Electrical control for an LED light source, including dimming control

• US 6,683,419 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Issued: 01/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dialight Corporation (Dialight PLC)
• Original Assignee: Dialight Corporation (Dialight PLC)
• Inventors: Kriparos, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinh, Trinh Vo
• Application Number:
  US10/176,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20030234621A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: G05/F.100, H05/B 3.702, 315/224, 315/291, 315/246, 315/247, 315/297, 315/272, 315/307, 363/21.1, 363/21.11, 363/21.15, 363/21.18, 362/84, 362/545
• US Class Current: 315/224
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3577 Emulating the dimming characteristics, brightness or colour temperature of incandescent lamps

Abstract

A control for a light with an LED light source. The LED light source mimics an operation of an incandescent light source with respect to a dimming control. The LED light source includes at least one LED. A power source provides power to the at least one LED. A sensing element senses at least one of voltage and current at the at least one LED and outputs a feedback signal to the power source based on the sensed at least one of voltage and current. A control circuit is connected to the sensing element and controls the feedback signal output by the sensing element. That control circuit can control the feedback signal output by the sensing element to simulate a dimming operation of an incandescent light source.

Claims

1. A light, comprising:

(a) a light source including at least one LED;

(b) a power source configured to provide power to said at least one LED;

(c) a sensing element configured to sense at least one of voltage and current at said at least one LED, and configured to output a feedback signal to said power source based on the sensed at least one of voltage and current; and

(d) a control circuit connected to said sensing element and configured to control the feedback signal output by said sensing element,

wherein said control circuit stores data points of a dimming operation of an incandescent light source and controls the feedback signal output by said sensing element to simulate the dimming operation of the incandescent light source based on the stored data points.

2. The light according to claim 1, wherein said sensing element provides an amplitude modulation of the output feedback signal.

3. The light according to claim 1, wherein said sensing element provides a pulse width modulation of the output feedback signal.

4. A light, comprising:

(a) light source means for outputting light, and including at least one LED;

(b) power source means for providing power to said at least one LED;

(c) sensing means for sensing a power property at said at least one LED, and for outputting a feedback signal to said power source based on the sensed power property; and

(d) control means connected to said sensing means for controlling the feedback signal output by said sensing means,

wherein said control means stores data points of a dimming operation of an incandescent light source and controls the feedback signal output by said sensing means to simulate the dimming operation of the incandescent light source based on the stored data points.

5. The light according to claim 4, wherein said sensing means provides an amplitude modulation of the output feedback signal.

6. The light according to claim 4, wherein said sensing means provides a pulse width modulation of the output feedback signal.

7. A method for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) circuit including a light source with at least one LED and a power source configured to provide power to said at least one LED, comprising:

(a) sensing at least one of voltage and current at said at least one LED;

(b) outputting a feedback signal to said power source based on the sensed at least one of voltage and current; and

(c) controlling the output feedback signal,

wherein said controlling operation utilizes stored data points of a dimming operation of an incandescent light source and controls the feedback signal to simulate the dimming operation of the incandescent light source based on the stored data points.

8. The method for controlling a LED circuit according to claim 7, wherein said sensing step provides an amplitude modulation of the output feedback signal.

9. The method for controlling a LED circuit according to claim 7, wherein said sensing step provides a pulse width modulation of the output feedback signal.