Methods and apparatus for compensating a removal of LEDs from an LED array
First Claim
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1. A method for compensating a cut-out of LEDs and associated wiring in an LED-based lighting unit, comprising:
- removing at least one LED from a grid of LEDs to create a grid opening in the grid of LEDs, said grid of LEDs connected in a series parallel configuration by conductive wiring;
wherein removing said at least one LED disjoins portions of said wiring and creates a plurality of free wire segments in said wiring, said free wire segments electrically connected to said grid of LEDs and having previously been electrically connected to the removed said at least one LED;
aligning an opening of a compensating unit at least partially with said grid opening; and
mechanically coupling said compensating unit to said free wire segments;
wherein said compensating unit is configured to alter current within said grid of LEDs to lessen the effect of increased current due to the removal of said at least one LED.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus related to compensating for electrical changes resulting from cut-out of a portion of a grid of a plurality of LEDs (20A-T; 120; 220; 320). A compensating unit (40; 140; 240; 340) may be coupled to free wire segments of the grid that are created by the cut-out and the compensating unit (40; 140; 240; 340) may be configured to alter current supplied to remaining LEDs of the grid of LEDs. The compensating unit is configured to and/or may be configured to lessen current supplied to one or more LEDs of an LED-based lighting unit.
15 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method for compensating a cut-out of LEDs and associated wiring in an LED-based lighting unit, comprising:
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removing at least one LED from a grid of LEDs to create a grid opening in the grid of LEDs, said grid of LEDs connected in a series parallel configuration by conductive wiring; wherein removing said at least one LED disjoins portions of said wiring and creates a plurality of free wire segments in said wiring, said free wire segments electrically connected to said grid of LEDs and having previously been electrically connected to the removed said at least one LED; aligning an opening of a compensating unit at least partially with said grid opening; and mechanically coupling said compensating unit to said free wire segments; wherein said compensating unit is configured to alter current within said grid of LEDs to lessen the effect of increased current due to the removal of said at least one LED. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for compensating a cut-out of LEDs and associated wiring in an LED-based lighting unit, comprising:
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identifying removal of at least one LED from a plurality of LEDs of said LED-based lighting unit, said LEDs connected in a series parallel configuration by conductive wiring; wherein removal of said at least one LED increases current supplied to at least one group of LEDs connected in parallel with one another relative to an original current supplied to said at least one group of LEDs prior to removal of said at least one LED;
determining a current alteration necessary to lessen current supplied to said at least one group of LEDs to a current level substantially similar to said original current; andapplying said current alteration to said at least one group of LEDs. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An LED-based lighting unit with implemented increased current correction, comprising:
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a plurality of LEDs; conductive wiring electrically coupling said LEDs in a series parallel configuration; a compensation unit comprising a measuring module and a compensation element activated by the measuring module upon the power consumed and/or integration of an amount of current supplied to a group of LEDs, the compensation element being a current correction circuit electrically coupled in parallel with the group of said LEDs, wherein said current correction circuit monitors at least one of current and power supplied to said group of said LEDs and periodically short circuits said group of LEDs when said at least one of current and power supplied to said group of said LEDs is determined to be too high. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. An LED-based light unit comprising:
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a grid of LEDs, wherein said grid of LEDs is connected in a series parallel configuration by conductive wiring such that disjoining portions of said conductive wiring, created by removal of at least one LED to create a grid opening, creates a plurality of free wire segments in said wiring; wherein said plurality of free wire segments are electrically connected to said grid of LEDs; a compensating unit at least partially aligned with said grid such that said compensating unit is mechanically coupled to one or more of said plurality of free wire segments; wherein said compensating unit is configured to alter current within said grid of LEDs to lessen the effect of increased current due to the removal of said at least one LED, and wherein said compensating unit is further configured to measure at least one electrical characteristic of said grid of LEDs to determine to what extent to alter current within said grid of LEDs. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 32, 33)
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28. An LED-based lighting unit, the unit comprising:
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a plurality of LEDs and conductive wiring, wherein at least one of said plurality of LEDs is connected in a series parallel configuration by said conductive wiring such that removal of at least one of said plurality of LEDs increases current supplied to at least one group of LEDs connected in parallel with one another relative to an original current supplied to said at least one group of LEDs prior to removal of said at least one LED; and a compensating unit, wherein said compensating unit lessens current supplied to said at least one group of LEDs from said increased current to a current level substantially similar to said original current, wherein said at least one of said plurality of LEDs is at least two of said plurality of LEDs and said compensating unit is configured to compensate for removal of each of said at least two of said plurality of LEDs simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 34)
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Specification