LED bypass and control circuit for fault tolerant LED systems

US10070491B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED · US

Inventors

• Joseph V. DeNicholas · Chandler, US
• Perry Tsao · Sunnyvale, US
• Christoph Goeltner · Cupertino, US
• Daniel Herrington · New York, US
• James Harbison Masson · Boulder, US
• James Patterson · Lafayette, US
• Werner Berns · Grasbrunn, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 2, 2015
• Grant date: Sep 4, 2018
• Expiry date: Dec 2, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H05B45/54
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A light system (FIG. 2) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (240-246). Each of a plurality of switching devices (230-236) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (220-226) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG. 7, 704) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (708). When a fault is detected, a control signal is applied to the control terminal to turn on a respective switching device of the plurality of switching devices.