LED lighting device with modelling device for modelling a voltage profile

#The present invention relates to an LED lighting device having the features of the preamble of Claim 1.

#Compared to systems having conventional lighting means such as incandescent bulbs or halogen lights, LED lights have the advantage of converting a very high proportion of the consumed power into visible light, thus functioning in a highly efficient manner. As a result, LED lights produce little waste heat, making it possible for them to have a highly compact design. On the other hand, in comparison to incandescent bulbs, LED lights are significantly more demanding with respect to the power supply. Here, it must be ensured that the operating voltage is maintained, since the LED lights do not function if the operating voltage is too low, and are damaged if the operating voltage is too high. In light of this, it is common to control LED lights using a voltage source having a constant output voltage. In the event that an AC voltage is present as a supply voltage, LED lights thus require a power supply which converts the AC voltage into a constant operating voltage.

#Another approach is implemented in the applications DE 10 2012 006 315 A1, DE 10 2012 006 316 A1, DE 10 2012 006 341 A1 and DE 10 2012 006 343 A1. These publications describe LED arrangements which each include a plurality of LEDs, in which it is possible to connect the LEDs to each other in a flexible manner, so that the LEDs as a whole may achieve different forward voltages. A rectified AC voltage is fed as a supply voltage to these LED arrangements, a control device ensuring that the LED arrangement assumes a circuit state having a forward voltage which corresponds to an instantaneous voltage value of the supply voltage. In this way, it is possible to operate the LED arrangement using a rectifier circuit at an AC power supply, but without a switching power supply.

#Additional features, advantages and effects of the present invention result from the following description of a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention and the included figures.

#FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an LED lighting device as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

#FIGS. 2A, 2B, 2C show a schematic block diagram of the LED light unit as a detail of the LED lighting device in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 1 shows an LED lighting device 1 in a schematic block diagram which may be or is situated in an aeroplane as passenger compartment lighting, as a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The aeroplane provides an AC power supply 2 having an AC voltage as the mains voltage. This effective voltage of the AC voltage is, for example, 115 volts; the frequency of the AC power supply 2 is between 150 hertz and 400 hertz.

#A mains filter 4 is optionally downstream of a connection interface 3, which is designed to filter disturbances which could be fed back to the AC power supply 2.

#A rectifier 5 is downstream of the mains filter 4, which is designed to convert the applied AC voltage or the filtered AC voltage into a rectified AC voltage as a supply voltage 11.