Circuit Arrangement and Method for the Operation of a Circuit Arrangement

• US 20100060490A1
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ams AG (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: ams AG (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Trattlder, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,274,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/22
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 11/20 Dynamic coding, i.e. by key scanning H03M11/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines

Abstract

A circuit arrangement (1) comprises a current source (10), a comparator (50) and a control device (90). The current source (10) serves for supplying a light-emitting diode (41). The comparator (50) may be coupled to the light-emitting diode (41) at a first input (51) via a push-button (101). The comparator (50) may be fed with a reference voltage (VREF) at a second terminal (52). The control device (90) selectively puts the current source (10) into a first operational state (A) for polling a push-button position of the push-button (101) or into a second operational state (B) for emitting radiation by means of the light-emitting diode (41).

Claims

1. A circuit arrangement, comprising:

a current source for supplying at least one light-emitting diode;

a comparator which, at a first input is adapted to be coupled to the at least one light-emitting diode via a push-button and, at a second input is adapted to be fed with a reference voltage the value of which is larger than a value of a supply voltage minus a value of a light-emitting diode voltage across the at least one light-emitting diode; and

a control device which selectively puts the current source into a first operational state for polling a push-button position of the push-button or into a second operational state for emitting radiation by means of the at least one light-emitting diode.

2. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the current source is switched so as to be inactive in the first operational state and active in the second operational state.

3. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein a terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode is coupled to the current source and to the push-button.

4. The circuit arrangement according to claim 3,

wherein the current source is directly connected to the terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode and the push-button is directly connected to the terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode.

5. The circuit arrangement according to claim 3,

wherein the current source is directly connected to the terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode, and the push-button is connected to the terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode via a diode or a resistor or a capacitor.

6. The circuit arrangement according to claim 3,

wherein the current source comprises a current sink and a switch which are provided in series connection and arranged between the terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode and a reference potential terminal.

7. The circuit arrangement according to claim 6,

wherein the switch is realized as a changeover switch which is coupled to the current sink at a first terminal, to a supply voltage terminal at a second terminal and to the terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode at an output terminal.

8. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1,

comprising a discharge current source coupling the first input of the comparator to a reference potential terminal.

9. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1,

comprising at least one additional current source for supplying at least one additional light-emitting diode, wherein the first input of the comparator is adapted to be coupled to the at least one additional light-emitting diode via at least one additional push-button.

10. The circuit arrangement according to claim 9,

wherein the control device selectively puts the at least one additional current source into the first operational state for polling a push-button position of the at least one additional push-button or into the second operational state for providing radiation by means of the at least one additional light-emitting diode.

11. The circuit arrangement according to claim 10,

wherein at least one element of the set comprising the current source and the at least one additional current source is simultaneously put into the first operational state by the control device.

12. The circuit arrangement according to claim 9,

wherein one terminal each of the at least one additional light-emitting diode is coupled to the at least one additional current source and to the at least one additional push-button.

13. The circuit arrangement according to claim 1, comprising at least one additional comparator which, at a first input, is adapted to be coupled in each case to the at least one light-emitting diode via at least one further push-button, and, at a second terminal is adapted to be fed with at least one additional reference voltage having a value which is larger than the value of the supply voltage minus the value of the light-emitting diode voltage across the at least one light-emitting diode.

14. The circuit arrangement according to claim 9, further comprising at least one additional comparator which, at a first input is adapted to be coupled in each case to the at least one light-emitting diode via at least one further push-button, and, at a second terminal is adapted to be fed with at least one additional reference voltage having a value which is larger than the value of the supply voltage minus the value of the light-emitting diode voltage across the at least one light-emitting diode,

wherein the first input of the at least one additional comparator is adapted in each case to be coupled to the at least one additional light-emitting diode via at least one other push-button.

15. A method for operating a circuit arrangement, comprising:

putting a current source into a first operational state and polling a push-button position of a push-button with a comparator which is coupled to at least one light-emitting diode via the push-button in such a manner that a voltage at a first terminal of the push-button is compared with a reference voltage the value of which is larger than a value of a supply voltage minus a value of a light-emitting diode voltage across the at least one light-emitting diode; and

putting the current source into a second operational state for supplying the at least one light-emitting diode and providing radiation by means of the at least one light-emitting diode.

16. The method according to claim 15,

wherein a terminal of the at least one light-emitting diode is coupled to a second terminal of the push-button and to the current source.