Led driver ic for scanning backlight control

A backlight apparatus, comprising:

• a first light-emitting diode (LED) in a first horizontal zone;
• a second LED in a second horizontal zone, wherein the first and second LEDs are vertically aligned;
• and
• a driver integrated circuit (IC) connected to the first LED through a first output channel and the second LED through a second output channel different from the first output channel, wherein the driver IC comprises a timing control unit configured to output a control signal to the first LED during a first time period and to the second LED during a second time period different from the first time period, and wherein the first time period is a first quarter of a frame duration and the second time period is a second quarter of the frame duration.

A method, comprising:

• receiving, by a driver integrated circuit (IC), a backlight-dimming control signal for first and second light-emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein the first LED is in a first horizontal zone and the second LED is in a second horizontal zone, and wherein the first and second LEDs are vertically aligned;
• outputting, by the driver IC, the backlight-dimming control signal to the first LED through a first output channel during a first time period;
• and
• outputting, by the driver IC, the backlight-dimming control signal to the second LED through a second output channel different from the first output channel during a second time period different from the first time period, wherein the first time period is a first quarter of a frame duration and the second time period is a second quarter of the frame duration.