White AC LED

• US 8,598,794 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2009
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Switch Bulb Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Lenk, Ronald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CRAWFORD, JASON
• Application Number:
  US13/062,207
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 315/185.R
• US Class Current: 315/185.R
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light

Abstract

A multi-color white LED which can be driven by a single current, and more particularly, to the use of a specific ratio of numbers of different color LEDs to obtain a specific desired color while running all of them at the same current.

Claims

1. An LED light source comprising:

a first set of LEDs, the first set comprising one or more LEDs of a first color; and

a second set of LEDs, the second set comprising one or more LEDs of a second color,

wherein the first color and the second color are different,

wherein the number of LEDs in the first set has a ratio to the number of LEDs in the second set, the ratio selected based on the amount of luminous flux emitted by a first LED in the first set at a determined current and the amount of luminous flux emitted by a second LED in the second set at the determined current to obtain a desired color spectrum; and

wherein the LEDs in the first and second sets of LEDs are in series.

2. An LED light source as set forth in claim 1, wherein the number of LEDs in the first set and the number of LEDs in the second set are selected to produce a desired forward voltage.

3. An LED light source as set forth in claim 2, wherein the desired forward voltage is an AC line voltage.

4. An LED light source as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first color and the second color are selected from the group comprising red, green, and blue.

5. An LED light source as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the LEDs in the first set have a wavelength between approximately 430 nm and 480 nm,

wherein the LEDs in the second set have a wavelength between approximately 600 and 630 nm, and

wherein the LED light source includes a group of luminophores which are configured to emit light of a wavelength between approximately 555 nm and 585 nm.

6. An LED light source as set forth in claim 1, wherein the desired color spectrum is white.

7. An LED light source as set forth in claim 1, wherein the LEDs in the first and second sets of LEDs are arranged in a matrix.

8. An LED light source as set forth in claim 7, wherein the LEDs in the first and second sets of LEDs are randomly arranged in the matrix.

9. An LED light source comprising:

a plurality of sets of LEDs, each set comprising one or more LEDs of a single color;

wherein the color of the LEDs in each set is different from the colors of the LEDs in other sets,

wherein each set has a corresponding value of luminous flux, the value of luminous flux based on the amount of luminous flux emitted by an LED in that set at a determined current,

wherein the numbers of LEDs corresponding to the plurality of sets are determined based on a ratio, the ratio based on the values of luminous flux corresponding to the plurality of sets of LEDs to obtain a desired output light color, and

wherein the LEDs in the plurality of sets are all in series.

10. An LED light source as set forth in claim 9, wherein the number of LEDs in each set of the plurality of sets is further determined to produce a desired forward voltage.

11. An LED light source as set forth in claim 10, wherein the desired forward voltage is an AC line voltage.

12. An LED light source as set forth in claim 9, wherein a single current is configured to run through the LEDs in the plurality of sets, and wherein the LEDs in the plurality of sets are configured to operate in a single string.

13. An LED light source as set forth in claim 9, wherein each LED in the plurality of sets has a color, and wherein the color is selected from the group comprising red, green, and blue.

14. An LED light source as set forth in claim 9,

wherein the plurality of sets of LEDs comprise a first LED and a second LED,

wherein the first LED has a wavelength between approximately 430 nm and 480 nm,

wherein the second LED has a wavelength between approximately 600 nm and 630 nm, and

wherein the LED light source includes a group of luminophores which are configured to emit light of a wavelength between approximately 555 nm and 585 nm.

15. An LED light source as set forth in claim 9, wherein the desired output light color is white.

16. An LED light source as set forth in claim 9, wherein the LEDs in the plurality of sets of LEDs are arranged in a matrix.

17. An LED light source as set forth in claim 16, wherein the LEDs in the plurality of sets of LEDs are randomly arranged in the matrix.

18. A method of producing a spectrum of white light or arbitrary light color from a plurality of LEDs, comprising:

selecting a first set of LEDs, the first set comprising one or more LEDs of a first color;

selecting a second set of LEDs, the second set comprising one or more LEDs of a second color, wherein the second color is different from the first color;

determining the number of LEDs in the first set and the number of LEDs in the second set based on a ratio, the ratio selected based on the amount of luminous flux emitted by a first LED in the first set at a determined current and the amount of luminous flux emitted by a second LED in the second set at the determined current to obtain a desired color spectrum; and

running the LEDs in the first and second sets in series.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18, wherein the numbers of LEDs in the first set and the second set are selected to produce a desired forward voltage.

20. A method as set forth in claim 19, wherein the desired forward voltage is an AC line voltage.

21. A method as set forth in claim 18, wherein the first color and the second color are selected from the group comprising red, green, and blue.

22. A method as set forth in claim 18, the method further comprising:

selecting a group of luminophores which are configured to emit light of a wavelength of between approximately 555 nm and 585 nm,

wherein the LEDs in the first set have a wavelength between approximately 430 nm and 480 nm, and

wherein the LEDs in the second set have a wavelength between approximately 600 nm and 630 nm.

23. A method as set forth in claim 18, wherein the desired color spectrum is white.

24. A method as set forth in claim 18, the method further comprising arranging the LEDs in the first and second sets in a matrix.

25. A method as set forth in claim 24, the method further comprising randomly arranging the LEDs in the first and second sets in the matrix.

26. A method of developing a circuit with white or arbitrary light color output, comprising:

providing a plurality of sets of LEDs, each set comprising one or more LEDs of a single color;

wherein the color of the LEDs in each set is different from the colors of the LEDs in other sets, and

wherein each set has a corresponding value of luminous flux, the value of luminous flux based on the amount of luminous flux emitted by an LED in that set at a determined current;

determining the numbers of LEDs corresponding to the plurality of sets based on a ratio, the ratio selected based on the values of luminous flux corresponding to the plurality of sets of LEDs to obtain a desired output light color; and

running the LEDs in the plurality of sets in series.

27. A method as set forth in claim 26, the method further comprising:

determining the number of LEDs in each set of the plurality of sets to produce a desirable forward voltage.

28. A method as set forth in claim 26, the method further comprising:

running a single current through the LEDs in the plurality of sets of LEDs, and

operating the LEDs in the plurality of sets as a single string.

29. A method as set forth in claim 26, wherein each LED in the plurality of sets has a color, and wherein the color is selected from the group comprising red, green, and blue.