Solid state light source device and dimming circuit thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9967938-B2
Application number	US-201514740766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Oct 23, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A solid state light source device and a dimming circuit are provided. The dimming circuit includes a rectifier circuit, a switch unit, and a control unit. The rectifier circuit is configured to convert an AC voltage signal to a rectified voltage signal. The switch unit is electrically connected between the rectifier circuit and a lighting module and configured to undergo switching according to a pulse width modulation signal to connect or disconnect the rectifier circuit and the lighting module. The control unit is electrically connected to the switch unit and configured to generate the pulse width modulation signal to control the switch unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dimming circuit configured to dim a lighting module, comprising:
a rectifier circuit configured to convert an AC voltage signal to a rectified voltage signal;
a switch unit electrically connected between the rectifier circuit and the lighting module and configured to undergo switching according to a pulse width modulation signal to connect or disconnect the rectifier circuit and the lighting module;
a control unit electrically connected to the switch unit and configured to generate the pulse width modulation signal to control the switch unit; and
a voltage detecting unit electrically connected to the rectifier circuit and the control unit, and configured to detect the rectified voltage signal outputted by the rectifier circuit and to output a detecting signal to the control unit when the rectified voltage signal is lower than a predetermined level;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch unit to disconnect when the control unit receives the detecting signal;
wherein the voltage detecting unit is a zero-voltage detecting unit configured to detect the rectified voltage signal and to output the detecting signal to the control unit when the rectified voltage signal is substantially zero.

2. The dimming circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage detecting unit comprises:
a comparator comprising a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is configured to receive the rectified voltage signal, the second input terminal is configured to receive a threshold voltage signal and the output terminal is configured to output the detecting signal.

3. The dimming circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a receiving module electrically connected to the control unit, and configured to receive an external dimming signal and to output a control signal to the control unit according to the external dimming signal;
wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal according to the control signal to control a terminal voltage of the lighting module.

4. A solid state light source device comprising:
a lighting module;
a rectifier circuit configured to convert an AC voltage signal to a rectified voltage signal;
a switch unit electrically connected between the rectifier circuit and the lighting module and configured to undergo switching according to a pulse width modulation signal to connect or disconnect the rectifier circuit and the lighting module;
a control unit electrically connected to the switch unit and configured to generate the pulse width modulation signal to control the switch unit; and
a voltage detecting unit electrically connected to the rectifier circuit and the control unit, and configured to detect the rectified voltage signal outputted by the rectifier circuit and to output a detecting signal to the control unit when the rectified voltage signal is lower than a predetermined level;
wherein the control unit is configured to control the switch unit to disconnect when the control unit receives the detecting signal;
wherein the voltage detecting unit is a zero-voltage detecting unit configured to detect the rectified voltage signal and to output the detecting signal to the control unit when the rectified voltage signal is substantially zero.

5. The solid state light source device of claim 4 , wherein the lighting module comprises a driving circuit and at least one light emitting diode, and the driving circuit is configured to drive the at least one light emitting diode.

6. The solid state light source device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a motor module electrically connected to a second AC power source, wherein the motor module comprises a primary winding and a secondary winding; and
a fan control circuit electrically connected to the motor module, and configured to control the current flowed through the motor module, wherein the fan control circuit comprises:
a second rectifier circuit configured to convert a second AC voltage signal to a second rectified voltage signal;
a second switch unit electrically connected to the second rectifier circuit, and configured to undergo switching according to a second pulse width modulation signal to connect or disconnect the fan control circuit; and
a second control unit electrically connected to the second switch unit, and configured to generate the second pulse width modulation signal to control the second switch unit.

7. The solid state light source device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a receiving module electrically connected to the control unit, and configured to receive an external dimming signal and to output a control signal to the control unit according to the external dimming signal;
wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a duty cycle of the pulse width modulation signal according to the control signal to control a terminal voltage of the lighting module.

Assignees

• Lextar Electronics Corp

Inventors

• Chen Po-Shen
• Chang Chun-Jong
• Yeh Chien-Nan

Classifications

• H02M5/297 Primary

  for conversion of frequency · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H02J1/00

  Circuit arrangements for DC mains or DC distribution networks · CPC title

• H05B33/0818

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B20/346

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic