Light-emitting systems

• US 9,093,292 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epistar Corporation (Ennostar, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Epistar Corporation (Ennostar, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yeh, Wen-Yung, Yu, Yu-Chen, Yen, Hsi-Hsuan, Lin, Jui-Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Niu, Xinning
• Application Number:
  US12/915,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20110038156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,733 Days
• Field of Search: 315/294
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/00 Light sources using semiconductor devices as light-generating elements, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED] or lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0753 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• 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: H01L 33/36 characterised by the electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/62 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the semiconductor body, e.g. lead-frames, wire-bonds or solder balls

Abstract

A light-emitting system includes a first and second power input terminals; for receiving an AC power input to the light-emitting system; a first, second, third, and fourth light-emitting-diode groups each having at least one light-emitting diode; a first circuit path having at least one light-emitting diode from each of the first and second light-emitting-diode groups, with the light-emitting diodes coupled serially and emitting light during a positive power cycle; and a second circuit path having at least one light-emitting diode from each of the third and fourth light-emitting-diode groups, with the light-emitting diodes coupled serially and emitting light during a negative power cycle. The second light-emitting-diode group and the third light-emitting-diode group share at least one common light-emitting diode, The first and second power input terminals, the first, second, third, and fourth light-emitting-diode groups, and the first and second circuit paths may belong to a single chip light-emitting system.

Claims

1. A light-emitting system comprising:

a first power input terminal and a second power input terminal for receiving an AC power input to the light-emitting system;

a first light-emitting-diode group comprising at least one light-emitting diode;

a second light-emitting-diode group comprising at least one light-emitting diode;

a first circuit path having at least one light-emitting diode from the first light-emitting-diode group and at least one light-emitting diode from the second light-emitting-diode group coupled serially, the first circuit path coupled between the first power input terminal and the second power input terminal, with a current of the AC power input flowing in a direction from the first power input terminal to the second power input terminal and the diodes of the first light-emitting-diode group and the second light-emitting-diode group emitting light during a positive power cycle;

a third light-emitting-diode group comprising at least one light-emitting diode;

a fourth light-emitting-diode group comprising at least one light-emitting diode; and

a second circuit path having at least one light-emitting diode from the third light-emitting-diode group and at least one light-emitting diode from the fourth light-emitting-diode group coupled serially, the second circuit path coupled between the first power input terminal and the second power input terminal, with a current of the AC power input flowing in a direction from the second power input terminal to the first power input terminal and the light-emitting diodes of the third light-emitting-diode group and the fourth light-emitting-diode group emitting light during a negative power cycle, wherein the second light-emitting-diode group and the third light-emitting-diode group share at least one light-emitting common diode, wherein the first power input terminal, the second power input terminal, the first light-emitting-diode group, the second light-emitting-diode group, the first circuit path, the third light-emitting-diode group, the fourth light-emitting-diode group, and the second circuit path are formed in a single chip in the light-emitting system.

2. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first light-emitting-diode group, the second light-emitting-diode group, the third light-emitting-diode group, and the fourth light-emitting-diode group comprises a plurality of light-emitting-diodes.

3. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein the first light-emitting-diode group comprises two diode branches each having at least one light-emitting diode, and the first circuit path comprises the second light-emitting-diode group serially coupled between the two branches of the first light-emitting-diode group.

4. The light-emitting system of claim 3, wherein the fourth light-emitting-diode group comprises two diode branches each having at least one light-emitting diode, and the second circuit path comprises the third light-emitting-diode group serially coupled between the two branches of the fourth light-emitting-diode group.

5. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein the second light-emitting-diode group and the third light-emitting-diode group share a plurality of common light-emitting diodes.

6. The light-emitting system of claim 5, wherein the common light-emitting diodes emit light during the positive power cycle and the negative power cycle.

7. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second light-emitting-diode group and the third light-emitting-diode group has at least one non-common light-emitting diode that is present in only one of the second light-emitting-diode group and the third light-emitting-diode group.

8. The light-emitting system of claim 1, wherein each of the second light-emitting-diode group and the third light-emitting-diode group has at least one non-common light-emitting diode in one of the first circuit path and the second circuit path.

9. A light-emitting system comprising:

a first power input terminal and a second power input terminal for receiving an AC power input to the light-emitting system;

a first circuit path having at least three diodes, the first circuit path coupled between the first power input terminal and the second power input terminal, with a current of the AC power input flowing in a direction from the first power input terminal to the second power input terminal and the at least three diodes within the first circuit path emitting light during a positive power cycle;

a second circuit path having at least three diodes, the second circuit path coupled between the first power input terminal and the second power input terminal, with a current of the AC power input flowing in a direction from the second power input terminal to the first power input terminal and the at least three diodes within the second circuit path emitting light during a negative power cycle; and

a central light-emitting-diode group having at least one diode coupled between the first power input terminal and the second power input terminal, at least a first portion of the central light-emitting-diode group being a part of the first circuit path, at least a second portion of the central light-emitting-diode group being a part of the second circuit path, wherein at least one of the at least one diode within the central light-emitting-diode group emits light during both the positive power cycle and the negative power cycle, wherein the first power input terminal, the second power input terminal, the first circuit path, the second circuit path and the central light-emitting-diode circuit are formed in a single chip in the light-emitting system.

10. The light-emitting system of claim 9, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the central light-emitting-diode group share at least one of the at least one light-emitting diode.

11. The light-emitting system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first circuit path, the second circuit path, and the central light-emitting-diode group comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

12. The light-emitting system of claim 9, wherein the first circuit path comprises two branches and the first portion of the central light-emitting-diode group is serially coupled between the two branches of the first circuit path.

13. The light-emitting system of claim 9, wherein the second circuit path comprises two branches and the second portion of the central light-emitting-diode group is serially coupled between the two branches of the first circuit path.

14. The light-emitting system of claim 9, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the central light-emitting-diode group share a plurality of common light-emitting diodes.

15. The light-emitting system of claim 14, wherein the common light-emitting diodes emit light during the positive power cycle and the negative power cycle.

16. The light-emitting system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first portion and the second portion of the central light-emitting-diode group has at least one non-common light-emitting diode that is present in only one of the first portion and the second portion of the central light-emitting-diode group.

17. A light-emitting system comprising:

a first power input terminal and a second power input terminal for receiving an AC power input to the light-emitting system;

a first light-emitting-diode circuit branch comprising at least one light-emitting diode, the first light-emitting-diode circuit branch having a first end coupled with the first power input terminal and emitting light during a positive power cycle of the AC power input;

a second light-emitting-diode circuit branch comprising at least one light-emitting diode, the second light-emitting-diode circuit branch having a first end coupled with the first power input terminal and emitting light during a negative power cycle of the AC power input;

a third light-emitting-diode circuit branch comprising at least one light-emitting diode, the third light-emitting-diode circuit branch having a first end coupled with the second power input terminal and emitting light during the positive power cycle of the AC power input;

a fourth light-emitting-diode circuit branch comprising at least one light-emitting diode, the fourth light-emitting-diode circuit branch having a first end coupled with the second power input terminal and emitting light during the negative power cycle of the AC power input; and

a central light-emitting-diode circuit comprising at least one light-emitting diode, the central light-emitting-diode circuit coupled among a second end of the first light-emitting-diode circuit branch, a second end of the second light-emitting-diode circuit branch, a second end of the third light-emitting-diode circuit branch, a second end of the fourth light-emitting-diode circuit branch, the at least one light-emitting diode of the central light-emitting-diode circuit comprising at least one common light-emitting diode that emits light during both the positive and negative cycles of the AC power input, wherein the first power input terminal, the second power input terminal, the first light-emitting-diode circuit branch, the second light-emitting-diode circuit branch, the third light-emitting-diode circuit branch, the fourth light-emitting-diode circuit branch, and the central light-emitting-diode circuit are formed in a single chip in the light-emitting system.

18. The light-emitting system of claim 17, wherein at least one of the first light-emitting-diode circuit branch, the second light-emitting-diode circuit branch, the third light-emitting-diode circuit branch, the fourth light-emitting-diode circuit branch, and the central light-emitting-diode circuit comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes.

19. The light-emitting system of claim 17, wherein the central light-emitting-diode circuit comprising a plurality of light-emitting diodes.