Open lamp detection in an EEFL backlight system
Assignee02Micro International Limited
InventorDa Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method according to one embodiment may include supplying power to plurality of External Electrode Fluorescent Lamps (EEFLs). The method of this embodiment may also include generating signals proportional to the voltage of each EEFL. The method of this embodiment may also include generating a feedback signal indicative of the state of one or more of the plurality of EEFLs based on, at least in part, the value of at least one signal proportional to the voltage of each EEFL. Of course, many alternatives, variations, and modifications are possible without departing from this embodiment.
Claims14
A system, comprising:
- a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel comprising a plurality of External Electrode Fluorescent Lamps (EEFLs);
- power supply circuitry capable of supplying power to said plurality of EEFLs;
- a plurality of lamp voltage monitoring circuits, each electrically coupled to a respective EEFL, each lamp voltage monitoring circuit is capable of generating a signal proportional to the voltage of the EEFL, each lamp voltage monitoring circuit comprises a capacitor formed by a conductive element disposed adjacent to each EEFL and at a point along the length of said EEFL to generate said signal proportional to the voltage of the EEFL;
- and
- open lamp detection circuitry capable of receiving each signal proportional to the voltage of each EEFL and generating a feedback signal indicative of the state of one or more of said plurality of EEFLs based on, at least in part, the value of at least one said signal proportional to the voltage of the EEFL.
A circuit, comprising:
- power supply circuitry capable of supplying power to a plurality of External Electrode Fluorescent Lamps (EEFLs) in a panel;
- a plurality of lamp voltage monitoring circuits, each electrically coupled to a respective EEFL, each lamp voltage monitoring circuit is capable of generating a signal proportional to the voltage of the EEFL, each lamp voltage monitoring circuit comprises a capacitor formed by a conductive element disposed adjacent to each said EEFL and at a point along the length of said EEFL to generate said signal proportional to the voltage of the EEFL;
- and
- open lamp detection circuitry capable of receiving each signal proportional to the voltage of each EEFL and generating a feedback signal indicative of the state of one or more of said plurality of EEFLs based on, at least in part, the value of at least one said signal proportional to the voltage of the EEFL.
A method, comprising:
- supplying power to plurality of External Electrode Fluorescent Lamps (EEFLs);
- disposing a conductive element adjacent to each said EEFL and at a point along the length of said EEFL:
- generating, by said conductive element, signals proportional to the voltage of each EEFL;
- and
- generating a feedback signal indicative of the state of one or more of said plurality of EEFLs based on, at least in part, the value of at least one said signal proportional to the voltage of each EEFL.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.