Sampling external voltage which may exceed integrated circuit maximum voltage rating

1. A light emitting diode (LED) driver arrangement comprising:

a control circuit;

a power source;

a plurality of LED strings, a first end of each of the plurality of LED strings coupled to a common output of said power source;

a plurality of controllable current sources, each responsive to said control circuit;

a plurality of electronically controlled switches, a control terminal of each of said plurality of electronically controlled switches coupled to a respective output of said control circuit; and

a plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves,

each of said plurality of controllable current sources, said plurality of electronically controlled switches and said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves mutually associated with a respective one of said plurality of LED strings,

a first terminal of each of said plurality of electronically controlled switches coupled to a second end of the respective associated LED string,

a first end of each of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves coupled to the respective associated controllable current source and a second end of each of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves coupled to said first terminal of said respective associated electronically controlled switch, each of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves arranged to conduct only when the electric potential at said second end is lower than the electric potential at said first end,

said control circuit arranged to alternately open and close each of said plurality of electronically controlled switches, each of said respective associated LED strings thereby producing illumination when the associated electronically controlled switch is at least partially closed, and

said control circuit further arranged to operate the respective controllable current source only when said respective associated electronically controlled switch is at least partially closed.

2. The LED driver arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first comparing circuit, each of the inputs of said first comparing circuit coupled to said first end of a respective one of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves, said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve arranged to couple a voltage appearing at said first terminal of the associated electronically controlled switch to the respective input of said first comparing circuit when said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve conducts responsive to said respective associated controllable current source; and

a power controlling module arranged to control the output voltage of said power source, said power controlling module responsive to the output of said first comparing circuit.

3. The LED driver arrangement of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first comparing circuit, each of the inputs of said first comparing circuit coupled to said first end of a respective one of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves, said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve arranged to couple a voltage appearing at said first terminal of the associated electronically controlled switch to the respective input of said first comparing circuit when said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve conducts responsive to said respective associated controllable current source;

a steering module responsive to said first comparing circuit, each of the inputs of said steering module coupled to a respective input of said first comparing circuit, said steering module arranged to output a signal whose value represents a voltage appearing on said first terminal of a particular one of said associated electronically controlled switches, said particular one selected responsive to said first comparing circuit; and

a power controlling module arranged to control the output voltage of said power source responsive to said output signal.

4. The LED driver arrangement of claim 3 , further comprising a plurality of compensating unidirectional electronic valves, each of said compensating unidirectional electronic valves coupled between a respective one of said isolating electronically controlled valves and the respective input of said steering circuit, and arranged to compensate for the voltage drop across said respective isolating electronically controlled valve.

5. The LED driver arrangement of claim 4 , wherein said first comparing circuit is arranged to identify the input exhibiting the lowest voltage, and set said steering module to select the identified input exhibiting the lowest voltage.

6. The LED driver arrangement of claim 3 , wherein said first comparing circuit is arranged to identify the input exhibiting the lowest voltage, and set said steering module to select the identified input exhibiting the lowest voltage.

7. The LED driver arrangement of claim 3 , further comprising:

an error amplifier coupled to the output of said steering module,

said error amplifier arranged to compare said output signal of said steering module with a reference and output a feedback error signal to said power controlling module reflective of the difference between the output of said steering module and the reference,

said arrangement to control the output voltage of said power source responsive to said output signal being responsive to said output feedback error signal.

8. The LED driver arrangement of claim 7 , further comprising a start up bypass, said start up bypass arranged to increase the rate of response of said power controlling module to said feedback error signal during a start up phase.

9. The LED driver arrangement of claim 7 , further comprising a sample and hold circuit coupled to the output of said error amplifier and arranged to sample and hold said feedback error signal, said power controlling module receiving said sampled and held feedback error signal.

10. The LED driver arrangement of claim 3 , further comprising a second comparing circuit, each of the inputs of said second comparing circuit coupled to said first end of a respective one of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves, said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve arranged to couple a voltage appearing at said first terminal of the associated electronically controlled switch to the respective input of the second comparing circuit when said isolating unidirectional electronic valve conducts responsive to said respective associated current source,

said second comparing circuit arranged to compare each of said respective inputs with a short circuit reference, and output an error signal when any of said inputs exceeds said short circuit reference.

11. A method of controlling and sampling a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) strings coupled to a single power source, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of LED strings, a first end of each of the plurality of LED strings coupled to a common output of the power supply;

providing a plurality of electronically controlled switches;

providing a plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves, each of said provided plurality of electronically controlled switches and said provided plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves mutually associated with a respective one of said provided plurality of LED strings, each of said provided plurality of electronically controlled switches in communication with the associated LED string and the associated isolating unidirectional electronic valve;

alternately opening and closing each of said plurality of provided electronically controlled switches, each of said respective associated provided LED strings producing illumination when the associated provided electronically controlled switch is at least partially closed;

driving a current through the respective provided isolating electronic valve only when the respective electronically controlled switch is at least partially closed; and

sampling a terminal voltage of the respective associated provided electronically controlled switch via the respective associated provided isolating unidirectional electronic valve responsive to said driven current through the respective associated provided isolating electronic valve.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

comparing said sampled terminal voltages of said provided plurality of electronically controlled switches;

selecting a particular one of said provided electronically controlled switches responsive to a particular condition of said comparing; and

controlling the output voltage of the single power source responsive to said sampled terminal voltage of said selected particular one of said provided electronically controlled switches.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising compensating for the voltage drop of said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve associated with said selected particular one of said provided electronically controlled switches.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein said particular condition is the lowest voltage.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

comparing a function of said sampled terminal voltage of said selected particular one of said provided electronically controlled switches with a reference voltage to develop a feedback error signal, the value of said feedback error signal reflecting the difference between the compared function of said sampled terminal voltage and said reference voltage,

wherein said controlling the output voltage is responsive to said developed feedback error signal.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising increasing the impact of said feedback error signal on said output voltage during a start up phase.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

comparing each of said sampled terminal voltages with a short circuit reference; and

producing an error signal when any of said inputs exceeds said short circuit reference.

18. A driver arrangement comprising:

a control circuit;

a plurality of LED strings, a first end of each of the plurality of LED strings coupled to a common output of a power source;

a plurality of controllable current sources, each responsive to said control circuit;

a plurality of electronically controlled switches, a control terminal of each of said plurality of electronically controlled switches coupled to a respective output of said control circuit; and

a plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves,

each of said plurality of controllable current sources, said plurality of electronically controlled switches and said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves mutually associated with a respective one of said plurality of LED strings,

a first terminal of each of said plurality of electronically controlled switches coupled to a second end of the respective associated LED string,

a first end of each of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves coupled to the respective associated controllable current source and a second end of each of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves coupled to said first terminal of said respective associated electronically controlled switch, each of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves arranged to conduct only when the electric potential at said second end is lower than the electric potential at said first end,

said control circuit arranged to alternately open and close each of said plurality of electronically controlled switches, each of said respective associated LED strings thereby producing illumination when the associated electronically controlled switch is at least partially closed, and

said control circuit further arranged to operate the respective controllable current source only when said respective associated electronically controlled switch is at least partially closed.

19. The driver arrangement of claim 18 , further comprising:

a first comparing circuit, each of the inputs of said first comparing circuit coupled to said first end of a respective one of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves, said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve arranged to couple a voltage appearing at said first terminal of the associated electronically controlled switch to the respective input of said first comparing circuit when said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve conducts responsive to said respective associated controllable current source; and

a power controlling module arranged to control the output voltage of said power source, said power controlling module responsive to the output of said first comparing circuit.

20. The driver arrangement of claim 18 , further comprising:

a first comparing circuit, each of the inputs of said first comparing circuit coupled to said first end of a respective one of said plurality of isolating unidirectional electronic valves, said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve arranged to couple a voltage appearing at said first terminal of the associated electronically controlled switch to the respective input of said first comparing circuit when said respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve conducts responsive to said respective associated controllable current source;

a steering module responsive to said first comparing circuit, each of the inputs of said steering module coupled to a respective input of said first comparing circuit, said steering module arranged to output a signal whose value represents a voltage appearing on said first terminal of a particular one of said associated electronically controlled switches, said particular one selected responsive to said first comparing circuit; and

a power controlling module arranged to control the output voltage of the power source responsive to said output signal.