Circuit for supplying power to components of lighting apparatus, and lighting apparatus including the same

{
  "publication_number": "US10785842B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Circuit for supplying power to components of lighting apparatus, and lighting apparatus including the same",
  "abstract": "Provided is an apparatus including a regulator circuit configured to generate at least one positive supply voltage from at least a portion of a light-emitting diode (LED) driving current passed through an LED to supply power to a component included in a lighting apparatus; and a converter circuit configured to receive a first control signal from the component and output a second control signal for controlling the LED driving current by converting the first control signal.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An apparatus comprising: a regulator circuit configured to generate at least one positive supply voltage from at least a portion of a light-emitting diode (LED) driving current passed through an LED to supply power to a component included in a lighting apparatus; and a converter circuit configured to receive a first control signal from the component and output a second control signal for controlling the LED driving current by converting the first control signal.",
    "2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the regulator circuit comprises a shunt regulator configured to generate a first positive supply voltage from the at least part of the LED driving current.",
    "3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a dimming-off detector configured to detect a dimming-off state based on the first control signal or the second control signal; and a current supply circuit configured to provide, to the regulator circuit, a current generated from a full-wave rectified input voltage from an alternating current (AC) voltage, according to the detected dimming-off state.",
    "4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein, according to the detected dimming-off state, the shunt regulator is turned off and a current provided by the current supply circuit is provided to a node for outputting the first positive supply voltage.",
    "5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising: a dimming level detector configured to detect a dimming level based on the first control signal or the second control signal; and a current supply circuit configured to provide, to the regulator circuit, a current generated from a full-wave rectified input voltage from an alternating current (AC) voltage, according to the detected dimming level.",
    "6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the regulator circuit comprises a linear regulator configured to generate a second positive supply voltage from the first positive supply voltage.",
    "7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the regulator circuit comprises a reference circuit configured to generate, from the first positive supply voltage, a reference signal provided to at least one of the shunt regulator and the linear regulator.",
    "8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter circuit is further configured to convert the first control signal having a variable voltage into the second control signal having one of a variable current, a variable voltage, and a variable light intensity.",
    "9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter circuit is further configured to output the second control signal at a certain level when the first control signal exceeds a preset upper bound.",
    "10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the converter circuit is further configured to output the second control signal at a certain level when the first control signal is below a preset lower bound.",
    "11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an LED driver configured to generate, from an input voltage, the LED driving current having a magnitude that follows the magnitude of the input voltage full-wave rectified from an AC voltage and to adjust the magnitude of the LED driving current based on the second control signal.",
    "12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the LED driver comprises a current supply circuit configured to provide, to the regulator circuit, a supplementary current generated from the input voltage, based on the second control signal.",
    "13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the LED driver further includes an operation interval selection circuit configured to generate an operation interval signal based on at least one of the input voltage and the LED driving current, and the current supply circuit outputs the supplementary current in response to the activated operation interval signal.",
    "14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: the component configured to receive power from the at least one positive supply voltage and to generate the first control signal from an external signal received from the outside of the lighting apparatus.",
    "15. A lighting apparatus configured to receive an alternating current (AC) voltage from the outside, the lighting apparatus comprising: an LED array comprising at least one LED; an LED driver configured to provide an LED driving current to the LED array; a regulator circuit configured to generate at least one positive supply voltage from at least a portion of the LED driving current passed through the LED array; and a component comprising a circuit that is configured to receive power from the at least one positive supply voltage; wherein: the component is configured to generate a first control signal for controlling the lighting apparatus based on an external signal input from the outside of the lighting apparatus, the lighting apparatus further comprises a converter circuit configured to output a second control signal for controlling the LED driving current by converting the first control signal, and the LED driver is further configured to adjust a magnitude of the LED driving current based on the second control signal.",
    "16. The lighting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the LED array comprises a plurality of LED sub-arrays including LEDs of different color temperatures, and the LED driver is further configured to adjust, based on the second control signal, the magnitude of the LED driving current supplied to each of the plurality of LED sub-arrays.",
    "17. The lighting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the component comprises an interface circuit configured to receive the external signal through a communication channel.",
    "18. The lighting apparatus of claim 15, wherein the component comprises a sensor configured to obtain the external signal from an environment outside the lighting apparatus."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The disclosure relates to a power supply circuit, and more particularly, to a power supply circuit included in a lighting apparatus and a lighting apparatus including the power supply circuit.\n\nLight-emitting diodes (LEDs) are being used in various applications because of their superior power consumption characteristic and smaller size than other light sources. Due to the characteristics of an LED of which light intensity depends on the magnitude of a current passing therethrough, a lighting apparatus using an AC voltage as a power source of an LED may include a component for converting the AC voltage. Furthermore, recently, a lighting apparatus may include peripheral components for performing operations such as brightness control, turning on/off, and color temperature control, in response to an external control or a surrounding environment. Since the power requirement for driving LEDs and the power requirement for driving peripheral components are different, a method of efficiently satisfying the power requirements of both is needed.\n\nThe disclosure provides a circuit for efficiently supplying power to a peripheral component in a lighting apparatus including a light-emitting diode (LED) and a lighting apparatus including the circuit.",
  "cpc": [
    "H05B 45/00",
    "H02M 1/08",
    "H02M 1/44",
    "H05B 33/08",
    "H05B 45/20",
    "H05B 45/3725",
    "H05B 45/395",
    "Y02B 20/30"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H05B 44/00",
    "H05B 45/20",
    "H05B 45/3725",
    "H05B 45/395",
    "H02M 1/08",
    "H05B 33/00"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Wellang Co Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Dong Youl Jeong"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2018-03-14",
  "publication_date": "2020-09-22",
  "grant_date": "2020-09-22",
  "priority_date": "2017-10-17",
  "application_number": "US-201816634678-A",
  "family_id": "66174502",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
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    "WO2019078425A1"
  ]
}