Driver with at least four different states

Abstract

Drivers (-) for driving load circuits () comprise supply circuits () for providing supply current signals from a mains source to the load circuits (), storage circuits () for storing energy destined for the load circuits (), and switch circuits (-) coupled with the storage circuit (), the load circuit () and the supply circuit (), and for switching the coupling among the storage circuits (), the load circuit () and the supply circuit (). The switched storage circuits () can, in charge states, be charged via the supply current signals, and in bypass states be bypassed, and in dependent discharge states be discharged via the load circuit () together with the supply current signals, and in independent discharge states be discharged via the load circuits () independently from the supply current signals for a substantial time duration. The drivers (-) may further comprise controllers () for controlling the switch circuits (-) for bringing the drivers (-) between two subsequent zero-crossings of signals supplied to the supply circuits () into the independent discharge state, the dependent discharge state, the bypass state, the charge state, the bypass state, the dependent discharge state and the independent discharge state, in this particular order. These drivers (-) show a reduced total harmonic distortion.