Backlight unit, display device having the same and driving method of the same

• US 20070047220A1
• Filed: 06/23/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Cho, Joo-woan, Kim, Gi-cherl, Lee, Sang-yu, Kang, Seock-hwan
• Application Number:
  US11/473,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047220A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/97.200
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133609 including means for improving the color mixing, e.g. white
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133612 Electrical details
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0666 for control of colour parameters, e.g. colour temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/145 the light originating from the display screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3413 Details of control of colour illumination sources

Abstract

An LCD including a backlight unit including a light source unit, an optical fiber transmitting light from the light source unit, an optical sensor receiving the light from the optical fiber and sensing a color of light, a light source driving part providing power to the light source unit and a light source controller controlling the light source driving part so that the light source unit provides a desired color of light based on the color sensed by the optical sensor.

Claims

1. A backlight unit comprising:

a light source unit;

an optical fiber transmitting light from the light source unit;

an optical sensor receiving the light from the optical fiber and sensing a color of light;

a light source driving part providing power to the light source unit; and

a light source controller controlling the light source driving part so that the light source unit provides a desired color of light based on the color sensed by the optical sensor.

2. The backlight unit according to claim 1, further comprising a cover accommodating the light source unit, wherein the optical sensor is disposed in the rear of the cover.

3. The backlight unit according to claim 2, wherein the optical sensor and the light source controller are mounted on a same substrate.

4. The backlight unit according to claim 2, wherein the optical fiber is provided in plural.

5. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein the optical sensor is connected to at least two of the optical fibers.

6. The backlight unit according to claim 5, further comprising an optical member disposed between the optical fibers and the optical sensor and filtering/leveling light from the optical fibers.

7. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein one end portion of at least one of the optical fibers is disposed substantially in a center of the light source unit.

8. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein one end portion of a plurality of the optical fibers is disposed at lateral sides of the light source unit.

9. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein the light source unit comprises a green light emitting diode (LED), a red LED and a blue LED.

10. The backlight unit according to claim 4, further comprising a lens disposed at one end portion of each of the optical fibers.

11. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein the light source unit comprises a point light source and one end portion of the optical fibers is adjacently disposed to the point light source.

12. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein the light source unit comprises a plurality of point light sources and the light source controller controls the light source driving part according to colors of the point light sources.

13. The backlight unit according to claim 4, wherein the optical fibers receive light at plural points corresponding to a plurality of areas of the light source unit and the light source controller controls the light source driving part according to the areas.

14. A display device comprising:

a display panel;

a light source unit disposed in the rear of the display panel;

an optical fiber transmitting light from the light source unit;

an optical sensor receiving the light from the optical fiber and sensing a color of the light;

a light source driving part providing electric power to the light source unit; and

a light source controller controlling the light source driving part so that the light source unit provides a desired color of light based on the color sensed by the optical sensor.

15. The display device according to claim 14, further comprising a cover accommodating the light source unit, wherein the optical sensor is disposed in the rear of the cover.

16. The display device according to claim 15, wherein the optical sensor and the light source controller are mounted in the same substrate.

17. The display device according to claim 16, wherein the optical sensor is connected to at least two of the optical fiber.

18. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the display panel is an LCD panel.

19. The display device according to claim 14, wherein the light source unit comprises a green LED, a red LED and a blue LED.

20. A driving method of a backlight unit, the method comprising:

receiving light from a light source unit through an optical fiber, the light source unit comprising a plurality of point light sources emitting two or more different colors;

sensing a color of the received light; and

controlling electric power provided to the light source unit so that the light source unit provides a desired color of light based on the sensed color.

21. The driving method according to claim 20, wherein the electric power is controlled by emitting colors of the plurality of point light sources.

22. The driving method according to claim 21, wherein the optical fiber senses light at plural points in a plurality of different areas of the light source unit and the electric power is controlled according to the areas of the light source unit.

23. A method of forming a backlight unit, the method comprising:

forming a light source unit;

disposing a first end of an optical fiber proximate to the light source unit, the optical fiber transmitting light from the light source unit;

connecting a second end of the optical fiber to an optical sensor receiving light from the optical fiber and sensing a color of the received light;

disposing a light source driving part between the optical sensor and the light source unit and powering the light source unit; and

connecting a light source controller between the light source unit and the optical sensor, the light source controller controlling the light source driving part such that the light source unit provides a desired color of light based on the sensed color of light.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the forming a light source comprises:

disposing a plurality of point light sources on a circuit board, a quantity of point light sources forming a light source group; and

arranging a plurality of circuit boards substantially parallel to each other;

wherein light source groups on adjacent circuit boards are arranged alternately to each other.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the quantity of point light sources is three and each light source group comprises a green, a red and a blue point light source.