Driver method

• US 9,089,029 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triune Systems, LLC (Semtech Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Triune Systems, LLC (Semtech Corporation)
• Inventors: Teggatz, Ross, Chen, Wayne, Atrash, Amer, Smith, Brett, Trichy, Narasimhan, Kohout, James, Knight, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, JIMMY T
• Application Number:
  US13/232,855
• Publication Number:
  US 20120235601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 315/209.R, 315/291, 315/299, 315/307, 315/308
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines

Abstract

The invention provides advances in the arts with useful and novel driver methods. The invention provides circuit driver and control methods for relatively high-current drivers, usable with relatively low-voltage battery power sources. Preferred embodiments include one or more high series resistance capacitors electrically connected with a power source. A low resistance driver circuit regulates power supplied from the capacitors to the load.

Claims

1. A method for driving a load comprising the steps of:

determining a drive current requirement associated with the load;

deriving a voltage level calculated to produce the drive current required by the load; and

providing the required drive current to the load using a low resistance driver circuit, wherein the determining and deriving steps further comprise measuring an equivalent series resistance of a circuit for providing current to the load.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining and deriving steps further comprise characterization of one or more load elements.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining and deriving steps further comprise characterization of one or more load elements in real time.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step further comprises providing one or more current pulses to the load, and wherein the deriving step further comprises using the one or more current pulses to calculate the drive current requirement.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step further comprises providing one or more low-current pulses to the load, and wherein the deriving step further comprises using the one or more low-current pulses to calculate the drive current requirement.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step further comprises extracting feedback from the load for use in the deriving step.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step further comprises extracting feedback from the load for use in the deriving step, the feedback comprising temperature data.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step further comprises extracting feedback from the load for use in the deriving step, the feedback comprising light output data.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining step further comprises storing historical data relative to drive current.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the deriving step further comprises retrieving stored historical data relative to previous drive current.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the load comprises one or more LEDs.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the load comprises one or more flash LEDs.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the voltage is supplied by one or more batteries.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the voltage is supplied by one or more capacitors.

15. A method for driving a load comprising the steps of:

determining a drive current requirement associated with the load;

deriving a voltage level calculated to produce the drive current required by the load;

providing the required drive current to the load using a low resistance driver circuit;

wherein the determining step further comprises providing one or more low-current pulses to the load; and

wherein the deriving step further comprises using the one or more low-current pulses to calculate the drive current requirement.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the determining and deriving steps further comprise characterization of one or more load elements.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the determining step further comprises extracting feedback from the load for use in the deriving step.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the determining step further comprises extracting feedback from the load for use in the deriving step.

19. A method for driving a load comprising the steps of:

determining a drive current requirement associated with the load;

deriving a voltage level calculated to produce the drive current required by the load;

providing the required drive current to the load using a low resistance driver circuit; and

wherein the deriving step further comprises retrieving stored historical data relative to previous drive current.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the determining and deriving steps further comprise characterization of one or more load elements.