Claims
- 1. For use in a light emitting diode illumination source, a circuit for tolerating failure of one light emitting diode within a series-connected group comprising:two or more sets of light emitting diodes connected in series with a common forward bias orientation to form a primary current path when all light emitting diodes within each set are operating; and two or more devices each connected in parallel with a corresponding set of light emitting diodes, each device having a threshold voltage for conducting current which is greater than or equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for all light emitting diodes within the respective set, wherein each device provides an alternate current path upon failure of any light emitting diode within the respective set.
- 2. The circuit as set forth in claim 1 wherein the two or more devices each comprise a zener diode connected with a forward bias orientation opposite a forward bias orientation of light emitting diodes within the corresponding set of light emitting diodes.
- 3. The circuit as set forth in claim 2 wherein the two or more sets of light emitting diodes each comprise a single light emitting diode.
- 4. The circuit as set forth in claim 2 wherein the two or more sets of light emitting diodes each comprise a pair of series-connected light emitting diodes.
- 5. For use in a light emitting diode illumination source, a circuit for tolerating failure of one light emitting diode within a series-connected group comprising:two or more sets of light emitting diodes connected in series, each set of light emitting diodes comprising a pair of series-connected light emitting diodes; and two or more devices each connected in parallel with a corresponding set of light emitting diodes, each device comprising a zener diode connected with a forward bias orientation opposite a forward bias orientation of light emitting diodes within the corresponding set of light emitting diodes and having a threshold voltage for conducting current which is greater than or equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for all light emitting diodes within the respective set, wherein each device provides an alternate current path upon failure of any light emitting diode within the respective set, and wherein each zener diode has a reverse breakdown threshold voltage which is approximately equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for both light emitting diodes within the corresponding set of light emitting diodes.
- 6. For use in a light emitting diode illumination source, a circuit for tolerating failure of one light emitting diode within a series-connected group comprising:two or more sets of light emitting diodes connected in series; and two or more devices each connected in parallel with a corresponding set of light emitting diodes, each device having a threshold voltage for conducting current which is greater than or equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for all light emitting diodes within the respective set, wherein each device provides an alternate current path upon failure of any light emitting diode within the respective set, and wherein, upon failure of a light emitting diode within one of the two or more sets of light emitting diodes in an electrically open state, light emitting diodes within each remaining set of light emitting diodes continue to illuminate in response to an applied input voltage.
- 7. For use in a light emitting diode illumination source, a circuit for tolerating failure of one light emitting diode within a series-connected group comprising:two or more sets of light emitting diodes connected in series; and two or more devices each connected in parallel with a corresponding set of light emitting diodes, each device having a threshold voltage for conducting current which is greater than or equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for all light emitting diodes within the respective set, wherein each device provides an alternate current path upon failure of any light emitting diode within the respective set, and wherein all light emitting diodes within the two or more sets of light emitting diodes are connected in series between input and output ports for the circuit, and wherein at least one set of light emitting diodes continues to illuminate in response to an input voltage across the input and output ports after failure in an electrically open state of one or more light emitting diodes within one or more other of the sets of light emitting diodes.
- 8. For use with a light emitting diode illumination source, a method of tolerating failure of one light emitting diode within a series-connected group comprising:applying a voltage across an input port and an output port of a light emitting diode driver circuit to drive: two or more sets of light emitting diodes connected in series with a common forward bias orientation to form a primary current path when all light emitting diodes within each set are operating; and two or more devices each connected in parallel with a corresponding set of light emitting diodes, each device having a threshold voltage for conducting current which is greater than or equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for all light emitting diodes within the respective set, wherein each device provides an alternate current path upon failure of any light emitting diode within the respective set.
- 9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the two or more devices each comprise a zener diode connected with a forward bias orientation opposite a forward bias orientation of light emitting diodes within the corresponding set of light emitting diodes.
- 10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the two or more sets of light emitting diodes each comprise a single light emitting diode.
- 11. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the two or more sets of light emitting diodes each comprise a pair of series-connected light emitting diodes.
- 12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein each zener diode has a reverse breakdown threshold voltage which is approximately equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for both light emitting diodes within the corresponding set of light emitting diodes.
- 13. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein, upon failure of a light emitting diode within one of the two or more sets of light emitting diodes in an electrically open state, light emitting diodes within each remaining set of light emitting diodes continue to illuminate in response to the voltage.
- 14. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein all light emitting diodes within the two or more sets of light emitting diodes are connected in series between the input and output ports for the circuit, and wherein at least one set of light emitting diodes continues to illuminate in response to the voltage after failure in an electrically open state of one or more light emitting diodes within one or more other of the sets of light emitting diodes.
- 15. A circuit for voltage-controlled dimming of light emitting diodes comprising:first and second light emitting diode groups connected between an input port and an output port; a switching circuit coupled to the first and second light emitting diode groups, wherein the switching circuit switches the first and second light emitting diode groups between series-connection and parallel-connection; and first and second devices each connected in parallel with, respectively, the first and second light emitting diode groups, each device having a threshold voltage for conducting current which is greater than or equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for all light emitting diodes within the respective light emitting diode group, wherein each device provides an alternate current path upon failure of any light emitting diode within the respective light emitting diode group.
- 16. The circuit as set forth in claim 15 wherein the first and second devices each comprise a zener diode connected with a forward bias orientation opposite a forward bias orientation of light emitting diodes within the corresponding light emitting diode group.
- 17. The circuit as set forth in claim 16 wherein the first and second light emitting diode groups each comprise a pair of series-connected light emitting diodes.
- 18. The circuit as set forth in claim 17 wherein each zener diode has a reverse breakdown threshold voltage which is approximately equal to combined forward voltage drops at maximum current for both light emitting diodes within the corresponding light emitting diode group.
- 19. The circuit as set forth in claim 15 wherein, upon failure of a light emitting diode within one of the first and second light emitting diode groups in an electrically open state, light emitting diodes within the other of the first and second light emitting diode groups continue to illuminate in response to an applied input voltage.
- 20. The circuit as set forth in claim 15 wherein all light emitting diodes within the first and second light emitting diode groups are connected in series between input and output ports for the circuit, and wherein light emitting diodes within one of the first and second light emitting diode groups continue to illuminate in response to an input voltage across the input and output ports after failure in an electrically open state of one or more light emitting diodes within the other of the first and second light emitting diode groups.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is related to and claims priority as a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,598 entitled ENHANCED TRIM RESOLUTION VOLTAGE-CONTROLLED DIMMING LED DRIVER, and is also related to the subject matter of commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/949,139 entitled VOLTAGE DIMMABLE LED DISPLAY PRODUCING MULTIPLE COLORS and filed Sep. 7, 2001. The content of the above-identified applications axe hereby incorporated by reference.
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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09/675752 |
Sep 2000 |
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09/949370 |
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