This application claims the benefit of CN application No. 201210134864.3, filed on May 4, 2012, and incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention generally relates to electronic circuits, and more particularly but not exclusively to light emitting element driving circuits with dimming function and control methods thereof.
For applications that utilize light emitting diodes (LED) as energy-saving light sources, it is important to adjust the brightness of the LED. Generally, a PWM dimming signal is generated based on the traffic, sunlight or image condition, and is provided to a LED driving circuit to adjust the brightness of the LED. A maximum LED current IMAX flowing through the LED determines the maximum brightness. The LED driving circuit is configured to adjust the brightness of the LED by controlling the average current flowing through the LED based on the PWM dimming signal.
However, in some applications, only one PWM dimming signal is not enough. For example, for LED display, users may want to adjust the relative brightness. That is, the brightness of the LED is not only variable along with the image, but also adjusted based on the requirement of users. Therefore, a LED driving circuit which can adjust the brightness based on dual PWM dimming signals is desirable.
Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a controller used in a light emitting element driving circuit. The driving circuit comprises a power converter configured to provide an output current for the light emitting element. The controller comprises a dimming processing unit and a current control unit. The dimming process unit is configured to receive a first dimming signal with a first duty cycle and a second dimming signal with a second duty cycle, and to generate a second dimming processing signal relative to the product of the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle. The current control unit is coupled between the dimming processing unit and the power converter, and is configured to receive the second dimming processing signal and a feedback signal indicating the output current. Based on the second dimming processing signal and the feedback signal, the current control unit generates a control signal for the power converter.
The present invention can be further understood with reference to the following detailed description and the appended drawings, wherein like elements are provided with like reference numerals.
Various embodiments of the technology will now be described. In the following description, some specific details, such as example circuits and example values for these circuit components, are included to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the technology can be practiced without one or more specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the technology. As used hereinafter, the term “couple” generally includes a direct connection and an indirect connection.
In the following description, a LED driving circuit is used as an example. However, one with ordinary skill in the relevant art should know that the invention is not limited by the specific examples disclosed herein, the invention can be applied in other suitable light emitting elements.
As shown in
The current control unit 120 has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the dimming processing unit 110 to receive the second dimming processing signal DIM, the second input terminal is coupled to receive a feedback signal FB indicating the output current I_LED, and wherein based on the second dimming processing signal DIM and the feedback signal FB, the current control unit 120 generates a control signal CTRL for the power converter at the output terminal.
The first processing unit 210a has an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to receive the first dimming signal PWM1. Based on the first dimming signal PWM1, the first processing unit 210a generates a first dimming processing signal DIM0 proportional to the first duty cycle D1 at its output terminal. The second processing unit 210b has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the first processing unit 210a to receive the first dimming processing signal DIM0, the second input terminal is coupled to receive the second dimming signal PWM2. Based on the first dimming processing signal DIM0 and the second dimming signal PWM2, the second processing unit 210b generates the second dimming processing signal DIM proportional to the product of the first duty cycle D1 and the second duty cycle D2. The details of the embodiments are described below with reference to
As shown in
In operation, the first switching transistor 3110 and the second switching transistor 3120 are turned ON and OFF complementarily based on the first dimming signal PWM1.
When the first dimming signal PWM1 is high level, the first switching transistor 3110 is turned ON and the second switching transistor 3120 is turned OFF. The capacitor 3111 is charged by the reference voltage Vref through the resistor 3101. When the first dimming signal PWM1 is low level, the second switching transistor 3120 is turned ON, and the first switching transistor 3110 is turned OFF. The capacitor 3111 is discharged through the resistor 3102. In this way, the first dimming processing signal DIM0 proportional to the first duty cycle D1 is obtained at a node A. In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
The third switching transistor 3130 has a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, wherein the drain terminal is coupled to receive the first dimming processing signal DIM0, the gate terminal is coupled to receive the second dimming signal PWM2. The fourth switching transistor 3140 has a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, wherein the drain terminal is grounded through the resistor 3104, the gate terminal is coupled to receive the second dimming signal PWM2, the source terminal is coupled to the source terminal of the third switching transistor 3130. The capacitor 3112 has a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the source terminal of the fourth switching transistor 3140, and the second terminal is grounded.
Since the topology of the second processing unit 310b is similar to that of the first processing unit 310a, the operating principle of the second processing unit 310b is omitted for clarity. As shown in
Based on the second dimming processing signal DIM and the feedback signal FB indicating the output current, the average current flowing through the LED load is adjusted to be proportional to the product of the first duty cycle D1 and the second duty cycle D2. And hence the relative brightness of LED can be adjusted. In addition, in the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, the dimming processing unit 310 further comprises a buffer 310c which is coupled between the first processing unit 310a and the second processing unit 310b. The buffer 310c may comprise a unity-gain buffer, i.e. it has a voltage gain of one. In other embodiments, the voltage gain of buffer 310c may be other values. In one embodiment, the buffer 310c may comprise a voltage follower.
As shown in
The first current reference unit 412 is configured to provide the first input current for the first current mirror 413. In one embodiment, the first current reference unit 412 comprises a constant current source coupled between the first current mirror 413 and ground. In another embodiment, the first input current is relative to a reference voltage Vref. The first current reference unit 412 comprises a switching transistor, an operational amplifier and a resistor. The switching transistor has a source terminal, a drain terminal and a gate terminal. Wherein the source terminal of the switching transistor is grounded through the resistor, the drain terminal is coupled to the input terminal of the first current mirror 413. The operational amplifier has a non inverting input terminal, an inverting input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the non inverting input terminal is coupled to the reference voltage Vref, the inverting input terminal is coupled to the source terminal of the switching transistor, and the output terminal is coupled to the gate terminal of the switching transistor. In other embodiments, the first current reference unit 412 comprises other suitable components or circuits.
The switching transistor 4130 has a source terminal, a drain terminal and a gate terminal, wherein the drain terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the first current mirror 413, the source terminal is coupled to ground through the resistor 4101, the gate terminal is coupled to receive the first dimming signal PWM1. The capacitor 4111 has a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the source terminal of the switching transistor 4130, and the second terminal is grounded.
In operation, when the first dimming signal PWM1 is high level, the switching transistor 4130 is turned ON, the first output current of the first current mirror 413 flows through the switching transistor 4130, the capacitor 4111 is charged. When the first dimming signal PWM1 is low level, the switching transistor 4130 is turned OFF, the capacitor 4111 is discharged through the resistor 4101. In this way, the first dimming processing signal DIM0 is obtained at the first terminal of the capacitor 4111 (node A as shown in
As shown in
The second processing unit 510b comprises the second current reference unit 514, the second current mirror 515, a switching transistor 5160, a resistor 5103 and a capacitor 5112. The second current mirror 515 comprises transistors 5140 and 5150. The second current mirror 515 has a supply terminal, an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the supply terminal is coupled to the supply voltage VCC, the input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the second current reference unit 514 to receive a second input current. The second current mirror 515 generates a second output current proportional to the second input current at its output terminal. The second current reference unit 514 has a first terminal, a second terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the first processing unit 510a to receive the first dimming processing signal DIM0, the second terminal is grounded, the output terminal is coupled to the input terminal of the second current mirror 515 to provide the second input current. In one embodiment, the second current reference unit 514 comprises a triode 5118 and a resistor 5102. The triode 5118 has a base terminal, a collector terminal and an emitter terminal, wherein the base terminal is coupled to the base terminal of the triode 5117, the collector terminal is coupled to the input terminal of the second current mirror 515, the emitter terminal is coupled to ground through the resistor 5102. The switching transistor 5160 has a drain terminal, a source terminal and a gate terminal, wherein the drain terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the second current mirror 515, the source terminal is coupled to ground through the resistor 5103, and the gate terminal is coupled to receive the second dimming signal PWM2. The capacitor 5112 has a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the source terminal of switching transistor 5160, the second terminal is grounded. The second processing unit 510b generates the second dimming processing signal DIM at its output terminal (node B), wherein the second dimming processing signal DIM is proportional to the product of the first duty cycle D1 and the second duty cycle D2.
Even though particular combinations of the first processing unit and the second processing unit are shown in
The current control unit 620 comprises an error amplifier 621 and a PWM generator 622. The error amplifier 621 has a non-inverting input terminal, an inverting input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the inverting input terminal is coupled to the first terminal of the resistor 650 to receive the feedback signal FB, the non-inverting input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the dimming processing unit 610 to receive the second dimming processing signal DIM. The output terminal of the error amplifier 621 is coupled to ground through the capacitor 623. Based on the second dimming processing signal DIM (e.g. Vref*D1*D2) and the feedback signal FB, the error amplifier 621 generates a compensation signal COMP at its output terminal.
The PWM generator 622 is configured to receive the compensation signal COMP and to generate a control signal CTRL to control the switch 632 in the power converter 630. The conventional PWM generation method may be used by the PWM generator 622 to generate the control signal CTRL, for example, the compensation signal COMP is compared with a triangle-wave signal to generate the control signal CTRL. Based on the control signal CTRL, the power converter 630 provides a stable output current I_LED for the LED load 640.
In one embodiment, the switch 632, the current control unit 620 and the dimming processing unit 610 are integrated in the same chip.
As shown in
The triangle-wave generator 726 is configured to generate a triangle-wave signal with a fixed frequency. The non-inverting input terminal of the comparator 725 is coupled to the output terminal of the dimming processing unit 710 to receive the second dimming processing signal DIM, the inverting input terminal of the comparator 725 is coupled to the triangle-wave generator 726 to receive the triangle-wave signal. Based on the second dimming processing signal DIM and the triangle-wave signal, the comparator 725 generates the dimming control signal DPWM at its output terminal. The dimming switch 727 has a first terminal, a second terminal and a control terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the LED load 740, the second terminal is coupled to ground through a resistor 750, and the control terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the comparator 725 to receive the dimming control signal DPWM. The resistor 750 has a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the dimming switch 727, the second terminal is grounded. The resistor 750 is configured to detect the output current I_LED flowing through the LED load 740, the voltage at the first terminal of the resistor 750 is the feedback signal FB indicating the output current I_LED.
In one embodiment, the amplitude of the triangle-wave signal is Vref, the second dimming processing signal DIM=Vref*D1*D2, the duty cycle of the dimming control signal DPWM is the product of the first duty cycle D1 and the second duty cycle D2. The dimming switch 727 is turned ON and turned OFF quickly under the control of the dimming control signal DPWM, so as to make the average current IAVG flowing through the LED load 740 be proportional to the duty cycle of the dimming control signal DPWM. In one embodiment, the average current IAVG=IMAX*D1*D2, wherein IMAX is the maximum output current. In one embodiment, the maximum output current IMAX=Vref/R, wherein R is the resistance of the resistor 750.
The error amplifier 721 has an inverting input terminal, a non-inverting input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the inverting input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the dimming switch 727 to receive the feedback signal FB, the non-inverting input terminal is coupled to a reference voltage Vref, the output terminal is coupled to ground through the capacitor 723 to provide a compensation signal COMP. The PWM generator 722 is configured to receive the compensation signal COMP, and to generate a control signal CTRL to control the switch 732 in the power converter 730.
In one embodiment, the current control unit 720 further comprises a voltage holding module 724. The voltage holding module 724 has an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is coupled to the second terminal of the dimming switch 727, the output terminal is coupled to the inverting input terminal of the error amplifier 721.
The voltage holding module 724 is configured to receive a feedback signal FB indicating the output current and to keep its output signal constant when the dimming switch 727 is turned off.
In one embodiment, the dimming processing unit 710, the current control unit 720 and the switch 732 of the power converter 730 are integrated in the same chip.
At step 801, a first dimming signal PWM1 with a first duty cycle is received, and a first dimming processing signal DIM0 proportional to the first duty cycle is generated.
At step 802, the first dimming processing signal DIM0 and a second dimming signal PWM2 with a second duty cycle are received, and a second dimming processing signal proportional to the product of the first duty cycle and the second duty cycle is generated.
At step 803, based on the second dimming processing signal and a feedback signal indicating the output current, a control signal for the power converter is generated.
Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. It should be understood, of course, the foregoing invention relates only to a preferred embodiment (or embodiments) of the invention and that numerous modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Various modifications are contemplated and they obviously will be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims as only a preferred embodiment(s) thereof has been disclosed.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201210134864.3 | May 2012 | CN | national |