LED current regulation circuit for aircraft lighting system
US6600274B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 14, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 29, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 14, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02B20/30
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An improved LED current regulation circuit for providing continuous electrical current to one or more Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in an aircraft illumination system, in particular, an aircraft emergency evacuation system, through a varying voltage source. The circuit comprises a DC voltage source and a current regulation circuit electrically coupled to the one or more light sources, preferably, LEDS. The current regulation circuit comprises a transistor, a collector of which is electrically coupled to the one or more light sources, a zener diode electrically coupled to a base of the transistor, an emitter resistor having a first terminal electrically coupled to an emitter of the transistor and a second terminal electrically coupled to ground, the emitter resistor in parallel connection with the zener diode, wherein the current through each LED is maintained at a constant predetermined level based upon the summation of voltage drops across the zener diode, the transistor and the emitter resistor. In this fashion, each LED will illuminate a desired area on an aircraft despite wide fluctuations in input voltage.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.