EP4211989A1

EP4211989A1 - Compact control for lamps in a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: EP4211989A1
Application number: EP21777701.0A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Bernd Burchard; Christian Schmitz
Original assignee: Elmos Semiconductor SE
Current assignee: Elmos Semiconductor SE
Priority date: 2020-09-14
Filing date: 2021-09-14
Publication date: 2023-07-19
Also published as: CN116057704A; US20230380030A1; WO2022053714A1; DE112021004830A5; US12010773B2; CN116057704B; KR20230069110A; JP2023542502A

Abstract

The invention relates to a control device for a lighting or optical signaling apparatus or an optical measuring means in vehicles. The control device comprises a data bus interface, which can be a CAN bus data bus interface, a computer core (microcontroller) and a number nLED of a plurality of driver circuits, wherein nLED is a whole positive number greater than 1. Each driver circuit is designed to be able to supply at least one lamp group with electrical power. The nLED driver circuits are thus designed to be able to supply at least nLED lamp groups with electrical power. Each lamp group comprises one or more lamps, which can comprise one or more light-emitting diodes. The data bus interface and the computer core (microcontroller) and the nLED driver circuit are accommodated on a shared semiconductor substrate.

Description

Compact controller for lamps in the vehicle

The present PCT application claims the priority of German patent application 10 2020 123 818.5 of September 14, 2020, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into the subject matter of the application.

field of invention

The invention relates to a device for driving an LED lighting device, an LED lighting device with such a driving device and a method for producing such a driving device.

The invention thus relates, for example, to a control device for a lighting device with a (e.g. CAN communication data bus interface), a computer core (microcontroller) and with a driver circuit for one or more LED light sources.

General introduction

Normally, the bus driver modules of actuators and microcontrollers in a satellite system/bus system for controlling consumers, for example in motor vehicles, are designed as separate modules of a bus subscriber, which are typically arranged on a common circuit board. The reason for this is that very powerful computers are preferably required, which are then implemented in a semiconductor technology node with the smallest possible structural size. In contrast to this, the so-called bus transceivers, which represent the actual interface to the data buses, include power transistors whose structure sizes cannot be arbitrarily reduced for physical reasons, namely because of the required current-carrying capacity. As a result, typically two different components (IC chips) in two semiconductor technologies, namely the bus transceiver and the driver/LED (analogue part) are installed separately from the high-performance ken computers (digital part) and mounted on printed circuits.

For example, a lighting device with a control device with a DALI interface is known from DE 20 2004 006 292 U1. The known control device has a number of modules, which components the individual modules comprise remains open.

A projection module is known from DE-A-10 2009 004 117.

LED lamp control devices with circuit elements of interface, microcontroller and LED driver circuits integrated on a common chip is known from EP-A-3 478 031.

object of the invention

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating an optimal solution for LED drivers in automobile systems, which avoids the above disadvantages of the prior art and has further advantages.

solution of the task

To solve this problem, the invention proposes a device for controlling an LED lighting device, the control device being provided with an input designed as a data interface for connection to a communication data bus, an output with at least one connection for at least an LED light source, which has an LED or a series connection of LEDs or a group of different colored LEDs or a series connection of groups of different colored LEDs, a microcontroller, one or more LED driver circuits, with each connection of the output for an LED light source being assigned an LED driver circuit, with the data interface, the microcontroller, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits and the at least one connection of the output being electrically connected to one another are, wherein the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits have electronic and/or electrical circuit elements (also referred to as circuit components), and a semiconductor substrate in which the circuit elements of the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits are integrated using a semiconductor technology for the production of integrated circuits with the smallest possible structure size specified by the semiconductor technology, with the semiconductor technology used being determined by w Which minimum structure size is still permissible for the circuit elements of the data interface and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits to ensure their functionality and circuit elements of the data interface and/or the at least one LED driver circuit having the smallest possible structure size have the same structural size as circuit elements of the microcontroller having the smallest structural size.

The invention therefore proposes a control device for an LED lighting device, in which a plurality of electrical circuits are integrated in a common semiconductor substrate. These are the circuits for the data interface, the microcontroller and the at least one LED driver. It is essential for the invention that the semiconductor technology to be used (and thus the smallest possible structure size of the circuit components) is measured according to the minimum structure size for the circuit components of the data interface and the at least one LED driver to ensure their functionality is still permitted.

The smallest "feature size" that can be realized in the manufacture of an integrated circuit using semiconductor technology refers, as is known to those skilled in the art, to the shortest edge length of a part (ie a feature size of a part) of a circuit component, with typically the shortest possible length of the gate of a field effect transistor is meant. In the case of the invention, the shortest edge length of a part of a circuit component of the data interface and/or the LED driver circuit(s) is therefore equal to the shortest edge length of a part of a circuit component of the microcontroller, namely the shortest gate length of a field effect transistor or of the field effect transistors of the micro - controllers.

In contrast to what is customary and known from the prior art, the semiconductor technology used according to the invention is not that which could determine the minimum permissible structure sizes for the circuit components of the microcontroller. As is well known, circuit components such as transistors and gates of microcontrollers do not need to have the same current carrying capacity as is the case, for example, with data interfaces and LED drivers. Therefore, the circuit components of the microcontroller can be made smaller than is the case for the analog part of the overall circuit integrated in the semiconductor substrate. This semiconductor technology, which is tailored to the microcontroller, would now typically be used in order to then use it to produce larger-format circuit components for the data interface and the at least one LED driver. However, this is more expensive overall, because the semiconductor technology that allows a higher density of circuit components is more complex to implement.

The invention thus departs from the hitherto known concept of IC chip design, which, as will be described further below, is associated with significant technical and economic advantages. Particularly suitable as semiconductor technology are those whose smallest possible structural size is greater than, in particular, 85 nm and smaller than, in particular, 200 nm. All values in the aforementioned range for the smallest possible structure size of the semiconductor technology to be used are hereby covered by the application.

In an expedient embodiment of the invention, the device can be provided with a voltage regulator that has circuit elements that are integrated in the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits and the voltage regulator to ensure their functionality is permitted. With the voltage regulator, the semiconductor substrate thus has a further component which is in the form of an analog circuit and consequently also includes power transistors and wide conductor tracks, for example.

In a further expedient embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the device is provided with an electronic and/or electrical circuit elements having a test interface integrated in the semiconductor substrate for testing the functionality of the data interface and/or the microcontroller and/or the LED driver circuit the LED driver circuits and/or the voltage regulator, if present, whereby the semiconductor technology used is determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator and the test interface to ensure their functionality is still permissible. This can be a boundary scan test, for example, or tests that specifically address and test certain components of the semiconductor IC.

In a further expedient refinement of the invention, it can be advantageous if the device has a sensor interface having electrical and/or electronic circuit elements integrated in the semiconductor substrate. point for the connection of at least one sensor such as a light brightness and/or a light color sensor and/or a sun sensor, which is or can be connected to a data communication bus that can be connected to the sensor interface, with the The semiconductor technology used is determined according to which minimum structure size is still permissible for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator, the test interface and the sensor interface to ensure their functionality. Such a sensor interface can be, for example, one based on the PSI5 or PSI3 protocol.

In a further expedient embodiment of the invention, it can be provided that the microcontroller only has a functionality that is used to control the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits according to signals received from the data interface and/or from the sensor interface, if present. received signals and is required for processing signals received from the test interface, if any. By reducing the performance of the microcontroller, the space required for its gates, transistors and other circuit elements and conductor tracks can be reduced, which is particularly advantageous in light of the fact that semiconductor technology is not used for the microcontroller that is still used for digital parts permissible smallest possible structure size.

The circuit elements whose functionality must be ensured when they are manufactured using the semiconductor technology used can be transistors and/or conductor tracks.

With the invention, an LED lighting device can now also be realized that is provided with an LED light source that has an LED or a series connection of LEDs or a group of different-colored LEDs or a series connection of groups of different-colored LEDs in each case, wherein the LED lighting means is electrically connected to the output of a device according to one of the preceding claims.

To achieve the above object, the invention also proposes a method for producing a device for controlling an LED lighting device, the control device being provided with: an input designed as a data interface for connection to a communication data bus, an output with at least one Connection for at least one LED light source, which has an LED or a series connection of LEDs or a group of different-colored LEDs or a series connection of groups of different-colored LEDs, a microcontroller, one or more LED driver circuits, each connection of the output for an LED Illuminant is assigned an LED driver circuit, the data interface, the microcontroller, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits and the at least one connection of the output being electrically connected to one another, the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits have electronic and/or electrical circuit elements, and a semiconductor substrate, the circuit elements of the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits using semiconductor technology for the production of integrated circuits integrated into the semiconductor substrate with the smallest possible structure size, which is determined by the semiconductor technology, and the semiconductor technology used is determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface and the LED driver circuit or the LED Driver circuits to ensure their functionality is still permitted.

It can be advantageous in the method according to the invention that the device has a voltage regulator with circuit elements that are integrated in the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits and the voltage regulator to ensure their functionality is still permissible.

A further advantageous embodiment of the method according to the invention can provide that the device has a test interface integrated in the semiconductor substrate and/or electrical circuit elements for testing the functionality of the data interface and/or the microcontroller and/or the LED driver circuit or the LED Has driver circuits and/or the voltage regulator, if present, with the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator and the test interface for Ensuring their functionality is still permissible.

A further advantageous embodiment of the method can include that the control device has an integrated in the semiconductor substrate electrical and / or electronic circuit elements having sensor interface for the connection of at least one sensor such as a light brightness and / or a light color sensor and / or a sun sensor that is or can be connected to a data communication bus that can be connected to the sensor interface, the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator lers, the test interface and the sensor interface (PSI5, PSI3) to ensure their functionality is still permissible.

It is advantageous if the microcontroller is only provided with a functionality that is required to control the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits in accordance with signals received from the data interface and/or signals received from the sensor interface, if present and is required to process signals received from the test interface, if any.

It is expedient if a semiconductor technology with the smallest possible structure size is used as the semiconductor technology, which is larger than 85 nm or larger than 90 nm or larger than 100 nm or larger than 100 nm or larger than 120 nm or larger than 130 nm or larger than 140 nm or larger than 150 nm or greater than 160nm, or greater than 170nm, or greater than 180nm, or greater than 190nm.

It is also expedient if the semiconductor technology used is a semiconductor technology with the smallest possible structure size, which is less than 200 nm or less than 190 nm or less than 180 nm or less than 170 nm or less than 160 nm or less than 150 nm or less than 140 nm or less than 130nm or smaller than 120nm or smaller than 110nm or smaller than 100nm or smaller than 90nm or smaller than 85nm.

The invention is a departure from previously technically typical established ways and the previous technical development, namely by co-integration of LED drivers, transceivers and microcontrollers without loss of the computing power required for the application on a semiconductor substrate is operated.

The usefulness of the control device is increased by the suggestion according to the invention since, on the one hand, the chip area is reduced and, on the other hand, the outlay on assembly when implementing the control device is lowered. In the professional circles, the computing power of the microphone rocontrollers in favor of the co-integration according to the invention, since this reduces the possibilities for the software design of the control device, which is contrary to the efforts of those skilled in the art to want to give new systems better computing performance.

The use of the device according to the invention can be seen above all in vehicles and thus in "bulk goods". Particularly in the case of mass-produced goods or mass-produced items, even the smallest advances can have a major impact or give reason for the recognition of an invention. The invention significantly simplifies production, manufacture and technical use and as a consequence of these technical advantages offers considerable economic advantages, which in the present case is the basis for the design being recognized as an invention.

The lower computing power of the microcontroller that is possible according to the invention contrasts with the overriding technical advantage of simplification and the resulting increased cost-effectiveness. The lowering of the computing performance of the microcontroller thus leads to a technically improved solution as a co-integration, as described above. This runs counter to the efforts of those skilled in the art, in which it is known that, according to Mour's law, the complexity of integrated circuits regularly doubles with minimal component costs, with Gordon Mour understanding complexity as the number of circuit components on an integrated circuit. Sometimes there is also talk of a doubling of the integration density, i.e. the number of transistors per unit area. As is well known, this technical development forms an essential basis of the "digital revolution". So if the professional world strives to use this constantly doubling integration density, the inventive idea clearly runs counter to this aim, namely the semiconductor technology using the smallest possible structure size of the circuit components of the data interface (transceiver) and the LED driver as well as any other analog parts of the circuit and so on should not be selected based on the smallest possible structure sizes for the digital part (microcontroller). Basically, when designing semiconductor ICs with digital and analog parts, the aim is to use the semiconductor technology for manufacturing the semiconductor IC whose smallest possible structure size is tailored to the needs and requirements as well as the circumstances of the digital part . The transistors and gates of the digital part of a semiconductor IC are much smaller than the transistors of analog parts, which usually have to be designed as power transistors with the corresponding current carrying capacity. With regard to semiconductor technology, you are always on the safe side if you choose this technology based on the fact that it can provide the smallest possible structure sizes for the digital part. This means that the larger-area circuit elements of the analog part can then also be produced using this semiconductor technology.

The smaller the smallest possible structural size of the semiconductor technology used, the more complex and costly its use. A different approach is therefore taken in the invention. The starting point for the selection of the semiconductor technology to be used is no longer the smallest possible structural size for the digital part of the circuit, but the minimum structural size that ensures the functionality of the analog part. This means that the gates and transistors of the digital part now take up larger chip areas. At least part of this additional chip area can be compensated for by reducing the computer performance to what is needed for the application. The chip area required for the digital part may therefore be larger compared to using a semiconductor technology with a higher integration density, but this leads overall to a result that is advantageous in terms of economy, since a simpler and less complex semiconductor technology is used whose integration density is lower because it is designed for analog parts.

For the reasons mentioned above, one can accept the reduction in the computer performance of the microcontroller with the advantage of the co-integration of all circuit elements in one semiconductor technology, the smallest possible structural size of which is certainly larger than in semiconductor technology. gies for the realization of digital parts, which leads to an advantage due to the lower costs when using such a comparatively "rough" semiconductor technology.

It was therefore recognized according to the invention that, in contrast to the common integration strategies, as described above, in the combination with lamp drivers whose driver transistors cannot be arbitrarily reduced in size, surprisingly a significant cost advantage arises from the fact that full integration in the technology node is made with the larger feature size, although this increases the chip area for the microcontroller. This combination of these technical features results in a surprising reduction in the technical outlay and, associated therewith, in a surprising, significant economic advantage.

There was a technical prejudice among experts that a co-integration of lamp drivers, computer system (microcontroller) and data bus interface would lead to a significant increase in the required chip area and thus to significantly higher costs; because this means that the computer system is produced with semiconductor technology, which would lead to an increase in the chip area requirement of the computer system due to the larger minimum structural size of the switching circuit components that can also be implemented for digital circuits and gates of microcontrollers. The solution presented here from the combination of a data bus interface known per se with a computer system known per se and several LED drivers known per se results in the effect, which is surprising even for experts, that the chip area required overall is reduced by co-integration in a common semiconductor substrate does not increase to such an extent that this increase in the chip area of the computer system would not be offset by the savings in bond wires, bond pad areas and housings from a certain number of LED drivers. This synergy effect, unexpected for experts, due to the simplification of the system architecture due to the use of semiconductor technology for the production of the integrated circuit elements far exceeds the expected cumulative effect of increasing the chip area of the computer system. neither in reference to the solution according to the invention can be found in the products available on the market or in the patent literature or in the scientific or other specialist literature, since the professional world would avoid increasing the chip area of the computer system; because for them it represents a paradigm shift if the computer system, as proposed according to the invention, is not implemented in a semiconductor technology with the smallest possible structural size.

A further advantage of the invention is that the control of light sources, in particular light-emitting diodes, requires only a limited amount of computing power of the computer system, so that a special performance of the computer system can be dispensed with here. In the context of the invention, it was recognized that, as a result, compromises can also be made with the bit width of the ALU (and/or CPU) of the computer system and with the computing power of the computer system, such that by implementing the computer system in the same technology as that for the data bus interface and the lamp driver, the chip area required by the computer system increases and the computing power that can be achieved by the computer system as a result of the increased area requirement for the conductor tracks within the computer system (with the same chip area available for the computer system area) decreases, but on the other hand the computing power associated with the otherwise increasing chip area of the computer system for the same number of gates is not required at all for controlling the lamps and for operating the data bus interface, which is surprising for experts.

The cost of a system can be estimated as follows based on the state of the art:

K _gd = K _TDB * ( K _DBDB + K _DB + K _GDBRS ) + K _TRS * ( K _GRSDB + K _RS + K _GRSLEDD ) + n _LED * K _TLEDD * ( K _GLEDDRS + K _LEDD + K _GLEDDLED )

The meaning of the parameter designations is as follows: K _DBDB Technical hardware complexity of the interface to the data bus in the data bus interface, including eg bond pads, housing connections, etc.;

K _DB technical hardware effort of the interface, from the

integration form is independent;

K _GDBRS Technical hardware complexity of the interface between data bus interface and computer system on the side of the data bus interface, including eg bond pads, housing connections of the data bus interface, etc.;

K _TDB Semiconductor technology-specific, monetary cost factor for realizing the hardware expense of the data bus interface;

K _GRSDB Technical hardware requirements for the interface between the data bus interface and the computer system on the computer system side, including eg bond pads, housing connections of the computer system, etc.;

K _RS technical hardware effort of the computer system, which is independent of the form of integration;

K _GRSLEDD Technical hardware effort of the interface between the computer system and the n _LED light source drivers on the side of the computer system, including eg bond pads, housing connections of the computer system, etc.;

K _TRS semiconductor technology specific, monetary cost factor for the realization of the hardware expenditure of the computer system;

K _GLEDDRS Technical hardware complexity of the interface between the computer system and a driver for a light source on the side of the driver for the light source, including eg bond pads, housing connections of the driver for the light source, etc.; K _LEDD technical hardware effort of the driver for the illuminant, which is independent of the form of integration;

K _GLEDLEDD Technical hardware complexity of the interface between the driver for the light source and the light source that the relevant driver for the light source supplies with electrical energy, on the side of the driver for the light source, including e.g. bond pads, housing connections the driver for the lamp etc.;

K _TDB Semiconductor technology-specific, monetary cost factor for realizing the hardware expense of the driver for the illuminant; n _LED number of light sources or light source groups and thus of drivers for light sources in the overall system;

K _gd economic effort for the overall system with discrete

components;

One could, for example, show the overall system parts whose chip area is dominated by power drivers, which would be the case with the data bus and/or test interface and/or sensor interface and the lamp drivers and with a voltage regulator, if present, in a first technology a first semiconductor substrate (IC chip) in a first semiconductor technology with a first structural size while the computer system, which mainly has small digital transistors, is manufactured on a second semiconductor substrate (IC chip) in a second semiconductor technology with a second structural size be, wherein the second structure size is smaller than the first structure size.

It can thus be defined:

K _gLEDDDS economic effort for a system where only that

computer system is implemented separately from the data bus interface and the drivers for the lamps; This economic effort is then calculated as follows:

K _gLEDDDS = K _TDB * ( K _DBDB + K _DB + K _GDBRS +n _LED *(K _GLEDDRS + K _LEDD + K _GLEDDLED )) + K _TRS * ( K _GRSDB + K _RS + K _GRSLEDD ) .

Now you are looking for:

K _gd > K _gLEDDDS

This matches with:

K _TDB * ( K _DBDB + K _DB + K _GDBRS ) + K _TRS * ( K _GRSDB + K _RS + K _GRSLEDD ) +n _LED * KTLEDD*(KGLEDDRS+KLEDD+ K _GLEDDLED )

<K _TDB *(K _DBDB +K _DB +K _GDBRS +n _LED * ( K _GLEDDRS + K _LEDD +

K _GLEDDLED )) + K _TRS * (K _GRSDB +K _RS + K _GRSLEDD )

This is equivalent to:

K _TDB * (K _DBDB +K _DB + K _GDBRS ) +n _LED * K _TLEDD *(K _GLEDDRS +K _LEDD +

K _GLEDDLED ) < K _TDB * (K _DBDB +K _DB +K _GDBRS +n _LED *( K _GLEDDRS +K _LEDD + K _GLEDDLED ))

For K _TLEDD =K _TDB there is no significant difference, which can also be observed on the market and is the reason for the solution proposed according to the invention, which does not exist in the prior art.

However, the integration proposed with the invention refers to the fact that all overall system parts are manufactured in a common semiconductor technology on and in a common semiconductor substrate (IC chip), this semiconductor technology being determined primarily by that used to implement the lamp driver.

So you can define:

Kg _V economic effort for a system where only that

Computer system and the data bus interface and the drivers is realized for the lamps on a common semiconductor crystal;

This is then calculated as follows, whereby K _GDBRS , K _GLEDDRS , K _GRSDB and K _GLEDDLED are now eliminated as costs for the overall system-internal interfaces:

K _gV =K _TDB *(K _DBDB +K _DB +K _RS +n _LED *K _LEDD + n _LED * K _GLEDDLED )

Now you are looking for:

K _gV < K _gLEDDDS

This matches with:

K _TDB * ( K _DBDB + K _DB + K _RS +n _LED * K _LEDD + n _LED * K _GLEDDLED ) < K _TDB *(K _DBDB +K _DB +K _GDBRS +n _LED *(K _GLEDDRS +K _LEDD + K _GLEDDLED )) + K _TRS *(K _GRSDB +K _RS + K _GRSLEDD )

This calculation can be simplified to:

K _RS < K _GDBRS +n _LED * ( K _GLEDDRS ) + ( K _TRS / K _TDB ) * ( K _GRSDB + K _RS + K _GRGLEDD )

Solving for n _LEDs gives:

((K _RS - K _GRSDB )*(1-(K _TRS / K _TDB ))-(KTRS/ K _TDB )*K _GRSLEDD )/ (K _GLEDDRS )< n _LED

It was thus recognized according to the invention that it is cheaper from a certain number of drivers for the lamps, contrary to the widespread opinion of experts, to advantageously accommodate the entire system of data bus interface, computer system and drivers of the lamps on a semiconductor crystal.

Thus, the integration of a CAN transceiver, for example, as an exemplary data bus interface together with a microcontroller is considered here Computer system for processing the CAN protocol and for controlling an actuator together with the actuator driver (eg driver of the lamp) proposed.

A control device for a lighting device with a CAN bus data bus interface, for example, and with a computer system and with a driver circuit as a driver for one or more LED light sources is therefore proposed here, which typically can include one or more light emitting diodes.

The CAN bus transceiver and the computer system and the driver circuit for one or more lamps are accommodated on a common semiconductor crystal or substrate such as a p-doped silicon substrate.

Instead of driving an LED lighting device, the device according to the invention can also be used to control lighting devices with other light sources, or to control an optical and/or acoustic and/or tactile signaling device or to control a measuring device, in particular an optical, electrical , inductive or capacitive measuring devices can be used. Correspondingly, the at least one driver circuit is then a driver for a signaling device (lamp, loudspeaker, buzzer, vibration element) or for a measuring device (measurement sensor).

Further configurations of the invention have the following features:

1) Control device for a lighting or optical signaling device or an optical measuring device in vehicles with a data bus interface, which can be a CAN bus data bus interface, and with a computer core and with a number n _L ED of several driver circuits, where n _{L ED} is a positive integer greater than 1, each driver circuit being intended to be able to supply at least one lighting device group with electrical energy, and the n _LED driver circuits thus being intended to have at least n _{L ED} _-To be able to supply light source groups with electrical energy, and wherein each light source group comprises one or more light sources, which can include one or more light emitting diodes, and the data bus interface and the computer core and the n LED driver circuit are housed on a common semiconductor crystal . Control device for a lighting or optical signaling device or an optical measuring device in vehicles with a data bus interface in the form of a CAN bus transceiver and with a computer core and with a number n _{L ED} of several driver circuits, where n _LED is a positive integer greater than 1 is, each driver circuit is intended to be able to supply at least one lamp group with electrical energy, and the n _LED driver circuits are thus intended to be able to supply at least n _LED lamp groups with electrical energy, and each Lamp group comprises one or more lamps, which can include one or more light-emitting diodes, with the entire system consisting of data bus interface and computer system and drivers for the lamps being accommodated on a semiconductor crystal, and with the CAN bus transceiver and the computer core and the n _{L ED} driver circuits of the light center l are accommodated on a common semiconductor crystal. The following features can be the subject matter of exemplary embodiments of the invention, either individually or in combination:

1. A semiconducting substrate in which the circuit elements of the data bus interface (transceiver), the microcontroller and the at least one LED driver circuit and possibly also the voltage regulator are integrated, with the semiconductor substrate typically being a p-type semiconducting substrate substrate.

2. A metallization stack, which is common to the above-mentioned three or four components and to the components that may have additional circuit elements.

3. The metallization stack can comprise insulating layers which are common to the three or four components mentioned above and to the components which have further circuit elements and which may be present.

4. The metallization stack can comprise metal layers which are common to the previously mentioned three or four components and to the components which may have further circuit elements and which are present.

5. The metal layers of the metallization stack have electrical lines structured by means of a microstructure technique. At least one of these lines connects two of the above-mentioned components or components of the semiconducting substrate that have further circuit elements.

6. A lighting device according to the invention may have one or more features from the following list of features:

1. a ground wire,

2. a supply voltage line,

3. a data bus, 4. one or more LED groups, each LED group comprising one or more LEDs,

5. a control IC,

6. The control IC can have the following components:

6.1. led driver,

6.2. PWM units for PWM modulation of the control of the LEDs,

6.3. reference voltage source or reference current source,

6.4. a computing unit (microcontroller),

6.5. a (e.g. CAN) data bus interface,

6.6. a test interface for performing a production test and/or a boundary scan test, it being possible for the test interface to be multiplexed with connections of the control IC,

6.7. a clock,

6.8. an ADC with multiple ADC inputs,

6.9. a voltage regulator (optional),

7. wherein the processing unit comprises a memory in the form of a RAM and/or ROM or flash memory or a one-time programmable (OTP) memory or another non-volatile memory and/or

8. wherein the processing unit comprises a CPU or ALU and/or

9. wherein the arithmetic unit comprises an interrupt logic and/or

10. wherein the computer unit includes control registers or control signal generators that generate control signals for controlling the PWM units and/or

11. the CPU of the computer unit being able to influence these control registers or control signal generators and/or

12. the computing unit being connected to the CAN data bus interface via a data bus and/or

13. The LED driver supplying the LEDs with a PWM-modulated or otherwise pulse-modulated current depending on P WM signals from the PWM units and depending on signals from the reference voltage source and/or reference current source and depending on a signal from the clock generator energize and/or 14. the PWM units generating the PWM signals as a function of states of the control signals and/or

15. wherein the device performs an auto-addressing method and/or

16. the computing unit being connected to the ADC via a data bus and/or

17. The voltage regulator supplies the components of the control IC with electrical energy from the supply voltage line and the ground line.

advantage of the invention

The device according to the invention enables a more compact construction and a cost-effective production of lighting devices for e.g. vehicle applications as interior lighting or for ambient light applications in vehicles.

Claims

EXPECTATIONS

1. Device for controlling an LED lighting device with an input designed as a data interface for connection to a communication data bus, an output with at least one connection for at least one LED light source, which is an LED or a series connection of LEDs or a group of different-colored LEDs or has a series connection of groups of LEDs of different colors, a microcontroller, one or more LED driver circuits, with each connection of the output for an LED illuminant being assigned an LED driver circuit, with the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits have electronic and/or electrical circuit elements, and a semiconductor substrate in which the circuit elements of the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits are produced using a semiconductor technology sion of integrated circuits are integrated with the smallest possible structure size, which is determined by the semiconductor technology, with the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits to ensure their functionality is permissible and wherein circuit elements of the data interface and/or the at least one LED driver circuit having the smallest structural size have the same structural size as circuit elements of the microcontroller having the smallest structural size.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized by a voltage regulator which has circuit elements which are internal to the semiconductor substrate are integrated, with the semiconductor technology used being determined according to the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits and the voltage regulator to ensure their functionality is permissible and with the smallest possible structure size having circuit elements of the Data interface and/or the at least one LED driver circuit and/or the voltage regulator have the same structural size as circuit elements of the microcontroller having the smallest structural size.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized by a test interface which is integrated in the semiconductor substrate and has electronic and/or electrical circuit elements for testing the functionality of the data interface and/or the microcontroller and/or the LED driver circuit or the LED Driver circuits and/or the voltage regulator, if present, with the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator and the test interface to ensure their Functionality is permitted and the smallest possible structure size having circuit elements of the data interface and / or the test interface and / or at least one LED driver circuit and / or the voltage regulator have the same structure size as the smallest structure size having circuit elements te of the microcontroller.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by an integrated in the semiconductor substrate electrical and / or electronic circuit elements having sensor interface for the connection of at least one sensor such as a light brightness and / or a light color sensor and / or a Sun sensor, which is or can be connected to a data communication bus that can be connected to the sensor interface, with the semiconductor technology used being determined accordingly, which minimum structure size is permissible for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator, the test interface and the sensor interface to ensure their functionality and where circuit elements of the data interface and/or or the test interface and/or the sensor interface and/or the at least one LED driver circuit and/or the voltage regulator have the same structural size as circuit elements of the microcontroller having the smallest structural size.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the microcontroller has only one functionality for controlling the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits according to signals received from the data interface and / or from the sensor interface, provided present, received signals and for processing of the test interface, if present, received signals is required.

6. The device as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the circuit elements whose functionality must be ensured during production using the semiconductor technology used are transistors and/or conductor tracks.

7. LED lighting device, which is provided with an LED light source that has an LED or a series connection of LEDs or a group of different colored LEDs or a series connection of groups of different colored LEDs, the LED light source having the output of a device is electrically connected according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. A method of manufacturing a device for driving an LED lighting device, the device being provided with: an input designed as a data interface for connection to a communication data bus, an output with at least one connection for at least one LED light source, which is an LED or a series connection of LEDs or a group of different-colored LEDs or a series connection of groups of different-colored LEDs has a microcontroller, one or more LED driver circuits, each connection of the output for an LED light source being assigned an LED driver circuit, the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits being electronic and/or have electrical circuit elements, and a semiconductor substrate, the circuit elements of the data interface, the microcontroller and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits using a semiconductor technology for the production of integrated circuits with a through the semiconductor technolo gie conditionally predetermined smallest possible structure size are integrated into the semiconductor substrate and the semiconductor technology used is determined according to which minimum structure size is permissible for the circuit elements of the data interface and the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits to ensure their functionality.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the device has a voltage regulator with circuit elements which are integrated in the semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED Driver circuit or the LED driver circuits and the voltage regulator to ensure their functionality is permitted.

10. The method according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the device has an integrated in the semiconductor substrate electronic and / or electrical circuit elements having test interface for testing the functionality of the data interface and / or the microcontroller and / or the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits and/or the voltage regulator, if present, whereby the semiconductor technology used is determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator and the test interface to ensure their functionality is allowed.

11. The method as claimed in one of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the device has a sensor interface which has electrical and/or electronic circuit elements integrated in the semiconductor substrate for connecting at least one sensor such as a light brightness and/or a light color sensor and/or a sun sensor that is or can be connected to a data communication bus that can be connected to the sensor interface, the semiconductor technology used being determined by the minimum structure size for the circuit elements of the data interface, the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits, the voltage regulator, the test interface and the sensor interface (PSI5, PSI3) to ensure their functionality is permitted.

12. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the microcontroller is only provided with a functionality to control the LED driver circuit or the LED driver circuits according to signals received from the data interface and/or from the sensor interface , if any, received signals and is necessary to process signals received from the test interface, if any.

13. The method as claimed in one of claims 8 to 12, characterized in that the circuit elements whose functionality must be ensured during production using the semiconductor technology used are transistors and/or conductor tracks.

14. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that a semiconductor technology with the smallest possible structure size is used as the semiconductor technology, which is greater than 85 nm or greater than 90 nm or greater than 100 nm or greater than 110 nm or greater than 120 nm or greater than 130nm or greater than 140nm or greater than 150nm or greater than 160nm or greater than 170nm or greater than 180nm or greater than 190nm.

15. The method according to any one of claims 8 to 13, characterized in that a semiconductor technology with the smallest possible structure size is used as the semiconductor technology, which is less than 200 nm or less than 190 nm or less than 180 nm or less than 170 nm or less than 160 nm or less than 150nm or smaller than 140nm or smaller than 130nm or smaller than 120nm or smaller than 110nm or smaller than 100nm or smaller than 90nm or smaller than 85nm.