Enhanced trim resolution voltage-controlled dimming LED driver

• US 6,670,776 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2001
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aerospace Optics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aerospace Optics, Inc.
• Inventors: Coley, Craig Jay, Guthrie, Don W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US09/998,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20020047593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169.1, 315/169.3, 315/164, 315/136, 315/185.R, 315/186, 315/200.A, 315/291, 362/800, 362/227, 323/267, 323/282, 250/552
• US Class Current: 315/200.00A
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/42 Antiparallel configurations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/44 with an active control inside an LED matrix
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

Illumination sources, each including at least one light emitting diode, are connected either in series or in parallel by a switching circuit, depending upon an applied input voltage. The switching circuit switches the illumination sources from series- to parallel-connection, or vice versa, when the applied input voltage crosses a threshold value in traversing the operating range of applied input voltages. Because the light emitting diodes within the illumination sources are switched from series to parallel connection at a defined kickover point, the voltage-luminance characteristic changes on opposite sides of the kickover point. The resulting overall voltage-luminance characteristic has greater variability in luminance across the entire operating range of applied input voltages, and luminance-variance is not limited to only a portion of the operating range. Greater trim resolution for voltage-controlled dimming of the light emitting diode is therefore provided, with industry standard luminances being achieved at appropriate applied input voltages.

Claims

1. A voltage-controlled dimming driver circuit, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diode groups connected between input and output ports;

primary and secondary current paths for each light emitting diode group, the primary current path including a series connection with a diode and the secondary current path including a parallel connection through a resistor around the diode;

a shunt resistor connected in parallel with all of the light emitting diode groups between the input and output ports; and

a series resistor connected in series with all of the light emitting diode groups between the input and output ports,

wherein resistances for the series and shunt resistors and the resistors within the secondary current paths are selected to cause the light emitting diode groups to produce a preselected maximum luminance when a first predetermined voltage is applied across the input and output ports and a preselected minimum luminance when a second predetermined voltage is applied across the input and output ports.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein resistances for the series and shunt resistors and the resistors within the secondary current paths are selected to control switching of the light emitting diode groups between series-connection and parallel-connection based on a voltage applied across the input and output ports.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode groups each include two or more light emitting diodes.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the diode switches the light emitting diode groups between series-connection and parallel-connection when the voltage applied across the input and output ports crosses a threshold value.

5. A circuit for voltage-controlled dimming of light emitting diodes, comprising:

first and second light emitting diode groups connected between an input port and an output port;

a switching circuit coupled to the first and second light emitting diode groups, wherein the switching circuit switches the first and second light emitting diode groups between series-connection and parallel-connection;

a quiescent current resistor connected between the input and output ports in parallel with the first and second light emitting diode groups and the switching circuit; and

a current limiting resistor connected to either the input or the output ports in series with the first and second light emitting diode groups and the switching circuit,

wherein resistances of the switching circuit, quiescent current resistor, and current limiting resistor are selected to cause the first and second light emitting diode groups to produce one of a plurality of preselected luminances when a corresponding one of a plurality of predetermined voltages is applied across the input and output ports.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein resistances of the quiescent current resistor and current limiting resistor are selected to control a luminance-voltage characteristic of total luminance of the first and second light emitting diode groups as a function of voltage applied across the input and output ports.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein:

when a voltage applied across the input and output ports equals approximately 28 volts, a luminance of the first, second, third and fourth light emitting diodes equals approximately 300-500 foot lamberts;

when the voltage applied across the input and output ports equals approximately 14-15 volts, a luminance of the first, second, third and fourth light emitting diodes equals approximately 15-20 foot lamberts;

when the voltage applied across the input and output ports equals approximately 7-9 volts, a luminance of the first, second, third and fourth light emitting diodes equals approximately 1 foot lambert; and

when the voltage applied across the input and output ports equals approximately 6.4 volts, a luminance of the first, second, third and fourth light emitting diodes equals approximately 0.1 foot lamberts.

8. The circuit of claim 5, wherein the switching circuit further comprises:

a switching diode connected between the first and second light emitting diode groups;

a first resistor connected in parallel with the first light emitting diode group and the switching diode; and

a second resistor connected in parallel with the second light emitting diode group and the switching diode.

9. The circuit of claim 8, wherein light emitting diodes within the first and second light emitting diode groups and the switching diode are all connected with a common forward bias orientation between the input and output ports.

10. The circuit of claim 8, wherein:

when a voltage applied across the input and output ports, as attenuated by the resistances of the switching circuit, the quiescent current resistor, and the current limiting resistor, equals or exceeds a combined forward voltage drop for the switching diode and light emitting diodes within the first and second light emitting diode groups, the switching diode conducts and provides a series connection between the first and second light emitting diode groups, and

when the voltage applied across the input and output ports, as attenuated by the resistances of the switching circuit, the quiescent current resistor, and the current limiting resistor, does not equal or exceed the combined forward voltage drop for the switching diode and light emitting diodes within the first and second light emitting diode groups, the switching diode does not conduct, leaving the first light emitting diode group and the second resistor connected in parallel with the second light emitting diode group and the first resistor between the input and output ports.

11. The circuit of claim 8, wherein light emitting diodes within the first and second light emitting diode groups are series-connected and each have a forward voltage drop of approximately 2.5-3.3 V, the first and second resistors each have a resistance of approximately 20 kΩ

, the quiescent current resistor has a resistance of approximately 4.32 kΩ

, and the current limiting resistor has a resistance of approximately 1.5 kΩ

.

12. The circuit of claim 5, wherein:

when a voltage applied across the input and output ports equals or exceeds a threshold voltage, the circuit operates in a high luminance mode with the first and second light emitting diode groups connected in series, and

when the voltage applied across the input and output ports does not equal or exceed the threshold voltage, the circuit operates in a low luminance mode with the first and second light emitting diode groups connected in parallel.

13. A circuit for voltage-controlled dimming of light emitting diodes, comprising:

a first LED illumination source coupled to a first port and including at least one light emitting diode;

a second LED illumination source coupled to a second port and including at least one light emitting diode;

a first resistor connected in parallel with both the first and second LED illumination sources between the first and second ports;

a second resistor connected to either the first or second port in series with both the first and second LED illumination sources; and

a switching circuit connected between and around the first and second LED illumination sources, the switching circuit connecting the first and second LED illumination sources in series or in parallel based upon a voltage applied across the first and second ports,

wherein resistances of the first and second resistors are selected such that;

the first and second LED illumination sources are connected in series when a voltage within a first predetermined range is applied across the first and second ports and in parallel when a voltage within a second predetermined range is applied across the first and second ports, and

the first and second LED illumination sources produce preselected luminances for each of a plurality of corresponding predetermined voltages applied across the input and output ports.

14. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the switching circuit connects the first and second LED illumination sources in parallel when the voltage applied across the first and second ports is less than a threshold voltage and connects the first and second LED illumination sources in series when the voltage applied across the first and second ports is at least the threshold voltage.

15. The circuit of claim 14, wherein the switching circuit switches the first and second LED illumination sources between series connection and parallel connection when the voltage applied across the first and second ports crosses the threshold voltage.

16. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the switching circuit switches the first and second LED illumination sources from series connection to parallel connection when the voltage applied across the first and second ports changes from a voltage greater than the threshold voltage to a voltage less than the threshold voltage and switches the first and second LED illumination sources from parallel connection to series connection when the voltage applied across the first and second ports changes from a voltage less than the threshold voltage to a voltage greater than the threshold voltage.

17. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the first and second LED illumination sources from series each comprise two serially connected light emitting diodes with a common forward-bias orientation.

18. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the first resistor has a resistance of approximately 4.32 kΩ

, and the second resistor has a resistance of approximately 1.5 kΩ

.

19. The circuit of claim 13, wherein the switching circuit further comprises:

a switching diode connected between the first and second LED illumination sources;

a third resistor connected in parallel with the first LED illumination source and the switching diode; and

a fourth resistor connected in parallel with the second LED illumination source and the switching diode.

20. The circuit of claim 19, wherein light emitting diodes within the first and second LED illumination sources each have a forward voltage drop of approximately 2.5-3.3 V and the third and fourth resistors each have a resistance of approximately 20 kΩ

.