Texas Instruments Corporation

Texas Instruments Incorporated Deutschland, Gmbh

James Michael Patterson

Daniel Ross Herrington

James Harbison Masson

Vahid Yousefzadeh

Sumeet Prakash Kulkarni

Perry Tsao

Christoph Goeltner

Werner Berns

Joseph V DeNicholas

Michael James Drake

A light emitting diode system allows for high current end user LED matrix applications while mitigating internal damage to control circuitry that may be caused by excess current flow. In one example, multiple switches operate in parallel across an LED. When an overvoltage condition is detected in a first switch, a logic circuit determines those switches programmed to operate in parallel and causes them to conduct current. This reduces the amount of current flowing through any one switch and mitigates harm to the device. The parallel configuration of switches may be driven by a single pulse width modulated current. This allows the drive current to be divided between parallel transistors, limiting the damaging effects that can be caused by high currents flowing through the transistors.

Overvoltage detection circuit with first and longer second response times

Configurable switch array

A light system (FIG.) is disclosed. The light system includes a plurality of series connected light emitting diodes (-). Each of a plurality of switching devices (-) has a control terminal and each has a current path coupled in parallel with a respective LED. A plurality of fault detector circuits (-) are each coupled in parallel with a respective light emitting diode. Each fault detector circuit has a first comparator (FIG.) arranged to compare a voltage across the respective light emitting diode to a respective first reference voltage (). 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.

LED bypass and control circuit for fault tolerant LED systems

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

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Lafayette, CO, United States of America

James Michael Patterson