Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.

Masanao Okawa

Hirofumi Konishi

Yohei Hayashi

Hideharu Kawachi

Shin Ukegawa

Minoru Maehara

Masanori Mishima

Hirofumi Takaki

Osamu Tanahashi

Shohei Yamamoto

Hiroshi Kido

Kentaro Yamauchi

Satoshi Fukano

Ryusuke Kotera

Katunobu Hamamoto

Koki Fujihara

Itaru Onishi

Koji Noro

Tadasi Nisimura

Yoshinori Tsuzuki

Hiroyuki Hirose

Takeo Miyai

Ryusukue Kotera

A light emitting module includes light source units having a rectangular plate shape, and a base unit having an elongated rectangular plate shape. The light source units are disposed along a straight line and removably mounted to the base unit. Each of the light source units includes a pair of engaging portions used in bringing each of the light source units into engagement with the base unit. The engaging portions are disposed in two opposite sides of a mounting surface of each of the light source units to be mounted to the base unit. The base unit includes holding portions provided along a longitudinal direction of the base unit on an attachment surface of the base unit to which the light source units are attached and holding-portion-attachment portions to which the holding portions are detachably attached at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction of the base unit.

Light emitting module and illumination device using the same

A light-emitting element lighting device includes: a step-down chopper circuit which outputs a current that flows to a light-emitting element; a current command circuit which selects between a rated mode for passing a rated current for turning ON the light-emitting element and a detection mode for passing an abnormality detection current, which is smaller than the rated current, for detecting an abnormality in the light-emitting element; a voltage detection circuit which detects a voltage across both ends of the light-emitting element; and a control circuit which causes the step-down chopper circuit to stop outputting the current to the light-emitting element, when the voltage across both ends detected by the voltage detection circuit in the detection mode is lower than or equal to an abnormality detection threshold voltage which is set lower than the rated voltage at the time when the light-emitting element is turned ON.

Light-emitting element lighting device, light-emitting module, illuminating apparatus, and light-emitting element lighting method

A light-emitting-element lighting circuit for dimming a light emitting element by a PWM dimming signal of a duty ratio corresponding to an input dimming signal is provided. The lighting circuit includes a PWM dimming signal generating unit which generates the PWM dimming signal by performing a summation of AC wave signals including a fundamental wave and harmonics of different frequencies that are integer multiples of a fundamental frequency of the fundamental wave. The fundamental frequency is equal to or higher than a frequency, at which a sound pressure level is at maximum, in an audible frequency range in a correlation spectrum between the sound pressure level generated from the light emitting element and a frequency of an AC wave signal inputted to the light emitting element.

Lighting circuit for light emitting element and illumination apparatus including same

An organic EL module includes a flat plate-like light emitting panel configured to use an organic EL element; and a holding member configured to hold the light emitting panel. The holding member includes: a conductive member serving as at least a part of the holding member, and a capacitance component is provided between the conductive member and an electrode layer, the electrode layer being provided in the light emitting panel to supply a driving voltage thereto.

Organic EL illumination module and illumination apparatus including same

A lighting apparatus includes a light-emission unit having plate shape; and a base unit configured to be detachably attached thereto the light-emission unit. The base unit has substantially rectangular shape. The base unit includes a power supply rail for supplying electricity to the light-emission unit and a support section supporting the light-emission unit. The power supply rail has rail-shape and extending in a longitudinal direction of the base unit. The light-emission unit includes a luminescent panel, a control circuit configured to control lighting of the luminescent panel and an electrically conductive connection terminal electrically connecting the control circuit to the power supply rail. The base unit is formed so as to be capable of being attached thereto a plurality of the light-emission units along the longitudinal direction of the base unit. The connection terminal is connected to an arbitrary point of the rail-shaped power supply rail.

Lighting apparatus and lighting apparatus assembly using the same

A display deviceincludes light emitting sectionsof different luminous colors disposed between anode and cathode electrodes, current control unitsfor controlling currents supplied to the light emitting sectionsto desired current levels, respectively, and an emergency power supply for supplying a current to the current control unitsin an emergency in which a commercial power source does not perform a desired function. When operated by the emergency power supply, the current control units turn on and off the light emitting sectionsof different luminous colors such that they are turned on during different periods of time. When the emergency power supply is used, the display devicecontrols turning on of the planar light emitting element using an organic EL light emitting element depending on luminous colors thereof, thereby suppressing the power consumption of the emergency power supply.

Display device and guide lamp including same

A light-emitting-element lighting circuit for dimming a light emitting element having a diode characteristic by a PWM dimming signal is provided. The lighting circuit includes a dimming signal conversion unit configured to generate the PWM dimming signal having a duty ratio corresponding to an emission level specified by an input dimming signal. The lighting circuit further includes a minimum current generating circuit configured to flow a minimum current during an OFF period of the PWM dimming signal generated by the dimming signal conversion unit such that a voltage greater than a threshold voltage designed to allow the light emitting element to emit a light is applied to the light emitting element, and the light emitting element emits a light of a brightness equal to or less than a lowest emission level specified by the dimming signal.

A method for feeding electric power to a planar light-emitting element which includes a planar anode electrode, a planar cathode electrode, a light-emitting layer provided between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, two or more anode terminal portions protruding from the anode electrode and one or more cathode terminal portions protruding from the cathode electrode. The method includes sequentially providing the electric power to the anode terminal portions.

Method for feeding electric power to a planar light-emitting element

A light emitting module device includes: a power line through which power is supplied to light emitting modules; and a signal generation circuit which generates a control signal. The power line is shared by a plurality of the light emitting modules, and has switches and switches which turn on or off current conduction to the light emitting modules, through open/close operations. The signal generation circuit individually controls the switches and the switches. The open/close operations include a light-emission period in which the light emitting module emits light; and an extinction period in which the light emitting module is extinguished, and if there is a control signal to be transmitted to the light emitting module, the control signal is superimposed onto supply power. Since a control signal is superimposed onto supply power to each light emitting module, the light emitting modules can be individually controlled. In addition, since the power line can be used also as a communication line, and the power line can be shared by a plurality of the light emitting modules, the number of lines can be decreased.

Light emitting module device, light emitting module used in the device, and lighting apparatus provided with the device

A light emitting device includes: a plurality of light emitting elements configured to emit light when a direct current is supplied thereto; and a direct current power supply circuit configured to supply an electric current of a given level or more to the light emitting elements. The light emitting device further includes: a light emitting element voltage detection circuit configured to detect a voltage applied to the light emitting elements; and a forward/reverse inverting circuit configured, when the light emitting element voltage detection circuit detects an abnormality in a light emitting element, to apply a reverse voltage to the light emitting element in which the abnormality is detected.

Light emitting device that restores abnormal light emitting element

A light control apparatus and a lighting appliance using the same enable increased luminous efficiency in light control and elongated operative life of a light source. The lighting appliance includes a light source and a light control apparatus. The light control apparatus comprises an electric current output circuit that outputs a constant electric current for lighting to a light source configured of an organic electroluminescence device, and a light control circuit that performs light control of the light source by intermittently supplying the constant electric current outputted from the electric current output circuit. The light control apparatus also comprises an electric discharge prevention circuit (diode) that prevents electric discharge of an electric charge charged in a capacitive component of the organic electroluminescence device.

Light control apparatus for lighting an organic electroluminescence device and lighting appliance using the same

An illumination load determination device includes an illumination load; a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the illumination load; a connection unit for connecting the illumination load and the voltage applying unit; a detection unit for detecting at least one of a current flowing through the illumination load and a voltage across the illumination load when the voltage is applied to the illumination load from the voltage applying unit via the connection unit; and a determination unit for determining a type of the illumination load based on an output from the detection unit. The determination unit has a comparator for comparing a detection value detected by the detection unit to a predetermined threshold, and determines that the illumination load has a capacitance based on an output of the comparator. The voltage applying unit lights on the determined illumination load with a rated driving voltage.

Load determination device and illumination apparatus using same

It is an object to provide a light control apparatus and a lighting appliance using the same which enables to increase luminous efficiency in the light control. The lighting appliance includes a light source and a light control apparatus. The light control apparatus includes an electric current output circuit which outputs a constant electric current for lighting to a light source configured of an organic electroluminescence device, an electric current control circuit which controls an intensity of a driving electric current outputted from the electric current output circuit, and the electric current control circuit biases a direct current component so as to vary the driving electric current periodically between a predetermined maximum value and a predetermined minimum value and flows in the same direction at all times in the light control of the light source.

Light control apparatus and lighting appliance using the same

An organic electroluminescence (EL) module capable of reducing a processing loss of wiring boards for supplying power to an anode and a cathode is provided. Each wiring board () is formed by bending a strip conductor in a manner that parts of the strip in the same surface contacting each other, and is arranged on the outer periphery of the element substrate () in a manner of connecting the extended anode (P) with the same pole and connecting the extended cathode (M) with the same pole. In this manner, the wiring boards () having a width satisfying a shape of the electrodes without cutting a conductive plate into a U shape.

Organic electroluminescence module having a bent strip conductor

Provision of a light emitting device having functionality for restoring to normal even if a low-voltage error occurs, by temporarily applying a reverse current to a low-voltage error light emitting element using a direction inverting circuit, and repairing portions in which impedance has fallen by applying the current. An illuminating device of a light emitting device using a lamp (light emitting element) is provided with a control power source circuit for generating a control voltage, a step-down chopper circuit for converting a direct-current voltage into power needed for the lamps comprising organic electroluminescent elements as light emitting elements, a lamp current detecting circuit for detecting a current flowing to the lamps, a direction inverting circuit including a plurality of lamps and capable of inverting the direction of the connection of the plurality of lamps, a control circuit for generating a control signal for supplying desired power to the lamps, and the lamp current command circuit for controlling the current flowing to the lamps.

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Nara, Japan

Masanao Okawa