Light show ASIC

• US 20050122292A1
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Gray, Richard, Edwards, Malcolm, Schmitz, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/756,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20050122292A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/83
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/048 Arrangements providing optical indication of the incoming call, e.g. flasher circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

A system and a method for visual, electronic communication and/or entertainment purposes, displaying a lightshow, which can, if desired, represent selected information/events have been achieved. Said lightshow/information is displayed using one or more LED modules comprising more than one, usually three, LEDs emitting each light in different primary colors of a color space. Thus a lightshow/information/events can be visually displayed using a multitude of colors, different brightness, by flashing, by activation of specific positions, and by ON/OFF intervals. Said LED modules are controlled by a circuit comprising a LED driver unit, controlling the light intensity of each LED, a sequencer to control said LED drivers, and a memory to store the patterns for the illumination, the sequence and the brightness. The LEDs can be preferably addressed in a multiplexing mode, thus the connection between the LED drivers and the LEDs can be simplified. A user could compose his own light show, saving and replaying them or downloading light shows from the Internet or via a phone. After the defined sequence is downloaded the circuit runs autonomously. The present invention can be used for communication between persons, between persons and machines and for fun purposes.

Claims

1. A system to perform a light show, wherein LED modules are displaying related light beams having defined properties, wherein said properties have been defined prior to performing said light show, is comprising:

a circuit comprising;

an interface to input information;

a memory to store the information about the properties of said beams to be displayed;

a sequencer to control one or more LED drivers;

a LED driver unit comprising a driver for each color of said LED modules able to control the intensity of light where one driver for each LED is used; and

an electrical connection to said LED modules; and

an arrangement of one or more LEDs modules.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the parameters defining said properties of said light beams are downloaded via said interface to input information and stored in said memory.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises three LED modules.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises more than one LED each.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises three LEDs each.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said three LEDS emit each light of a different color wherein said colors are primary colors of a color space.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said three LEDS emit red, green and blue light (RGB).

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said LED drivers are PWM LED drivers.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said PWM drivers are 4-bit drivers.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein 4096 different colors can be displayed.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said LED drivers are current controlled drivers.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said properties of said light beams comprise different defined brightness for each LED.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said properties of said light beams comprise different defined flashing intervals for each LED.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said properties of said light beams comprise different ON/OFF intervals, different colors, different brightness, and a flashing interval for each LED.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein said LED driver unit is activating the lights in defined time intervals.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said LED driver unit is controlling the transition between different colors of a LED module using a “

flash”

mode at turn on point of time wherein said LED is turned on initially to its maximum brightness followed quickly by the set brightness.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said LED driver unit is controlling the transition between different colors of a LED module using a fading interval.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein different options are possible to define said fading interval.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein said options to define a fading interval include the options “

No Fade”

, “

Slow Fade”

, “

Linear Fade”

, “

Fast Fade”

.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein only a few of said options are being used.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said circuit is realized in an IC.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said circuit is realized in an ASIC.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said LEDs are connected to said circuit via output pins.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said output pins are arranged and controlled by a multiplexer arrangement.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein nine output pins are arranged and controlled by a multiplexer arrangement.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein said properties of said light beams comprise a light pattern over a multitude of LED modules.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein said properties of said light beams comprise a light intensity setting.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein said light intensity setting is defined for each LED individually.

29. The system of claim 1 wherein said properties of said light beams comprise a defined sequencing of said LEDs.

30. A system for visual, electronic communication, highlighting information/events, wherein LED modules are displaying related light signals having defined properties representing said different information/events, is comprising:

a circuit comprising;

an interface to input information;

a memory to store the information about the properties of said signals to be displayed;

a sequencer to control one or more LED drivers;

a LED driver unit comprising a driver for each color of LED able to control the intensity of light where one driver for each LED is used; and

an electrical connection to said LED modules; and

an arrangement of one or more LEDs modules.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the parameters defining said properties of said light signals are downloaded via said interface to input information and stored in said memory.

32. The system of claim 30 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises three LED modules.

33. The system of claim 30 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises more than one LED each.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises three LEDs each.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said three LEDS emit each light of a different color wherein said colors are primary colors of a color space.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said three LEDS emit red, green and blue light (RGB).

37. The system of claim 30 wherein said LED drivers are PWM LED drivers.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein said PWM drivers are 4-bit drivers.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein 4096 different colors can be displayed.

40. The system of claim 30 wherein said LED drivers are current controlled drivers.

41. The system of claim 30 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having different brightness.

42. The system of claim 30 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using flashing lights.

43. The system of claim 30 wherein defined categories of information are assigned to specific locations of LED modules.

44. The system of claim 30 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having a related ON/OFF interval.

45. The system of claim 30 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having a related ON/OFF interval, different colors, different brightness, a flashing interval, an assignment to specific positions, and a related ON/OFF interval.

46. The system of claim 30 wherein said LED driver unit is activating the lights in defined time intervals.

47. The system of claim 30 wherein said LED driver unit is controlling the transition between different colors of a LED module using a “

flash”

mode at turn on point of time wherein said LED is turned on initially to its maximum brightness followed quickly by the set brightness.

48. The system of claim 30 wherein said LED driver unit is controlling the transition between different colors of a LED module using a fading interval.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein different options are possible to define said fading interval.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein said options to define a fading interval include the options “

No Fade”

, “

Slow Fade”

, “

Linear Fade”

, “

Fast Fade”

.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein only a few of said options are being used.

52. The system of claim 30 wherein said circuit is realized in an IC.

53. The system of claim 30 wherein said circuit is realized in an ASIC.

54. The system of claim 30 wherein said LEDs are connected to said circuit via output pins.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein said output pins are arranged and controlled by a multiplexer arrangement.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein nine output pins are arranged and controlled by a multiplexer arrangement.

57. The system of claim 30 wherein said properties of said light signals to be displayed comprise a light pattern over a multitude of LED modules.

58. The system of claim 30 wherein said properties of said signals to be displayed comprise a light intensity setting

59. The system of claim 58 wherein said properties of said signals to be displayed comprise a light intensity setting for each LED individually.

60. The system of claim 30 wherein said properties of said signals to be displayed comprise a defined sequencing of said LEDs.

61. A phone system highlighting information/events, wherein LED modules are displaying related signals representing said different information/events, is comprising:

a circuit comprising;

an interface to input of information;

a memory to store the information about the properties of said signals to be displayed;

a sequencer to control one or more LED drivers;

a LED driver unit comprising a driver for each color of LED able to control the intensity of light where one driver for each LED is used; and

an electrical connection to said LED modules; and

an arrangement of one or more LED modules.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED modules are located on a prominent location of said phone system.

63. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED modules are located on the front side of said phone system.

64. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED modules are located on the sides of said phone system.

65. The system of claim 61 wherein said phone system is a mobile phone.

66. The system of claim 65 wherein said LED modules are located on the backside of said mobile phone.

67. The system of claim 61 wherein said phone comprises composer software to define the parameters of said sequencer and to download said parameters to said memory.

68. The system of claim 61 wherein the parameters of said sequencer are downloaded from a PC.

69. The system of claim 61 wherein the parameters of said sequencer are downloaded from the Internet.

70. The system of claim 61 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises three LED modules.

71. The system of claim 61 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises more than one LED each.

72. The system of claim 71 wherein said arrangement of one or more LED modules comprises three LEDs each.

73. The system of claim 72 wherein said three LEDS emit each a light of a different color wherein said colors are primary colors of a color space.

74. The system of claim 73 wherein said three LEDS emit red, green and blue light (RGB).

75. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED drivers are PWM LED drivers.

76. The system of claim 75 wherein said PWM drivers are 4-bit drivers.

77. The system of claim 76 wherein 4096 different colors can be displayed.

78. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED drivers are current controlled drivers

79. The system of claim 61 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having different brightness.

80. The system of claim 61 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using flashing lights.

81. The system of claim 61 wherein defined categories of information are assigned to specific locations of LED modules.

82. The system of claim 61 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having a related ON/OFF interval.

83. The system of claim 61 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having a related ON/OFF interval, different colors, different brightness, a flashing interval, an assignment to specific positions, and a related ON/OFF interval.

84. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED driver unit is activating the lights in defined time intervals.

85. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED driver unit is controlling the transition between different colors of a LED module using a “

flash”

mode at turn on point of time wherein said LED is turned on initially to its maximum brightness followed quickly by the set brightness.

86. The system of claim 61 wherein said LED driver unit is controlling the transition between different colors of a LED module using a fading interval.

87. The system of claim 86 wherein different options are possible to define said fading interval.

88. The system of claim 87 wherein said options to define a fading interval include the options “

No Fade”

“

Slow Fade”

, “

Linear Fade”

, “

Fast Fade”

.

89. The system of claim 88 wherein only a few of said options are being used.

90. The system of claim 61 wherein said circuit is realized in an IC.

91. The system of claim 61 wherein said circuit is realized in an ASIC.

92. The system of claim 61 wherein said LEDs are connected to said circuit via output pins.

93. The system of claim 92 wherein said output pins are arranged and controlled by a multiplexer arrangement.

94. The system of claim 93 wherein nine output pins are arranged and controlled by a multiplexer arrangement.

95. The system of claim 61 wherein said properties of said light signals to be displayed comprise a light pattern over a multitude of LED modules.

96. The system of claim 61 wherein said properties of said signals to be displayed comprise a light intensity setting.

97. The system of claim 96 wherein said properties of said signals to be displayed comprise a light intensity setting for each LED individually.

98. The system of claim 61 wherein said properties of said signals to be displayed comprise a defined sequencing of said LEDs.

99. A method to establish visual, electronic communication, highlighting information/events, wherein LED modules are displaying related light signals having defined properties representing said different information/events comprising:

providing a circuit comprising an interface, a memory, a sequencer, a LED driver unit connected to LEDs, and one or more LED modules, comprising more than one LED each;

determine the information to be visually highlighted;

define the kind of highlighting of the information selected above;

compose the sequencer steps according to the definitions of the two steps above;

if said composing software is built into the phone store the sequences in said memory;

otherwise download sequences and store them in said memory; and

ready for operation.

100. The method of claim 99 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having different colors.

101. The method of claim 100 wherein 4096 different colors are used.

102. The method of claim 99 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having different brightness.

103. The method of claim 99 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using flashing lights.

104. The method of claim 99 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using LED modules assigned to specific positions.

105. The method of claim 99 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having a related ON/OFF interval.

106. The method of claim 99 wherein said related signals representing said different information/events are displayed using lights having a related ON/OFF interval, different colors, different brightness, a flashing interval, an assignment to specific positions, and a related ON/OFF interval.

107. The method of claim 106 wherein said LED driver unit is controlling the transition between different colors of a LED module using a “

flash”

mode at turn on point of time wherein said LED is turned on initially to its maximum brightness followed quickly by the set brightness.