LIGHT DRIVING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20140167609A1
• Filed: 06/27/2013
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Solum Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: RYU, Byoung Woo, KIM, Ki Hong, SEO, Kyu Tae, CHOI, Dae Hoon, KIM, Min Jin
• Granted Patent: US 9,338,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/85
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules

Abstract

There are provided a light driving apparatus capable of being commonly used in various types of dimmers, and a driving method therefor. The light driving apparatus includes: a driving unit supplying driving power to a light emitting device according to controlling to drive the light emitting device; and a general-purpose dimming controlling unit controlling dimming of the light emitting device by converting a range of a brightness control signal of an external dimmer into a first voltage range according to a preset ratio to control the supply of power from the driving unit.

Claims

1. A light driving apparatus comprising:

a driving unit supplying driving power to a light emitting device according to controlling to drive the light emitting device; and

a general-purpose dimming controlling unit controlling dimming of the light emitting device by converting a range of a brightness control signal of an external dimmer into a first voltage range according to a preset ratio to control the supply of power from the driving unit.

2. The light driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the general-purpose dimming controlling unit converts a voltage range or an impedance range of the brightness control signal of the external dimmer into the first voltage range.

3. The light driving apparatus of claim 2, wherein the general-purpose dimming controlling unit includes:

a voltage conversion unit converting the voltage range or the impedance range of the brightness control signal of the external dimmer into the first voltage range; and

a controlling unit recognizing a type of corresponding dimmer according to the first voltage range from the voltage conversion unit to provide a dimming signal according to the brightness control signal.

4. The light driving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controlling unit includes:

a recognizer comparing the first voltage range from the voltage conversion unit with a preset voltage range of a lookup table to recognize the type of corresponding dimmer; and

a dimming controller providing the dimming signal according to the brightness control signal based on the type of dimmer recognized by the recognizer.

5. The light driving apparatus of claim 4, wherein the dimming controller controls current information of the light emitting device detected by the driving unit to control the dimming of the light emitting device.

6. The light driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light emitting device is at least one light emitting diode.

7. The light driving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the driving unit includes:

a power factor correction unit switching input power to correct a power factor; and

a direct current (DC) to DC conversion unit converting DC power from the power factor correction unit into the driving power according to controlling.

8. The light driving apparatus of claim 7, wherein the driving unit further includes a filter unit rectifying and smoothing alternating current (AC) power and removing electromagnetic interference therefrom.

9. The light driving apparatus of claim 7, wherein the DC to DC conversion unit includes:

a converter switching the DC power from the power factor correction unit according to a feedback signal to convert the DC power into the driving power; and

a feedback unit detecting current flowing in the light emitting device and providing the detected current to the converter.

10. A driving method for a light driving apparatus, comprising:

reading a type of dimmer previously used; and

converting a range of a brightness control signal into a first voltage range according to a preset ratio to control the supply of power to a light emitting device, controlling dimming of the light emitting device.

11. The driving method of claim 10, wherein the controlling of the dimming includes:

setting a dimming range of a dimmer in a preset lookup table;

obtaining data on a connected dimmer;

comparing the obtained data with a maximum value and a minimum value of the set dimming range; and

changing the dimming range or outputting the dimming data according to the comparison result, thereby controlling the dimming of the light emitting device.

12. The driving method of claim 11, further comprising recording the changed dimming range.