IP Library Granted Patent US 8,648,847
Granted Patent B2
US 8,648,847 · App. 13/371,821 · Granted Feb 11, 2014

LED driving apparatus which controls based on LED state

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,648,847
App. No.
13/371,821
Granted
Feb 11, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

An LED driving apparatus comprising: a power feed unit; a driving control unit; a current detection unit that detects load current flowing in an LED module; and an output control unit that determines whether the LED module is under conducting state or opening state, and outputs a signal in accordance with a result of the determination, wherein, when the LED module is under conducting state, the output control unit outputs a first signal to the driving control unit so that the load current is constant, wherein, when the LED module is under opening state, the output control unit outputs a second signal to the driving control unit so that a voltage becomes a predetermined constant-voltage value, and wherein the predetermined voltage value is a voltage or higher, at which the LED module starts conduction, and a voltage or lower corresponding to an upper limit of the LED.

Claims (14)

1. An Light Emitting Diode (LED) driving apparatus that drives an LED module having at least one LED, comprising:

a power feed unit that feeds direct current power to the LED module;

a driving control unit that performs driving control of the power feed unit;

a current detection unit that detects load current flowing in the LED module; and

an output control unit that determines whether the LED module is under conducting state or opening state in accordance with a detection result of the current detection unit, and outputs a signal to the driving control unit in accordance with a result of the determination to thus control an output from the power feed unit,

wherein, when the LED module is under conducting state, the output control unit outputs a first signal to the driving control unit so that the load current is constant when a voltage is applied to the LED module by the power feed unit,

wherein, when the LED module is under opening state, the output control unit outputs a second signal to the driving control unit so that a voltage, which is applied to the LED module by the power feed unit, becomes a predetermined constant-voltage value,

wherein the predetermined constant-voltage value is at least a voltage value at which the LED module starts conduction, and at most a voltage value corresponding to an upper limit of the load current when the LED module is under conducting state,

wherein the output control unit has a constant-current control unit that performs constant-current control and a constant-voltage control unit that performs constant-voltage control,

wherein, when the LED module is under conducting state the constant-current control unit performs the constant-current-control based on a comparison result of a voltage corresponding to the load current detected by the current detection unit and a first reference value that is a reference voltage for generating the first signal, and

wherein, when the LED module is under opening state, by using: a voltage corresponding to the load current detected by the current detection unit; a voltage based on an output voltage of the power feed unit; a second reference value that is a voltage for generating the second signal; and an opening state detecting signal from the constant-current control unit, as inputs, the constant-voltage control unit generates a third reference value, based on the second reference value and the opening state detecting signal, and outputs the second signal based on a comparison result of the voltage based on the output voltage of the power feed unit and the third reference value, and thus the constant-voltage control unit performs the constant-voltage control on the output voltage of the power feed unit.

2. The LED driving apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein, when the LED module is under conducting state, the constant-current control unit outputs the first signal to the driving control unit, based on a comparison result of the voltage corresponding to the load current and the first reference value, and when the LED module is under opening state, the constant-current control unit stops the output of the first signal, and

wherein, when the LED module is under opening state, the constant-voltage control unit outputs the second signal to the driving control unit, based on a comparison result of the voltage based on the output voltage and the second reference value, and when the LED module is under conducting state, the constant-voltage control unit stops the output of the second signal.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2020
From: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
To: MINEBEA MITSUMI INC.
Reel/Frame 051803/0293 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2012
From: SUZUKI, SHINICHI; TAKATSUKA, SHINGO
To: MINEBEA CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 027795/0373 →