Abstract: An LED light source for LCD backlighting is described that recalibrates itself over time so that color and brightness uniformity across the backlight is maintained over the life of the backlight. The backlight contains clusters of red, green, and blue LEDs, each cluster generating a white point. In one embodiment, each color in a cluster has its own controllable driver so that the brightness of each color is a cluster is separately controllable. One or more optical sensors are arranged in the backlight, and the sensor signals are detected by processing circuitry to sense the light output of any LEDs that are energized in a single cluster. The measured white point and flux are compared to a stored target white point value and flux for that cluster. The currents to the RGB LEDs are then automatically adjusted to achieve the target level for each cluster. This process is applied to each cluster in sequence until the recalibration is complete.

Abstract: An LED backlight structure for setting voltages and currents for LEDs. Red LEDs are connected in series between a first voltage regulator and a first controllable current source, green LEDs are connected in series between a second voltage regulator and a second controllable current source, blue LEDs are connected in series between a third voltage regulator and a third controllable current source. The current sources may be linear current regulators controlled to balance the three colors to achieve a target light output of the board using a light detection chamber. PWM controllers control transistor switches connected in parallel across groups of LEDs, where the duty cycles set the average current through each group of LEDs. The control values used to achieve target light characteristics are stored in memory. The PWM controller may control brightness levels of the LEDs. The backlight may be for an LCD television.

Abstract: An LED light source for LCD backlighting is described that recalibrates itself over time so that color and brightness uniformity across the backlight is maintained over the life of the backlight. The backlight contains clusters of red, green, and blue LEDs, each cluster generating a white point. In one embodiment, each color in a cluster has its own controllable driver so that the brightness of each color is a cluster is separately controllable. One or more optical sensors are arranged in the backlight, and the sensor signals are detected by processing circuitry to sense the light output of any LEDs that are energized in a single cluster. The measured white point and flux are compared to a stored target white point value and flux for that cluster. The currents to the RGB LEDs are then automatically adjusted to achieve the target level for each cluster. This process is applied to each cluster in sequence until the recalibration is complete.

Abstract: An LED backlight structure and technique for setting the voltages and currents for the LEDs are described. In one embodiment, red LEDs are connected in series between a first voltage regulator and a first controllable current source, green LEDs are connected in series between a second voltage regulator and a second controllable current source, and blue LEDs are connected in series between a third voltage regulator and a third controllable current source. The current sources may linear current regulators. After all the LEDs are mounted on a printed circuit board, each voltage regulator is controlled so that there is a minimum voltage drop across the current source to minimize energy dissipation by the current source. Also, after all the LEDs are mounted on the printed circuit board, the current sources are controlled to balance the three colors to achieve a target light output of the board using a light detection chamber.