Impedance matching circuit for current regulation of solid state lighting

• US 20070182347A1
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Exclara, Inc. (Million Star Technology Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rodriguez, Harry, Shteynberg, Anatoly, Zhou, Dongsheng
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3575 by means of dummy loads or bleeder circuits, e.g. for dimmers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments provide an impedance matching circuit for providing variable power from a dimmer switch having a triac to a switching power supply couplable to solid-state lighting. An exemplary impedance matching circuit includes a first resistor coupled to receive a first current from the switching power supply; a second resistor; and a transistor coupled in series to the second resistor, with the transistor responsive to a gate voltage to modulate a second current through the second resistor in response to a detected level of the first current through the first resistor.

Claims

1. An impedance matching circuit for providing variable power to an electronic load couplable to solid-state lighting, the circuit comprising:

a first resistor coupled to receive a first current from the electronic load;

a second resistor; and

a switch coupled in series to the second resistor, the switch responsive to a control voltage to modulate a second current through the second resistor in response to a detected level of the first current through the first resistor.

2. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch is a depletion mode field effect transistor.

3. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch is conductive in a default mode.

4. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch is non-conductive when the control voltage is below a predetermined threshold and is conductive when the control voltage is above a predetermined threshold.

5. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch is operable in a linear mode.

6. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch is operable in a switching mode.

7. The impedance matching circuit of claim 5, wherein the switch is operable in saturation mode and a non-conducting mode.

8. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the first resistor is a current sense resistor coupled in series with the electronic load.

9. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the switch and second resistor are further coupled in parallel across the electronic load.

10. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the switch, the controller adapted to provide the control voltage.

11. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a zener diode coupled in parallel to the first resistor.

12. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage limiter coupled in parallel to the first resistor.

13. The impedance matching circuit of claim 1, wherein the impedance matching circuit is further couplable to a dimmer switch having a triac.

14. The impedance matching circuit of claim 13, wherein the second resistor is sized to provide at least a minimum holding current for the triac when the first current is below a predetermined threshold.

15. An impedance matching circuit for providing variable power from a dimmer switch having a triac to a switching power supply couplable to solid-state lighting, the circuit comprising:

a first resistor coupled to receive a first current from the switching power supply;

a second resistor; and

a transistor coupled in series to the second resistor, the series-connected transistor and second resistor further couplable in parallel across the switching power supply, the transistor responsive to a gate voltage to modulate a second current through the second resistor in response to a detected level of the first current through the first resistor.

16. The impedance matching circuit of claim 15, wherein the transistor is a depletion mode field effect transistor which is conductive when the gate voltage is below a predetermined threshold.

17. The impedance matching circuit of claim 15, wherein the first resistor is a current sense resistor coupled in series with the electronic load.

18. The impedance matching circuit of claim 15, further comprising:

a controller coupled to the switch, the controller adapted to provide the gate voltage as a control voltage.

19. The impedance matching circuit of claim 15, further comprising:

a voltage limiter coupled in parallel to the first resistor.

20. The impedance matching circuit of claim 15, wherein the second resistor is sized to provide at least a minimum holding current for the triac when the first current is below a predetermined threshold.

21. The impedance matching circuit of claim 15, wherein the transistor is operable in a linear mode or in a switching mode.

22. An impedance matching circuit for providing variable power from a dimmer switch having a triac to a switching power supply couplable to solid-state lighting, the circuit comprising:

a first resistor coupled to receive a first current from the switching power supply and provide a first voltage level;

a voltage limiter coupled in parallel to the first resistor to limit a magnitude of the first voltage level;

a second resistor; and

a depletion mode field effect transistor coupled in series to the second resistor, the series-connected transistor and second resistor further couplable in parallel across the switching power supply, the transistor adapted to modulate a second current through the second resistor in response to the first voltage level.

23. The impedance matching circuit of claim 22, wherein the second resistor is sized to provide at least a minimum holding current for the triac when the first current is below a predetermined threshold.