Light-emitting-element driving circuit

• US 8,228,005 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohtaka, Nobuyuki, Yoshida, Tomoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Cho, James H
• Application Number:
  US12/848,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20110025234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 315/185.R, 315/193, 315/209.R, 315/291, 315/294, 315/297, 315/210, 315/307, 315/308, 315/312, 315/313
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits

Abstract

A light-emitting-element driving circuit is provided which comprises a voltage boosting circuit unit which supplies a boosted voltage to a light-emitting element, a current circuit unit which drives the light-emitting element with a current, a normal feedback loop path through which a voltage of the light-emitting element is input as a feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit, a backup feedback loop path through which a voltage of the light-emitting element is input as the feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit, an abnormality detection circuit unit which compares the feedback voltage which is input through the normal feedback loop path to the voltage boosting circuit unit and a predetermined determination voltage, to detect abnormality, and a switching circuit which switches from the normal feedback loop path to the backup feedback loop path when the abnormality detection circuit unit has detected the abnormality.

Claims

1. A light-emitting-element driving circuit which drives a light-emitting element, comprising:

a voltage boosting circuit unit which boosts a voltage based on a feedback voltage and which supplies a boosted voltage to a first side terminal of the light-emitting element;

a current circuit unit which drives the light-emitting element with a predetermined drive current;

a first feedback loop path through which a voltage on a second side terminal of the light-emitting element is input as the feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit;

a second feedback loop path which is provided as a backup feedback loop path through which a voltage on the first side terminal of the light-emitting element is input as the feedback voltage to the voltage boosting circuit unit;

an abnormality detection circuit unit which compares the feedback voltage which is input to the voltage boosting circuit unit through the first feedback loop path and a predetermined determination voltage, to detect abnormality in the first feedback loop path; and

a switching circuit unit which switches from the first feedback loop path to the second feedback loop path when the abnormality detection circuit unit has detected the abnormality.

2. The light-emitting-element driving circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit which determines that the abnormality of the first feedback loop path is an open path when the voltage boosting circuit unit outputs an arbitrary boosted voltage after a predetermined period has elapsed from the switching from the first feedback loop path to the second feedback loop path, and which determines that the abnormality of the first feedback loop path is short-circuit of the path when the voltage boosting circuit unit does not output the arbitrary boosted voltage after the predetermined period has elapsed from the switching from the first feedback loop path to the second feedback loop path.

3. The light-emitting-element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the abnormality detection circuit unit comprises a filter circuit which filters a comparison result between the feedback voltage which is input through the first feedback loop path to the voltage boosting circuit unit and the predetermined determination voltage.

4. The light-emitting-element driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the switching circuit unit comprises a maintaining unit which maintains the state of the switching from the first feedback loop path to the second feedback loop path when the abnormality detection circuit unit has detected the abnormality.