Solid state lighting apparatus with controllable bypass circuits and methods of operation thereof
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A lighting apparatus comprising:
- a string comprising at least two light emitting device sets serially connected across one voltage source and configured to produce respective light outputs with respective different characteristics, each set comprising at least one light emitting device and the string configured to combine the light outputs of the light emitting device sets to produce a combined light output; and
at least one controllable bypass circuit configured to variably bypass current around at least one light emitting device of a set of the at least two light emitting device sets responsive to a string current sensor signal to control a characteristic of the combined light output, wherein the at least one controllable bypass circuit comprises at least two controllable bypass circuits connected in parallel with one another and in parallel with the at least one light emitting device and configured to variably bypass current around the at least one light emitting device responsive to respective control inputs.
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Abstract
A lighting apparatus includes a string with a plurality of serially-connected light emitting device sets, each set comprising at least one light emitting device. The apparatus further includes at least one controllable bypass circuit configured to variably bypass current around at least one light emitting device of a set of the plurality of light emitting device sets responsive to a control input. The control input may include, for example, a temperature input, a string current sense input and/or an adjustment input. The control input may be varied, for example, to adjust a color point of the string.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A lighting apparatus comprising:
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a string comprising at least two light emitting device sets serially connected across one voltage source and configured to produce respective light outputs with respective different characteristics, each set comprising at least one light emitting device and the string configured to combine the light outputs of the light emitting device sets to produce a combined light output; and at least one controllable bypass circuit configured to variably bypass current around at least one light emitting device of a set of the at least two light emitting device sets responsive to a string current sensor signal to control a characteristic of the combined light output, wherein the at least one controllable bypass circuit comprises at least two controllable bypass circuits connected in parallel with one another and in parallel with the at least one light emitting device and configured to variably bypass current around the at least one light emitting device responsive to respective control inputs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A lighting apparatus comprising:
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a string comprising at least two light emitting device sets serially connected across one voltage source and configured to produce respective light outputs with respective different characteristics, each set comprising at least one light emitting device and the string configured to combine the light outputs of the light emitting device sets to produce a combined light output; and at least one controllable bypass circuit configured to variably bypass current around at least one light emitting device of a set of the at least two light emitting device sets responsive to a string current sensor signal to control a characteristic of the combined light output, wherein the at least one controllable bypass circuit comprises a non-binary variable resistance circuit configured to vary the bypass current responsive to a temperature signal. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A lighting apparatus comprising:
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a string comprising at least one LED; and at least one controllable bypass circuit configured to variably bypass current around the at least one LED responsive to a control input, the at least one controllable bypass circuit configured to conduct bypass current via a series combination of a switch and at least one ancillary diode coupled in parallel with the at least one LED, the at least one ancillary diode having a different forward voltage characteristic than the at least one LED. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of operating a lighting apparatus comprising a string comprising at least two light emitting device sets serially connected across one voltage source and configured to produce light outputs with respective different characteristics, each set comprising at least one light emitting device and the string configured to combine the light outputs of the light emitting device sets to produce a combined light output, the method comprising:
bypassing current around at least one light emitting device of a set of the at least two light emitting device sets responsive to a string current sensor signal to control a characteristic of the combined light output, wherein bypassing current around at least one light emitting device of a set of the at least two light emitting device sets responsive to the string current sensor signal to control a characteristic of the combined light output comprises controlling a switch and/or a variable resistance circuit connected in parallel with the at least one light emitting device responsive to the string current sensor signal, and wherein controlling a switch and/or a variable resistance circuit connected in parallel with the at least one light emitting device further comprises controlling the switch and/or the variable resistance circuit responsive to a temperature and/or an adjustment input. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of operating a lighting apparatus comprising a string comprising at least one LED, the method comprising:
bypassing current around the at least one LED via a series combination of a switch and at least one ancillary diode having a different forward voltage characteristic than the at least one LED responsive to a control input. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
Specification