Impedance Or Current Regulator In The Supply Circuit Patents (Class 315/224)
  • Publication number: 20140191681
    Abstract: A current driver circuit for regulating a light emitting diode (LED) is disclosed. An example driver circuit uses one input node of the driver circuit for controlling both maximum brightness and dimming of an LED coupled to an output node of the driver circuit. The driver circuit supplies a reference voltage (VREF) to its input node. A microcontroller is coupled through a resistor or other resistive component to the input node of the driver circuit and provides the input current, where the input current is adjustable by the resistor value. The driver circuit is configured to drive multiple times the input current from its output node. By adjusting the resistor value the output current of the LED is adjusted. The microcontroller is configured to provide pulse width modulation (PWM). By reducing the duty cycle of the PWM waveform the dimming of the LED can be controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2013
    Publication date: July 10, 2014
    Inventor: Armin Noller
  • Patent number: 8773032
    Abstract: An LED lighting control system incorporating a control IC for fast control of LED current in a switching Buck-type power supply through dedicated power supply control hardware with slow changing signals of temperature and input under control of firmware. The control IC optimizes the use of power from the source and optimizes the operating efficiency of the LED output while providing for a plurality of LED devices to be powered in parallel by a single controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Thin-Lite Corporation
    Inventors: Dexter May, Steven Schlanger, Matthew Trotter, Alex Walters, Vincent Potenzone, Lillian Cross-Szymanek
  • Patent number: 8773031
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a dimmable power supply are disclosed herein. For example, some embodiments provide a dimmable power supply including an input current path, a switch in the input current path, an energy storage device connected to the input current path, a load output connected to the energy storage device, and a timer-based variable pulse generator connected to a control input of the switch. The timer-based variable pulse generator is adapted to generate a stream of pulses having a variable on-time and off-time. The dimmable power supply is adapted to vary the on-time and off-time to control a current at the load output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: InnoSys, Inc.
    Inventors: Laurence P. Sadwick, William B. Sackett, Michael D. Brady
  • Patent number: 8773046
    Abstract: A driving circuit includes: a first voltage dividing circuit arranged to generate a first voltage-divided signal according to a supply voltage; a second voltage dividing circuit arranged to generate a second voltage-divided signal according to specific voltage; a coupling circuit coupled between the first voltage dividing circuit and the second voltage dividing circuit, and arranged to couple the first voltage-divided signal into the second voltage-divided signal to generate a coupling signal; and a control circuit arranged to generate a control signal at least according to the coupling signal and a feedback signal to control a duty cycle of a transistor, wherein the feedback is generated by the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Raydium Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Yu-En Lee
  • Patent number: 8773030
    Abstract: A power source and control system is particularly suited for use in an outdoor landscape lighting system. The power source and control system includes at least one switching mode AC-to-DC power supply having an additional output stage for efficiently converting the DC output signal into another relatively low frequency AC signal for transmission to a plurality of buried power conductors. A Manchester encoded control signal is encoded at a relatively high frequency onto the AC signal sent over the buried power conductors so that intelligent LED lighting fixtures can be powered by the AC signal and selectively have their intensity changed when they decode the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Hunter Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter J. Woytowitz
  • Patent number: 8773039
    Abstract: A method and a device for controlling a discharge Lamp, and a discharge lamp system are disclosed herein. The method includes the operations of: when the lamp current changes, determining a percentage of change of the lamp current according to a synchronous signal and obtaining a second lamp current after a discharge lamp current changes according to the percentage of change of the lamp current and a first lamp current; obtaining a modulating signal according to a current difference between the first lamp current and the second lamp current; and generating a pulse voltage signal according to the modulating signal. The pulse voltage signal transits from a first voltage to a second voltage during the time period when the lamp current is transited from a first lamp current to a second lamp current during a transition time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qi Zhang, Wei-Qiang Zhang, Jian-Ping Ying
  • Patent number: 8773033
    Abstract: A method for driving the backlight unit of the liquid crystal display includes: comparing the strength of a soft start signal with a predetermined signal through a comparator circuit, and generating a first comparison signal or a second comparison signal according to the comparison result; outputting a first frequency from a frequency modulation circuit according to the first comparison signal; and increasing the rising rate of the output voltage of a boost converter according to the first frequency. Therefore, the rising rate of the output voltage is increased, thereby solving the screen-flickering problem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiang Yang, Xinming Gao, Fei Li
  • Patent number: 8773044
    Abstract: An anti-collision aircraft light comprises at least one LED and a control unit for operating the at least one LED in a pulsed manner. In this anti-collision aircraft light, the control unit comprises an ambient temperature sensor for sensing the ambient temperature and an adjustable current control for setting an LED operating current depending on the sensed ambient temperature. The control unit further includes a light intensity sensor for sensing the intensity of the light emitted from the at least one LED, an integrator connected to the light sensor for integrating the sensed light intensity, and a comparator for comparing the integrated light intensity to a threshold value. The operating current for the at least one LED is interrupted as soon as the integrated light intensity is equal to the threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignees: Goodrich Lighting Systems GmbH, Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Andre Hessling
  • Patent number: 8766549
    Abstract: A low-cost HID lighting system (100) comprises: —an HID lamp (1) having an aspect ratio less than 6; and —a resonant electronic driver (10) for driving the HID lamp, the driver being designed for providing alternating current to the lamp and including a control device (30) for determining the current frequency. The lamp has a frequency spectrum containing at least one arc-shaping acoustic resonance frequency as well as unwanted acoustic resonance frequencies. During normal operation, the lamp is provided with frequency-modulated lamp current so that the lamp current has a relatively broad power spectrum within a range between kHz and 200 kHz, so that said arc-shaping acoustic resonance is triggered while said unwanted acoustic resonances are avoided, irrespective of lamp orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: John Stephane Hirsch, Rene Van Honschooten, Patrick Alouisius Martina De Bruycker
  • Publication number: 20140176000
    Abstract: The inventive subject matter provides a circuit and a method for efficiently operating a lighting device, such as a light-emitting diode and a fluorescent lamp. In one aspect of the invention, the circuit includes an oscillator that generates a series of current pulses at a frequency that is at least 50,000 Hz and that corresponds to a resonant frequency of the circuit including the lighting device. The series of pulses is operated at a low duty cycle of no more than 15%. The lighting device has a manufacturer's specification for current consumption and power consumption for a specified luminosity. The circuit provides a current to the lighting device at no more than 1/500 of the manufacturer's specification to produce at least the specified luminosity. The lighting device also operates within the circuit at no more than 50% of the manufacturer's specification to produce the specified luminosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: Colorado Energy Research Technologies
    Inventors: Wayne J. Powell, Robert D. Boehmer, Lee L. Johnson
  • Publication number: 20140176001
    Abstract: There are provided a dimming control apparatus, a lighting system driving apparatus, and a dimming control method, the dimming control apparatus including a voltage converting unit converting a dimming signal from a dimmer into dimming voltage, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converting unit converting the dimming voltage into a digital dimming value, a dimming setting unit determining whether or not the digital dimming value is included in a preset dimming value range, and when the digital dimming value is not included in the preset dimming value range, resetting the dimming value range so as to allow the digital dimming value to be included in the reset dimming value range, a memory unit storing a dimming control value corresponding to the digital dimming value, and a dimming control unit generating a dimming control signal based on the dimming control value corresponding to the digital dimming value from the A/D converting unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyu Tae SEO, Ki Hong KIM, Dae Hoon CHOI, Min Jin KIM, Heung Gyoon CHOI, Byoung Woo RYU
  • Patent number: 8760082
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an LED emitting device. The LED emitting device includes: a converter converting an input voltage according to a switching operation of a power source switch to generate at least two output voltages; an LED panel unit including a plurality of LED channels having a plurality of LEDs; a micom board operated by a first output voltage among the at least two output voltages to control the operation of the LED emitting device; a regulator converting a second output voltage among the at least two output voltages into a voltage suitable for the operation of the LED panel unit; and a multi-channel control unit controlling an operation of the regulator according to a lowest minimum voltage among the voltages of a plurality of LED channels and receiving the first output voltage to generate a first feedback voltage VF1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Seunguk Yang, Byunghak Ahn, Hak-Hee Lee, Eung-Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 8760066
    Abstract: A constant power drive for light emitting diodes, such that there is automatic compensation for variation in forward voltage of the LED, both in a single unit with temperature, and also due to unit-to-unit variations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald J. Lenk
  • Patent number: 8760068
    Abstract: A backlight driver includes current sources that are connected between LED strings and a number of bias voltages. There can be any number of different bias voltages, each at a ground potential or higher voltage. The bias voltage is selected for a particular LED string in order to reduce a current drop across the current source. This reduces the power consumption of the current source and LED string. Heat dissipation is also reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: IML International
    Inventor: Alberto Viviani
  • Patent number: 8760070
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a lighting and/or indicating device, such as a vehicle headlamp, equipped with at least one halogen bulb, wherein it comprises a switch-mode power supply device for supplying power to the halogen bulb, said switch-mode power supply device comprising means for regulating the luminous flux provided by the halogen bulb and being installed close to the halogen bulb so as to minimize electromagnetic interference and dispersion of the supply voltage at the terminals of the halogen bulb.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Valeo Vision
    Inventors: Loic Flandre, Stephane Richard
  • Patent number: 8760059
    Abstract: A current-preheat electronic ballast includes an AC-to-DC converter, a controlling unit, an auxiliary voltage generator, and an inverter. The inverter is connected with the DC bus for converting a high DC voltage into an AC output voltage and generating a resonant current and a lamp filament current to a lamp group. The inverter includes a resonant circuit and a resonant capacitor adjusting circuit. The resonant circuit provides electric energy required to preheat the lamp group. The resonant capacitor adjusting circuit judges whether the inverter is enabled according to the detecting element. After the inverter has been enabled for a delayed time, two high-voltage switching terminals of the resonant capacitor adjusting circuit are correspondingly conducted or shut off, so that an equivalent resonant capacitance value of the resonant circuit is changed and a voltage drop across two ends of a lamp filament of the lamp group is changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Ching-Ho Chou, Yung-Chuan Lu
  • Publication number: 20140168567
    Abstract: A current driving circuit is connected to an LED terminal LEDi, and generates an intermittent driving current ILEDi that corresponds to a dimming pulse signal PWMi. An error amplifier generates a feedback voltage VFB that corresponds to the difference between a detection voltage VLEDi and a predetermined reference voltage VREF. A pulse modulator generates a pulse signal having a duty ratio that corresponds to the feedback voltage VFB. A fault detection comparator COMP_OPENi generates a fault detection signal OPEN_DET which is asserted when the detection voltage VLEDi is lower than a predetermined threshold voltage VOPEN—DET. A forced turn-off circuit instructs the current driving circuit to suspend the generation of the driving current ILEDi during a predetermined period after a switching power supply starts to operate. The fault detection circuit detects whether or not the fault detection signal OPEN_DETi has been asserted in a predetermined period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: ROHM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki KIKUCHI, Masao YONEMARU
  • Publication number: 20140167638
    Abstract: A method for controlling a portable lighting device. The device has a switched-mode power supply, a light source, a high frequency switch, a controller controlling the operation of the light source and a user interface for inputting commands to the controller. A DC power source has a negative pole that is connected by only one single electric contact with the lighting device tail. The method for controlling a portable lighting device includes connecting a DC power source, an inductor, a light source, a high frequency switch and a resistor in series, measuring a voltage across the resistor, and controlling the high frequency switch dependent on the voltage measured across the resistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Mag Instrument, Inc.
    Inventor: Stacey West
  • Publication number: 20140167636
    Abstract: An LED driving method is provided. The method includes the steps of: receiving a brightness control signal, wherein the brightness control signal represents a duty cycle of an LED within a pulse width modulation cycle, and the duty cycle is indicated by a plurality of illuminating clocks; dividing the PWM cycle into a plurality of sub-PWM cycles; and equally distributing the illuminating clocks to each of the sub-PWM cycles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Ming-Yuan TSAO, Ko-Han CHEN
  • Publication number: 20140167637
    Abstract: A load driving apparatus and a driving method thereof are provided. The load driving apparatus includes a power conversion circuit and a control chip. The power conversion circuit receives a DC input voltage, and drives an LED load in response to a gate PWM signal. The control chip is configured to: provide the gate PWM signal having a first preset duty cycle during a light operation period of a dimming operation, so that the LED load is fully turned on; and provide the gate PWM signal having a second preset duty cycle during a dark operation period of the dimming operation, so that the LED load is slightly turned on. The second preset duty cycle is far less than the first preset duty cycle. A current of the LED load during the light operation period is far more than a current of the LED load during the dark operation period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 19, 2014
    Applicant: Beyond Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chiu-Yuan Lin, Nan-Chuan Huang, Chen-Lung Kao
  • Patent number: 8754652
    Abstract: Various embodiments provide a method for ascertaining a type of a gas discharge lamp using an electronic ballast for operating different types of gas discharge lamps, wherein the different types of gas discharge lamps differ in at least one operating parameter, wherein the method may include: a) preheating at least one filament in the gas discharge lamp for a predetermined preheating time; b) measuring a physical variable which is characteristic for the type of the gas discharge lamp at the end of the preheating time and providing the measurement value of said variable; and c) ascertaining the lamp type on the basis of the measurement value which is provided, wherein the preheating time is increased by a predetermined time period and the b) and c) are repeated if the lamp type in c) cannot be ascertained uniquely. Moreover, various embodiments provide an electronic ballast for operating at least two different types of gas discharge lamps which have at least one different operating parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Osram Gesellschaft mit Beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Siegfried Mayer, Christof Schwarzfischer
  • Publication number: 20140159598
    Abstract: An LED control circuit for controlling a current supplied to an LED unit is disclosed. A sense resistor is included for sensing an output current provided from an output node. A comparator circuit is provided for detecting upper and lower thresholds in the output current based on the voltages at ends of the sense resistor, and for controlling a current supply to maintain the current between the thresholds. The comparator circuit comprises a reference current source and reference resistors, for generating upper and lower threshold references. The comparator circuit further comprises a comparator for detecting a mid-range voltage dependent on the output current and deriving a control signal which indicates if the detected voltage is above or below the mid-range voltage. The control signal is used to adjust the reference current source, thereby to vary the upper and lower threshold references to maintain a constant median or average output current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Hendrik BOEZEN
  • Patent number: 8749157
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods and circuits for brightness regulation for at least one light-emitting diode in the field of general lighting, more particularly, for incandescent lamp replacement by means of a supply voltage comprising a brightness level signal, wherein the brightness level signal contained in the supply voltage is decoded and converted into a modulation signal with a duty cycle corresponding to the brightness level signal for the purpose of driving a driver circuit for the at least one light-emitting diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventor: Werner Ludorf
  • Patent number: 8749167
    Abstract: A linear light-emitting diode (LED)-based solid-state lamp using a novel voltage sensing and control mechanism operates normally in both single-ended and double-ended luminaire fixtures. The voltage sensing and control mechanisms automatically detect supply source configuration in the fixture and make proper management so that the linear LED lamp works in any fixtures without operational uncertainty or risk of fire. When used with shock protection switches on the two lamp bases at two opposite ends, the universal lamp fully protects a person from possible electric shock during initial installation and re-lamping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Lightel Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Chungho Hsia, Pai-Sheng Shen
  • Patent number: 8749162
    Abstract: A two level lighting ballast is provided, which includes a self-oscillating inverter circuit and a control circuit. The inverter includes an input; an output to selectively provide current to energize a lamp; a switching circuit operating at a switching frequency; a feedback transformer; and an impedance component. The feedback transformer is connected to the output, and drives the switching circuit based on the lamp current. The impedance component is connected in parallel with the feedback transformer, and is operated by the control circuit. When the control circuit enables the impedance component, the switching circuit operates in a first frequency range, and a first lamp current is provided. When the control circuit disables the impedance component, the switching circuit operates in a second frequency range, and a second lamp current is provided. The first frequency range is lower than the second, and the first lamp current is greater than the second.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM SYLVANIA Inc.
    Inventors: Nitin Kumar, Shashank Bakre, Thomas J. Schalton
  • Patent number: 8749163
    Abstract: A driver circuit for one or more LEDs includes a power circuit having an output terminal, a capacitor coupled to the output terminal and a switch, and a control circuit coupled to the power circuit for controlling the power circuit. The control circuit is configured to operate the switch for coupling a resistance in series with the capacitor in response to detecting an open circuit condition at the output terminal. Additionally, or alternatively, the driver circuit may include a switched mode power supply, and the control circuit may be configured to switch operation of the switched mode power supply from a current control mode to a voltage control mode, and reduce a current setting for the current control mode, in response to detecting an open circuit condition at the output terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Astec International Limited
    Inventor: Vijay G. Phadke
  • Patent number: 8749149
    Abstract: A lighting device includes: a lighting unit for supplying a lighting power to a light source unit; and a controller, for controlling the lighting unit. The lighting unit has an inductor and a switching element, and a diode for flowing a flyback current of the inductor to the light source unit during an OFF period of the switching element, and the controller has a unit for intermittently driving an ON/OFF operation of the switching element by a PWM signal and a unit for driving the switching element by a frequency higher than that of the PWM signal during an ON period of the PWM signal, and when the PWM signal falls, the controller reduces a peak value of a load current flowing through the light source unit during a certain period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Masahiro Naruo, Shigeru Ido
  • Patent number: 8749165
    Abstract: A light source driving device configured to drive a light-emitting unit is provided. The light source driving device includes a direct voltage source, a first capacitance unit, and a switching current adjustment circuit. The direct voltage source is coupled with the light-emitting unit and supplies a direct voltage. The first capacitance unit and the light-emitting unit are connected in parallel. The switching current adjustment circuit and the light-emitting unit are connected in series. The switching current adjustment circuit is configured to bear a part of a voltage stress of the direct voltage source and is configured to switch the direct voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yung-Chuan Chen, Ching-Ran Lee, Hung-Chun Li, Yao-Te Huang
  • Publication number: 20140152189
    Abstract: A plasma processing system may include a radio frequency (RF) generator configured to supply a pulsing process signal to a target in a plasma processing chamber via a RF matching network. A phase and magnitude detector circuit is coupled to the RF generator and configured to sense the pulsing process signal and output a magnitude error signal and a phase error signal. A pulse tracking circuit is electrically coupled to the phase and magnitude detector circuit and configured to receive the magnitude error signal and the phase error signal and output a tracked magnitude signal and a tracked phase signal. A match controller is electrically coupled to the pulse tracking circuit and the RF matching network and configured to receive the tracked magnitude signal and the tracked phase signal and vary an impedance of the RF matching network in response to the tracked magnitude and phase signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: COMET Technologies USA, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack Gilmore
  • Publication number: 20140152183
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an LED lighting apparatus. The LED lighting apparatus includes a converter for transforming rectified voltage in accordance with a switching operation according to a driving pulse and outputting the transformed voltage, a current regulator for generating the driving pulse having a pulse width varied in response to a control signal and the amount of current of the converter and switching the operation of the converter using the generated driving pulse, and a peripheral circuit module for providing the control signal for controlling the dimming of an LED lighting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: SILICON WORKS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yong Guen KIM, Sang Young Lee, Gyeong Sik Mun, Ki Chul An
  • Patent number: 8742670
    Abstract: The electronic ballast includes: a square wave generator that includes a plurality of switching elements to convert a DC input voltage to an AC square wave output voltage; a transformer that includes a driving winding, a plurality of control windings, at least one inductive winding and at least one control driving circuit. The control windings controls the plurality of switching elements to turn on alternately; a resonant circuit that constitutes a resonant loop together with the driving winding is electrically connected with an output terminal of the square wave generator to drive the light emitting element. The control driving circuit is connected with two terminals of the inductive winding in parallel and receives a control signal to control a voltage across the inductive winding so as to control conducting time of at least one of the switching elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yan Zhong, Weiqiang Zhang, JianPing Ying
  • Patent number: 8742697
    Abstract: A light source apparatus includes a discharge lamp including a light-emitting container, and a pair of electrodes disposed such that a respective tip portion thereof opposes each other in the light-emitting container, and a driving unit that supplies a driving current to the pair of electrodes. The driving unit includes an AC supplier that supplies an alternating current of a frequency not lower than 1 kHz and not higher than 10 GHz to the pair of electrodes and a DC supplier that supplies a direct current to the pair of electrodes. The AC supplier is configured so as to alternately repeat an AC supply section in which the alternating current is supplied and an AC stop section in which the supply of the alternating current is stopped, and the DC supplier is configured so as to supply the direct current during a period corresponding to the AC stop section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Junichi Suzuki, Satoshi Kito
  • Patent number: 8742674
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide an apparatus, system and method for power conversion to provide power to solid state lighting, and which may be coupled to a first switch, such as a dimmer switch. An exemplary system comprises: a switching power supply; solid state lighting; a first adaptive interface circuit to provide a resistive impedance to the first switch and conduct current from the first switch in a default mode; and a second adaptive interface circuit to create a resonant process. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a switching power supply; and an adaptive interface circuit comprising a resistive impedance coupled in series to a reactive impedance to conduct current from the first switch in a first current path in a default mode, and further comprising a second switch coupled to the reactive impedance to conduct current from the first switch in a second current path, with the adaptive interface circuit further damping oscillation when the first switch turns on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Point Somee Limited Liability Company
    Inventors: Anatoly Shteynberg, Harry Rodriguez, Bradley M. Lehman, Dongsheng Zhou, Harlan H. Ohara
  • Patent number: 8742678
    Abstract: A discharge lamp system includes a discharge lamp; a power supply device for providing DC input voltage and current; a converter connected to the discharge lamp and the power supply device for providing power for the discharge lamp; a DC input voltage detecting unit connected to the power supply device for detecting the DC input voltage; a DC input current detecting unit connected to the power supply device for detecting the DC input current; a lamp state detecting unit for detecting a signal responsive to the lamp state; a controller connected to the converter, the DC input voltage detecting unit, the DC input current detecting unit and the lamp state detecting unit for controlling the discharge lamp according to the signal responsive to the lamp state, the DC input voltage and the DC input current. A controlling method for the discharge lamp system is also disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Delta Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Qi Zhang, Wei-Qiang Zhang, Jian-Ping Ying
  • Patent number: 8742684
    Abstract: A light emitting diode (LED) lighting system and method are disclosed. The LED lighting system and method include an LED controller to accurately control a current in an LED system. The LED controller includes components to calculate, based on the current and an active time period of an LED current time period, an actual charge amount delivered to the LED system wherein the LED current time period is duty cycle modulated at a rate of greater than fifty (50) Hz and to utilize the actual charge amount to modify and provide a desired target charge amount to be delivered during a future active time period of the LED current time period. The LED system and method further involve components to compare the actual charge amount to a desired charge amount for the active time period and compensate for a difference between the actual charge amount and the desired charge amount during the future active time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventor: John L. Melanson
  • Publication number: 20140145635
    Abstract: Disclosed is a power converter control circuit, comprising at least a power converter circuit and a control circuit. The power converter circuit is able to boost up an input voltage into a greater driving voltage and supply it to the driven device. Moreover, the power converter circuit is also able to generate a voltage signal and a current-sense signal separately, and then combine them into a joint voltage/current-sense signal. The control circuit receives the joint voltage/current-sense signal and resolves it into an over-voltage signal and a current-sense signal with the aid of a modulation signal. The two signals are separately fed into an over-voltage protection device and an over-current protection device for comparison; the outcomes are utilized to execute the over-voltage protection and the over-current protection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: POWER FOREST TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: KWAN-JEN CHU
  • Publication number: 20140145636
    Abstract: A method for matching the impedance of the output impedance of a high-frequency power supply arrangement to the impedance of a plasma load includes, in a first impedance matching mode, matching the impedance of the output impedance of the high-frequency power supply arrangement by changing the frequency of the high-frequency signal produced. If the frequency is outside a specified frequency range, in a second impedance matching mode the impedance of the output impedance of the high-frequency power supply arrangement is matched by mechanically or electrically modifying a circuit which is arranged downstream of the high-frequency signal producer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: TRUMPF Huettinger GmbH + Co. KG
    Inventor: Rolf Merte
  • Patent number: 8736196
    Abstract: A backlight unit includes; a light source, an inverter which provides the light source with an input voltage, and a printed circuit board (“PCB”) connected to the light source, wherein the PCB includes a protection circuit which detects an open-lamp-protection voltage which varies according to a change of the input voltage and changes a reference voltage according to the change of the input voltage, wherein the protection circuit turns off the inverter when the detected open-lamp-protection voltage is higher than the changed reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignees: Samsung Display Co., Ltd., Korea Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yun-Gun Lee, Ki-Bok Jang, Moon-Shik Kang, Sung-Kyu Park, Hyun-Ho Seo
  • Patent number: 8736194
    Abstract: A TRIAC dimmer gates an AC waveform from an AC power source in proportion to a control signal and outputs a TRIAC pulse having part of the waveform missing. The TRIAC pulse is rectified and is applied to an LED array and the drive current flowing to the LED array is detected at a current detection resistor. The drive current value and a predetermined value are compared at a comparator and in accordance with the comparison result thereof the control transistor is turned off. Then, the TRIAC pulse is converted to a DC voltage signal and in accordance with the obtained DC voltage signal the drive current value or the predetermined value input by the comparator are changed. Furthermore, instead of the TRIAC pulse, a PWM pulse supplied from an external source may also be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventors: Shuhei Kawai, Tomoyuki Goto, Feng Xu
  • Patent number: 8736188
    Abstract: A detector circuit for controlling at least one fluorescent lamp is provided, wherein the detector circuit is configured such that an inactive fluorescent lamp can be detected if a first signal is present at least one of a first input and a second signal is present at a second input in a detection interval after a start-up phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Juergen Klier, Richard Pfaller
  • Publication number: 20140139412
    Abstract: A display device including a display unit having a plurality of pixels is disclosed. In one aspect, at least one first pixel among the pixels includes: a first compensation capacitor including one electrode connected to a data line and the other electrode connected to a first node; a first switching transistor including a gate electrode configured to have a scan signal, one electrode connected to the first node, and the other electrode connected to a second node; a first driving transistor including a gate electrode connected to the second node, one electrode connected to a first power source voltage, and the other electrode connected to a first organic light emitting diode (OLED); and a first link transistor including a gate electrode configured to have a link control signal, one electrode connected to the data line, and the other electrode connected to the first power source voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Myeon Han
  • Publication number: 20140139132
    Abstract: An inspecting apparatus includes a power supply unit that generates a power supply voltage and that outputs a generated power supply voltage, and a connecting unit for connecting to a connector of a display module. The connecting unit includes a first terminal from which the power supply voltage is output and a second terminal to which a feedback voltage is input from the display module, and the power supply unit controls the power supply voltage based on the feedback voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Inventor: Gyung-Kook KWAK
  • Publication number: 20140139131
    Abstract: There is provided a light emitting diode driving apparatus, including: a power supplying unit converting input power into driving power according to a control and supplying the converted driving power to a light emitting diode channel; a driving unit controlling current flowing in the light emitting diode channel according to a pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming signal from the outside; and a controlling unit comparing a reference level set by a duty of the PWM dimming signal with a detection voltage level of the light emitting diode channel and controlling a power converting operation of the power supplying unit according to the comparison result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2013
    Publication date: May 22, 2014
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRO-MECHANICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jung Eui PARK, Seung Kon KONG, Seo Hyung KIM, Bo Hyun HWANG, Jae Shin LEE
  • Patent number: 8729815
    Abstract: A current control system, and method for controlling current, and a lighting system including the same, are provided. The current control system includes front end circuitry to receive an input voltage and provide a regulated DC voltage to current source circuitry via a first input voltage terminal. Dimming interface circuitry provides a pulse width modulation signal to conversion circuitry, which uses the pulse width modulation signal to generate an analog voltage. The conversion circuitry sends the analog voltage to the current source circuitry via a second input voltage terminal. The current source circuitry uses the regulated DC voltage and the analog voltage to create an output current. The output current drives a load, which, in the lighting system, is one or more solid state light sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: OSRAM SYLVANIA Inc.
    Inventors: Ankit Sanghvi, Biju Antony, Chaim Becerra
  • Patent number: 8729821
    Abstract: A semiconductor light source lighting circuit includes a transistor and a current detection resistor provided in series in a semiconductor light source current supply path, a control circuit for controlling the transistor so as to decrease any difference between the voltage occurring at the current detection resistor and a reference voltage, and a bypass resistor to establish a bypass path for the current supplied to the semiconductor light source, where a first end of the bypass path is located at a connection node between the transistor and the semiconductor light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kotaro Matsui
  • Patent number: 8729822
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an LED emitting device and a driving method thereof including at least two LED channels. If a power source voltage supplied to an LED emitting device reaches a predetermined threshold voltage, the power source voltage is maintained as a threshold voltage during an overvoltage regulation period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Fairchild Korea Semiconductor Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinhwa Chung, Frank Chang, Byunghak Ahn, Moonho Choi
  • Patent number: 8729813
    Abstract: Implemented are a switching power supply device and a light-emitting diode lighting device in which a variation in load current can be suppressed against a wide range of variation in AC voltage. The configuration of the switching power supply device and the light-emitting diode lighting device includes: a rectifier unit which rectifies AC input voltage and outputs pulsating-current voltage; a power converting unit which receives the pulsating-current voltage and supplies a predetermined load current to a load; a current detecting unit which detects the load current; a drive control unit which controls the power converting unit to regulate the load current to a constant level; and an input voltage detecting unit which detects a variation in the AC input voltage. The drive control unit controls the power converting unit depending on the variation in the AC input voltage detected by the input voltage detecting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Minebea Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masataka Suzuki, Yoshihiro Nakamura, Hideharu Kanamitsu, Hiroshi Imada
  • Patent number: 8729816
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a charge-pump controller is formed to control a value of current supplied to a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
    Inventor: Pierre Andre Genest
  • Patent number: 8729820
    Abstract: A LED driver integrated circuit has a voltage input pin, a voltage output pin, a capacitor pin, and a switching circuit connected to the capacitor pin and the voltage output pin. The capacitor pin and the voltage output pin are for a flying capacitor to be connected therebetween, and thus the switching circuit and the flying capacitor establish a charge pump to convert an input voltage received by the voltage input pin into an output voltage at the voltage output pin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Richtek Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Tsung-Wei Huang, Shui-Mu Lin, Pao-Hsun Yu, Ying-Hsin Hsing
  • Patent number: 8729814
    Abstract: A two-wire load control device, such as, a dimmer switch, for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load comprise a bidirectional semiconductor switch having first and second anti-series connected switching transistors (such as, for example, field-effect transistors) that are adapted to be coupled between the source and the load, and are controlled to be conductive and non-conductive in a complementary basis. The bidirectional semiconductor switch is operable to be rendered conductive and to remain conductive independent of the magnitude of a load current conducted through semiconductor switch. The dimmer switch also comprises a drive circuit for rendering the first and second switching transistors conductive and non-conductive each half-cycle on the complementary basis, so as to control the amount of power delivered to the electrical load to a desired amount of power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher James Salvestrini