# US 12,217,709 B2 · Display apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,217,709 B2 - Document ID: US12217709B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/125,541 - Filed: 2023-03-23 - Published: 2023-12-14 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-06-08 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Seungyong Shin; Jungmo Kang; Changhoon Kim; Yongmin Jung - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217709B2 ## CPC - G09G 3/3426: {the different display panel areas being distributed in two dimensions, e.g. matrix} - G02F 1/133601: {for spatial active dimming} - G02F 1/133603: {with LEDs} - G02F 1/133612: {Electrical details} - G09G 3/34: by control of light from an independent source - G09G 3/36: using liquid crystals - G09G 3/3648: {using an active matrix (G09G3/367 - G09G3/3696 take precedence)} - G09G 5/10: Intensity circuits - G09G 2300/0426: Layout of electrodes and connections - G09G 2320/0646: Modulation of illumination source brightness and image signal correlated to each other - G09G 2320/066: for control of contrast - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS ## Abstract A display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel; a plurality of light sources configured to emit light; a substrate including a plurality of dimming blocks arranged in rows and columns, each dimming block of the plurality of dimming blocks including at least one light source of the plurality of light sources; a first driving device configured to control a driving current applied to light sources in first dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks; and a second driving device configured to control a driving current applied to light sources in second dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks, wherein the first dimming blocks, the second dimming blocks, the first driving device, and the second driving device are arranged on a first side of the substrate, and a layout of the first dimming blocks is different from a layout of the second dimming blocks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A display apparatus comprising: a liquid crystal panel; a plurality of light sources configured to emit light; a substrate comprising a plurality of dimming blocks arranged in rows and columns, each dimming block of the plurality of dimming blocks comprising at least one light source of the plurality of light sources; a first driving device configured to control a driving current applied to light sources in first dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks, wherein the first dimming blocks are divided into a plurality of first groups, and each of the plurality of first groups includes a same number of first dimming blocks among the first dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks; and a second driving device configured to control a driving current applied to light sources in second dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks, wherein the second dimming blocks are divided into a plurality of second groups, wherein the first dimming blocks, the second dimming blocks, the first driving device, and the second driving device are arranged on a first side of the substrate, wherein a number of the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups is less than or equal to the number of the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups, wherein a number of the second dimming blocks in each of at least one second group among the plurality of second groups is less than a number of the second dimming blocks in each of remaining second groups among the plurality of second groups, wherein a layout of the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups is the same, wherein a layout of the second dimming blocks included in each of the at least one second group among the plurality of second groups is different from a layout of the second dimming blocks included in each of the remaining second groups among the plurality of second groups, wherein the layout of the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups is different from a layout of the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups, wherein the first driving device comprises a plurality of first driving circuits for applying driving currents to the first dimming blocks included in the plurality of first groups, wherein the second driving device comprises a plurality of second driving circuits for applying driving currents to the second dimming blocks included in the plurality of second groups, wherein a number of the second driving circuits for each of the plurality of second groups is less than or equal to a number of the first driving circuits for each of the plurality of first groups, wherein a number of the second driving circuits for each of the at least one second group among the plurality of second groups is a same as a number of the second driving circuits for each of the remaining second groups among the plurality of second groups, and wherein when the plurality of second driving circuits drive the second dimming blocks included in the plurality of second groups, at least one second driving circuit among the second driving circuits for each of the at least one second group among the plurality of second groups is deactivated while remaining second driving circuits among the second driving circuits for each of the at least one second group among the plurality of second groups apply the driving currents to the second dimming blocks included in each of the at least one second group among the plurality of second groups. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a number of rows in which the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups are arranged is different from a number of rows in which the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups are arranged. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a number of columns in which the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups are arranged is different from a number of columns in which the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups are arranged. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dimming driver configured to control the first driving device and the second driving device, wherein each of the first driving device and the second driving device is configured to receive a scan signal and a dimming signal from the dimming driver, and wherein a number of pins of the first driving device for receiving the scan signal is different from a number of pins of the second driving device for receiving the scan signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dimming driver configured to control the first driving device and the second driving device, wherein each of the first driving device and the second driving device is configured to receive a scan signal and a dimming signal from the dimming driver, and wherein a number of pins of the first driving device for receiving the dimming signal is different from a number of pins of the second driving device for receiving the dimming signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a number of rows in which the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups are arranged is different from a number of columns in which the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups are arranged, and wherein a number of columns in which the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups are arranged is a same as a number of rows in which the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups are arranged. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups are arranged in a row, and wherein the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups are arranged in a column. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The display apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first driving device is configured to control a driving current applied to light sources in four first dimming blocks of the first dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of first groups and arranged in a row, and wherein the second driving device is configured to control a driving current applied to light sources in four second dimming blocks of the second dimming blocks included in each of the plurality of second groups arranged in a column. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein a number of the first dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks is different from a number of the second dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein light sources in each of the plurality of dimming blocks are connected in series. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first driving device is disposed between the first dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks, and wherein the second driving device is disposed between the second dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The display apparatus of claim 11, wherein a relative position of the first driving device in the first dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks is different from a relative position of the second driving device in the second dimming blocks of the plurality of dimming blocks. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the first driving device and the second driving device comprises: a first transistor; a capacitor connected to a control terminal of the first transistor; and a second transistor connected to the control terminal of the first transistor. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The display apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of light sources comprises: a light-emitting diode (LED) provided on the substrate in a chip on board (COB) method; and an optical dome having a cross-section shaped like a bow or a semicircle. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The display apparatus of claim 14, wherein an intensity of a first light beam emitted from the LED in a first direction perpendicular to the substrate is smaller than an intensity of a second light beam emitted from the LED in a second direction different from the first direction.