Dimmer circuit and LED lighting device having said dimmer circuit

• US 9,456,480 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OSRAM GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Wei, Zeke, Lin, Dan, Li, Yan, Liu, Yaping
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US14/205,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 315/200.R, 315/224, 315/225, 315/247, 315/276, 315/287, 315/297, 315/307, 315/308
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules

Abstract

A dimmer circuit may include: a rectification module, a control module and an output module, wherein the control module receives an input signal rectified through the rectification module and controls the output module to supply a load with an output signal in accordance with the input signal, and a compensation module which collects sampled signals characterizing dimming state of the dimmer circuit between the control module and the output module, and supplies the control module with a compensation signal in accordance with the sampled signals, the control module changing the value of the output signal according to the input signal and the compensation signal.

Claims

1. A dimmer circuit comprising:

a rectification module, a control module and an output module, wherein the control module receives an input signal rectified through the rectification module and controls the output module to supply a load with an output signal in accordance with the input signal, and a compensation module which collects sampled signals characterizing dimming state of the dimmer circuit between the control module and the output module, and supplies the control module with a compensation signal in accordance with the sampled signals, the control module changing the value of the output signal according to the input signal and the compensation signal.

2. The dimmer circuit according to claim 1, wherein the compensation module supplies the control module with the compensation signal when the sampled signal characterizes that the dimmer circuit is in dimming boundary state.

3. The dimmer circuit according to claim 1, wherein the compensation module comprises a sampling unit and a compensation signal generating unit which acquires a first signal characterizing the sampled signal through the sampling unit and generates the compensation signal in accordance with a comparison result between the first signal and a threshold value.

4. The dimmer circuit according to claim 3, wherein the compensation signal generating unit comprises a trigger unit and a compensation unit, the trigger unit acquires the first signal through the sampling unit and starts to supply the compensation unit with a trigger signal when the first signal is less than a DC power voltage as the threshold value, while the compensation unit supplies the control module with the compensation signal in accordance with the trigger signal.

5. The dimmer circuit according to claim 4, wherein the trigger unit comprises a first transistor which turns on and outputs the trigger signal when the first signal is less than the DC power voltage.

6. The dimmer circuit according to claim 5, wherein the trigger unit further comprises a shunt branch, the reference electrode of the first transistor is in connection with the DC power voltage, the control electrode is in connection with the output of the sampling unit, and the working electrode is grounding through the shunt branch.

7. The dimmer circuit according to claim 6, wherein the shunt branch comprises a first resistor, a second resistor and a first capacitor, the first resistor and the first capacitor that are connected in series are connected in parallel with the second resistor, wherein the output of the trigger unit is located between the first resistor and the first capacitor.

8. The dimmer circuit according to claim 4, wherein the compensation unit comprises a second transistor as an amplifier.

9. The dimmer circuit according to claim 8, wherein the compensation unit further comprises a voltage stabilizing element, the anode of the voltage stabilizing element is in connection with the control electrode of the second transistor, and the cathode is in connection with the output of the trigger unit.

10. The dimmer circuit according to claim 9, wherein the voltage stabilizing element is at least one Zener diode.

11. The dimmer circuit according to claim 8, wherein the compensation unit further comprises a third resistor, one end of the third resistor is in connection with the reference electrode of the second transistor, and the other end is in connection with the control module to provide the compensation signal.

12. The dimmer circuit according to claim 4, wherein the sampling unit comprises a voltage dividing branch formed by a fourth resistor and a fifth resistor connected in series, one end of the voltage dividing branch is connected between the control module and the output module, and the other end is grounding.

13. The dimmer circuit according to claim 12, wherein the sampling unit further comprises a first diode, the anode of the first diode is connected between the fourth resistor and the fifth resistor, and the cathode of the first diode is in connection with the DC power voltage, and a node between the anode of the first diode and the fifth resistor forms the output of the sampling unit.

14. The dimmer circuit according to claim 12, wherein the sampling unit further comprises a second capacitor connected in parallel with the fifth resistor.

15. The dimmer circuit according to claim 4, wherein the control module comprises an IC controller, wherein the input signal and the compensation signal are respectively inputted into a first input and a second input of the IC controller, and the output of the IC controller supplies the control module with a control signal.

16. The dimmer circuit according to claim 15, wherein the output module comprises a third transistor and a transformer, the control electrode of the third transistor is in connection with the output of the IC controller, the working electrode is in connection with a primary coil of the transformer, the reference electrode is on one hand in connection with the second input through a eighth resistor and on the other hand in connection with ground through a sixth resistor.

17. An LED lighting device comprising an LED component as a load, comprising a dimmer circuit, the dimmer circuit comprising:

a rectification module, a control module and an output module, wherein the control module receives an input signal rectified through the rectification module and controls the output module to supply the load with an output signal in accordance with the input signal, and a compensation module which collects sampled signals characterizing dimming state of the dimmer circuit between the control module and the output module, and supplies the control module with a compensation signal in accordance with the sampled signals, the control module changing the value of the output signal according to the input signal and the compensation signal.