Patents by Inventor Mohammad J. Navabi

Mohammad J. Navabi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11823612
    Abstract: A display device include a first light emitting diode (LED), a second LED, and at least one processor of a driver. The processor drives the first LED and the second LED. The processor determines a first pulse width associated with the first LED and a second pulse width associated with the second LED based on a level of brightness to be emitted by the first LED and the second LED. The processor also receives a gap clock and determines a first pulse start time and a first pulse end time for the first LED based on the first pulse width. Moreover, the processor determines a second pulse start time and a second pulse end time for the second LED based on the first pulse end time, the second pulse width, and/or the gap clock, in which the first pulse end time and the second pulse end time are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Behzad Mohtashemi, Asif Hussain, Feng Guo, Jingdong Chen, Ming Gu, Mohammad J Navabi-Shirazi, Omar Alnaggar, Venkataraman V Iyer, Yang Zhang
  • Patent number: 11798462
    Abstract: Light emitting diode display panels with an open loop amplifier resulting in better brightness accuracy and matching between multiple light emitting diode strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Ming Gu, Alejandro Lara Ascorra, James E. Brown
  • Patent number: 11694641
    Abstract: Systems and methods for preserving a pulse width modulation (PWM) resolution while increasing the frequency of a pulse width modulation (PWM) clock are provided. An electronic display backlight system may include a backlight element and backlight dimming circuitry. The backlight element may be driven according to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal over a PWM clock cycle equal to a multiple M of a baseline PWM clock frequency associated with a baseline PWM resolution. The backlight dimming circuitry may receive a brightness code of the baseline PWM resolution and generate the PWM signal at least in part by dividing the brightness code by M.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Behzad Mohtashemi, Mohammad J Navabi-Shirazi, Feng Guo, Omar Alnaggar, Venkataraman V Iyer, Jingdong Chen, Yang Zhang, Ming Gu, Asif Hussain
  • Publication number: 20230100812
    Abstract: Systems and methods for preserving a pulse width modulation (PWM) resolution while increasing the frequency of a pulse width modulation (PWM) clock are provided. An electronic display backlight system may include a backlight element and backlight dimming circuitry. The backlight element may be driven according to a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal over a PWM clock cycle equal to a multiple M of a baseline PWM clock frequency associated with a baseline PWM resolution. The backlight dimming circuitry may receive a brightness code of the baseline PWM resolution and generate the PWM signal at least in part by dividing the brightness code by M.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2022
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Behzad Mohtashemi, Mohammad J Navabi-Shirazi, Feng Guo, Omar Alnaggar, Venkataraman V Iyer, Jingdong Chen, Yang Zhang, Ming Gu, Asif Hussain
  • Publication number: 20230085621
    Abstract: A display device include a first light emitting diode (LED), a second LED, and at least one processor of a driver. The processor drives the first LED and the second LED. The processor determines a first pulse width associated with the first LED and a second pulse width associated with the second LED based on a level of brightness to be emitted by the first LED and the second LED. The processor also receives a gap clock and determines a first pulse start time and a first pulse end time for the first LED based on the first pulse width. Moreover, the processor determines a second pulse start time and a second pulse end time for the second LED based on the first pulse end time, the second pulse width, and/or the gap clock, in which the first pulse end time and the second pulse end time are different.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 23, 2023
    Inventors: Behzad Mohtashemi, Asif Hussain, Feng Guo, Jingdong Chen, Ming Gu, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Omar Alnaggar, Venkataraman V. Iyer, Yang Zhang
  • Publication number: 20220130327
    Abstract: Light emitting diode display panels with an open loop amplifier resulting in better brightness accuracy and matching between multiple light emitting diode strings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Ming Gu, Alejandro Lara Ascorra, James E. Brown
  • Patent number: 10877314
    Abstract: A display may have display layers that form an array of pixels. The array of pixels may be illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The multiple LED strings may be controlled by one or more backlight driver integrated circuits (ICs). In a multi-driver IC architecture, an enable signal may be used to set a desired phase delay between the multiple ICs. One or more of the LED strings may exhibit a short fault. Depending on the number of faulty LED strings, the backlight unit can selectively throttle the maximum brightness of the display. The LED strings may receive an output voltage from a DC/DC converter and may be driven using a current driver. The DC/DC converter may be controlled by a headroom feedforward control circuit to ensure sufficient headroom for the current driver while suppressing acoustic noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jingdong Chen, Asif Hussain, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Behzad Mohtashemi, Yanhui Xie
  • Patent number: 10750595
    Abstract: LED backlight circuits for a display and methods for operating the circuits are disclosed. The LED backlight circuit includes a set of drivers and a set of LED strings. A driver can control a light output level of the LED strings. The LED strings can be controlled by a mixed-mode LED driver that utilizes a PWM control signal over a first range of light output levels and an analog control signal over a second range of light output levels. Clock signals used for PWM control and for frequency-to-current or frequency-to-voltage conversion for analog control can both be generated from a phase locked loop (PLL).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Erhan Ozalevli, Evaldo M. Miranda, Jr., Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi
  • Patent number: 10728969
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may operate a light-emitting diode using a multi-peak pulse-width-modulation signal. The control circuitry may include a multi-stage driver having a relatively larger driver stage for providing a direct current through a light-emitting diode and a relatively smaller driver stage configured to cooperate with a pulse-width-modulation controller to pulse-width-modulate a current through the light-emitting diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Alejandro Lara Ascorra, Asif Hussain, Ji Yeoul Ryoo, Jingdong Chen, Jun Qi, Manisha P. Pandya, Yanhui Xie
  • Patent number: 10714028
    Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a boost converter for providing an output voltage to the multiple LED strings. The boost converter may have a single-phase single-switch, single-phase multi-switch, and/or multi-phase multi-switch configuration, where the switches are turned off when the peak current is reached. When transitioning from a single phase to a dual phase operation, the second (slave) phase current may be slowly ramped up. When transition from the dual phase to the single phase operation, the output voltage may be elevated while slowing ramping down the slave phase current. The boost converter may include a current detection circuit for adjusting the peak current of each phase to balance the average current levels. The boost converter may also include an in-rush current controller configured to sense a short fault.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Jingdong Chen, Asif Hussain, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Behzad Mohtashemi, Yanhui Xie, Jy Ryoo, Ming Gu
  • Patent number: 10678092
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to display circuitry such as backlight control circuitry for operating parallel strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). A voltage supply circuit of the backlight control circuitry provides a common supply voltage to the strings of LEDs. Headroom control circuitry samples a residual voltage at the end of each string, determines a minimum of the residual voltages, and provides feedback, based on the determined minimum voltage, to the voltage supply circuit. A headroom control feedback loop may be provided including sampling lines coupled to the second end of each string of LEDs for sampling a residual voltage of each string. Headroom control circuitry may modify the supply voltage based on the minimum residual voltage. Sample-and-hold circuitry may be provided that holds the sampled residual voltages until the voltage supply circuit is ready for an update.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Ji Yeoul Ryoo, Asif Hussain, Jingdong Chen, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Yanhui Xie
  • Publication number: 20200105185
    Abstract: A display may have an array of pixels illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a boost converter for providing an output voltage to the multiple LED strings. The boost converter may have a single-phase single-switch, single-phase multi-switch, and/or multi-phase multi-switch configuration, where the switches are turned off when the peak current is reached. When transitioning from a single phase to a dual phase operation, the second (slave) phase current may be slowly ramped up. When transition from the dual phase to the single phase operation, the output voltage may be elevated while slowing ramping down the slave phase current. The boost converter may include a current detection circuit for adjusting the peak current of each phase to balance the average current levels. The boost converter may also include an in-rush current controller configured to sense a short fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Jingdong Chen, Asif Hussain, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Behzad Mohtashemi, Yanhui Xie, JY Ryoo, Ming Gu
  • Publication number: 20200103705
    Abstract: A display may have display layers that form an array of pixels. The array of pixels may be illuminated using a backlight unit. The backlight unit may include multiple strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The multiple LED strings may be controlled by one or more backlight driver integrated circuits (ICs). In a multi-driver IC architecture, an enable signal may be used to set a desired phase delay between the multiple ICs. One or more of the LED strings may exhibit a short fault. Depending on the number of faulty LED strings, the backlight unit can selectively throttle the maximum brightness of the display. The LED strings may receive an output voltage from a DC/DC converter and may be driven using a current driver. The DC/DC converter may be controlled by a headroom feedforward control circuit to ensure sufficient headroom for the current driver while suppressing acoustic noise.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Jingdong Chen, Asif Hussain, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Behzad Mohtashemi, Yanhui Xie
  • Patent number: 10383186
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may include a feedforward loop and a feedback loop for a power supply for the light-emitting diodes. The light-emitting diodes may be arranged in strings that are individually controllable by a current control transistor on the string. The feedforward loop may determine a total upcoming load current for the power supply based on reference voltages for controlling each of the current control transistors. The output of the power supply may be modified based on a combination of a current from the feedforward loop and a current from the feedback loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yanhui Xie, Asif Hussain, Ji Yeoul Ryoo, Jingdong Chen, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi
  • Publication number: 20190215924
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may operate a light-emitting diode using a multi-peak pulse-width-modulation signal. The control circuitry may include a multi-stage driver having a relatively larger driver stage for providing a direct current through a light-emitting diode and a relatively smaller driver stage configured to cooperate with a pulse-width-modulation controller to pulse-width-modulate a current through the light-emitting diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2019
    Publication date: July 11, 2019
    Inventors: Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Alejandro Lara Ascorra, Asif Hussain, Ji Yeoul Ryoo, Jingdong Chen, Jun Qi, Manisha P. Pandya, Yanhui Xie
  • Patent number: 10269307
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for operating light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The control circuitry may include a pulse-width-modulation (PWM) driver for the LEDs and headroom voltage control circuitry. The PWM driver may adjust a rising edge or a trailing edge of the PWM cycles for various LEDs to ensure a headroom voltage detection window for the headroom voltage control circuitry to sample the headroom voltage of those LEDs without being affected by the rising edge of the PWM cycle for LED or the falling edge of the PWM cycle for another LED.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Yanhui Xie, Asif Hussain, Jingdong Chen, Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi
  • Patent number: 10237936
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may operate a light-emitting diode using a multi-peak pulse-width-modulation signal. The control circuitry may include a multi-stage driver having a relatively larger driver stage for providing a direct current through a light-emitting diode and a relatively smaller driver stage configured to cooperate with a pulse-width-modulation controller to pulse-width-modulate a current through the light-emitting diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mohammad J. Navabi-Shirazi, Alejandro Lara Ascorra, Asif Hussain, Ji Yeoul Ryoo, Jingdong Chen, Jun Qi, Manisha P. Pandya, Yanhui Xie
  • Publication number: 20190059136
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may operate a light-emitting diode using a multi-peak pulse-width-modulation signal. The control circuitry may include a multi-stage driver having a relatively larger driver stage for providing a direct current through a light-emitting diode and a relatively smaller driver stage configured to cooperate with a pulse-width-modulation controller to pulse-width-modulate a current through the light-emitting diode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventors: Mohammad J. NAVABI-SHIRAZI, Alejandro Lara ASCORRA, Asif HUSSAIN, Ji Yeoul RYOO, Jingdong CHEN, Jun QI, Manisha P. PANDYA, Yanhui XIE
  • Publication number: 20190053337
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to control circuitry for light-emitting diodes. The control circuitry may include a feedforward loop and a feedback loop for a power supply for the light-emitting diodes. The light-emitting diodes may be arranged in strings that are individually controllable by a current control transistor on the string. The feedforward loop may determine a total upcoming load current for the power supply based on reference voltages for controlling each of the current control transistors. The output of the power supply may be modified based on a combination of a current from the feedforward loop and a current from the feedback loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Yanhui XIE, Asif HUSSAIN, Ji Yeoul RYOO, Jingdong CHEN, Mohammad J. NAVABI-SHIRAZI
  • Publication number: 20180373094
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to display circuitry such as backlight control circuitry for operating parallel strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs). A voltage supply circuit of the backlight control circuitry provides a common supply voltage to the strings of LEDs. Headroom control circuitry samples a residual voltage at the end of each string, determines a minimum of the residual voltages, and provides feedback, based on the determined minimum voltage, to the voltage supply circuit. A headroom control feedback loop may be provided including sampling lines coupled to the second end of each string of LEDs for sampling a residual voltage of each string. Headroom control circuitry may modify the supply voltage based on the minimum residual voltage. Sample-and-hold circuitry may be provided that holds the sampled residual voltages until the voltage supply circuit is ready for an update.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Ji Yeoul RYOO, Asif HUSSAIN, Jingdong CHEN, Mohammad J. NAVABI-SHIRAZI, Yanhui XIE