LED driver and an LED driving method

1. An LED driver, comprising:

an inductive switch mode converter having an inductive component, an LED output for an LED load and a main converter switch for controlling a current flowing through the inductive component;

a sensor for generating a sensor signal indicative of the output current or voltage provided to the LED output;

a feedback element adapted to provides a feedback path for feeding back the sensor signal for control of the main converter switch;

the inductive switch mode converter comprises a control circuit that adapted to control the main converter switch by determining a sufficient level for current flowing through the main converter switch when the main converter switch starts to open, wherein said control circuit is adapted to take the sensor signal as a bias in reducing the sufficient level and

the LED driver further comprises a processing circuit for processing the sensor signal which has been fed back, wherein the processing circuit is adapted to:

provide the sensor signal to the control circuit when there is the sensor signal; and

generate an output to the control circuit when there is no sensor signal so as to be taken by the control circuit as a bias to reduce the sufficient level.

2. An LED driver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the switch mode converter comprises a flyback converter.

3. An LED driver as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the switch mode converter comprises a transformer with a primary side and a secondary side with the LED output on the secondary side, wherein:

the main converter switch is on the primary side for controlling the current flowing through the primary side of the transformer;

the sensor is on the secondary side; and

the feedback element provides a feedback path from the secondary side to the primary side for feeding back the sensor signal for control of the main converter switch.

4. An LED driver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a comparator for comparing an output voltage from the secondary side of the transformer with a reference and providing a signal to the feedback path.

5. An LED driver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the feedback element comprises an optical coupler.

6. An LED driver as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the converter comprises:

a first transformer winding, which is used to charge the control terminal of the main converter switch to turn on the main converter switch, wherein the main converter switch is coupled to a second transformer winding;

a shunt resistor through which a current is driven by the main converter switch;

the control transistor as the control which is turned on by the voltage across the shunt resistor when the current has reached the sufficient level, wherein the control transistor is coupled to the control terminal of the main converter switch and is adapted to turn off the converter main switch when it is turned on.

7. An LED driver as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the processing circuit output is coupled to the control terminal of the control transistor thereby to inject current into the control terminal of the control transistor.

8. An LED driver as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the processing circuit comprises a pass transistor for passing a current from the first transformer winding to the processing circuit output when the pass transistor is turned on, and a control transistor for controlling the pass transistor, such that the control transistor is adapted to turn off the pass transistor in response to the presence of a feedback signal, and the pass transistor is adapted to be turned on by default in the absence of switching by the control transistor.

9. An LED driver as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the control transistor comprises a pnp bipolar transistor with its emitter coupled to the first transformer winding, its base coupled to the feedback element, and its collector coupled to ground through a resistor, and the pass transistor comprises a pnp bipolar transistor with its emitter coupled to the first transformer winding, its base coupled to the collector of the control transistor, and its collector coupled to the processing circuit output through a resistor.

10. An LED driver as claimed in claim 6 , wherein:

the converter comprises a ringing choke converter, and wherein the first transformer winding comprises a transformer primary side auxiliary winding and the second transformer winding comprises a transformer primary side main winding; or

the first transformer winding comprises a transformer secondary side winding and the second transformer winding comprises a transformer primary side winding.

11. An LED driving method, comprising:

converting an input power supply using an inductive switch mode converter which comprises an inductive element and a main converter switch for controlling a current flowing through the inductive element;

providing a current to an LED arrangement;

generating a sensor signal indicative of the output current or voltage provided to the LED arrangement; and

feeding back the sensor signal for control of the main converter switch,

controlling the main converter switch by determining a sufficient level for current flowing through the main converter switch when the main converter switch starts to open according to the sensor signal, wherein taking the sensor signal as a bias in reducing the sufficient level,

wherein the method further comprises:

providing the sensor signal to the controlling when there is the sensor signal and

generating an output to the controlling when there is no sensor signal, so as to be taken by the controlling as a bias to reduce the sufficient level.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the switch mode converter comprises a transformer with a primary side and a secondary side, wherein the main converter switch is for controlling the current flowing through the primary side of the transformer, wherein generating a sensor signal comprises comparing an output voltage from the secondary side of the transformer with a reference.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the converting comprises:

using a first transformer winding to charge the control terminal of the main converter switch to turn on the main converter switch, wherein the main converter switch is coupled to a second transformer winding;

driving a current through a shunt resistor by the main converter switch; and

turning on a control transistor by the voltage across the shunt resistor when the current has reached a sufficient level,

wherein the control transistor is coupled to the control terminal of the main converter switch and turns off the converter main switch when it is turned on.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 , comprising coupling the processing circuit output to the control terminal of the control transistor to inject current into the control terminal.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14 , comprising passing a current from the first transformer winding to the processing circuit output when it is turned on using a pass transistor, and controlling the pass transistor to turn off in response to the presence of a feedback signal, and turning on the pass transistor by default in the absence of said controlling in response to the presence of a feedback signal.