Illumination system and luminaire
First Claim
1. An illumination system comprising:
- a first light-emitting element column including one of a single first light-emitting element or a plurality of first light-emitting elements connected in series;
a second light-emitting element column connected in parallel with the first light-emitting element column, and including one of a single second light-emitting element or a plurality of second light-emitting elements connected in series;
a constant current supply that supplies a constant current to a light source unit that includes the first light-emitting element column and the second light-emitting element column;
a first detector circuit that is connected in series with the first light-emitting element column, and detects a magnitude of current flowing through the first light-emitting element column; and
a current adjuster circuit that adjusts the magnitude of the current flowing through the first light-emitting element column, according to the magnitude of the current detected by the first detector circuit,wherein the current adjuster circuit adjusts the magnitude of the current flowing through the first light-emitting element column to set a magnitude of the current flowing through the second light-emitting element column to zero, when a magnitude of the constant current is less than or equal to a first threshold value.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An illumination system includes: a first light-emitting element column including one of a single first light-emitting element or a plurality of first light-emitting elements connected in series; a second light-emitting element column connected in parallel with the first light-emitting element column, and including one of a single second light-emitting element or a plurality of second light-emitting elements connected in series; a constant current supply that supplies a constant current to the first light-emitting element column and the second light-emitting element column which are connected in parallel; a resistor that is connected in series with the first light-emitting element column, and detects a magnitude of current flowing through the first light-emitting element column; and a current adjuster circuit that adjusts the magnitude of the current flowing through the first light-emitting element column, according to the magnitude of the current detected by the resistor.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. An illumination system comprising:
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a first light-emitting element column including one of a single first light-emitting element or a plurality of first light-emitting elements connected in series; a second light-emitting element column connected in parallel with the first light-emitting element column, and including one of a single second light-emitting element or a plurality of second light-emitting elements connected in series; a constant current supply that supplies a constant current to a light source unit that includes the first light-emitting element column and the second light-emitting element column; a first detector circuit that is connected in series with the first light-emitting element column, and detects a magnitude of current flowing through the first light-emitting element column; and a current adjuster circuit that adjusts the magnitude of the current flowing through the first light-emitting element column, according to the magnitude of the current detected by the first detector circuit, wherein the current adjuster circuit adjusts the magnitude of the current flowing through the first light-emitting element column to set a magnitude of the current flowing through the second light-emitting element column to zero, when a magnitude of the constant current is less than or equal to a first threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A lighting apparatus that supplies current to a plurality of light-emitting element columns, the lighting apparatus comprising:
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a common terminal; a plurality of branch terminals; a constant current supply that supplies current to the plurality of light-emitting element columns such that a sum of currents flowing from the common terminal to the plurality of branch terminals is constant, when the plurality of light-emitting element columns are connected between the common terminal and a respective different one of the plurality of branch terminals; and a current adjustor circuit that adjusts a magnitude of current flowing from the common terminal to at least one of the plurality of branch terminals, wherein the plurality of light-emitting element columns include a first light-emitting element column and a second light-emitting element column, the first light-emitting element column including one of a single first light-emitting element or a plurality of first light-emitting elements connected in series and the second light-emitting element column including one of a single second light-emitting element or a plurality of second light-emitting elements connected in series, the plurality of branch terminals include a first branch terminal and a second branch terminal, the first light-emitting element column is supplied with a first current by being connected between the common terminal and the first branch terminal, the second light-emitting element column is supplied with a second current by being connected between the common terminal and the second branch terminal, and the current adjuster circuit adjusts a magnitude of the first current, wherein a sum of forward voltages of the one of the single second light-emitting element or the plurality of second light-emitting elements included in the second light-emitting element column is greater than a sum of forward voltages of the one of the single first light-emitting element or the plurality of first light-emitting elements included in the first light-emitting element column, and wherein the current adjuster circuit adjusts the magnitude of the first current to set a magnitude of the current flowing through the second light-emitting element column to zero, when the sum of the currents is less than or equal to a first threshold value. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification