Light emitting device driving circuit

• US 6,242,870 B1
• Filed: 03/13/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Rokugawa, Hiroyuki, Koyanagi, Hisako
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, TUYET THI
• Application Number:
  US09/041,957
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 359/183, 372/82, 372/26, 372/38, 372/34, 372/35, 315/158, 315/360, 315/117, 315/112, 315/118, 315/309, 315/291, 307/157, 307/117, 307/10.8, 340/584, 340/643
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

A light emitting device driving circuit capable of, at all times, securing a constant optical output by a simple configuration even in a case of driving a light emitting device having characteristics changing according to temperature fluctuations, provided with a driving transistor for feeding a bias current and a pulse current to a light emitting device having a grounded-cathode, an adjusting resistor for adjusting the pulse current and bias current fed to the light emitting device, and a resistive dividing circuit comprising series-connected dividing resistors for individually setting the pulse current and bias current, the series-connected dividing resistors being constituted by a temperature dependent resistive unit.

Claims

1. A light emitting device driving circuit comprising:

a driving transistor, connected between an anode side of a light emitting device having a grounded-cathode and a power source side feeding a bias current and a pulse current responding to an input pulse to the light emitting device; and

an adjusting resistor coupled between the driving transistor and light emitting device, that adjusts the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device, said adjusting resistor constituted by a temperature dependent resistive unit.

2. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein said temperature dependent resistive unit comprises a thermistor.

3. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein said temperature dependent resistive unit is constituted by said adjusting resistor and a thermistor connected to the adjusting resistor in parallel.

4. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein said driving transistor is a bipolar transistor or a field effect transistor.

5. A light emitting device driving circuit comprising:

a driving transistor connected to an anode side of the light emitting device having a grounded-cathode, feeding both a bias current and a pulse current responding to an input pulse to the light emitting device;

an adjusting resistor coupled between the driving transistor and light emitting device, that adjusts the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device; and

a resistive dividing circuit having serially connected dividing resistors, individually setting the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device, one of said serially connected dividing resistors constituted by a temperature dependent resistive unit.

6. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein said temperature dependent resistive unit comprises a series-connected first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor, and the first dividing resistor comprises a thermistor.

7. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein said temperature dependent resistive unit comprises a series-connected first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor, and the second dividing resistor comprises a positive characteristic thermistor.

8. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein said temperature dependent resistive unit is constituted by a first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor forming said series-connected dividing resistors and a thermistor connected to the first dividing resistor in parallel.

9. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein said temperature dependent resistive unit is constituted by a first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor forming said series-connected dividing resistors and a positive characteristic thermistor connected to the second dividing resistor in parallel.

10. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 5, wherein the source of said input pulse is a final output stage transistor of a logic circuit and the transistor is a bipolar transistor or field effect transistor.

11. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 5, having a boosting unit for boosting the resistive dividing voltage from said resistive dividing circuit.

12. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 11, wherein said boosting unit comprises a constant voltage source.

13. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 11, wherein said boosting unit comprises a Zener diode.

14. A light emitting device driving circuit comprising:

a driving transistor connected to an anode side of the light emitting device having a grounded-cathode, feeding both a bias current and a pulse current responding to an input pulse to the light emitting device;

an adjusting resistor coupled between the driving transistor and light emitting device, that adjusts the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device;

a resistive dividing circuit having serially connected dividing resistors, individually setting the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device; and

a temperature dependent boosting unit boosting the resistive dividing voltage from said resistive dividing circuit depending upon a temperature.

15. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein said temperature dependent boosting unit comprises a temperature dependent voltage source.

16. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein said temperature dependent boosting unit comprises a Zener diode provided with a resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage;

the resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage comprises a series-connected first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor, and the first dividing resistor comprises a thermistor.

17. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein said temperature dependent boosting unit comprises a Zener diode provided with a resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage;

the resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage comprises a series-connected first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor, and the second dividing resistor comprises a positive characteristic thermistor.

18. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein said temperature dependent boosting unit comprises a temperature/voltage converting element.

19. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein said temperature dependent boosting unit comprises a Zener diode provided with a resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage and the temperature/voltage converting element connected to the Zener diode in series.

20. A light emitting device driving circuit according to claim 14, wherein the source of said input pulse is the final output stage transistor of the logic circuit;

and the transistor is a bipolar transistor or field effect transistor.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a light emitting device producing an optical output power in accordance with a driving current of the light emitting device, the light emitting device having a threshold current; and

an adjusting device coupled relative to the light emitting device and adjusting the driving current in accordance with the threshold current so that the optical output power produced by the light emitting device remains stable during fluctuations in temperature.

22. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the adjusting device is a temperature dependant resistive device.

23. An apparatus as in claim 21, wherein the adjusting device is a thermistor.

24. An apparatus comprising:

a light emitting device with power output properties which vary according to temperature; and

a temperature dependent resistance unit serially connected to the light emitting device and an input unit, wherein the temperature dependent resistance unit contains properties that adjust the driving current in accordance with the power output properties of the light emitting device so that an output power of the light emitting device remains stable.

25. An apparatus as in claim 24, wherein the adjusting device is a thermistor.

26. A light emitting device driving circuit comprising:

a driving transistor connected to an anode side of the light emitting device having a grounded-cathode, feeding both a bias current and a pulse current responding to an input pulse to the light emitting device;

an adjusting resistor coupled between the driving transistor and light emitting device, that adjusts the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device;

a resistive dividing circuit having serially connected dividing resistors, individually setting the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device; and

a temperature dependent boosting unit that boosts the resistive dividing voltage from said resistive dividing circuit depending upon a temperature, said temperature dependent boosting unit further comprising a Zener diode provided with a resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage;

wherein the resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage comprises a series-connected first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor, and the first dividing resistor comprises a thermistor.

27. A light emitting device driving circuit comprising:

a driving transistor connected to an anode side of the light emitting device having a grounded-cathode, feeding both a bias current and a pulse current responding to an input pulse to the light emitting device;

an adjusting resistor coupled between the driving transistor and light emitting device, that adjusts the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device;

a resistive dividing circuit having serially connected dividing resistors, individually setting the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device; and

a temperature dependent boosting unit that boosts the resistive dividing voltage from said resistive dividing circuit depending upon a temperature, said temperature dependent boosting unit further comprising a Zener diode provided with a resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage;

the resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage comprises a series-connected first dividing resistor and second dividing resistor, and the second dividing resistor comprises a positive characteristic thermistor.

28. A light emitting device driving circuit comprising:

a driving transistor connected to an anode side of the light emitting device having a grounded-cathode, feeding both a bias current and a pulse current responding to an input pulse to the light emitting device;

an adjusting resistor coupled between the driving transistor and light emitting device, that adjusts the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device;

a resistive dividing circuit having serially connected dividing resistors, individually setting the pulse current and the bias current fed to the light emitting device; and

a temperature dependent boosting unit that boosts the resistive dividing voltage from said resistive dividing circuit depending upon a temperature, said temperature dependent boosting unit further comprising a Zener diode provided with a resistive dividing circuit for setting the Zener voltage and the temperature/voltage converting element connected to the Zener diode in series.