Driving circuit with dimming controller for driving light sources
AssigneeO2Micro, Inc.
InventorsChing-Chuan Kuo, Yung Lin Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A controller for controlling dimming of a light-emitting diode (LED) light source includes a switch monitoring pin, a current monitoring pin, and a control pin. The switch monitoring pin monitors an operation of a power switch which transfers an AC voltage to a rectifier when the power switch is on. The current monitoring pin receives a current monitoring signal indicating a current flowing through the LED light source. The control pin generates a control signal to control a second switch coupled in series with the LED light source to adjust the brightness of the LED light source according to the operation of the power switch.
Claims20
A controller for controlling dimming of a light-emitting diode (LED) light source, said controller comprising:
- a switch monitoring pin that monitors an operation of a power switch, wherein said power switch transfers an AC voltage to a rectifier when said power switch is on;
- a current monitoring pin that receives a current monitoring signal indicating a current, flowing through said LED light source;
- and
- a control pin that generates a control signal to control a second switch coupled in series with said LED light source to adjust brightness of said LED light source according to said operation of said power switch, wherein in response to said switch monitoring pin receiving a dimming request signal indicating a first set of operations of said power switch, said control signal continuously varies said brightness of said LED light source among a plurality of discrete levels when said power switch is on.
A circuit for controlling dimming of a light-emitting diode (LED) light source, said circuit comprising:
- a rectifier, coupled to an AC power source, that receives an AC voltage and provides a rectified voltage to said LED light source when a power switch coupled between said rectifier and said AC power source is on;
- and
- a controller, coupled to said rectifier, that receives a switch monitoring signal indicating an operation of said power switch, that receives a current monitoring signal indicating a current flowing through said LED light source, that generates a control signal to control a second switch coupled in series with said LED light source to adjust brightness of said LED light source according to said operation of said power switch, wherein is response to said controller receiving a dimming request signal indicating a first set of operations of said power switch, said control signal continuously varies said brightness of said LED light source among a plurality of discrete levels when said power switch is on.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.