Display device with feedback via serial connections between distributed driver circuits

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a display device that includes a control circuit, an array of light emitting diode (LED) zones, and an array of zone integrated circuits that are distributed in the display area. The zone integrated circuits may comprise integrated LED and driver circuits and may include sensor circuits. The zone integrated circuits are arranged in groups that are coupled to each other and to the control circuit in a serial communication chain via serial communication lines. The control circuit provides control signals that control the driver circuits to drive the LED zones and may provide commands to request readback data from the zone integrated circuits. Responsive to the commands, the zone integrated circuits output readback data to the control circuit via the serial communication chain.

1 . A driver circuit for a display device comprising:
 control logic to operate in an operational mode during which the control logic obtains a driver control signal and controls a driver current to an LED zone based on the driver control signal;   an LED driving output pin to drive the driver current during the operational mode; and   a data input pin to receive commands or data from a previous driver circuit in a serial communication chain during the operational mode;   a data output pin to output readback data to a next driver circuit in the serial communication chain during the operational mode responsive to the commands including a readback command for the driver circuit, the readback data propagated through the serial communication chain back to a control circuit; and   a ground pin to provide a path to ground.   
     
     
         2 . The driver circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the control logic is further configured to operate in at least an addressing mode during which the control logic obtains an incoming addressing signal, stores an address for the driver circuit based on the incoming addressing signal, and generates an outgoing addressing signal for another driver circuit based on the incoming addressing signal. 
     
     
         3 . The driver circuit of  claim 2 , wherein the data input pin is further configured to receive the incoming addressing signal from the previous driver circuit in the serial communication chain during the addressing mode. 
     
     
         4 . The driver circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power line communication pin coupled to a power communication line, the power line communication pin configured to provide a supply voltage to the driver circuit and the driver control signal, wherein the driver control signal is digital data modulated on the supply voltage.   
     
     
         5 . The driver circuit of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a shared command line input pin to receive the driver control signals; and   a power pin to receive a supply voltage.   
     
     
         6 . The driver circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the control logic is configured to operate as a serial shift register to obtain an incoming driver control signal via the data input pin and to output an outgoing driver control signal via the data output pin. 
     
     
         7 . The driver circuit of  claim 6 , wherein the outgoing driver control signal outputted via the data output pin is for another driver circuit connected to the driver circuit via the serial communication chain. 
     
     
         8 . The driver circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the LED driving output pin is configured to drive the driver current by sinking the driver current during the operational mode. 
     
     
         9 . The driver circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the data input pin is further configured to propagate the readback signal in a forward direction to the previous driver circuit in the serial communication chain. 
     
     
         10 . The driver circuit of  claim 2 , wherein the LED driving output pin and the data output pin are configured as a single pin configured to drive the driver current during the operational mode and output the outgoing addressing signal during the addressing mode. 
     
     
         11 . A zone integrated circuit for a display device comprising:
 one or more LEDs of an LED zone;   a driver circuit stacked under the one or more LEDs on a substrate in an integrated package, the driver circuit comprising:
 control logic to operate in an operational mode during which the control logic obtains a driver control signal and controls a driver current to an LED zone based on the driver control signal; 
 an LED driving output pin to drive the driver current during the operational mode; 
 a data input pin to receive commands or data from a previous driver circuit in a serial communication chain during the operational mode; 
 a data output pin to output readback data to a next driver circuit in the serial communication chain during the operational mode responsive to the commands including a readback command for the driver circuit, the readback data propagated through the serial communication chain back to a control circuit; and 
 a ground pin to provide a path to ground. 
   
     
     
         12 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 11 , wherein the control logic is further configured to operate in at least an addressing mode during which the control logic obtains an incoming addressing signal, stores an address for the driver circuit based on the incoming addressing signal, and generates an outgoing addressing signal for another driver circuit based on the incoming addressing signal. 
     
     
         13 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 12 , wherein the data input pin is further configured to receive the incoming addressing signal during the addressing mode from the previous driver circuit in the serial communication chain during the addressing mode. 
     
     
         14 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a power line communication pin coupled to a power communication line, the power line communication pin configured to provide a supply voltage to the driver circuit and the driver control signal, wherein the driver control signal is digital data modulated on the supply voltage.   
     
     
         15 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a shared command line input pin to receive the driver control signals; and   a power pin to receive a supply voltage.   
     
     
         16 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 11 , wherein the control logic is configured to operate as a serial shift register to obtain an incoming driver control signal via the data input pin and to output an outgoing driver control signal via the data output pin. 
     
     
         17 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 16 , wherein the outgoing driver control signal outputted via the data output pin is for another driver circuit connected to the driver circuit via the serial communication chain. 
     
     
         18 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 11 , wherein the LED driving output pin is configured to drive the driver current by sinking the driver current during the operational mode. 
     
     
         19 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 11 , wherein the data input pin is further configured to propagate the readback signal in a forward direction to the previous driver circuit in the serial communication chain. 
     
     
         20 . The zone integrated circuit of  claim 12 , wherein the LED driving output pin and the data output pin are configured as a single pin to drive the driver current during the operational mode and output the outgoing addressing signal during the addressing mode.