LIGHT SOURCE MODULE, BACKLIGHT ASSEMBLY HAVING THE SAME, DISPLAY DEVICE HAVING THE SAME AND METHOD FOR REDUCING NUMBER OF WIRES USED IN INTERCONNECT CABLE OF THE SAME

• US 20090121652A1
• Filed: 04/14/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Display Company Limited (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Gi-Cherl, PARK, Se-Ki, KANG, Eui-Jeong
• Granted Patent: US 7,956,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/297
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/1336 Illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133603 with LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133612 Electrical details
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/345 Current stabilisation; Maintaining constant current
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology

Abstract

A light source module includes a driving substrate, a plurality of light source blocks and a currents control element. The light source blocks are disposed on the driving substrate, and each of the light source blocks includes at least one light source. The currents control element is disposed on the driving substrate, and has channel terminals for individually controlling driving currents passed through at least two light source blocks. The channel terminals are electrically connected to the at least two light source blocks, respectively. The currents control element is disposed on the driving substrate and individually controls the driving currents applied to the light source blocks, so that a number of wires of a connection cable connected to a light source driving connector is less than the number of light source drive currents being individually controlled.

Claims

1. A light source module, comprising:

a light sources supporting substrate;

a plurality of light source blocks disposed on the light sources supporting substrate, each of the light source blocks including at least one light source; and

a currents control element disposed on the light sources supporting substrate, the currents control element having a plurality of channel terminals for individually controlling a plurality of respective driving currents passed respectively through at least two of said light source blocks, where the plurality of channel terminals are electrically connected to respective ones of the at least two light source blocks.

2. The light source module of claim 1, further comprising a light source driving connector electrically connected to the light sources supporting substrate, the light source driving connector having a predetermined number of disconnectably connectable interconnect terminals for connecting to a supplied interconnect cable.

3. The light source module of claim 2, wherein each light source block has respective first and second terminals, wherein said interconnect terminals of the light source driving connector include a first connector output terminal electrically connected to the first terminal of each of the light source blocks and a second connector output terminal electrically connected to an input terminal of the currents control element, and

wherein respective ones of the channel terminals of the currents control element are electrically connected to respective second terminals of the light source blocks.

4. A backlight assembly, comprising:

at least one light source module including;

a driving substrate;

a plurality of light source blocks disposed on a first side of the driving substrate, each of the light source blocks including at least one light source; and

a currents control element having channel terminals for individually controlling driving currents passed through at least two light source blocks, the channel terminals being electrically connected to the at least two light source blocks, respectively; and

a light source control unit electrically connected to the light source module, the light source control unit including at least one voltage transforming circuit that transforms a source voltage applied from an exterior into a driving voltage for driving the light source blocks.

5. The backlight assembly of claim 4, wherein the light source module further includes a light source driving connector electrically connected to the driving substrate, the light source driving connector electrically connecting the light source control unit to the light source module.

6. The backlight assembly of claim 5, wherein the light source driving connector includes a connector input terminal electrically connected to the light source control unit, and a connector output terminal electrically connected to the light source blocks and to the currents control element,

wherein the connector output terminal includes:

a first connector output terminal electrically connected to each first terminal of the light source blocks to output the driving voltage; and

a second connector output terminal electrically connected to an input terminal of the currents control element to output a control signal for controlling the currents control element, and

wherein the channel terminals of the currents control element are electrically connected to second terminals of the light source blocks, respectively, to individually control the driving currents.

7. The backlight assembly of claim 5, further comprising a receiving container including a bottom plate and a side wall connected to an edge of the bottom plate,

wherein the receiving container receives the light source module and exposes the light source blocks and the currents control element to an exterior.

8. The backlight assembly of claim 7, wherein the light source driving connector is disposed on the first side of the driving substrate.

9. The backlight assembly of claim 8, further comprising a side mold disposed at an end portion of the first side of the driving substrate, the side mold covering the currents control element.

10. The backlight assembly of claim 9, wherein the light source driving connector is disposed at the end portion of the first side of the driving substrate, and the side mold covers the light source driving connector, and

the side wall of the receiving container includes a connector linking hole facing the light source driving connector.

11. The backlight assembly of claim 10, further comprising a disconnectable connection cable electrically connecting the light source control unit to the light source control connector through the connector linking hole.

12. The backlight assembly of claim 7, wherein the light source driving connector is disposed on a second side of the driving substrate facing the bottom plate of the receiving container, and the bottom plate of the receiving container includes a connector receiving hole for receiving the light source driving connector.

13. The backlight assembly of claim 12, further comprising a connection cable electrically connecting the light source control unit to the light source driving connector.

14. The backlight assembly of claim 12, wherein the light source driving connector protrudes downwardly from the bottom plate of the receiving container through the connector receiving hole, and the light source control unit is slidingly inserted into the portion of the light source driving connector protruding downwardly from the bottom plate to be electrically connected to the light source driving connector.

15. The backlight assembly of claim 4, wherein the light source control unit includes:

a power supply substrate having the voltage transforming circuit and providing the light source module with the driving voltage; and

a control logic substrate providing the light source module with one or more control signals for controlling the currents control element.

16. The backlight assembly of claim 4, wherein the voltage transforming circuit includes:

an inductor having a first terminal and a second terminal, the inductor receiving the source voltage at the first terminal thereof;

a transistor having an input terminal, an output terminal and a control terminal, the output terminal of the transistor being electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor;

a voltage transforming control element electrically connected to each of the input terminal and the control terminal of the transistor;

a diode having a first terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the inductor and a second terminal through which the driving voltage is outputted; and

a capacitor having a first terminal electrically connected to the second terminal of the diode and a second terminal electrically connected to the voltage transforming control element.

17. The backlight assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the light source blocks includes a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically connected to each other in series.

18. The backlight assembly of claim 4, wherein each of the light source blocks includes a plurality of red light emitting diodes electrically connected to each other in series, a plurality of green light emitting diodes electrically connected to each other in series, and a plurality of blue light emitting diodes electrically connected to each other in series.

19. A display device, comprising:

a display panel; and

a backlight assembly disposed under the display panel, the backlight assembly providing the display panel with a light,

wherein the backlight assembly includes;

at least one light source module including;

a driving substrate;

a plurality of light source blocks disposed on a first side of the driving substrate, each of the light source blocks including at least one light source; and

a currents control element having channel terminals for individually controlling driving currents passed through at least two light source blocks, the channel terminals being electrically connected to the at least two light source blocks, respectively; and

a light source control unit electrically connected to the light source module, the light source control unit including at least one voltage transforming circuit that transforms a source voltage applied from an exterior into a driving voltage for driving the light source blocks.

20. The display device of claim 19, wherein the light source control unit includes:

a power supply substrate having the voltage transforming circuit and providing the light source module with the driving voltage; and

a control logic substrate providing the light source module with a control signal for controlling the currents control element.

21. A method of controlling electrical power supplied to individual ones or subsets of light sources disposed on a light sources supporting substrate, the method comprising:

providing a disconnectable interconnect between a light source control unit (LCU) and a multi-terminal connector disposed on the light sources supporting substrate; and

providing a currents control element on the light sources supporting substrate and coupled to receive one or more control signals from the multi-terminal connector, where the currents control element has a plurality of channel terminals each for passing a respective light source drive current therethrough;

said method being characterized in that the currents control element is disposed on the light sources supporting substrate and has the plurality of channel terminals for independently controlling the individual light sources, so that the number of interconnect cables between the LCU and the multi-terminal connector is reduced.

22. A system for controlling electrical power supplied to individual ones or subsets of light sources disposed on a light sources supporting substrate, the system comprising:

a multi-terminal connector disposed on the light sources supporting substrate, the multi-terminal connector being adapted to receive one or more control signals from an external source;

a currents control element disposed on the light sources supporting substrate and coupled to receive the one or more control signals from the multi-terminal connector, where the currents control element has a plurality of channel terminals each for passing a respective light source drive current therethrough;

said system being characterized in that the currents control element is disposed on the light sources supporting substrate and has the plurality of channel terminals for independently controlling the individual light sources, so that the number of interconnect cables between the LCU and the multi-terminal connector is reduced.