Control module for a driver for an electrical load

An LED lighting controller comprising:

• a control circuit configured to, in response to receipt of at least one control instruction via a communication circuit:
• generate a first drive signal for rendering a first controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive to control a magnitude of a first LED current through a first LED coupled in electrical series with the first controllably conductive device, wherein the first controllably conductive device and the first LED form a first branch;
• generate a second drive signal for rendering a second controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive to control a magnitude of a second LED current through a second LED coupled in electrical series with the second controllably conductive device, wherein the second controllably conductive device and the second LED form a second branch coupled in electrical parallel with the first branch;
• adjust the magnitude of the first LED current and the second LED current to adjust the cumulative light emitted by the first LED and the second LED in response to the at least one control instruction;
• control an LED driver via a second communication circuit communicatively coupled to the LED driver via a second communication link;
• wherein the at least one control instructions includes a requested intensity for the plurality of LEDs;
• adjust the magnitude of an output current of the LED driver as a function of the requested intensity in response to receipt of the at least one control instruction;
• wherein, when the requested intensity is greater than the low-end intensity of the LED driver, the control circuit is configured to control the duty cycle of the third drive signal to zero, and adjust the respective duty cycles of the first and second drive signals in dependence upon a requested color temperature;
• and
• generate a third drive signal for rendering the third controllably conductive device conductive to divert at least a portion of the first and second LED currents through an artificial load circuit coupled in electrical series with the third controllably conductive device, wherein the third controllably conductive device and the artificial load circuit form a third branch, the third branch in electrical parallel with the first branch and the second branch away from the first and second LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.

A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by an LED lighting controller control circuit, cause the control circuit to, in response to receipt of at least one control instruction via a communication circuit:

• generate a first drive signal for rendering a first controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive to control a magnitude of a first LED current through a first LED coupled in electrical series with the first controllably conductive device, wherein the first controllably conductive device and the first LED form a first branch;
• generate a second drive signal for rendering a second controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive to control a magnitude of a second LED current through a second LED coupled in electrical series with the second controllably conductive device, wherein the second controllably conductive device and the second LED form a second branch coupled in electrical parallel with the first branch;
• adjust the magnitudes of the first LED current and the second LED current to adjust the cumulative light emitted by the first LED and the second LED in response to the at least one control instruction;
• control an LED driver via a second communication circuit communicatively coupled to the LED driver via a second communication link;
• wherein the at least one control instructions includes a requested intensity for the plurality of LEDs;
• adjust the magnitude of an output current of the LED driver as a function of the requested intensity in response to receipt of the at least one control instruction;
• wherein, when the requested intensity is greater than the low-end intensity of the LED driver, the control circuit is configured to control the duty cycle of the third drive signal to zero, and adjust the respective duty cycles of the first and second drive signals in dependence upon a requested color temperature;
• and
• generate a third drive signal for rendering the third controllably conductive device conductive to divert at least a portion of the first and second LED currents through an artificial load circuit coupled in electrical series with the third controllably conductive device, wherein the third controllably conductive device and the artificial load circuit form a third branch, the third branch in electrical parallel with the first branch and the second branch, away from the first and second LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.