# US 9,521,716 B2 · Device for controlling a field effect transistor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,716 B2 - Document ID: US9521716B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/653,986 - Filed: 2013-11-14 - Published: 2016-06-30 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-19 - Assignees: Continental Automotive GmbH - Applicants: Continental Automotive GmbH - Inventors: Emil Kovatchev; Aurel-Vasile Neic - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521716B2 ## CPC - H05B 45/37: Converter circuits - H03K 17/063: {in field-effect transistor switches} - H03K 19/018521: {of complementary type, e.g. CMOS} - H05B 45/397: Current mirror circuits - H05B 45/48: having LEDs organised in strings and incorporating parallel shunting devices - H05B 45/375: using buck topology - H05B 45/38: using boost topology - Y02B 20/30: Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED] - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A device for actuating at least one field effect transistor corresponding to a control signal present at a control line, includes at least one driver circuit having a current mirror with an input side and an output side. Both the input side and the output side are connected to a supply voltage, the input side is connected to the control line via a level converter and the output side is connected to the at least one FET. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device for LED actuation corresponding to a control signal present at a control line, the device comprising: at least one field-effect transistor (FET) for bypassing at least one respective light-emitting diode, said at least one field-effect transistor having a gate connection, a source connection and a drain connection and being an N-channel FET with a floating source potential with respect to the control line; at least one driver circuit including a current mirror having an input side and an output side for transmitting a current flowing on said input side to said output side, said input and output sides being connected to a supply voltage; said current mirror including a transistor pair having an input-side transistor and an output-side transistor with base connections connected to one another and to a collector connection of said input-side transistor; a level converter formed by a current sink and connecting said input side of said current mirror to the control line in order to impress a current being dependent on a voltage of the control signal; said output side of said current mirror being connected to the gate connection and to the source connection of said at least one field-effect transistor; and a gate resistor connected between the gate connection and the source connection of said at least one FET. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein said transistor pair is a double transistor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein said current sink has a level converter transistor and a level converter resistor, said level converter transistor is connected in series with said input side of said current mirror, and said level converter transistor has an emitter connection related to ground via said level converter resistor and a base connection connected to the control line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device according to claim 3, which further comprises a collector resistor connected between said level converter transistor and said input side of said current mirror for reducing a power loss at said level converter transistor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, which further comprises an input series resistor connected between said input side of said current mirror and the supply voltage and an output series resistor connected between said output side of said current mirror and the supply voltage. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, which further comprises an input series resistor connected between said input side of said current mirror and the supply voltage. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, which further comprises an output series resistor connected between said output side of said current mirror and the supply voltage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, which further comprises a charge pump or a boost converter supplying an output voltage being the supply voltage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein said at least one field-effect transistor includes two or more field-effect transistors, and said at least one driver circuit includes two or more driver circuits having a common supply voltage, being connected in parallel, and actuating said field-effect transistors. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device according to claim 9, wherein said two or more field-effect transistors are each connected in parallel with a respective LED disposed in at least one series circuit.