Led module and led lighting unit with a plurality of led modules

• US 20090021181A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 01/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft Fur Elektrische Gluhlampen mbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Brune, Ulf, Scholz, Bernd-Heiner
• Application Number:
  US11/918,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20090021181A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/0023 the element being a sensor, e.g. distance sensor, camera
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology

Abstract

In a LED module (11) with a LED array comprising a plurality of LED chips (2) and a control unit (7) for regulating the operating current of the LED chips (2), the control unit (7) is arranged on a support (4) of the LED module (11) and comprises an electronic storage medium for storing operational data of the LED chips (2), the operating current being regulated according to the stored operational data.

Claims

1. An LED module (11) with at least one LED array comprising a plurality of LED chips (2) and at least one control unit (7) for regulating an operating current of the LED chips (2), characterized in that the at least one control unit (7) is arranged on a carrier (4) of the LED module (11) and has an electronic storage medium (8) for storing operational data of the LED chips (2), and regulation of the operating current as a function of the stored operational data is provided.

2. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one control unit (7) has a means for detecting the operating duration of the LED chips (2), the operating duration being stored in the electronic storage medium (8), and the operating current of the LED chips (2) being regulated as a function of the operating duration.

3. The LED module as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that an increase in the operating current of the LED chips (2) with increasing operating duration is provided.

4. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a brightness grouping of the LED chips (2) is stored in the electronic storage medium (8).

5. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the LED module (11) has an interface for reading the stored operational data and/or for programming the at least one control unit (7).

6. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a means for transforming a supply voltage into an operating voltage provided for operating the LED array is arranged on the carrier (4) of the LED module (11).

7. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the LED module (11) contains a temperature sensor (3).

8. The LED module as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that regulation of the operating current of the LED chips (2) as a function of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor (3) is provided.

9. The LED module as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the distance between at least one of the LED chips (2) and the temperature sensor (3) is 5 mm or less.

10. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the LED module contains a light detector (5).

11. The LED module as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the light detector (5) is an ambient light detector.

12. The LED module as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that regulation of the operating current of the LED chips (2) as a function of a luminous intensity measured by the light detector (5) is provided.

13. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one LED array comprises a chip carrier (1) on which the LED chips (2) are arranged, the chip carrier (1) being arranged on the carrier (4).

14. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the carrier (4) has a width of 12 mm or less.

15. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one LED array contains at least four LED chips (2).

16. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one LED array has at least one optical element (12) for beam shaping of the radiation emitted by the LED chips (2).

17. The LED module as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the optical element (12) is a non-imaging optical concentrator.

18. The LED module as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it is part of a motor vehicle headlamp.

19. An LED lighting device, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of LED modules (11) as claimed in claim 1.

20. The LED module as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the distance between at least one of the LED chips (2) and the temperature sensor (3) is 5 mm or less.