Synchronous backlight device and operation method thereof

Abstract

A synchronous backlight device and an operation method thereof are provided. The synchronous backlight device includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit and a backlight driving circuit. The PWM control circuit receives the video sync information from a video processing circuit and generates a PWM control signal. Wherein, the video sync information defines a plurality of video frame periods, the PWM control circuit at least divides each of the video frame periods into a first period and a second period, the lengths of the first periods of the video frame periods are equal to one another. The frequency of the PWM control signal in the first periods is different from the frequency of the PWM control signal in the second periods. The backlight driving circuit drives the backlight source of a display panel in accordance with the PWM control signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A synchronous backlight device, comprising:
 a pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit, configured to receive video sync information from a video processing circuit and generate a PWM control signal, wherein the video sync information defines a plurality of video frame periods, and the PWM control circuit at least divides each of the video frame periods into different sub-frame periods including a first period and a second period, wherein lengths of the first periods of at least two of the video frame periods are substantially equal, and lengths of the second periods of the at least two of the video frame periods are different, and the PWM control signal in each of the second periods of the video frame periods has substantially a same frequency; and 
 a backlight driving circuit, coupled to the PWM control circuit to receive the PWM control signal, and configured to drive a backlight source of a display panel according to the PWM control signal, 
 wherein a flicker effect of the backlight source is reduced by performing a PWM setting operation in each of the sub-frame periods, 
 wherein the PWM setting operation represents that a first frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is different from a second frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods, and a first duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is equal to a second duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods. 
 
     
     
       2. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 1 , wherein the video processing circuit comprises a scalar circuit, and the video sync information comprises a vertical sync signal. 
     
     
       3. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 1 , wherein the PWM control circuit at least divides each of the video frame periods into the first period and the second period according to the video sync information, the first period comprises part or all of a data period of one of the video frame periods, and the second period comprises part or all of a blanking period of the one of the video frame periods. 
     
     
       4. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is less than the second frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods. 
     
     
       5. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 1 , wherein the PWM control circuit comprises:
 a period defining circuit, configured to receive the video sync information from the video processing circuit and generate a first enablement signal and a second enablement signal according to a timing of the video sync information, wherein the first enablement signal defines the first periods, and the second enablement signal defines the second periods; 
 a first PWM signal generating circuit, coupled to the period defining circuit to receive the first enablement signal, and configured to generate a first PWM signal according to the first enablement signal in the first periods and determine a duty ratio of the first PWM signal in the first periods according to a duty ratio parameter; 
 a second PWM signal generating circuit, coupled to the period defining circuit to receive the second enablement signal, and configured to generate a second PWM signal according to the second enablement signal in the second periods and determine a duty ratio of the second PWM signal in the second periods according to the duty ratio parameter, wherein a frequency of the second PWM signal is different from a frequency of the first PWM signal; and 
 a superimposing circuit, coupled to the first PWM signal generating circuit to receive the first PWM signal, coupled to the second PWM signal generating circuit to receive the second PWM signal, and configured to superimpose the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal to obtain the PWM control signal. 
 
     
     
       6. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 5 , wherein the first PWM signal generating circuit further determines a phase of the first PWM signal in the first periods according to a delay parameter. 
     
     
       7. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 1 , wherein the PWM control circuit comprises:
 a low pass filter, configured to receive the video sync information from the video processing circuit and output a smoothed signal; 
 a period defining circuit, coupled to the low pass filter to receive the smoothed signal and generate a first enablement signal and a second enablement signal according to a timing of the smoothed signal, wherein the first enablement signal defines the first periods, and the second enablement signal defines the second periods; 
 a first PWM signal generating circuit, coupled to the period defining circuit to receive the first enablement signal, and configured to generate a first PWM signal in the first periods according to the first enablement signal and determine a duty ratio of the first PWM signal in the first periods according to a duty ratio parameter; 
 a second PWM signal generating circuit, coupled to the period defining circuit to receive the second enablement signal, and configured to generate a second PWM signal in the second periods according to the second enablement signal and determine a duty ratio of the second PWM signal in the second periods according to the duty ratio parameter, wherein the frequency of the second PWM signal is different from the frequency of the first PWM signal; and 
 a superimposing circuit, coupled to the first PWM signal generating circuit to receive the first PWM signal, coupled to the second PWM signal generating circuit to receive the second PWM signal, configured to superimpose the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal to obtain the PWM control signal. 
 
     
     
       8. An operation method of a synchronous backlight device, comprising:
 receiving video sync information from a video processing circuit, wherein the video sync information defines a plurality of video frame periods; 
 at least dividing each of the video frame periods into different sub-frame periods including a first period and a second period by a PWM pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit, wherein lengths of the first periods of at least two of the video frame periods are substantially equal, and lengths of the second periods of the at least two of the video frame periods are different; 
 generating a PWM control signal by the PWM control circuit, wherein the PWM control signal in each of the second periods has substantially a same frequency; and 
 driving a backlight source of a display panel by a backlight driving circuit according to the PWM control signal, 
 wherein a flicker effect of the backlight source is reduced by performing a PWM setting operation in each of the sub-frame periods, 
 wherein the PWM setting operation represents that a first frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is different from a second frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods, and a first duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is equal to a second duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods. 
 
     
     
       9. The operation method according to  claim 8 , wherein the video processing circuit comprises a scalar circuit, and the video sync information comprises a vertical sync signal. 
     
     
       10. The operation method according to  claim 8 , wherein the PWM control circuit at least divides each of the video frame periods into the first period and the second period according to the video sync information, the first period comprises part or all of a data period of one of the video frame periods, and the second period comprises part or all of a blanking period of the one of the video frame periods. 
     
     
       11. The operation method according to  claim 8 , wherein the first frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is less than the second frequency of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods. 
     
     
       12. The operation method according to  claim 8 , wherein the step of generating the PWM control signal comprises:
 generating a first enablement signal and a second enablement signal according to a timing of the video sync information by a period defining circuit, wherein the first enablement signal defines the first periods, and the second enablement signal defines the second periods; 
 generating a first PWM signal according to the first enablement signal in the first periods and determining a duty ratio of the first PWM signal in the first periods according to a duty ratio parameter by a first PWM signal generating circuit; 
 generating a second PWM signal according to the second enablement signal in the second periods and determining a duty ratio of the second PWM signal in the second periods according to the duty ratio parameter by a second PWM signal generating circuit, wherein a frequency of the second PWM signal is different from a frequency of the first PWM signal; and 
 superimposing the first PWM signal and the second PWM signal to obtain the PWM control signal by a superimposing circuit. 
 
     
     
       13. The operation method according to  claim 12 , wherein the first PWM signal generating circuit further defines a phase of the first PWM signal in the first periods according to a delay parameter. 
     
     
       14. A synchronous backlight device for a display panel, comprising:
 a pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit, configured to receive a video sync information and generate a PWM control signal, wherein the PWM control signal is adapted to control a backlight source of the display panel, wherein   the video sync information defines a plurality of video frame periods comprising a first video frame period and a second video frame period of different period lengths,   the PWM control circuit divides each of the first video frame period and the second video frame period into different sub-frame periods including a first period and a second period corresponding to the first period, wherein length of the first period of the first video frame period is substantially equal to length of the first period of the second video frame period, and length of the second period of the first video frame period is different from length of the second period of the second video frame period,   in each of the first periods, the PWM control signal comprises a first active pulse, and   in each of the second periods, the PWM control signal comprises a plurality of second active pulses having substantially identical pulse width,   wherein a flicker effect of the backlight source is reduced by setting a pulse width of the first active pulse of the PWM control signal wider than the pulse width of each of the second active pulses of the PWM control signal, and a first duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is equal to a second duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods.   
     
     
       15. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 14 , wherein a duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is substantially equal to a duty ratio of the PWM control signal in the corresponding second period. 
     
     
       16. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a backlight driving circuit, coupled to the PWM control circuit to receive the PWM control signal, and configured to drive the backlight source according to the PWM control signal.   
     
     
       17. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 14 , wherein the PWM control circuit divides the first video frame period and the second video frame period according to the video sync information. 
     
     
       18. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 14 , wherein the video sync information comprises one of a vertical sync signal and a data enablement signal. 
     
     
       19. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 14 , wherein a number of the first active pulse of the PWM control signal arranged in each of the first periods is fewer than a number of the second active pulses of the PWM control signal arranged in the corresponding second period. 
     
     
       20. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 14 , wherein the PWM control signal has a substantially identical waveform in each of the first periods, and the PWM control signal has a substantially identical frequency in each of the second periods. 
     
     
       21. A synchronous backlight device for a display panel, comprising:
 a pulse width modulation (PWM) control circuit, configured to receive a video sync information and generate a PWM control signal, wherein the PWM control signal is adapted to control a backlight source of the display panel, wherein   the video sync information defines a plurality of video frame periods comprising a first video frame period and a second video frame period of different period lengths,   the PWM control circuit divides each of the first video frame period and the second video frame period into at least a first period and a second period corresponding to the first period, wherein length of the first period of the first video frame period is substantially equal to length of the first period of the second video frame period, and length of the second period of the first video frame period is different from length of the second period of the second video frame period, and   wherein a flicker effect of the backlight source is reduced by setting the PWM control signal to comprise a first active pulse in each of the first periods and a plurality of second active pulses in each of the second periods, wherein a pulse width of the first active pulse is wider than respective pulse width of each of the second active pulses, and a number of the first active pulse arranged in each of the first periods is fewer than a number of the second active pulses arranged in the corresponding second period, and a first duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is equal to a second duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the second periods.   
     
     
       22. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 21 , wherein pulse widths of the second active pulses are substantially identical to each other. 
     
     
       23. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 21 , wherein a single active pulse is arranged in each of the first periods. 
     
     
       24. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 21 , wherein the PWM control signal has a substantially identical waveform in each of the first periods, and the PWM control signal has a substantially identical frequency in each of the second periods. 
     
     
       25. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 21 , wherein a duty ratio of the PWM control signal in each of the first periods is substantially equal to a duty ratio of the PWM control signal in the corresponding second period. 
     
     
       26. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a backlight driving circuit, coupled to the PWM control circuit to receive the PWM control signal, and configured to drive the backlight source according to the PWM control signal.   
     
     
       27. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 21 , wherein the PWM control circuit divides the first video frame period and the second video frame period according to the video sync information. 
     
     
       28. The synchronous backlight device according to  claim 21 , wherein the video sync information is one of a vertical sync signal and a data enablement signal.