Light emitting diode driving apparatus and light emitting diode lighting apparatus

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0157398 filed on Dec. 17, 2013, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to a light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus for driving an LED and an LED lighting apparatus for driving an LED lighting element.

An LED is a semiconductor device formed to have a p-n junction structure to emit light due to the recombination of electrons and holes and is used in a range of fields in line with recent advances in semiconductor technology.

In particular, since LEDs have high efficiency and long lifespan and are environmentally friendly, as compared with existing light emitting devices; fields of application thereof are being extended.

In general, an LED may be driven by applying DC power having a level of a few volts due to the structural nature thereof, and thus, in general, in order to drive an LED with commercial alternating current (AC) power available domestically, commercially, industrially, or the like, an additional means is required.

In order to drive an LED with commercial AC power, an LED driving apparatus typically includes a rectifying circuit, an alternating current-direct current (AC-DC) converter, and the like.

However, a general AC-DC converter is relatively voluminous and may consume a large amount of power, such that the application of the general AC-DC converter to the LED driving apparatus severely offsets advantages of the LED such as high efficiency, a small packaging size, a long life span, or the like.

Thus, recently, research into a device able to directly drive an LED with AC power, without using an AC-DC converter, has been actively conducted.

In the case of an AC direct driving scheme of directly driving an LED with AC power, a smoothing capacitor is not used, and thus, an LED driving circuit is advantageous in terms of a lifespan, a size, and the like thereof.

In a case in which an LED is directly driven with AC power without using an AC-DC converter, a plurality of switches are connected to a plurality of LEDs, respectively, and a corresponding LED group is turned on and off to be driven according to a level of AC power.

Namely, in an LED driving circuit based on the AC direct driving scheme, an LED group may be controlled to be turned on and off according to a change in a voltage level of the AC power.

Meanwhile, in the LED driving apparatus based on the AC direct driving scheme, a turning on/off operation may be automatically adjusted by detecting a current flowing in an LED and controlling the current to follow a reference voltage, and here, since resistors are connected to individual LEDs, a circuit area and manufacturing costs are increased.

Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not employ a configuration for resolving limitations that a circuit area and manufacturing costs are increased due to resistors connected to respective LEDs.

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent No. 10-0997050

(Patent Document 2) Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2013-0017553

An aspect of the present disclosure may provide an alternating current (AC) direct driving type light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus and an LED lighting apparatus in which a common detection resistor detecting a current flowing in each LED is used.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus may include: a light emitting unit including a plurality of LEDs connected in series, the plurality of LEDs being turned on according to a voltage level of provided rectified power to emit light; a switching unit including a plurality of switches respectively corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, and providing a turn-on path for a corresponding LED among the plurality of LEDs according to the voltage level of the rectified power; a detecting unit including a detection resistor commonly connected to the plurality of switches, the detection resistor detecting currents flowing in the LEDs turned on by the plurality of switches; and a driving unit including a plurality of drivers respectively driving the plurality of switches of the switching unit, the plurality of respective drivers driving the switches corresponding thereto by comparing detection voltages of the currents detected by the detecting unit with a plurality of preset reference voltages, and the plurality of respective drivers having different offset voltages set therein and adding the differently set offset voltages to the detection voltages.

The LED driving apparatus may further include a rectifying unit rectifying alternating current (AC) power and supplying the rectified AC power to the light emitting unit.

Each of the plurality of drivers may include a comparing unit including a first switch receiving the reference voltage to perform a switching operation and a second switch receiving the detection voltage to perform a switching operation, and comparing the reference voltage with the detection voltage; a first current mirroring unit mirroring a preset current flowing in a current source according to the switching operations of the first and second switches; and a second current mirroring unit connected to the first current mirroring unit in parallel to mirror a current flowing in the first current mirroring unit.

The offset voltages of the plurality of drivers may be respectively set to be different by setting a size of the second switch to be greater than that of the first switch.

The offset voltages of the plurality of drivers may be respectively set to be different by differentially setting sizes of transistors of the first mirroring unit.

The offset voltages of the plurality of drivers may be respectively set to be different by differentially setting sizes of transistors of the second mirroring unit.

The light emitting unit may include first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) LEDs connected in series, the switching unit may include first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) switches connected between cathodes of the respective first to Nth LEDs and the detection resistor, the driving unit may include first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) drivers corresponding to the first to Nth switches in a one-to-one manner, comparing the detection voltages with the provided reference voltages, respectively, and providing switching control signals to the first to Nth switches, respectively, and offset voltages of the respective first to Nth drivers may have voltage levels in such a manner that a voltage level of an offset voltage of a subsequent driver is lower than that of an offset voltage of a previous driver, sequentially.

Reference voltages of the respective first to Nth drivers may have voltage levels in such a manner that a voltage level of a reference voltage of a subsequent driver is equal to or greater than that of a reference voltage of a previous driver, sequentially.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a light emitting diode (LED) lighting apparatus may include: a rectifying unit rectifying alternating current (AC) power; a lighting unit including a plurality of LEDs connected in series, the plurality of LEDs being turned on according to a voltage level of the power rectified by the rectifying unit to emit light; a switching unit including a plurality of switches respectively corresponding to the plurality of LEDs, and providing a turn-on path for a corresponding LED among the plurality of LEDs according to the voltage level of the rectified power; a detecting unit including a detection resistor commonly connected to the plurality of switches, the detection resistor detecting currents flowing in the LEDs turned on by the plurality of switches; and a driving unit including a plurality of drivers respectively driving the plurality of switches of the switching unit, the plurality of respective drivers driving the switches corresponding thereto by comparing detection voltages of the currents detected by the detecting unit with a plurality of preset reference voltages, and the plurality of respective drivers having different offset voltages set therein and adding the differently set offset voltages to the detection voltages.

The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present disclosure will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating a light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating an example of an LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating a driver employed in an LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating current waveforms of respective LEDs of the LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

Throughout the drawings, the same or like reference numerals will be used to designate the same or like elements.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating a light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a light emitting diode (LED) driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a rectifying unit 110 , a light emitting unit (a lighting unit) 120 , a switching unit 130 , a detecting unit 140 , and a driving unit 150 .

The rectifying unit 110 may be configured of a bridge diode and may full-wave rectify alternating current (AC) power and supply the rectified power to the light emitting unit (lighting unit) 120 .

The light emitting unit (lighting unit) 120 may include a plurality of LEDs LED 1 , LED 2 , LED 3 , . . . , LEDN connected in series, and each of the LEDs may be a single LED unit or a plurality of LED units.

The first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) LEDs LED 1 , LED 2 , LED 3 , . . . , LEDN may be connected in series and turned on according to a voltage level of the power rectified by the rectifying unit 110 to emit light.

The switching unit 130 may include a plurality of switches M 1 , M 2 , . . . , MN. The first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) switches M 1 , M 2 , . . . , MN may be connected between cathodes of the first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) LEDs LED 1 , LED 2 , LED 3 , . . . , LEDN and the detecting unit 140 and switched on according to the voltage level of the power rectified by the rectifying unit 110 , such that the LEDs corresponding to the switches may be turned on to thereby provide paths allowing currents IM 1 , IM 2 and IMN to flow therealong.

The detecting unit 140 may include a common detection resistor RCS, and the single common detection resistor RCS may be connected to a ground and each of the first to Nth switches M 1 , M 2 , . . . , MN.

The driving unit 150 may include first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) drivers AMP 1 , AMP 2 , . . . , AMPN corresponding to the first to Nth switches M 1 to MN, respectively.

The first to Nth drivers AMP 1 to AMPN may compare respective detection voltages detected by the common detection resistor RCS with preset first to Nth (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1) reference voltages VREF 1 , VREF 2 , . . . , VREFN, and switch the first to Nth switches M 1 , M 2 , . . . , MN on or off so that the respective detection voltages follows the reference voltages corresponding thereto.

In detail, the first driver AMP 1 may compare a detection voltage with the first reference voltage VREF 1 and switch the first switch M 1 on, and when the voltage level of the rectified power is increased from zero voltage to a turn-on voltage or more of the first LED LED 1 , the first LED LED 1 may be turned on and a conduction path is provided by the switched-on first switch M 1 to allow a current IM 1 to flow in the LED, and thus, the first LED LED 1 emits light.

Thereafter, when the voltage level of the rectified power is increased to be equal to or greater than a turn-on voltage of the first and second LEDs LED 1 and LED 2 , an operation of the first driver AMP 1 is stopped and the second driver AMP 2 may compare a detection voltage with the second reference voltage VREF 2 and switch the second switch M 2 on to allow a current IM 2 to flow in the LEDs, and thus, the first and second LEDs LED 1 and LED 2 emit light.

The first LED, the first and second LEDs, and the first to Nth LEDs may be turned on in the order described above, and when the voltage level of the rectified power is lowered from a maximum value of the voltage level, the LEDs may be sequentially turned off from the Nth LED to the first LED.

Meanwhile, the common detection resistor RCS is used, a defect in which the same detection voltage is applied to each of the drivers may be caused.

In order to avoid the defect, an offset voltage may be set in each driver. In detail, different offset voltages may be set for respective drivers, and in more detail, offset voltages of the first to Nth drivers may be set to be sequentially decreased.

In addition, respective reference voltages may have the same voltage level or greater.

The reference voltages and offset voltages may be expressed by Expression 1 below.

VREF 1 ≦VREF 2 ≦ . . . ≦VREFN

Vos 1 >Vos 2 > . . . >Vosn   [Expression 1]

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating an example of an LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2 , an LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include first and second LEDs LED 1 and LED 2 , and first and second switches M 1 and M 2 and first and second drivers AMP 1 and AMP 2 to operate the first and second LEDs LED 1 and LED 2 .

As described above, when a voltage level of rectified power Vsup is equal to or lower than a turn-on voltage VF 1 of the first LED LED 1 , the first LED LED 1 is turned off and the current M 1 does not flow. Accordingly, a detection voltage Vs is 0V and an input of a negative (−) terminal of the first driver AMP 1 is Vs+Vos 1 , resulting in 0V+Vos 1 . However, since a voltage level input to the negative (−) terminal of the first driver AMP 1 is lower than that of the first reference voltage VREF 1 input to a positive (+) terminal thereof, and thus, an output from the first driver AMP 1 has a maximum output voltage to switch the first switch M 1 on.

In the case that the voltage level of the rectified power Vsup is increased to be equal to or greater than a turn-on voltage of the first LED LED 1 , the first LED LED 1 may be turned and the first driver AMP 1 may compare the detection voltage Vs with the first reference voltage VREF 1 and adjust an output thereof such that a voltage level of the detection voltage Vs follows the first reference voltage VREF 1 , to thereby adjust the current IM 1 flowing in the LED according to a switching-on operation of the first switch M 1 .

This may be expressed by Expression 2 below.

VREF 1 =RCS*IM 1 +Vos 1

IM 1=( VREF 1 −Vos 1)/ RCS   [Expression 2]

Thereafter, when the voltage level of the rectified power Vsup is increased to be equal to or greater than the turn-on voltage of the first and second LEDs LED 1 and LED 2 , the operation of the first driver AMP 1 may be stopped and the second driver AMP 2 may compare the detection voltage Vs with the second reference voltage VREF 2 and adjust an output thereof such that the voltage level of the detection voltage Vs follows the second reference voltage VREF 1 to thereby adjust the current IM 1 flowing in the LED according to a switching-on operation of the second switch M 2 .

In detail, the second offset voltage Vos 2 may have a voltage level higher than that of the first offset voltage Vos 1 , and when the second driver AMP 2 operates, the detection voltage Vs may become VREF 2 −Vos 2 . Accordingly, an equivalent voltage applied to the negative (−) terminal of the first driver AMP 1 is VREF 1 −Vos 2 +Vos 1 , and here, VREF 1 =VREF 2 and Vos 1 −Vos 2 >0. Thus, the voltage applied to the negative (−) terminal of the first driver AMP 1 is increased to be greater than the first reference voltage VREF 1 to lower a voltage level of a signal output from the first driver AMP 1 , whereby the first switch M 1 may be switched off.

As described above, in order to facilitate the description of an offset voltage, the LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may have the first and second light emitting diodes LED 1 and LED 2 and the first and second switch M 1 and M 2 and the first and second drivers AMP 1 and AMP 2 to operate the first and second LEDS LED 1 and LED 2 , but the number of the components is not limited thereto. Also, as for operations of the first to Nth switches M 1 to MN, the first to Nth LEDs LED 1 to LEDN, and the first to Nth drivers AMP 1 to AMPN, it can be seen that, the first LED LED 1 , the first and second LEDs LED 1 and LED 2 , and the first to Nth LEDs LED 1 to LEDN are also turned on based on the descriptions illustrated in FIG. 2 , and when the voltage level of the rectified power is lowered from the maximum value of the voltage level, the LEDs may be sequentially turned off from the Nth LED to the first LED.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram schematically illustrating a driver employed in an LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3 , a driver AMP employed in an LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may include a comparing unit A, a first current mirroring unit B, and a second current mirroring unit C.

The comparing unit A may include first and second transistors Q 1 and Q 2 receiving voltage levels input to a negative (−) terminal and a positive (+) terminal of the driver AMP, respectively, and the first and second transistors Q 1 and Q 2 may perform switching operations according to the voltage levels input to the negative (−) terminal and the positive (+) terminal to compare the voltage levels. In this case, offset voltages may be set by varying a size or area ratio of the first and second transistors Q 1 and Q 2 . The first and second transistors Q 1 and Q 2 may be variously configured and for example, each of the first and second transistors Q 1 and Q 2 may be a bipolar junction transistor (BJT), a field-effect transistor (FET), or the like.

For example, offset voltages may be set according to the size or area ratio of the first and second transistors Q 1 and Q 2 as illustrated in Table below.

A current source ID may provide a preset current. The first current mirroring unit B may mirror currents flowing during the switching of the first and second transistors Q 1 and Q 2 , and a current flowing in a first transistor M 1 may be mirrored to a second transistor M 2 , and a current flowing in a third transistor M 3 may be mirrored to a fourth transistor M 4 .

Similarly, offset voltages may be set by varying a size or area ratio between the first and second transistors M 1 and M 2 or between the third and fourth transistors M 3 and M 4 .

The second current mirroring unit C may include fifth to eighth transistors M 5 , M 6 , M 7 , and M 8 . Currents flowing in the fifth and seventh transistors M 5 and M 7 may be mirrored to the sixth and eighth transistors M 6 and M 8 , and an output signal Vo of the driver MP may be output from a node between the second transistor M 2 and the eighth transistor M.

Similarly, offset voltages may be set by varying a size or area ratio of the fifth and sixth transistors M 5 and M 6 or the seventh and eighth transistors M 7 and M 8 .

FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating current waveforms of respective LEDs of the LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4 , in a case in which the LED driving apparatus (LED lighting apparatus) according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes eight LEDs LED 1 to LED 8 , it can be seen that, even when a common detection resistor is used, the LEDs normally operate according to a voltage level of rectified power by differentially setting offset voltages.

As set forth above, according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, manufacturing costs and a circuit area may be reduced by commonly using a common detection resistor detecting a current flowing in each of the LEDs.

While exemplary embodiments have been shown and described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.