-state switch having a high impedance state, a first logic state, and a second logic state.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first array of LEDs has an undesired parasitic capacitance that causes an undesired charge of the common anode after the first switch couples the power supply voltage to the common anode and then decouples the power supply voltage from the common anode.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein for a circuit configuration the first switch is open while the first discharge switch is closed to discharge the common anode.

8. A display circuitry, comprising:

a first array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) having controllable brightness levels;

a first switch to selectively couple a power supply voltage to a common anode of the first array of LEDs to control illumination of the first array of LEDs;

a first discharge switch to selectively couple a first discharge voltage level to the common anode of the first array of LEDs to discharge the common anode to prevent an undesired current path through the first array of LEDs that is caused by parasitic capacitance;

a second array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) having controllable brightness levels with each LED including an anode and a cathode;

a second switch to selectively couple the power supply voltage to a common anode of the second array of LEDs to control illumination of the second array of LEDs;

a second discharge switch to selectively couple a second discharge voltage level to the common anode of the second array of LEDs to discharge the common anode to prevent an undesired current path through the second array of LEDs and associated undesired illumination; and

a precharge switch to selectively couple a precharge voltage level to a common cathode of both the first and second arrays of LEDs to pre-charge the common cathode to prevent an undesired current path through the second array of LEDs and associated undesired illumination.

9. The display circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the first discharge voltage level is designed to reduce power consumption with the first discharge voltage level being less than a threshold voltage level for causing illumination of the first array of LEDs and the first discharge voltage level being greater than a ground reference voltage.

10. The display circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the first discharge switch comprises a tri-state switch having a high impedance state, a first logic state, and a second logic state.

11. The display circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the first array of LEDs has the parasitic capacitance that causes an undesired charge of the common anode after the first switch couples the power supply voltage to the common anode and then decouples the power supply voltage from the common anode.

12. The display circuitry of claim 8 , wherein for a circuit configuration of the display circuitry the first switch is open while the first discharge switch is closed to discharge the common anode.

13. The display circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the second discharge voltage level is designed to reduce power consumption with the second discharge voltage level being less than a threshold voltage level for causing illumination of the second array of LEDs and the second discharge voltage level being greater than a ground reference voltage.

14. The display circuitry of claim 8 , wherein the precharge voltage level is designed to reduce power consumption with the precharge voltage level being based on the power supply voltage and a threshold voltage level causing illumination of the second array of LEDs.

15. An electronic device, comprising:

an array of light-emitting diodes (LEDs);

a precharge switch to selectively couple a dynamically changing precharge voltage level to a common cathode of the array of LEDs to pre-charge the common cathode to prevent an undesired current path through the array of LEDs;

driver circuitry coupled to the array of LEDs, wherein the driver circuitry is configured to generate drive signals to control the array of the light-emitting diodes;

a switch to selectively couple a power supply voltage to a common anode of the array of LEDs to control illumination of the array of LEDs; and

a discharge switch to selectively couple a discharge voltage level to a common anode of the array of LEDs to discharge the common anode to prevent an undesired current path through the array of LEDs that is caused by parasitic capacitance.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the precharge voltage level is designed to reduce power consumption based on dynamically changing in response to a change in power supply voltage.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the precharge voltage level is based on the power supply voltage and a threshold voltage level causing illumination of the array of LEDs.

18. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the discharge voltage level is designed to reduce power consumption with the discharge voltage level being less than a threshold voltage level for causing illumination of the array of LEDs and the discharge voltage level being greater than a ground reference voltage.

19. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the driver circuitry is configured to generate driver signals including a row driver signal that is coupled and decoupled from the common anode of the array of LEDs.

20. The electronic device of claim 19 , wherein the discharge voltage level is decoupled from the common anode of the array of LEDs with the discharge switch prior or just prior to the row driver signal being coupled to the common anode, wherein the discharge voltage level is coupled to common anode after or immediately after the row driver signal is decoupled or removed from the common anode.

21. The electronic device of claim 15 , wherein the driver circuitry is configured to generate driver signals including a column driver signal that is coupled and decoupled from the common cathode of the array of LEDs.

22. The electronic device of claim 21 , wherein the precharge voltage level is decoupled from the common cathode of the array of LEDs with the precharge switch prior or just prior to the column driver signal being coupled to the common cathode, wherein the precharge voltage level is coupled to the common cathode after or immediately after the column driver signal is decoupled or removed from the common anode.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 10, 2020
From: CALAYIR, VEHBI; BROWN, JAMES E; ROTHENBERG, BRET
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 052900/0058 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62875911 · Jul 18, 2019
Related Publication 20210018795A1 · Jan 21, 2021