Apparatus to communicate upstream information to a host via a light-emitting diode (LED) controller
AssigneeMicrochip Technology Incorporated
InventorsMarta Pastor, Ivan Gonzalez
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus is provided that includes a controlled voltage source and processing circuitry. The controlled voltage source connects to one or more light-emitting diode (LED) leads of a light-emitting diode (LED) controller that is in communication with a host. The processing circuitry selects a particular one of a plurality of predetermined voltages based on upstream information to be communicated to the host. The processing circuitry causes the controlled voltage source to impose the particular one of the plurality of predetermined voltages on the one or more LED leads, and thereby communicate the upstream information to the host via the LED controller.
Claims22
An apparatus comprising:
- a controlled voltage source to connect to one or more light-emitting diode (LED) leads of a light-emitting diode (LED) controller that is external to the apparatus and is in communication with a host;
- and
- processing circuitry to:
- select a particular one of a plurality of predetermined voltages based on upstream information to be communicated to the host;
- and
- cause the controlled voltage source to impose the particular one of the plurality of predetermined voltages on the one or more LED leads, and thereby communicate the upstream information to the host via the LED controller,
- wherein the apparatus is connected to a peripheral device that is external to the apparatus, the upstream information to be communicated to the host includes a state or a status of the peripheral device, and the upstream information is communicated from the peripheral device to the apparatus, from the apparatus to the LED controller, and from the LED controller to the host.
A method comprising:
- selecting a particular one of a plurality of predetermined voltages based on upstream information to be communicated to a host in communication with a light-emitting diode (LED) controller, the LED controller including one or more LED leads external to and connected to a controlled voltage source;
- and
- causing the controlled voltage source to impose the particular one of the plurality of predetermined voltages on the one or more LED leads, and thereby communicating the upstream information to the host via the LED controller,
- wherein the method is performed at an apparatus connected to a peripheral device that is external to the apparatus, the upstream information to be communicated to the host includes a state or a status of the peripheral device, and the upstream information is communicated from the peripheral device to the apparatus, from the apparatus to the LED controller, and from the LED controller to the host.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.