Smart pixel lighting and display microcontroller

• US 9,959,815 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sakariya, Kapil V., Bibl, Andreas, McGroddy, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Pert, Evan
• Application Number:
  US15/479,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20170206845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 391 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0828 forming a digital to analog [D/A] conversion circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0842 forming a memory circuit, e.g. a dynamic memory with one capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0857 Static memory circuit, e.g. flip-flop
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/027 Details of drivers for data electrodes, the drivers handling digital grey scale data, e.g. use of D/A converters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/08 Details of timing specific for flat panels, other than clock recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/029 by monitoring one or more pixels in the display panel, e.g. by monitoring a fixed reference pixel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/028 Generation of voltages supplied to electrode drivers in a matrix display other than LCD
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2088 with use of a plurality of processors, each processor controlling a number of individual elements of the matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3216 using a passive matrix
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3233 with pixel circuitry controlling the current through the light-emitting element
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3266 Details of drivers for scan electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3426 the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

A light emitting assembly is described. In one embodiment, one or more light emitting diode (LED) devices and one or more microcontrollers are bonded to a same side of a substrate, with the one or more microcontrollers to switch and drive the one or more LED devices.

Claims

1. A light emitting assembly comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) devices; and

a plurality of microcontrollers, wherein the plurality of microcontrollers are electrically coupled with each other, and the plurality of microcontrollers are electrically coupled with the plurality of LED devices to switch and drive the plurality of LED devices;

one or more data drivers electrically coupled with the plurality of microcontrollers;

one or more scan drivers electrically coupled with the plurality of microcontrollers; and

a plurality of digital inputs to each microcontroller;

wherein each microcontroller comprises a digital logic, the digital logic including an input block, an output block, and a data storage module.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a V_dd input to each microcontroller.

3. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a V_ss input to each microcontroller.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the output block includes a digital control logic coupled with a digital-to-analog converter.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each microcontroller further comprises a relay output coupled with the input block and one or more microcontrollers of the plurality of microcontrollers.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of LED devices comprises a plurality of groups of LED devices, and each microcontroller is coupled to a corresponding group of LED devices.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein each group of LED devices is coupled in parallel to a corresponding microcontroller LED output.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the output block includes a digital control logic coupled with a digital-to-analog converter.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein each microcontroller further comprises a relay output coupled with the input block and one or more microcontrollers of the plurality of microcontrollers.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each microcontroller includes a plurality of microcontroller LED outputs.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of LED devices comprises a plurality of groups of LED devices, and each microcontroller LED output is coupled to a corresponding group of LED devices.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein each group of LED devices is coupled in parallel to a corresponding microcontroller LED output.

13. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the output block includes a digital control logic coupled with a digital-to-analog converter.

14. The assembly of claim 12, wherein each microcontroller further comprises a relay output coupled with the input block and one or more microcontrollers of the plurality of microcontrollers.

15. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a timing controller coupled with the one or more data drivers.

16. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each microcontroller is in electrical connection with a plurality of pixels to drive a corresponding group of LED devices in each pixel.

17. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein each sensor is selected from the group consisting of an optical sensor, electrical sensor, thermal sensor, and pressure sensor.

18. The assembly of claim 17, wherein each sensor is not located within a microcontroller of the plurality of microcontrollers.