Driving module and light source system having the driving module

• US 10,051,712 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Tsai, Cheng-Yen, Lin, Hsuan-Yu, Liao, Sue-Chen, Shih, Pang-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, THAI N
• Application Number:
  US15/394,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20180160506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/58 involving end of life detection of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/60 Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A driving module, being electrically connected to a control module and for driving a light emitting device with at least one light emitting element, is provided. The driving module has a driving circuit, which receives a control signal from the control module and transmits a drive current signal and a test current signal to the at least one light emitting element, so as to drive the least one light emitting element. A value of the drive current signal is expressed as If. A value of the test current signal is expressed as It. A relationship between the value of the drive current signal and the value of the test current signal satisfies the following equation (1), (It/If)=0.1%˜35% . . . (1), the driving circuit generates a feedback signal based on a status of the least one light emitting element. A light source system having the driving module is provided.

Claims

1. A driving module for driving a light emitting device, the driving module is electrically connected to a control module, the light emitting device comprising at least a light emitting element, the driving module comprising:

a driving circuit, comprises a drive current signal control unit and a test current signal control unit, wherein the driving circuit receiving a control signal from the control module, the drive current signal control unit transmitting a drive current signal and the test current signal control unit transmitting a test current signal to the at least one light emitting element, so as to drive the at least one light emitting element, wherein,

I_f represents a value of the drive current signal, I_t represents a value of the test current signal, and a relationship between the values of the drive current signal and the test current signal satisfies an Equation (1) below;

(I_t/I_f)=0.1%˜

35% 

 

(1),

wherein the driving circuit generates a feedback signal based on a status of the at least one light emitting element, the feedback signal is a signal generated by the driving circuit after a determination result is returned to the driving circuit, and the determination result is obtained by flowing the test current signal through the at least one light emitting element, and

the feedback signal is returned to the driving module, so that the control module carries out a feedback control to the driving circuit according to the feedback signal.

2. The driving module according to claim 1, wherein V_f represents a value of a drive voltage obtained via the drive current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element when the at least one light emitting element is in normal operation status,

when the at least one light emitting element is in shorted status, V_ff represents a value of a fail voltage obtained via the drive current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element in the shorted status, V_ft represents a value of a test voltage obtained via the test current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element in the shorted status, and a relationship between the values of the drive voltage and the fail voltage satisfies an Equation (2) below, a relationship between the values of the test voltage and the drive voltage satisfies an Equation (3) below:

V_f>

V_ff 

 

(2)

(V_ft/V_f)=0.1%˜

7% 

 

(3).

3. The driving module according to claim 2, wherein V_t represents a value of a test voltage obtained via the test current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element when the at least one light emitting element is in normal operation status, and a relationship between the value of the test voltage in the shorted status and the value of the test voltage in the normal operation status satisfies an Equation (4) below:

(V_ft/V_t)=0.1%˜

7% 

 

(4).

4. The driving module according to claim 1, wherein the drive current signal and the test current signal are a pulse width modulation signal,

the pulse width modulation signal having a frequency larger than 60 Hz.

5. The driving module according to claim 1, wherein the driving circuit further comprises:

a short detection unit, detecting a shorted status of the at least one light emitting element according to a voltage value of the at least one light emitting element; and

a current modulation unit, adjusting and controlling current of the at least one light emitting element.

6. The driving module according to claim 5, wherein the control module provides a serial signal to the current modulation unit, so as to control a drive current of the at least one light emitting element.

7. The driving module according to claim 5, wherein the short detection unit detects a shorted status of the at least one light emitting element according to a serial signal provided by the control module.

8. The driving module according to claim 5, wherein the drive current signal control unit comprises a digital drive current signal control unit or an analog drive current signal control unit;

the test current signal control unit comprises a digital test current signal control unit or an analog test current signal control unit.

9. The driving module according to claim 5, further comprising a clock generator providing a clock signal, and the drive current signal and the test current signal are captured according to the clock signal.

10. The driving module according to claim 9, wherein a frequency of the clock signal is set within a set time segment to capture the drive current signal and the test current signal for a plurality of times.

11. The driving module according to claim 5, wherein the driving circuit further comprises at least one of a voltage detection unit and an open-circuit detection unit, wherein the voltage detection unit uses a serial signal provided by the control module to detect the at least one light emitting element;

the open-circuit detection unit uses the serial signal provided by the control module to detect the at least one light emitting element.

12. A light source system, comprising:

a light emitting device, comprising at least a light emitting element; and

a driving module for driving the light emitting device, the driving module comprising a driving circuit and a control module, wherein the driving circuit comprises a drive current signal control unit and a test current signal control unit, the driving circuit receiving a control signal from the control module, the drive current signal control unit transmitting a drive current signal and the test current signal control unit transmitting a test current signal to the at least one light emitting element, so as to drive the at least one light emitting element, wherein I_f represents a value of the drive current signal, I_t represents a value of the test current signal, and a relationship between the values of the drive current signal and the test current signal satisfies an Equation (1) below;

(I_t/I_f)=0.1%˜

35% 

 

(1),

wherein the driving circuit generates a feedback signal based on a status of the at least one light emitting element, the feedback signal is a signal generated by the driving circuit after a determination result is returned to the driving circuit, and the determination result is obtained by flowing the test current signal through the at least one light emitting element, and

the feedback signal is returned to the driving module, so that the control module carries out a feedback control to the driving circuit according to the feedback signal,

wherein the driving module uses a byte to drive the at least one light emitting element, the byte at least comprises two bits, the byte defines a relationship of the values of the drive current signal and the test current signal in the Equation (1).

13. The light source according to claim 12, wherein V_f represents a value of a drive voltage obtained via the drive current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element when the at least one light emitting element is in normal operation status,

when the at least one light emitting element is in a shorted status, V_ff represents a value of a fail voltage obtained via the drive current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element in the shorted status, and V_ft represents a value of a test voltage obtained via the test current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element in the shorted status, and a relationship between the values of the drive voltage and the fail voltage satisfies an Equation (2) below, a relationship between the values of the test voltage and the drive voltage satisfies an Equation (3) below:

V_f>

V_ff 

 

(2)

(V_ft/V_f)=0.1%˜

7% 

 

(3),

the byte defines the relationship between the values of the drive voltage and the fail voltage in the Equation (2), and the relationship between the values of the test voltage and the drive voltage in the Equation (3).

14. The light source system according to claim 13, wherein V_t represents a value of a test voltage obtained via the test current signal passing through the at least one light emitting element when the at least one light emitting element is in normal operation status, and a relationship between the value of the test voltage in the shorted status and the value of the test voltage in the normal operation status satisfies an Equation (4) below:

(V_ft/V_t)=0.1%˜

7% 

 

(4),

the byte defines the relationship between the value of the test voltage in the shorted status and the value of the test voltage in the normal operation status in the Equation (4).

15. The light source according to claim 12, wherein the driving circuit further comprises:

a short detection unit, detecting a shorted status of the at least one light emitting element according to a voltage value of the at least one light emitting element; and

a current modulation unit, adjusting and controlling a current of the at least one light emitting element.

16. The light source system according to claim 15, wherein the control module provides a serial signal to the current modulation unit, so as to control a drive current of the at least one light emitting element.

17. The light source system according to claim 15, wherein the short detection unit detects a shorted status of the at least one light emitting element according to a serial signal provided by the control module.

18. The light source system according to claim 15, wherein the drive current signal control unit comprises a digital drive current signal control unit, or an analog drive current signal control unit;

the test current signal control unit comprises a digital test current signal control unit, or an analog test current signal control unit.

19. The light source system according to claim 15, wherein the driving module further comprises:

a clock generator, providing a clock signal, and the drive current signal and the test current signal are captured according to the clock signal.

20. The light source system according to claim 19, wherein a frequency of the clock signal is set within the set time segment to capture the drive current signal and the test current signal for a plurality of times.

21. The light source system according to claim 15, wherein the driving circuit further comprises:

at least one of a voltage detection unit and an open-circuit detection unit, wherein the voltage detection unit uses a serial signal provided by the control module to detect the at least one light emitting element;

the open-circuit detection unit uses the serial signal provided by the control module to detect the at least one light emitting element.

22. The light source system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a power supply module, supplying power to the light emitting device and the driving module.

23. The light source system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a remote module, connected to the control module via a network,

the remote module controlling the control module,

the remote module comprising;

a remote device or a cloud storage device carrying out connection operation on the control module via the network,

the feedback signal being returned from the control module to the cloud storage device for storage.

24. The light source system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a sensing module, connected to the control module,

the sensing module for sensing a move status of an object or temperature information, light intensity or color temperature of an environment, and transmitting a sensing signal to the control module.