Multi-segment LED components and LED lighting apparatus including the same

1. An integrated circuit component comprising:

an integrated circuit package;

a plurality of exterior terminals provided on an exterior of the integrated circuit package and configured to provide electrical connectivity therefrom to an interior of the integrated circuit package; and

a plurality of light emitting diode (LED) segments comprising an LED string in the interior of the integrated circuit package and electrically coupled to the plurality of exterior terminals,

wherein the LED segments comprise separately biased LED segments including nodes at opposing ends of the separately biased LED segments electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of exterior terminals, the separately biased LED segments being configured to be serially switched in/out of the LED string via the plurality of exterior terminals in response to changing a level of AC voltage used to bias the LED string, and

wherein the plurality of exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package are configured to provide separate biasing to the separately biased LED segments responsive to the nodes of the separately biased LED segments being serially switched in/out in response to the changing of the level of the AC voltage used to bias the LED string,

wherein providing separate biasing comprises external terminals configured to provide a first forward bias to a first LED segment connected to a first one or more exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package and to provide a second forward bias, different from the first forward bias, to a second LED segment connected to a second one or more exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package.

2. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 further comprising:

an integrated circuit submount in the interior of the integrated circuit package, the integrated circuit submount having the plurality of LED segments mounted thereon, wherein the integrated circuit submount is at least partially encapsulated by the integrated circuit package.

3. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 wherein each one of the plurality of LED segments comprises at least one LED on a die.

4. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 wherein a number of the plurality of LED segments are coupled together in series.

5. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 wherein a number of LEDs in the plurality of LED segments are coupled in parallel with one another.

6. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 wherein LEDs in the plurality of LED segments are covered by at least one lens.

7. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 wherein the plurality of LED segments include blue-shifted yellow LEDs, red LEDs, and/or white LEDs.

8. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 further comprising:

AC voltage terminals configured to receive an AC voltage; and

an LED lighting driver circuit, in the interior of the integrated circuit package, electrically coupled to the AC voltage terminals and to the plurality of LED segments.

9. The integrated circuit component of claim 8 , wherein the LED lighting driver circuit comprises:

a segmented AC circuit electrically coupled to the plurality of LED segments;

an EMI filter stage coupled to the segmented AC circuit; and

a rectifier circuit stage coupled to the plurality of exterior terminals.

10. The integrated circuit component of claim 9 wherein the segmented AC circuit further comprises:

a plurality of current diversion circuits coupled to respective nodes at opposing ends of ones of the plurality of LED segments via respective ones of the plurality of exterior terminals, the plurality of current diversion circuits being configured to be selectively enabled and disabled to serially bias the ones of the plurality of LED segments responsive to the changing AC voltage level provided to the LED lighting driver circuit.

11. The integrated circuit component of claim 10 , wherein a first one of the plurality of current diversion circuits is configured to conduct current to or from a first one of the plurality of LED segments while bypassing a second one of the plurality of LED segments and to be turned off responsive to a current through the first one of the plurality of LED segments.

12. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 , wherein the separately biased LED segments comprise N separately biased LED segments and the plurality of exterior terminals comprises N+1 exterior terminals electrically connected to the nodes.

13. The integrated circuit component of claim 12 wherein the N+1 exterior terminals are configured to electrically couple to an external LED lighting driver circuit configured to separately bias the N separately biased LED segments, outside the integrated circuit component.

14. The integrated circuit component of claim 12 wherein the integrated circuit package is a first integrated circuit package, and

wherein a first exterior terminal of the N+1 exterior terminals of the first integrated circuit package is configured to be electrically coupled to a second exterior terminal of a second integrated circuit package to connect each of the plurality of LED segments of the first integrated circuit package in series with each of a plurality of LED segments of the second integrated circuit package.

15. The integrated circuit component of claim 12 , wherein the integrated circuit package is isolated from a ground node, and

wherein a return path for a current through the separately biased LED segments responsive to being serially switched in/out flows through at least one of the N+1 exterior terminals.

16. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 , wherein the first forward bias is provided by the first one or more exterior terminals to the first LED segment and the second forward bias is provided by the second one or more exterior terminals to the second LED segment at a first level of the AC voltage used to bias the LED string, and

wherein the first forward bias is provided by the first one or more exterior terminals to the first LED segment and a third forward bias, different than the second forward bias, is provided by the second one or more exterior terminals to the second LED segment at a second level of the AC voltage, different than the first level, of the AC voltage used to bias the LED string.

17. The integrated circuit component of claim 1 , wherein a first exterior terminal of the exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package is connected to a first node at an end of the first LED segment, and

wherein a second exterior terminal of the exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package is connected to a second node coupled between the first LED segment and the second LED segment.

18. The integrated circuit component of claim 17 , wherein the first exterior terminal of the exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package is configured to receive an input current to the interior of the integrated circuit package, and

wherein the second exterior terminal of the exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package is configured to output a first portion of the input current from the interior of the integrated circuit package.

19. The integrated circuit component of claim 18 , wherein a third exterior terminal of the exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package is connected to a third node at an opposing end of the second LED segment from the second node, and

wherein the third exterior terminal of the exterior terminals on the exterior of the integrated circuit package is configured to output a second portion of the input current from the interior of the integrated circuit package.