Electronic control to regulate power for solid-state lighting and methods thereof
First Claim
1. A regulator device to regulate an input power supply that supplies power to a plurality of light emitters, the plurality of light emitters electrically coupled in series between an input power node of the input power supply and a reference node, the regulator device comprising:
- a plurality of switches each of which selectively electrically couples a respective number of the light emitters to receive power from the input power supply via the input power node when the switch is deactivated; and
a control circuit electrically coupled to the input power node of the input power supply and controllingly coupled to the plurality of switches, the control circuit senses an operational parameter of the input power supply, the operational parameter comprising an entire voltage value between the input power node of the input power supply and the reference node, the control circuit deactivates a number of the switches to electrically couple the respective light emitters to the input power supply and a first number of the light emitters responsive to the sensed operational parameter of the input power supply, and adjusts the number of the switches deactivated responsive to a change in the sensed operational parameter of the input power supply, where the first number of the light emitters are coupled to the input power supply regardless of the sensed operational parameter of the input power supply.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods to regulate an input power applied to a plurality of light emitters are provided. A regulator device includes a plurality of switches and a control circuit that controls the plurality of switches. The plurality of switches selectively couple respective strings of the light emitters in series to the input power to emit light when deactivated. The control circuit may deactivate a number of the switches to couple the respective light emitters to the input power in response to a sensed operational parameter of the input power. The control circuit may adjust the number of the switches deactivated in response to a change in the sensed operational parameter of the input power. A number of the light emitters may be coupled to the input power regardless of the sensed operational parameter of the input power.
273 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A regulator device to regulate an input power supply that supplies power to a plurality of light emitters, the plurality of light emitters electrically coupled in series between an input power node of the input power supply and a reference node, the regulator device comprising:
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a plurality of switches each of which selectively electrically couples a respective number of the light emitters to receive power from the input power supply via the input power node when the switch is deactivated; and a control circuit electrically coupled to the input power node of the input power supply and controllingly coupled to the plurality of switches, the control circuit senses an operational parameter of the input power supply, the operational parameter comprising an entire voltage value between the input power node of the input power supply and the reference node, the control circuit deactivates a number of the switches to electrically couple the respective light emitters to the input power supply and a first number of the light emitters responsive to the sensed operational parameter of the input power supply, and adjusts the number of the switches deactivated responsive to a change in the sensed operational parameter of the input power supply, where the first number of the light emitters are coupled to the input power supply regardless of the sensed operational parameter of the input power supply. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method to regulate an input power supply, the input power supply comprising an input power node electrically coupled to a plurality of light emitters, the plurality of light emitters electrically coupled in series between the input power node of the input power supply and a reference node, the method comprising:
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sensing an operational parameter of the input power supply, the operational parameter comprising an entire voltage value between the input power node of the input power supply and the reference node; responsive to sensing the operational parameter, determining a number of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters to be electrically coupled the input power supply via the input power node; and electrically coupling the number of light emitters of the plurality of light emitters to the input power supply based on the operational parameter of the input power supply, the number of the light emitters coupled to the input power supply being between a value M and a value N where the value N is equal to a total quantity of light emitters in the plurality of light emitters, the value M being a positive number greater than zero but less than the value N. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification