# US 8,786,348 B2 · Control circuit of light-emitting element

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- Number: US 8,786,348 B2
- Document ID: US8786348B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/152,326
- Filed: 2011-06-03
- Published: 2011-12-08
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2010-06-03
- Assignees: Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC
- Applicants: Shuhei Kawai; Yoshio Fujimura
- Inventors: Shuhei Kawai; Yoshio Fujimura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8786348B2

## CPC

- H05B 45/375: using buck topology
- H02M 1/44: Circuits or arrangements for compensating for electromagnetic interference in converters or inverters
- H02M 3/156: with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
- H05B 45/44: with an active control inside an LED matrix
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P)

## Abstract

A control circuit of a light-emitting element comprises a rectifying unit which full-wave rectifies an alternating current power supply, a clock generator which generates and outputs a clock signal (CLK), a first comparator which compares a comparison voltage (CS) corresponding to a current flowing to the light-emitting element and a reference voltage (REF), and a switching element which is set to an ON state in synchronization with the clock signal (CLK) and which is set to an OFF state when the comparison voltage (CS) becomes greater than the reference voltage (REF) at the first comparator, to switch the current flowing to the light-emitting element. In this structure, a period of the clock signal (CLK) generated in the clock generator is varied, to reduce or inhibit noise.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A control circuit of a light-emitting element which controls a light-emission intensity of the light-emitting element, comprising:
a rectifying unit which full-wave rectifies an alternating current power supply;
a clock generator which generates and outputs a clock signal;
a first comparator which compares a comparison voltage corresponding to a current flowing to the light-emitting element and a first reference voltage; and
a switching element which is set to an ON state in synchronization with the clock signal and which is set to an OFF state when the comparison voltage becomes greater than or equal to the first reference voltage at the first comparator, to switch the current flowing to the light-emitting element by a voltage rectified by the rectifying unit,
wherein the clock generator comprises:
a counter which changes a counter value in synchronization with the clock signal;
a capacitor which switches between charging and discharging in synchronization with the clock signal;
a reference voltage selector unit which selects one of a plurality of terminal voltages as a second reference voltage based on a counter value of the counter;
a second comparator which compares the second reference voltage which is selected by the reference selector unit and a terminal voltage of the capacitor, and wherein
the second comparator outputs a pulse as the clock signal by switching an output state according to a comparison result of the second reference voltage and a voltage according to the terminal voltage of the capacitor.

### Claim 2

A control circuit of a light-emitting element which controls a light-emission intensity of the light-emitting element, comprising:
a rectifying unit which full-wave rectifies an alternating current power supply;
a clock generator which generates and outputs a clock signal;
a first comparator which compares a comparison voltage corresponding to a current flowing to the light-emitting element and a first reference voltage; and
a switching element which is set to an ON state in synchronization with the clock signal and which is set to an OFF state when the comparison voltage becomes greater than or equal to the first reference voltage at the first comparator, to switch the current flowing to the light-emitting element by a voltage rectified by the rectifying unit,
wherein the clock generator comprises:
a counter which changes a counter value in synchronization with the clock signal;
a reference current source which changes an amount of current for charging or discharging according to the counter value of the counter;
a capacitor which switches between the charging and the discharging in synchronization with the clock signal and is charged and discharged by the current for the charging or the discharging supplied from the reference current source;
a reference voltage output unit which selects one of a plurality of voltages in accordance with a counter value of the counter and outputs the selected voltage as a second reference voltage; and
a second comparator which compares a terminal voltage of the capacitor and the second reference voltage, and
the second comparator outputs a pulse as the clock signal by switching an output state according to a comparison result of the second reference voltage and a voltage according to the terminal voltage of the capacitor.