Point Somee Limited Liability Company

Chemtron Research LLC

Exclara, Inc.

Cuvee Systems, Inc.

Iwatt Inc.

Exar Corporation

Other

Wilcon Inc.

Dongsheng Zhou

Anatoly Shteynberg

Harry Rodriguez

Bradley M Lehman

Stephen F Dreyer

Harlan Ohara

Sinan Doluca

Lanh Cong Nguyen

Mark D Telefus

Junjie Zheng

Mark Eason

Kent Kernahan

Thomas J Riordan

Arthur J Collmeyer

Raymond O Chock

Milton Ribeiro

Bree Hao Peng

Gene Zhou

Larry Albert Klein

Milton D Ribelro

Kin Chan

Methods and systems for improved dimming of LED based illumination devices are described herein. An AC input voltage provided to an LED driver is rectified and the rectified signal is monitored by a Rectified Voltage Monitor (RVM) circuit. The RVM circuit generates a low voltage monitor signal indicative of the shape and peak voltage of the rectified signal. The monitor signal and the rectified signal are communicated to a power converter of the LED driver. The controller of the power converter employs the monitor signal to maintain efficiency and stability of the LED driver over an extended range of AC input voltage. The instantaneous voltage of the rectified signal is divided-down, and the peak value of the divided-down rectified signal is captured and stored on one or more capacitive elements. In another aspect, the peak voltage stored on one or more capacitive elements is less than 100 Volts.

LED driver with rectified voltage monitor

Methods and systems for improved dimming of LED based illumination devices are described herein. An AC input voltage provided to an LED driver is rectified and the rectified signal is divided down by a voltage divider circuit to supply electrical power to a dimming interface circuit. The fraction by which the voltage divider circuit divides down the rectified signal is controlled by a Dynamic Input Voltage Compensator (DIVC) based on the peak value of the rectified signal. In this manner, the DIVC increases the range of AC input voltage to the LED driver while maintaining efficiency and stability of the LED based illumination system by reducing the variation of the voltage supplied to the dimming interface circuit over a larger range of AC input voltage.

LED driver with input voltage compensation

A control gas ball valve for high pressure gas cooking appliances provides a linear surface slot along its rotation direction. When turned by a control knob and enters a gas inlet, the said surface slot is able to channel gas input to a hole that connects said surface slot to the center of the valve ball. The gas in the center of the valve ball is directed away to a burner for cooking purposes. The said linear surface slot is able to provide constant flowrate slope for continuously variable power adjustment and a maximum power plateau. These are the most desirable features in residential cooking.

Gas burner control ball valve

Methods and systems for controlling current provided to one or more LEDs for a period of time after power supplied to the LED driver is shut down are described herein. By controlling current through the one or more LEDs after shutdown, the light emitted from the one or more LEDs transitions to zero at a predictable rate with a predictable lag time. An LED based illumination system includes an energy storage element and a controlled luminous drawdown module electrically coupled between one or more LEDs and an electrical power converter employed to control current provided to the one or more LEDs during normal operation. The controlled luminous drawdown module senses a reduction in voltage at the output of the electrical power converter and operates to control current flow through one or more LEDs of the LED string until electrical energy stored in the electrical storage element is depleted.

LED driver with controlled luminous drawdown capability

Methods and systems for improved control of dimmable, white color tunable, multiple channel LED based illumination systems are described herein. The methods and systems described herein improve the utilization of LEDs comprising a multiple channel white light LED based illumination system, along with improved control of brightness and color of emitted light. In one aspect, a multiple channel electrical power driver includes an independent current controlled Direct Current/Direct Current (DC/DC) electrical power converter electrically coupled to each LED string having a different color output. The use of independent DC/DC power converters enables current to be supplied to each LED channel simultaneously up to the rated maximum continuous operating current level in each channel. Thus, the sum of the current provided to each LED channel exceeds the rated maximum continuous operating current of each of the LED channels.

Independent, multiple channel LED driver for control of correlated color temperature

An apparatus, method and system are disclosed for providing AC line power to lighting devices such as light emitting diodes ('LEDs'). A representative apparatus comprises: a plurality of LEDs coupled in series to form a plurality of segments of LEDs; first and second current regulators; a current sensor; and a controller to monitor a current level through a series LED current path, and to provide for first or second segments of LEDs to be in or out of the series LED current path at different current levels. A voltage regulator is also utilized to provide a voltage during a zero-crossing interval of the AC voltage. In a representative embodiment, first and second segments of LEDs are both in the series LED current path regulated at a lower current level compared to when only the first segment of LEDs is in the series LED current path.

Apparatus, method and system for providing AC line power to lighting devices

Exemplary embodiments provide for power conversion for solid state lighting coupled to a first switch, such as a dimmer switch. An exemplary apparatus includes a switching power supply and a first adaptive interface circuit. The first adaptive interface circuit may include a resistive impedance coupled in series to a reactive impedance. The apparatus may also include a second adaptive interface circuit including a second switch coupled to the reactive impedance. The second adaptive interface circuit is configured to conduct current from the first switch in a second current path. At least one of the first and second adaptive interface circuits may be configured to damp oscillation when the first switch turns on.

Power conversion apparatus and system for solid state lighting

Apparatus and method are disclosed for providing AC line power to lighting devices such as light emitting diodes ('LEDs'). A representative apparatus comprises: a plurality of LEDs couplable to form a plurality of segments of LEDs; a current sensor; and a controller to monitor a current level through an overall series LED current path, and to provide for first or second segments of LEDs to be in or out of the overall series LED current path at different current levels. The controller is configured to, in a first light emitting diode configuration, cause first and second segments of LEDs to be parallel to one another and in the overall series LED current path. The controller is further configured to, in a second light emitting diode configuration, cause first and second segments of light emitting diodes to be coupled in series and in the overall series light emitting diode current path.

Apparatus and method for providing AC line power to lighting devices

Representative embodiments of the invention provide a system, apparatus, and method of controlling an intensity and spectrum of light emitted from a solid state lighting system. The solid state lighting system has a first emitted spectrum at a full intensity level and at a selected temperature, with a first electrical biasing for the solid state lighting system producing a first wavelength shift, and a second electrical biasing for the solid state lighting system producing a second, opposing wavelength shift. Representative embodiments provide for receiving information designating a selected intensity level or a selected temperature; and providing a combined first electrical biasing and second electrical biasing to the solid state lighting system to generate emitted light having the selected intensity level and having a second emitted spectrum within a predetermined variance of the first emitted spectrum over a predetermined range of temperatures.

Regulation of wavelength shift and perceived color of solid state lighting with intensity variation

Representative embodiments of the disclosure provide a system, apparatus, and method of controlling an intensity and spectrum of light emitted from a solid state lighting system. The solid state lighting system has a first emitted spectrum at full intensity and at a selected temperature, with a first electrical biasing for the solid state lighting system producing a first wavelength shift, and a second electrical biasing for the solid state lighting system producing a second, opposing wavelength shift. Representative embodiments provide for receiving information designating a selected intensity level or a selected temperature and providing a combined first electrical biasing and second electrical biasing to the solid state lighting system to generate emitted light having the selected intensity level and having a second emitted spectrum within a predetermined variance of the first emitted spectrum over a predetermined range of temperatures.

Regulation of wavelength shift and perceived color of solid state lighting with temperature variation

Exemplary embodiments provide an apparatus, system and method for power conversion to provide power to solid state lighting, and which may be coupled to a first switch, such as a dimmer switch. An exemplary system comprises: a switching power supply; solid state lighting; a first adaptive interface circuit to provide a resistive impedance to the first switch and conduct current from the first switch in a default mode; and a second adaptive interface circuit to create a resonant process. An exemplary apparatus comprises: a switching power supply; and an adaptive interface circuit comprising a resistive impedance coupled in series to a reactive impedance to conduct current from the first switch in a first current path in a default mode, and further comprising a second switch coupled to the reactive impedance to conduct current from the first switch in a second current path, with the adaptive interface circuit further damping oscillation when the first switch turns on.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Dongsheng Zhou