Semiconductor light source lighting circuit and vehicular lamp
View Patent ↗A semiconductor light source lighting circuit includes a voltage step-down unit configured to generate a drive voltage lower than an input voltage by turning on or off a first switching element in a voltage step-down mode, a voltage step-up unit configured to generate the drive voltage higher than the input voltage by turning on or off a second switching element in a voltage step-up mode, and a controller. The controller includes a charge pump unit configured to repeat charging from the drive voltage to a second capacitor and discharging from the charged second capacitor to the first capacitor in the voltage step-up mode, and a switch drive unit configured to apply a voltage higher than the voltage at the other end of the first switching element to the control terminal of the first switching element by using a voltage of the charged first capacitor.
1. A semiconductor light source lighting circuit which receives an input voltage and applies a drive voltage to a semiconductor light source, comprising:
a voltage step-down unit configured to generate the drive voltage lower than the input voltage by turning on or off a first switching element in a voltage step-down mode, the first switching element having one end to which the input voltage is applied;
a voltage step-up unit configured to generate the drive voltage higher than the input voltage by turning on or off a second switching element in a voltage step-up mode, the second switching element having one end to which a fixed voltage lower than the input voltage is applied; and
a controller configured to control on or off of the first switching element and the second switching element,
wherein the first switching element is turned on when a voltage applied to a control terminal of the first switching element is higher than a voltage at the other end of the first switching element, and
wherein the controller includes:
a bootstrap unit configured to charge a first capacitor based on a change in voltage at the other end of the first switching element in the voltage step-down mode;
a charge pump unit configured to repeat charging from a terminal to which the drive voltage is applied to a second capacitor and discharging from the second capacitor which is charged to the first capacitor in the voltage step-up mode; and
a switch drive unit configured to apply a voltage higher than the voltage at the other end of the first switching element to the control terminal of the first switching element by using a voltage of the first capacitor which is charged when the first switching element is turned on.
2. The semiconductor light source lighting circuit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller further includes a clamping unit configured to convert the drive voltage into a voltage lower than the drive voltage, and to apply the converted voltage to the second capacitor.
3. The semiconductor light source lighting circuit according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller further includes a control voltage generation unit configured to generate a control voltage for operating the controller from the input voltage.
4. A vehicular lamp comprising:
the semiconductor light source lighting circuit according to claim 1 ; and
a semiconductor light source to which the drive voltage is applied by the semiconductor light source lighting circuit.
5. A semiconductor light source lighting circuit which receives an input voltage and applies a drive voltage to a semiconductor light source, comprising:
a voltage step-down unit configured to generate the drive voltage lower than the input voltage by turning on or off a first switching element in a voltage step-down mode, the first switching element having one end to which the input voltage is applied;
a voltage step-up unit configured to generate the drive voltage higher than the input voltage by turning on or off a second switching element in a voltage step-up mode, the second switching element having one end to which a fixed voltage lower than the input voltage is applied; and
a controller configured to control on or off of the first switching element and the second switching element,
wherein the first switching element is turned on when a voltage applied to a control terminal of the first switching element is higher than the voltage at the other end of the first switching element,
wherein the controller includes:
a control voltage generation unit configured to generate a control voltage for operating the controller from the input voltage;
a bootstrap unit configured to charge a first capacitor based on a change in voltage at the other end of the first switching element in the voltage step-down mode;
a charge pump unit configured to repeat charging to a second capacitor and discharging from the second capacitor which is charged to the first capacitor in the voltage step-up mode;
a switch drive unit configured to apply a voltage higher than the voltage at the other end of the first switching element to the control terminal of the first switching element by using a voltage of the first capacitor which is charged when the first switching element is turned on; and
a compensation unit configured to start a control to turn on or off the first switching element at a first frequency when the control voltage is lower than a threshold voltage in the voltage step-up mode, and
wherein a second frequency at which the second switching element is turned on or off is higher than the first frequency in the voltage step-up mode.
6. The semiconductor light source lighting circuit according to claim 1 , wherein the first switching element is an n-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.
7. The semiconductor light source lighting circuit according to claim 5 , wherein the first switching element is an n-type metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor.
8. A vehicular lamp comprising:
the semiconductor light source lighting circuit according to claim 5 ; and
a semiconductor light source to which the drive voltage is applied by the semiconductor light source lighting circuit.