Combined With Parallel Connected Load Device Patents (Class 315/192)
  • Patent number: 9854649
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for transmitting information from an operating device (K) for lamps (L), in particular a converter for LEDs, to a control unit (ST) connected to the operating device (K) via voltage supply lines (8, 9) thereof, having the following steps: the control unit (ST) preferably periodically temporarily interrupts an AC supply voltage (Vin) of the operating device (K), and the operating device (K) applies a voltage signal (V2) to the voltage supply lines (8, 9) during the interruption of the AC supply voltage (Vin) which is evaluated by the control units (ST) as information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Tridonic GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Frank Lochmann, Patrick Marte, Johannes Bachmann
  • Patent number: 9833098
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods may relate to an artificial tree apparatus having a plurality of trunk segments that couple together to provide a plurality of information or command signals to load devices connected thereto. In an illustrative example, one or more branch segments having light emitting devices are connected to the trunk segments to independently receive the electrical power and command signals via a control system. In some implementations, each command signal generated by the control system may include data pertaining to light color and illumination pattern. In some embodiments, each branch segment and associated light emitting devices may be independently controlled via a multi-channel arrangement. In some implementations, each group of light emitting devices may be manually configured via one or more user-interfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Loominocity, Inc.
    Inventor: Jason Loomis
  • Patent number: 9826581
    Abstract: Solid state lighting apparatuses, systems, and related methods are described. A solid state lighting apparatus includes an array of solid state light emitters arranged on or over the substrate and a plurality of driving components arranged on or over the substrate. The driving components are configured to independently activate and deactivate at least some of the solid state light emitters of the array of solid state light emitters during a portion of an alternating current (AC) cycle. A method of providing a solid state lighting apparatus includes providing a substrate, mounting an array of solid state light emitters on or over the substrate, and providing a plurality of driving components on or over the substrate. A solid state lighting system includes a solid state lighting apparatus having an array of solid state light emitters, driving components, and a rectifying circuit for rectifying current supplied to the driving components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy Allen Johnson, Andrew Dan Bendtsen, Christopher P. Hussell, Kurt S. Wilcox, Craig William Hardin
  • Patent number: 9788378
    Abstract: According to one aspect, an LED operating network comprises a first circuit board made of a fiberglass reinforced epoxy laminate having power connection terminals that receive AC power, a rectification element, and at least one of a surge protection element and a fuse element. A second circuit board is made of a heat-dissipative material that receives rectified AC electrical power comprising a plurality of cycles from the first circuit board and having a plurality of LED dies and at least one LED driver circuit. The LEDs are turned on at different points during each of the plurality of cycles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew Dan Bendtsen, Kurt S. Wilcox, John Sobieski
  • Patent number: 9788373
    Abstract: A voltage monitor and LED color controller circuit detects wall light dimmer and wall light switch on/off status based upon the output of an LED driver located downstream from the wall light dimmer and switch. Various switch time delays will produce several different outputs from an LED array, enabling wall dimmer switch control of intensity and Correlated Color Temperature (CCT). In addition, a preferred embodiment will first turn on in a default mode with a spectrum that is substantially devoid of violet wavelengths and provides only nominal amounts of blue light, to avoid undesirable disruption of circadian rhythm. In other embodiments, various controls may be provided that permit custom light therapy for various purpose and benefit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Inventor: Mohammed Chowdhury
  • Patent number: 9781782
    Abstract: A lighting apparatus, such as an LED lighting apparatus, includes at least one light-emitting device, a rectifier circuit having an input configured to be coupled to an AC source, and a driver circuit coupled to an output of the rectifier circuit and to the at least one light emitting device. The apparatus further includes an active current limiter circuit coupled to the output of the rectifier circuit and configured to limit a current provided to the driver circuit, such as a current drawn by an EMI filter of the driver circuit, which may cause erratic operation of a dimmer controlling the lighting apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventor: Ihor Lys
  • Patent number: 9750092
    Abstract: An LED based lighting system includes a controlled current power supply (CCPS) coupled to provide electrical power to an LED based light engine having a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically coupled in series. The LED based lighting system further includes a controlled voltage power supply (CVPS) electrically coupled to the CCPS. A difference between an output voltage on the output node of the CVPS and an input voltage at the input node of the CCPS is used to adjust the output voltage at the output node of the CVPS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: Xicato, Inc.
    Inventor: Barry Mark Loveridge
  • Patent number: 9735877
    Abstract: An optical communication device including a plurality of groups of light emitting diode (LED) groups that are turn on according to a control of a lighting and communication control module. The lighting and communication control module is configured to receive an AC input voltage, generate a rectified voltage from the AC input voltage, determine a voltage level of the rectified voltage, sequentially drive the plurality of LED groups according to the voltage level of the rectified voltage, and perform optical communication through the plurality of LED groups only when the voltage level of the rectified voltage is greater than or equal to a preset threshold voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hye Man Jung
  • Patent number: 9730291
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a light source that emits an illumination light. The light source includes a first group of light emitting diodes (LEDs) that emits a first light and a second group of LEDs that emits a second light. The first light has a first Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), and the second light causes the illumination light to have a warmer CCT. The lighting device further includes a differential amplifier to adjust a current flow through the second group of LEDs. The second light is switched on when a current provided to the light source is below a threshold corresponding to the adjustable reference voltage. The lighting device also includes a current sensor to provide a sensor output signal to a second input of the differential amplifier, the sensor output signal having a second voltage corresponding to the current provided to the light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company
    Inventors: Raymond George Janik, Russell Scott Trask
  • Patent number: 9699845
    Abstract: An error signal generating unit is configured such that (i) in a calibration period, the error signal generating unit is set to a first state in which it amplifies an error signal by amplifying a difference between a predetermined first reference voltage and the lowest one from among multiple first detection voltages, and such that (ii) after the calibration period, the error signal generating unit is set to a second state in which it generates the error signal by amplifying a difference between a second detection voltage and a second reference voltage. A reference voltage setting unit holds, as the second reference voltage, the largest value of the second detection voltage detected in the calibration period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junichi Hagino
  • Patent number: 9699843
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a power supply device for an LED light. The power supply device for an LED light includes a power supply unit for converting input power and providing the converted power to LEDs and a central control unit for controlling an operation of the power supply unit. The power supply unit includes a switching circuit electrically connected to both ends of the LEDs, a switching control circuit configured to control the ON/OFF of the switching circuit, and a dimming control circuit configured to control the amount of power supplied by the power supply unit in response to the ON/OFF of the switching circuit and a dimming control signal received from the central control unit, and the central control unit provides a switching control signal for controlling the switching control circuit in response to the ON/OFF of the LEDs and provides a dimming control signal for controlling the operation of the dimming control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Beom Kim, Joo Hoon Kim, Dong Yeol Han
  • Patent number: 9681517
    Abstract: A method of controlling a correlated color temperature for light output by a lighting device including a dim-to-warm circuit having a first light channel and a second light channel. The method including receiving a current input; measuring current of the current input to obtain a measured current value; and determining a light control value based on the measured current value. The method further including using the light control value, determining a first current value for applying a first current to the first light channel and determining a second current value for applying a second current to the second light channel; and providing the first current to the first light channel and providing the second current to the second light channel to obtain different desired correlated color temperatures for the light output at different ones of the light control values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Douglas M. Hamilton, Anthony M. Mackey
  • Patent number: 9668307
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a first LED light source having a first color temperature, a second LED light source having a second, lower color temperature connected in parallel with the first LED light source, and control circuitry operable to apply variable duty cycle frequency modulated power to the first LED light source while continuous power is provided to the second LED light source. A method of operating a lighting device includes providing variable duty cycle frequency modulated power to a first LED light source having a first color temperature, and providing continuous power to a second LED light source having a second, lower color temperature connected in parallel with the first LED light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: GE LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
    Inventors: Bruce Richard Roberts, Timothy Alan Taubert
  • Patent number: 9641063
    Abstract: A power factor controller (PFC) for an electrical load such as LED lighting includes a power factor correcting converter for generating a sinusoidal input current. The PFC further includes a programmable controller for estimating a phase shifted multiplier. A current regulator generates a desired PFC current in response to an input voltage, an output load and the phase shifted and subsequently blanked multiplier. The electrical load operates in response to the sinusoidal input current based at least partially on the desired PFC current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ramanujam Ramabhadran, Gang Yao, Bruce Richard Roberts, Jeffrey Joseph Nasadoski
  • Patent number: 9622303
    Abstract: Embodiments of a current mirror for a constant-current light-emitting diode (LED) driver system and a constant-current LED driver integrated circuit (IC) device having the current mirror are described. In one embodiment, a current mirror includes at least one current mirror cell. Each of the at least one current mirror cell includes semiconductor circuits configured to generate an output current based on a reference current and a control module configured to alternately and continuously charge the semiconductor circuits in response to non-overlapping clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Ge Wang
  • Patent number: 9622326
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining a light intensity level of emitted light from an illuminator of a display device and the ambient light surrounding the display device such that, for example, the display device may compensate for performance variations of the illuminator over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Serge Devyver, Omar Sze Leung, Serkan Hatipoglu
  • Patent number: 9615412
    Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to sequencing two or more LEDs on two or more wires; if more than two wires are used, any two pairs of wires can be used as a pair of wires. Each pair of wires can be used to sequence two or more LEDs, and a sequencer can control sequencing of LEDs on multiple wires connected in a group, or in multiple groups of multiple wires. For a given pair of wires, a first group of LEDs is wired opposite a second group of LEDs so that only one group will emit light at one time depending upon the flow of an alternating current. Two groups of LEDs can also be created by using two different semiconductor materials alternately wired to a single anode and cathode pair of a single LED physical package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Inventor: Carmen Rapisarda
  • Patent number: 9593812
    Abstract: Solid state lighting devices including multiple solid state light emitters are arranged to produce a mixture of light having a color rendering index (CRI Ra) value of at least 80, having a gamut area index (GAI) value in a range of from 80 to 100, and x, y coordinates within a predefined region of a 1931 CIE Chromaticity diagram, e.g. including x, y coordinates defining point on or within a first polygon bounded by the following x, y coordinates: (0.38, 0.34), (0.38, 0.36), (0.40, 0.38), (0.42, 0.38), (0.44, 0.36), (0.46, 0.36), and (0.46, 0.34). In certain embodiments, a lighting device includes a primary emitter having a dominant wavelength in a range of from 430 to 480 nm, a lumiphor having a dominant wavelength in a range of from 535 to 585 nm, and a supplemental emitter having a dominant wavelength in a range of from 590 to 650 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Cree, Inc.
    Inventors: Antony Paul van de Ven, Benjamin A. Jacobson
  • Patent number: 9591705
    Abstract: A method is set up to operate an arrangement that has N radiation-emitting semiconductor chips arranged in an electric series circuit. The arrangement includes multiple switching elements, wherein to each of the semiconductor chips one of the switching elements is connected electrically in parallel. The arrangement includes a controller for the mutually independent activation of the switching elements. The arrangement includes a constant current circuit for energizing the series circuit. When switching off, the respective semiconductor chip associated with a switching element is bridged electrically by the switching element. A protective module of the arrangement is set up to reduce or to prevent current peaks when one or more of the semiconductor chips is/are switched off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH
    Inventors: Norbert Häfner, Ulrich Frei, Stefan Grötsch, Rainer Huber
  • Patent number: 9585223
    Abstract: An illumination system includes: a first light-emitting element column in which one or more first light-emitting elements are serially connected; a second light-emitting element column connected in parallel with the first light-emitting element column, and in which one or more second light-emitting elements are serially connected; a constant current supply that supplies constant current to a light source unit including the first and second light-emitting element columns; a resistor that is connected in series with the first light-emitting element column, and detects magnitude of current flowing through at least the first light-emitting element column; a bypass circuit that passes, to the resistor, at least part of current flowing through the second light-emitting element column, when a predetermined condition is satisfied; and a current adjuster circuit that adjusts the magnitude of the current flowing through the first light-emitting element column, according to the magnitude of the current detected by the r
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Seki, Akinori Hiramatsu, Hiroshi Kido
  • Patent number: 9560710
    Abstract: Lighting unit including a plurality of lighting devices, comprising: a first and a second current path each comprising at least one lighting device, the second current path is adapted to conduct while the first current path is adapted to not conduct when the total current is below a first threshold current, a current limiter for limiting the current in the second current path to shape a plateau in the current in the second current path when the total current is above the first threshold current; and a third current path comprising at least one lighting device, connected in parallel to the first and second current path, and comprises a third current regulator for controlling a current in the third current path; and a third control unit adapted to control the third current regulator based on a weighted sum of the current in the second and the first current path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: PHILIPS LIGHTING HOLDING B.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Gerrit Jan Beijer, Bertrand Johan Edward Hontele
  • Patent number: 9553574
    Abstract: A solid state power controller including: a plurality of pairs of FETs connected in parallel, each pair comprising a first, forward-facing FET and a second, backward-facing FET connected by their respective sources; gate drive means for switching said FETs on and off; and means for isolating the sources of the backwards-facing FETs of the plurality of pairs of FETs from each other and operating the backwards-facing FETs in 3rd quadrant operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peter Brantl, Fritz Lammerer, Rainer J. Seidel, Matthias Maier
  • Patent number: 9538595
    Abstract: An illumination device includes a rectifier circuit, M light-emitting modules, and a control module. The rectifier circuit has a positive output terminal and a negative output terminal, and generates a driving voltage between the positive output terminal and the negative output terminal according to an input power. The M light-emitting modules are coupled between the positive output terminal and the negative output terminal. Each of the M light-emitting modules has a conduction voltage, and includes a light-emitting unit that includes at least one light-emitting diode. The control module is coupled between the rectifier circuit and the M light-emitting modules, and controls the M light-emitting modules to dynamically form S light-emitting diode strings coupled in parallel with each other. A number of the light-emitting units in each of the S light-emitting diode strings is N, in which S×N=M, where M, S, N are positive integers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2017
    Assignee: LEXTAR ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chun-Jong Chang, Jhao-Cyuan Huang, Po-Shen Chen, Chien-Nan Yeh
  • Patent number: 9516713
    Abstract: An object is to solve a problem in that, in a light-emitting device including a plurality of units including a light-emitting element group connected in series, when disconnection is caused, a current does not flow to the whole of the unit and the whole of the unit is in a non-light emitting state. A light-emitting device has a circuit in which a plurality of units each including a light-emitting element group connected in series using a connection wiring group is provided and the plurality of units is connected in parallel. Further, the circuit includes a subsidiary wiring for electrically connecting one of the connection wirings included in one of the units and one of the connection wirings included in another of the units, whereby a countermeasure against disconnection can be taken.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hideki Matsukura
  • Patent number: 9485823
    Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods reduce harmonic distortion of a excitation current by diverting the excitation current substantially away from a number of LEDs arranged in a series circuit until the current or its associated periodic excitation voltage reaches a predetermined threshold level, and ceasing the current diversion while the excitation current or voltage is substantially above the predetermined threshold level. In an illustrative embodiment, a rectifier may receive an AC (e.g., sinusoidal) voltage and deliver unidirectional current to a string of series-connected LEDs. An effective turn-on threshold voltage of the diode string may be reduced by diverting current around at least one of the diodes in the string while the AC voltage is below a predetermined level. In various examples, selective current diversion within the LED string may extend the input current conduction angle and thereby substantially reduce harmonic distortion for AC LED lighting systems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: Once Innovations, Inc.
    Inventor: Zdenko Grajcar
  • Patent number: 9445479
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a dimming control method and apparatus and a dimming system. The method according to an embodiment of the invention includes: detecting a conduction angle of a dimming apparatus according to an output signal; and controlling a first shunt load according to the conduction angle to disconnect the first shunt load upon detecting a valid conduction angle of the dimming apparatus and to keep the first shunt load conducted upon detecting no valid conduction angle of the dimming apparatus, thereby lowering power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD.
    Inventor: Lau Kwok Hung
  • Patent number: 9420662
    Abstract: A light-emitting device (10) includes a first light-emitting region (100) and a second light-emitting region (200). The first light-emitting region (100) emits a light ray having a first color by making a first light-emitting layer group including at least two or more kinds of light-emitting layers emit light. In addition, the second light-emitting region (200) emits alight ray having the first color (for example, daylight color, natural white color, white color, warm white color, or incandescent color) by making a second light-emitting layer group including at least two or more kinds of light-emitting layers emit light. In addition, at least one kind of light-emitting layer included in the second light-emitting layer group emits a light ray having a different spectrum peak from all of the light-emitting layers included in the first light-emitting layer group. Therefore, the color-rendering properties of light emitted from the light-emitting device (10) are improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignees: PIONEER CORPORATION, TOHOKU PIONEER CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shuichi Seki, Shigehiro Umetsu, Hiroki Tan, Katsuhiro Kanauchi
  • Patent number: 9414468
    Abstract: A communication system with SSL light bulb assemblies comprises a first and a second transceiver. The first transceiver comprises a magnet, and the second transceiver comprises a switched-mode power converter which comprises an inductor element with an inductor core material having a magnetic field dependent permeability. The magnet and the inductor core material of the inductor element are magnetically coupled. The first transceiver is configured to modulate a magnetic field generated by the magnet to generate a modulated downstream magnetic field indicative of downstream data, and the second transceiver is configured to extract the downstream data from a measurement signal from the power converter. The measurement signal is dependent on an inductor value of the inductor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH
    Inventors: Horst Knoedgen, Julian Tyrrell
  • Patent number: 9374865
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a rectifier, a constant current regulator and a charge-discharge circuit. The constant current regulator is electrically connected in series with first and second solid-state light-emitting element arrays between a pair of output terminals of the rectifier. The constant current regulator is configured to adjust a current flowing through the second solid-state light-emitting element array to a constant current. The charge-discharge circuit is electrically connected in series with the first solid-state light-emitting element array between the pair of output terminals of the rectifier. The charge-discharge circuit includes a charge storage element, and is configured so that a charge current flows to the charge storage element through the first solid-state light-emitting element array, and so that a discharge current flows from the charge storage element to the second solid-state light-emitting element array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Yamahara, Takeshi Kamoi, Hiroshi Kido, Akinori Hiramatu, Katsushi Seki, Daisuke Ueda, Shigeru Ido
  • Patent number: 9351379
    Abstract: An integrated light-emitting diode (LED) driver circuit includes a bi-directional power line communication (PLC) unit, a power conversion module, and a constant current (CC)/constant voltage (CV) control unit. The bi-directional PLC unit receives an AC voltage, and converts a modulation signal on the AC voltage to generate a light-dimming control signal. The power conversion module receives the AC voltage and converts the AC voltage to generate an output voltage. The CC/CV control unit receives the light-dimming control signal to generate a dimming constant current or a dimming constant voltage. The integrated LED driver circuit outputs the dimming constant current or the dimming constant voltage and the output voltage to drive a LED string.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: DELTA ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Chia-Jung Nian, Ching-Ho Chou
  • Patent number: 9341669
    Abstract: The disclosure discloses a light emitting diode testing apparatus, which includes a power supply module, a probe, a control unit and a data acquisition unit. The power supply module provides a first current or a second current to a testing item. The probe measures characteristics of the testing item. The control unit controls the power supply module to provide the first current or the second current. The data acquisition unit acquires the characteristics of the testing item from the probe. The power supply module includes a first current source, at least one second current source and at least one protector. The first current source provides the first current to the testing item. The at least one second current source provides at least one additional current. The at least one protector prevents the first current from feeding back to the at least one second current source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Chien-Ping Wang, Tzung-Te Chen, Yen-Liang Liu, Chun-Fan Dai, Han-Kuei Fu, Pei-Ting Chou
  • Patent number: 9345100
    Abstract: A no-load detection circuit includes an inductance device, an impedance device and a switch circuit. The inductance device is interposed between a choke coil and a first output terminal, which is at a high potential side, so as to be magnetically coupled to the choke coil. The impedance device is connected in series with the inductance device between the inductance device and the first output terminal. The switch circuit is configured to be turned on when a value of electric potential at the first output terminal exceeds a predetermined reference value. The control circuit is configured to stop the switching control if the switch circuit is turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keisuke Ueda, Nobuo Ukita
  • Patent number: 9345087
    Abstract: An ac-powered LED light engine coupled between a rectifier and a plurality of extrinsic LED sub-arrays is provided. The ac-powered LED light engine comprises a plurality of normally closed bypass switches, a normally closed current regulator, and a plurality of switch controllers. Each of the normally closed bypass switches is connected in parallel with a corresponding LED sub-array except for the topmost or the bottommost LED sub-array and shuttles between three switch states: ON, REGULATION, and OFF. The normally closed current regulator is coupled to the normally closed bypass switches and used to regulate the highest LED current level near the peak of an extrinsic mains voltage. Each of the switch controllers is coupled to a corresponding bypass switch as a feedback network and takes control of the three switch states according to a corresponding current sense signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: Groups Tech Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ching Sheng Yu, Chih Liang Wang, Kuang Hui Chen
  • Patent number: 9325255
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention relates to a switch controller, a method for controlling a switch, and a power supply including the switch controller. According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, an AC input passed through a dimmer is rectified such that an input voltage is generated, and the input voltage is transmitted to the power switch. A charging current is generated using a voltage that depends on the input voltage, a zero cross-point at which the input voltage becomes zero voltage is detected using a detection voltage output from a current source, and a reference signal synchronized at the detected zero cross-point is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Seung-Uk Yang, In-Ki Park, Gye-Hyun Cho, Hyun-Chul Eom
  • Patent number: 9320123
    Abstract: A method for operating a high-pressure discharge lamp with a variable power is disclosed. Said method utilizing at least the following steps: (a) providing high-pressure discharge lamp, which has a nominal operating power; (b) operating the lamp with an instantaneous power, where the instantaneous power lies within relative lower and upper power limits, respectively, and said limits may depend on an average power, and said instantaneous power may lie within a predetermined absolute lower and upper power limit; (c) determining the average power from a one-sided moving average value of the instantaneous power or the exponential smoothing of the instantaneous power of a time segment of predefined length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: OSRAM GMBH
    Inventors: Kai Wolter, Markus Baier
  • Patent number: 9301366
    Abstract: An apparatus for driving light-emitting diodes includes first and second light-emitting diode auxiliary drive parts for controlling the lighting of first and second light-emitting diode parts depending on the currents flowing through the first and second light-emitting diode parts, respectively detected by first and second resistors. Each of the first light-emitting diode auxiliary drive part and the second light-emitting diode auxiliary drive part includes a first transistor, a second transistor, and a third transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: RFSEMI TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Jin hyo Lee, Kyu hong Lee
  • Patent number: 9295135
    Abstract: A power supply is provided. The power supply includes a plurality of light emission units, a power source, a plurality of boards, a plurality of board resistors, and a feedback control unit. The light emission units are connected in parallel, and include a plurality of LEDs. The power source supplies a DC voltage to the light emission units. The boards have at least one light emission mounted thereon. The board resistors are disposed in each of the boards, and electrically connected to each other. The feedback control unit varies a current supplied from the power source, according to sum of the board resistors which are changed according to the number of connected boards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: LG INNOTEK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sung Eun Kim
  • Patent number: 9281299
    Abstract: The invention relates to a LED package (10) suitable for capacitive driving, comprising at least one pair of anti-parallel oriented LEDs (20, 30). These LEDs are provided with electrical terminals (21, 22, 31, 32) at opposing surfaces of the LEDs. The LEDs are sandwiched between two substantially parallel oriented substrates (40, 50) of a dielectric material, which substrates are provided on their facing surfaces (41, 51) with a film (42, 52) of electrically conductive material, so that electrical contacts (61, 62) are available between the electrical terminals and the films of electrically conductive material. The LED package is cheap, technically simple, reliable and small-dimensioned, and can be applied in a LED assembly. A method for manufacturing such LED packages is claimed as well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Johannes Wilhelmus Weekamp, Marc Andre De Samber, Egbertus Reinier Jacobs
  • Patent number: 9271356
    Abstract: A backlight module and a driving circuit are provided. The driving circuit includes a plurality of current sources and a current switching unit. The current sources provide a plurality of driving currents. The current switching unit is coupled between a plurality of light emitting element strings and the current sources for transmitting the driving currents to the light emitting element strings, and switching the driving currents received by the light emitting element strings by timing. Therefore, the brightness of the light emitting element strings can be equalized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes, LTD.
    Inventor: Ming-Xian Li
  • Patent number: 9258064
    Abstract: Apparatus comprises first and second light sources driven respectively by second and third inverting amplifiers with feedback from the first and second light sources to provide signal content respectively on positive and negative phases of an input signal; and a bias control arrangement configured to measure a bias level of one of the light sources and to bias the second and third amplifiers based on the measured bias level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Iconic Sound Limited
    Inventors: Danielle Barnett, David Holmes, Michael Andrew Kellett
  • Patent number: 9258865
    Abstract: An LED lighting device includes multiple luminescent devices driven by a rectified AC voltage. The multiple luminescent devices are turned on flexibly in a multi-stage driving scheme using multiple current control units. At least one charge storage unit is coupled in parallel with at least one luminescent device. When the rectified AC voltage is still insufficient to turn on the at least one luminescent device, the at least charge storage unit is configured to discharge energy to the at least one luminescent device, thereby keeping the at least one luminescent device turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: IML International
    Inventors: Horng-Bin Hsu, Yi-Mei Li, Yung-Hsin Chiang
  • Patent number: 9247593
    Abstract: A three-phase power supply (10), intended especially to supply LEDs system (20), has a system of a diode bridge rectifier which comprises rectifying diodes (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106). The three-phase power supply (10) is additionally equipped with FETs and each of the rectifying diodes is bypassed by an FET of a rectifying unit (111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116), respectively, which is controlled by a control system (40), comprising an analog-to-digital converter ADC 403, a digital-to-analog converter (402), a microcontroller (401), which provides a control signal to a gate of the appropriate FET through the input/output (404). Once the control system (40), in particular the microcontroller (401), detects stable power supply conditions and starts operation of elements of an LED sequencer (30), it starts at the same time to control over the FETs in the active rectifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: MILOO-ELECTRONICS Sp. z o.o.
    Inventors: Milosz Wlodarczyk, Lukasz Kolaszewski, Rafal Brzegowy
  • Patent number: 9215771
    Abstract: A light emitting diode driver includes: a serial-to-parallel conversion unit converting, based on a reference clock signal, a serial input signal carrying a number (N) of M-bit gray codes into a parallel input signal carrying the M-bit gray codes; a counting unit counting an output control signal to output a counting value; a data buffer unit storing, based on a latch signal, the M-bit gray codes carried by the parallel input signal, and outputting, based on the counting value and the M-bit gray codes, an N-bit signal consisting of N bits, each of which is an ith one of M bits of a respective M-bit gray code, where i is associated with the counting value; and an output unit generating a number (N) of driving current signals based on at least the N-bit signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: RICHTEK TECHNOLOGY CORP.
    Inventors: Chien-Hua Lin, Shui-Mu Lin
  • Patent number: 9179511
    Abstract: A light-emitting device includes a first light-emitting element and a second light-emitting element. The first light-emitting element has a first LED, and emits a first spectrum. The second light-emitting element has a second LED and a constant voltage element connected in series, and emits a second spectrum different from the first spectrum. The second light-emitting element is connected in parallel to the first light-emitting element. First light-emitting element and the second light-emitting element are configured such that their lines indicating the forward current-forward voltage characteristics cross each other. This enables to change spectral distribution emitted from the light-emitting device just by changing power supplied from a single power circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Sugiura, Ryouji Yokotani
  • Patent number: 9173263
    Abstract: A light module with linear LED serial group drive device comprises an AC input rectifier unit having an input end coupled to an AC Power to convert an AC half-wave voltage signal into a DC full-wave voltage signal for output, and an intelligent control having a protection unit. when the input voltage is higher than the set start voltage of the LED serial group, the corresponding constant current control drive circuit switch is turned on immediately by the intelligent control to control the power, luminous flux, and power factor of the LED serial light module for achieving stable power output of LED light source. Moreover, the present invention without transformers, inductors and other magnetic components has thin thickness and small volume to improve the conventional problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: Sunpower Grand Holdings Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Yu-Chien Wu, Hsien-June Chen
  • Patent number: 9125264
    Abstract: A lighting device includes a rectifier circuit for rectifying an AC voltage, a power-factor correction circuit for inputting the rectified voltage from the rectifier circuit to generate a first DC voltage, a capacitor for smoothing the rectified voltage to generate a second DC voltage, a first lighting power supply, and a second lighting power supply. The first lighting power supply, of which input power supply is the first DC voltage, supplies lighting power to a first light source including one or more light emitting devices. The second lighting power supply, of which input power supply is the second DC voltage, supplies lighting power to a second light source including one or more light emitting devices. An output voltage of the second lighting power supply is lower than an output voltage of the first lighting power supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Mitsuhiro Tsujimura
  • Patent number: 9101032
    Abstract: Disclosed are an LED emitting device and driving method thereof. The LED emitting device controls an LED drive switch connected to a first end of an LED string to control an output current supplied to the LED string. The LED emitting device generates feedback information on the output voltage or the output current supplied to the LED string, and uses the output current to sense an open lamp state of the LED string. The LED emitting device uses a voltage at a first end of the LED drive switch to sense a change of the LED string to a normal state from the open lamp state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor LTD
    Inventors: Jin-Tae Kim, Dong Jin Park, Shanmei Li, Byunghak Ahn, Jin Chenghao
  • Patent number: 9101016
    Abstract: Disclosed is a light emitting diode (LED) illuminating apparatus having enhanced stability of the quantity of light. The LED illuminating apparatus includes an LED lighting block connected to a rectified voltage and including at least one LED module, an alternative reference voltage generating block configured to detect the rectified voltage and generate an alternative reference voltage, and a switching block connected to the tap and configured to form a closed circuit including the at least one LED module. The at least one LED module includes a cathode terminal having a tap. The alternative reference voltage has a voltage level according to a root mean square (RMS) value of the rectified voltage. The amount of currents flowing through the closed circuit is controlled by the alternative reference voltage to have a negative relationship with the RMS value of the rectified voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: TLI INC.
    Inventor: Jaeduk Han
  • Patent number: 9084315
    Abstract: An LED lighting device includes multiple driving stages. A first driving stage includes a first luminescent device driven by a first current, a second luminescent device driven by a second current, a path-controller for conducting a third current, a first current controller for regulating the first current, and a second current controller for regulating the second current. The second driving stage includes a third current controller coupled in series to the first driving stage and configured to conduct and regulate a fourth current. When the path-controller is turned off, the third current is zero, and the fourth current is equal to the sum of the first current and the second current. When the path-controller is turned on, the first current, the second current, the third current and the fourth current is equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: IML International
    Inventors: Horng-Bin Hsu, Yi-Mei Li
  • Publication number: 20150145426
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a driving apparatus and a method for driving a semiconductor light-emitting device assembly. The apparatus includes: a driving unit configured to drive the semiconductor light-emitting device assembly; and a cycle by cycle control unit. The cycle by cycle control unit may include: a sampling circuit configured to sample a current instantaneous value of the driving unit or the semiconductor light-emitting device assembly; and an adjusting circuit configured to adjust an output of the driving unit when the current instantaneous value sampled by the sampling circuit is larger than or equal to a preset reference value. The driving apparatus and method for driving the semiconductor light-emitting device assembly may effectively reduce an inrush current on the light-emitting devices and have a lower cost.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Yuanyuan ZHONG, Weiqiang ZHANG, Lizhi XU