JP2012169277A - Circuits and methods for driving light sources - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide circuits and methods for driving light sources.SOLUTION: A driving circuit for driving a light source includes a converter and a dimming controller. The converter coupled to a power source is operable for receiving power from the power source and for providing regulated power to the light source according to control signals. The dimming controller coupled to the converter is operable for monitoring a power switch coupled between the power source and the converter, for receiving a color change signal indicating a first set of operations of the power switch and a dimming request signal indicating a second set of operations of the power switch, for controlling the control signals to change the color of the light source in response to the color change signal, and for controlling the control signals to adjust the brightness of the light source in response to the dimming request signal.

Description

Related Application This application is a co-pending US application entitled "Driving Circuit with Continuous Dimming Function for Driving Light sources" filed on March 31, 2009, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This is a continuation-in-part of 12 / 415,028.

  In recent years, light sources such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) have been improved due to technological advances in materials and manufacturing processes. LEDs have relatively high efficiency, long life, and vivid colors and can be used in various industries including automobiles, computers, telecommunications, military, consumer goods and the like. One example is an LED lamp that uses LEDs to replace conventional light sources such as electrical filaments.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional LED driving circuit 100. The LED drive circuit 100 uses the LED array 106 as a light source. LED string 106 includes a group of LEDs connected in series. The power converter 102 converts the input voltage Vin into a desired output DC voltage Vout in order to supply power to the LED string 106. A switch 104 coupled to the LED drive circuit 100 can enable or disable the input voltage Vin to the LED string 106 and thus can turn on or off the LED lamp. The power converter 102 receives the feedback signal from the current sensing resistor Rsen and adjusts the output voltage Vout to cause the LED string 106 to generate a desired light output. One drawback of this solution is that the desired light output is predetermined. During operation, the light output of the LED string 106 is set to a predetermined level and cannot be adjusted by the user.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of another conventional LED driving circuit 200. The power converter 102 converts the input voltage Vin into a desired output DC voltage Vout in order to supply power to the LED string 106. A switch 104 coupled to the LED drive circuit 200 can enable or disable the input voltage Vin to the LED string 106, and thus can turn on or off the LED lamp. The LED string 106 is coupled to a linear LED current regulator 208. The operational amplifier 210 in the linear LED current regulator 208 compares the reference signal REF with the current monitoring signal from the current sensing resistor Rsen, generates a control signal, and adjusts the resistance value of transistor Q1 in linear mode To do. Accordingly, the LED current passing through the LED string 106 can be adjusted accordingly. In this solution, in order to control the light output of the LED string 106, the user can use a dedicated device, such as a specially designed switch to adjust a button or switch, that can receive a remote control signal, It may be necessary to adjust the signal REF.

  In one embodiment, the drive circuit that drives the light source includes a converter and a dimming controller. A converter coupled to the power source is operable to receive power from the power source and to provide adjusted power to the light source in response to the control signal. A dimming controller coupled to the converter monitors the power switch coupled between the power source and the converter, and displays a color change signal indicating the operation of the first set of power switches and the second set of power switches. A dimming request signal indicating operation is received, the control signal is controlled to change the color of the light source in response to the color change signal, and the control signal is adjusted to adjust the luminance of the light source in response to the dimming request signal. Can operate to control.

  The features and advantages of the claimed embodiments will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description with reference to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts.

It is the schematic of the conventional LED drive circuit. It is the schematic of another conventional LED drive circuit. 1 is a block diagram of a light source driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a light source driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a dimming controller of FIG. 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the signal waveform in the analog dimming mode by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the signal waveform in the burst dimming mode by one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a light source driving circuit including the dimming controller of FIG. 5 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart of a method for adjusting power of a light source according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic diagram of a light source driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a dimming controller of FIG. 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a light source driving circuit including the dimming controller of FIG. 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart of a method for adjusting power of a light source according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is an example of a schematic diagram of a light source driving circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 14B is an example of the power switch of FIG. 14A, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 14B is an example of the configuration of the dimming controller of FIG. 14A, according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is an example of a diagram illustrating an operation of a light source driving circuit including the dimming controller of FIG. 15, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is another example of a diagram illustrating the operation of the light source drive circuit including the dimming controller of FIG. 15, according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is another example of a diagram illustrating the operation of the light source drive circuit including the dimming controller of FIG. 15, according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart of a method for adjusting power of a light source according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention. When the invention is described with reference to these embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to protect alternatives, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. .

  Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, elements, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a block diagram of a light source driving circuit 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the power switch 304 that couples between the power source Vin and the light source driving circuit 300 can operate to selectively couple the power source to the light source driving circuit 300. The light source driving circuit 300 is an AC / DC converter 306 that converts an AC input voltage Vin from a power source into a DC voltage Vout, and a power converter coupled to the AC / DC converter 306 that supplies adjusted power to the LED string 312. A dimming controller 308 coupled to the power converter 310 that receives the switch monitoring signal indicating the operation of the power switch 304 and adjusts the adjusted power from the power converter 310 in response to the switch monitoring signal; And a current sensor 314 that detects an LED current passing through the LED string 312. In one embodiment, the power switch 304 may be a connect / disconnect switch that is mounted on the wall.

  During operation, the AC / DC converter 306 converts the input AC voltage Vin to the output DC voltage Vout. The power converter 310 receives the DC voltage Vout and supplies adjusted power to the LED string 312. The current sensor 314 generates a current monitoring signal indicating the level of LED current passing through the LED string 312. The dimming controller 308 monitors the operation of the power switch 304, receives a current monitoring signal from the current sensor 314, controls the power converter 310 in response to the operation of the power switch 304, and adjusts the power of the LED string 312 Can operate to. In one embodiment, the dimming controller 308 operates in an analog dimming mode and adjusts the power of the LED string 312 by adjusting a reference signal indicating the peak value of the LED current. In another embodiment, the dimming controller 308 operates in a burst dimming mode and adjusts the power of the LED string 312 by adjusting the duty cycle of the pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. By adjusting the power of the LED string 312, the light output of the LED string 312 can be adjusted accordingly.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a schematic diagram of a light source driving circuit 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is described in combination with FIG. Elements having the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3 have similar functions and will not be described in detail here.

  The light source drive circuit 400 includes a power converter 310 (shown in FIG. 3) that couples to the power supply, receives power from the power supply, and couples to the LED string 312 to provide regulated power to the LED string 312. In the example of FIG. 4, power converter 310 may be a buck converter including inductor L1, diode D4, and control switch Q16. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the control switch Q16 is mounted outside the dimming controller 308. In another embodiment, the control switch Q16 can be built into the dimming controller 308.

  The dimming controller 308 receives a switch monitoring signal indicating the operation of a power switch such as the power switch 304 coupled between the power source Vin and the light source driving circuit 400, and is coupled in series with the LED string 312 according to the switch monitoring signal. By controlling the control switch Q16, it is possible to operate to adjust the regulated power from the power converter 310 (including the inductor L1, the diode D4, and the control switch Q16). The light source driving circuit 400 may further include an AC / DC converter 306 that converts an AC input voltage Vin into a DC output voltage Vout, and a current sensor 314 that detects an LED current passing through the LED string 312. In the example of FIG. 4, the AC / DC converter 306 may be a bridge rectifier including diodes D1, D2, D7, D8, D10, and a capacitor C9. The current sensor 314 can include a current sensing resistor R5.

  In one embodiment, the terminals of dimming controller 308 may include HV_GATE, SEL, CLK, RT, VDD, CTRL, MON, and GND. Terminal HV_GATE is coupled to switch Q27 through resistor R3 in order to control the conductive state, such as the connection / disconnection state of switch Q27 coupled to LED string 312. Capacitor C11 is coupled between terminal HV_GATE and ground to adjust the gate voltage of switch Q27.

  The user can dimm, such as analog dimming mode or burst dimming mode, by coupling terminal SEL to ground through resistor R4 (as shown in Figure 4) or by directly coupling terminal SEL to ground. A mode can be selected.

  Terminal CLK is coupled to AC / DC converter 306 through resistor R3 and to ground through resistor R6. The terminal CLK can receive a switch monitoring signal indicating the operation of the power switch 304. In one embodiment, the switch monitoring signal can be generated at a common node between resistors R3 and R6. Capacitor C12 is coupled in parallel with resistor R6 to filter unwanted noise. Terminal RT is coupled to ground through resistor R7 to determine the frequency of the pulse signal generated by dimming controller 308.

  Terminal VDD is coupled to switch Q27 through diode D9 to supply power to dimming controller 308. In one embodiment, an energy storage unit such as capacitor C10 coupled between terminal VDD and ground can supply power to dimming controller 308 when power switch 304 is turned off. In an alternative embodiment, the energy storage unit can be integrated into the dimming controller 308. Terminal GND is coupled to ground.

  Terminal CTRL is coupled to control switch Q16. Control switch Q16 is coupled in series with LED string 312 and switch Q27 and is coupled to ground through current sensing resistor R5. The dimming controller 308 adjusts the adjusted power from the power converter 310 by using the control signal via the terminal CTRL and controlling the conductive state such as the on and off states of the control switch Q16. Can work. Terminal MON couples to current sensing resistor R5 to receive a current monitoring signal indicative of the LED current passing through LED string 312. When the switch Q27 is connected, the dimming controller 308 can adjust the LED current passing through the LED string 312 to the ground by controlling the control switch Q16.

  During operation, when the power switch 304 is turned on, the AC / DC converter 306 converts the input AC voltage Vin to the DC voltage Vout. A predetermined voltage at the terminal HV_GATE is supplied to the switch Q27 through the resistor R3, so that the switch Q27 is connected.

  When the dimming controller 308 connects the control switch Q16, the DC voltage Vout supplies power to the LED string 312 and charges the inductor L1. The LED current passes through the inductor L1, the LED string 312, the switch Q27, the control switch Q16, and the current detection resistor R5 to reach the ground. When the dimming controller 308 turns off the control switch Q16, the LED current passes through the inductor L1, the LED string 312, and the diode D4. The inductor L1 is discharged so as to supply power to the LED string 312. Therefore, the dimming controller 308 can adjust the adjusted power from the power converter 310 by controlling the control switch Q16.

  When the power switch 304 is turned off, the capacitor C10 is discharged to supply power to the dimming controller 308. The voltage across resistor R6 drops to zero, so a switch monitoring signal indicating the power shutoff operation of power switch 304 can be detected by dimming controller 308 through terminal CLK. Similarly, when connecting the power switch 304, the voltage across the resistor R6 rises to a predetermined voltage, and therefore the switch monitoring signal indicating the power-on operation of the power switch 304 is dimmed through the terminal CLK. It can be detected by the device 308. When a power shutdown operation is detected, the dimming controller 308 can turn off the switch Q27 by pulling the voltage at the terminal HV_GATE to zero, and after the inductor L1 completes the discharge, the LED string 312 The power supply can be cut off. In response to the power shutdown operation, the dimming controller 308 can adjust the reference signal indicating the target light output of the LED string 312. Therefore, when the power switch 304 is turned on next time, the LED string 312 can generate a light output according to the adjusted target light output. In other words, the light output of the LED array 312 can be adjusted by the dimming controller 308 in response to the power cut-off operation of the power switch 304.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of the configuration of the dimming controller 308 of FIG. 4 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is described in combination with FIG. Elements having the same reference numerals as in FIG. 4 have similar functions and will not be described in detail here.

  The dimming controller 308 includes a trigger monitoring unit 506, a dimmer 502, and a pulse signal generator 504. The trigger monitoring unit 506 is coupled to ground through a Zener diode ZD1. The trigger monitoring unit 506 can receive a switch monitoring signal indicating the operation of the external power switch 304 through the terminal CLK, and generates a drive signal for driving the counter 526 when the operation of the external power switch 304 is detected at the terminal CLK. Can be made. The trigger monitoring unit 506 can be further operated to control the conductive state of the switch Q27. The dimmer 502 generates the reference signal REF and adjusts the power of the LED string 312 in the analog dimming mode, or generates the control signal 538 and adjusts the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 to adjust the LED string 312 Can operate to regulate the power of the. The pulse signal generator 504 is operable to generate a pulse signal that can be brought into contact with the control switch Q16. Dimming controller 308 is a start-up and undervoltage lockout (UVL) circuit that couples to terminal VDD to selectively power one or more elements of dimming controller 308 in response to different power conditions 508 may further be included.

  In one embodiment, the start and undervoltage lockout circuit 508 is operable to power on all elements of the dimming controller 308 when the voltage at the terminal VDD is greater than the first predetermined voltage. it can. When turning off the power switch 304, the start-up and undervoltage lockout circuit 508 causes the trigger monitoring unit 506 and dimmer to conserve energy if the voltage at terminal VDD is less than the second predetermined voltage. Except for 502, other elements of the dimming controller 308 can be operated to power off. The start and undervoltage lockout circuit 508 can further operate to power off the trigger monitoring unit 506 and the dimmer 502 when the voltage at the terminal VDD is less than the third predetermined voltage. In one embodiment, the first predetermined voltage is greater than the second predetermined voltage, and the second predetermined voltage is greater than the third predetermined voltage. The dimming controller 308 can be powered by the capacitor C10 through the terminal VDD, so that the trigger monitoring unit 506 and the dimmer 502 still operate for a predetermined time after the power switch 304 is turned off. can do.

  In dimming controller 308, terminal SEL is coupled to current source 532. The user can select the dimming mode by setting the terminal SEL, for example, by directly coupling the terminal SEL to ground or by coupling the terminal SEL to ground through a resistor. In one embodiment, the dimming mode can be determined by measuring the voltage at terminal SEL. When terminal SEL is directly coupled to ground, the voltage at terminal SEL is approximately equal to zero. The control circuit can then turn on switch 540, turn off switch 541, and turn off switch 542. Thus, the dimming controller 308 can operate in an analog dimming mode and can adjust the power of the LED string 312 (shown in FIG. 4) by adjusting the reference signal REF. In one embodiment, when the terminal SEL is coupled to ground through a resistor R4 (shown in FIG. 4) having a predetermined resistance value, the voltage at the terminal SEL can be greater than zero. The control circuit can then disconnect switch 540, switch 541 in contact, and switch 542 in contact. Therefore, the dimming controller 308 can operate in the burst dimming mode, and can adjust the power of the LED string 312 (shown in FIG. 4) by adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1. In other words, different dimming modes can be selected by controlling the connection / disconnection state of the switch 540, the switch 541, and the switch 542. The connection / disconnection state of the switch 540, the switch 541, and the switch 542 can be determined by the voltage at the terminal SEL.

  Pulse signal generator 504 couples to ground through terminal RT and resistor R7 to generate a pulse signal 536 that can be connected to control switch Q16. The pulse signal generator 504 can have different configurations, and is not limited to the configuration shown in the example of FIG.

  In the pulse signal generator 504, the non-inverting input of the operational amplifier 510 receives a predetermined voltage V1. Therefore, the voltage at the inverting input of the operational amplifier 510 can be V1. Current IRT passes through terminal RT and resistor R7 to ground. Current I1 passing through MOSFET 514 and MOSFET 515 is equal to IRT. Since MOSFET 514 and MOSFET 512 constitute a current mirror, the current I2 passing through MOSFET 512 is also approximately equal to IRT. The output of comparator 516 and the output of comparator 518 are coupled to the S and R inputs of SR flip-flop 520, respectively. The inverting input of the comparator 516 receives a predetermined voltage V2. The non-inverting input of the comparator 518 receives a predetermined voltage V3. In one embodiment, V2 is greater than V3 and V3 is greater than zero. Capacitor C4 is coupled between MOSFET 512 and ground and has one side coupled to a common node between the non-inverting input of comparator 516 and the inverting input of comparator 518. The Q output of SR flip-flop 520 is coupled to switch Q15 and the S input of SR flip-flop 522. Switch Q15 is coupled in parallel with capacitor C4. The conductive state such as the connection / disconnection state of the switch Q15 can be determined by the Q output of the SR flip-flop 520.

  Initially, the voltage across capacitor C4 is approximately equal to zero, which is less than V3. Thus, the R input of SR flip-flop 520 receives a digital 1 from the output of comparator 518. The Q output of SR flip-flop 520 is set to digital 0, which turns off switch Q15. When the switch Q15 is turned off, the capacitor C4 is charged by I2, so the voltage across the capacitor C4 increases. When the voltage across C4 is greater than V2, the S input of SR flip-flop 520 receives a digital 1 from the output of comparator 516. The Q output of SR flip-flop 520 is set to digital 1, which connects switch Q15. When switch Q15 is connected, capacitor C4 discharges through switch Q15, so the voltage across C4 decreases. When the voltage across capacitor C4 drops below V3, comparator 518 outputs a digital 1, and the Q output of SR flip-flop 520 is set to digital 0, which turns off switch Q15. Next, the capacitor C4 is charged again by I2. Thus, through the process described above, the pulse signal generator 504 can generate a pulse signal 536 that includes a series of pulses at the Q output of the SR flip-flop 520. Pulse signal 536 is sent to the S input of SR flip-flop 522.

  The trigger monitoring unit 506 is operable to monitor the operation of the power switch 304 through the terminal CLK, and generates a drive signal that drives the counter 526 when the operation of the power switch 304 is detected at the terminal CLK. Can work. In one embodiment, when power switch 304 is connected, the voltage at terminal CLK rises to a level equal to the voltage across resistor R6 (shown in FIG. 4). When the power switch 304 is turned off, the voltage at the terminal CLK drops to zero. Therefore, a switch monitoring signal indicating the operation of the power switch 304 can be detected at the terminal CLK. In one embodiment, the trigger monitoring unit 506 generates a drive signal when a power shutdown operation is detected at the terminal CLK.

  The trigger monitoring unit 506 can be further operated to control the conductive state of the switch Q27 through the terminal HV_GATE. When the power switch 304 is connected, the breakdown voltage across the Zener diode ZD1 is applied to the switch Q27 through the resistor R3. Therefore, the switch Q27 can be brought into contact. The trigger monitoring unit 506 can turn off the switch Q27 by pulling the voltage at the terminal HV_GATE to zero. In one embodiment, the trigger monitoring unit 506 disconnects the switch Q27 when a power cut-off operation of the power switch 304 is detected at the terminal CLK, and switches off when the power-on operation of the power switch 304 is detected at the terminal CLK. Contact Q27.

  In one embodiment, the dimmer 502 includes a counter 526 coupled to the trigger monitoring unit 506 that counts the operation of the power switch 304 and a digital-to-analog converter (D / A converter) 528 coupled to the counter 526. Including. The dimmer 502 can further include a PWM generator 530 coupled to the D / A converter 528. The counter 526 can be driven by a drive signal generated by the trigger monitoring unit 506. More specifically, in one embodiment, when the power switch 304 is turned off, the trigger monitoring unit 506 detects a negative edge of the voltage at the terminal CLK and generates a drive signal. The count value of the counter 526 can be increased by, for example, 1 in response to the drive signal. The D / A converter 528 reads the count value from the counter 526 and generates a dimming signal (for example, the control signal 538 or the reference signal REF) based on the count value. The dimming signal can be used to adjust the target power level of the power converter 310 and then the light output of the LED string 312 can be adjusted.

  In the burst dimming mode, the switch 540 is turned off, and the switch 541 and the switch 542 are connected. The inverting input of the comparator 534 receives a reference signal REF1, which can be a DC signal having a predetermined substantially constant voltage. The voltage REF1 can determine the peak value of the LED current, which in turn can determine the maximum light output of the LED string 312. The dimming signal can be a control signal 538 applied to the PWM generator 530 to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1. By adjusting the duty cycle of PWM1, the light output of LED string 312 can be adjusted to the same magnitude as the maximum light output determined by REF1. For example, when PWM1 has a 100% duty cycle, the LED string 312 can have a maximum light output. When the duty cycle of PWM1 is less than 100%, the LED string 312 can have a light output that is lower than the maximum light output.

  In the analog dimming mode, the switch 540 is connected, the switch 541 and the switch 542 are disconnected, and the dimming signal can be an analog reference signal REF having an adjustable voltage. The D / A converter 528 can adjust the voltage of the reference signal REF according to the count value of the counter 526. The voltage at REF can determine the peak value of the LED current, and then the average value of the LED current. Therefore, the light output of the LED string 312 can be adjusted by adjusting the reference signal REF.

  In one embodiment, the D / A converter 528 can decrease the voltage at REF in response to an increase in the count value. For example, when the count value is 0, the D / A converter 528 adjusts the reference signal REF to have the voltage V4. When the power-off operation of the power switch 304 is detected at the terminal CLK by the trigger monitoring unit 506, if the count value increases to 1, the D / A converter 528 has the reference signal REF so that it has a voltage V5 less than V4. Adjust. In yet another embodiment, the D / A converter 528 can increase the voltage at REF in response to an increase in the count value.

  In one embodiment, after the counter 526 reaches its maximum count value, the count value is reset to zero. For example, when the counter 526 is a 2-bit counter, the count value increases from 0 to 1, 2, and 3, and then returns to zero after four power-off operations are detected. Thus, the light output of the LED string 312 can be adjusted from the first level to the second level, then to the third level, then to the fourth level, and then back to the first level.

  The inverting input of the comparator 534 can selectively receive the reference signal REF and the reference signal REF1. For example, the inverting input of the comparator 534 receives the reference signal REF through the switch 540 in the analog dimming mode and the reference signal REF1 through the switch 541 in the burst dimming mode. The non-inverting input of comparator 534 is coupled to resistor R5 through terminal MON to receive current monitoring signal SEN from current sensing resistor R5. The voltage of the current monitoring signal SEN can indicate the LED current passing through the LED string 312 when the switch Q27 and the control switch Q16 are connected.

  The output of comparator 534 is coupled to the R input of SR flip-flop 522. The Q output of SR flip-flop 522 is coupled to AND gate 524. A PWM signal PWM1 generated by the PWM generator 530 is applied to the AND gate 524. The AND gate 524 outputs a control signal and controls the control switch Q16 through the terminal CTRL.

  When the analog dimming mode is selected, the switch 540 is turned on and the switches 541 and 542 are turned off. The control switch Q16 is controlled by the SR flip-flop 522. During operation, when the power switch 304 is in contact, the breakdown voltage across the Zener diode ZD1 causes the switch Q27 to be in contact. In response to the pulse signal 536 generated by the pulse generator 504, the SR flip-flop 522 generates a digital 1 at the Q output and connects the control switch Q16. The LED current passes through the inductor L1, the LED string 312, the switch Q27, the control switch Q16, and the current detection resistor R5 to reach the ground. As the inductor resists sudden changes in the LED current, the LED current increases gradually. As a result, the voltage across the current sensing resistor R5, that is, the voltage of the current monitoring signal SEN can be increased. When the voltage on SEN is greater than the voltage on the reference signal REF, the comparator 534 generates a digital 1 at the R input of the SR flip-flop 522, which results in the SR flip-flop 522 generating a digital 0 and the control switch Turn off Q16. After turning off the control switch Q16, the inductor L1 discharges and supplies power to the LED string 312. The LED current passing through the inductor L1, the LED string 312 and the diode D4 gradually decreases. When SR flip-flop 522 receives a pulse again at the S input, control switch Q16 is turned on, at which time the LED current again passes through current sensing resistor R5 to ground. When the voltage of the current monitoring signal SEN is larger than the voltage of the reference signal REF, the control switch Q16 is turned off by the SR flip-flop 522. As described above, the reference signal REF can determine the peak value of the LED current and then the light output of the LED string 312. The light output of the LED array 312 can be adjusted by adjusting the reference signal REF.

  In the analog dimming mode, when the power switch 304 is turned off, the capacitor C10 (shown in FIG. 4) discharges and supplies power to the dimming controller 308. When the trigger monitoring unit 506 detects the power-off operation of the power switch 304 at the terminal CLK, the count value of the counter 526 can be increased by one. The trigger monitoring unit 506 can turn off the switch Q27 in response to the power-off operation of the power switch 304. The D / A converter 528 can adjust the voltage of the reference signal REF from the first level to the second level in response to the change in the count value. Therefore, when the power switch 304 is connected, the light output of the LED row 312 can be adjusted according to the adjusted reference signal REF.

  When the burst dimming mode is selected, the switch 540 is turned off and the switches 541 and 542 are connected. The inverting input of the comparator 534 receives a reference signal REF1 having a predetermined voltage. Control switch Q16 is controlled by both SR flip-flop 522 and PWM signal PWM1 through AND gate 524. The reference signal REF1 can determine the peak value of the LED current, and then determine the maximum light output of the LED string 312. The duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 can determine the connection / disconnection time of the control switch Q16. When the PWM signal PWM1 is logic 1, the conductive state of the control switch Q16 is determined by the Q output of the SR flip-flop 522. When the PWM signal PWM1 is logic 0, the control switch Q16 is turned off. By adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1, the power of the LED string 312 can be adjusted accordingly. Therefore, the combination of the reference signal REF1 and the PWM signal PWM1 can determine the light output of the LED array 312.

  In the burst dimming mode, when the power switch 304 is turned off, the power cut-off operation of the power switch 304 can be detected by the trigger monitoring unit 506 at the terminal CLK. The trigger monitoring unit 506 turns off the switch Q27 and generates a drive signal. The count value of the counter 526 can be increased by, for example, 1 in response to the drive signal. The D / A converter 528 can generate the control signal 538 to adjust the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 from the first level to the second level. Therefore, when the power switch 304 is turned on next time, the light output of the LED row 312 can be adjusted to follow the target light output determined by the reference signal REF1 and the PWM signal PWM1.

  FIG. 6 shows the signal waveform of the LED current 602 passing through the LED string 312, the signal waveform of the pulse signal 536, the signal waveform of V522 indicating the output of the SR flip-flop 522, and the output of the AND gate 524 in the analog dimming mode. An example of the signal waveform of V524 and the connection / disconnection state of the control switch Q16 is shown. FIG. 6 is described in combination with FIG. 4 and FIG.

  During operation, the pulse signal generator 504 generates a pulse signal 536. SR flip-flop 522 generates a digital 1 at the Q output in response to each pulse of pulse signal 536. When the Q output of the SR flip-flop 522 is digital 1, the control switch Q16 is connected. When the control switch Q16 is connected, the inductor L1 is ramped up and the LED current 602 is increased. When the LED current 602 reaches the peak value Imax, it means that the voltage of the current monitoring signal SEN is approximately equal to the voltage of the reference signal REF, and the comparator 534 generates a digital 1 at the R input of the SR flip-flop 522 As a result, the SR flip-flop 522 generates a digital 0 at the Q output. When the Q output of the SR flip-flop 522 is digital 0, the control switch Q16 is turned off. When the control switch Q16 is turned off, the inductor L1 is discharged to supply power to the LED string 312 and the LED current 602 decreases. In this analog dimming mode, by adjusting the reference signal REF, the average LED current can be adjusted accordingly, and thus the light output of the LED string 312 can be adjusted.

  FIG. 7 shows the signal waveform of the LED current 602 passing through the LED string 312, the signal waveform of the pulse signal 536, the signal waveform of V522 indicating the output of the SR flip-flop 522, and the output of the AND gate 524 in the burst dimming mode. An example of the signal waveform of V524, the connection / disconnection state of the control switch Q16, and the signal waveform of the PWM signal PWM1 is shown. FIG. 7 is described in combination with FIG. 4 and FIG.

  When PWM1 is digital 1, the relationship among the LED current 602, the pulse signals 536, V522, V524, and the connection / disconnection state of the switch Q1 is the same as the relationship shown in FIG. When PWM1 is digital 0, the output of AND gate 524 changes to digital 0. Therefore, the control switch Q16 is turned off and the LED current 602 decreases. When PWM1 holds digital 0 long enough, the LED current 602 can drop to zero. In the burst dimming mode, by adjusting the PWM1 duty cycle, the average LED current can be adjusted accordingly, and thus the light output of the LED string 312 can be adjusted.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of a diagram illustrating the operation of a light source drive circuit including the dimming controller of FIG. 5, according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is described in combination with FIG.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the count value of the counter 526 increases by 1 every time the power monitoring operation of the power switch 304 is detected by the trigger monitoring unit 506. The counter 526 may be a 2-bit counter having a maximum count value of 3.

  In the analog dimming mode, the D / A converter 528 reads the count value from the counter 526 and decreases the voltage of the reference signal REF in response to the increase in the count value. The voltage at REF can determine the peak value Imax of the LED current, and then the average value of the LED current can be determined. In the burst dimming mode, the D / A converter 528 reads the count value from the counter 526 and decreases the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 in response to the increase in the count value (for example, decreases by 25% each time). The counter 526 is reset after reaching its maximum count value (eg, 3).

  FIG. 9 shows a flowchart 900 of a method for adjusting the output of a light source, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 9 is described in combination with FIG. 4 and FIG.

  In block 902, a light source such as LED string 312 is powered with regulated power from a power converter such as power converter 310. In block 904, a switch monitoring signal may be received, for example, by the dimming controller 308. The switch monitoring signal can indicate the operation of a power switch such as power switch 304 that couples between the power source and the power converter. At block 906, a dimming signal is generated in response to the switch monitoring signal. At block 908, a switch coupled in series with the light source, such as control switch Q16, is controlled in response to the dimming signal to adjust the adjusted power from the power converter. In one embodiment, in the analog dimming mode, the adjusted power from the power converter can be adjusted by comparing the dimming signal with a feedback current monitoring signal indicative of the light source current from the light source. In another embodiment, in burst dimming mode, the adjusted power from the power converter can be adjusted by controlling the duty cycle of the PWM signal with the dimming signal.

  Therefore, the embodiment according to the present invention provides a light source driving circuit capable of adjusting the power of a light source according to a switch monitoring signal indicating the operation of a power switch such as a connection / disconnection switch attached to a wall. The power of the light source supplied by the power converter can be adjusted by the dimming controller by controlling a switch coupled in series with the light source. Advantageously, as described above, the user can adjust the light output of the light source through a common connection / disconnection power switch operation (eg, a power-off operation). Therefore, an additional device for dimming such as an external dimmer or a specially designed switch with an adjustment button can be avoided, and the cost can be reduced.

  FIG. 10 shows an example of a schematic diagram of a light source driving circuit 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is described in combination with FIG. Elements having the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 3 and 4 have similar functions.

  The light source drive circuit 1000 includes a power converter 310 coupled to the power supply and the LED string 312 that receives power from the power supply and provides regulated power to the LED string 312. The dimming controller 1008 can operate to monitor the power switch 304 coupled between the power source and the light source driving circuit 1000 by monitoring the voltage at the terminal CLK. The dimming controller 1008 is operable to receive a dimming request signal indicating the operation of the first set of power switches 304 and to receive a dimming end signal indicating the operation of the second set of power switches 304. it can. The dimming controller 1008 can receive the dimming request signal and the dimming end signal via the terminal CLK. The dimming controller 1008 continuously adjusts the adjusted power from the power converter 310 when receiving the dimming request signal and adjusts the adjusted power from the power converter 310 when receiving the dimming end signal. Can be further operated to abort. In other words, when the dimming controller 1008 detects the operation of the first set of the power switch 304, it continuously supplies the power from the power converter 310 until it detects the operation of the second set of the power switch 304. Can be adjusted. In one embodiment, the dimming controller 1008 can adjust the regulated power from the power converter 310 by controlling a control switch Q16 coupled in series with the LED string 312.

  FIG. 11 shows an example of the configuration of the dimming controller 1008 of FIG. 10, according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is described in combination with FIG. Elements having the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 4, 5, and 10 have the same functions.

  In the example of FIG. 11, the configuration of the dimming controller 1008 in FIG. 11 is the same as the configuration of the dimming controller 308 in FIG. 5 except for the configurations of the dimmer 1102 and the trigger monitoring unit 1106. In FIG. 11, the trigger monitoring unit 1106 receives the dimming request signal and the dimming end signal via the terminal CLK, and operates to generate the signal EN to enable or disable the clock generator 1104. it can. The trigger monitoring unit 1106 can further operate to control the conductive state of the switch Q27 coupled to the LED string 312.

  The dimmer 1102 generates the reference signal REF to adjust the power of the LED string 312 in the analog dimming mode, or the PWM signal PWM1 to adjust the power of the LED string 312 in the burst dimming mode. Can be operated to generate a control signal 538 that adjusts the duty cycle. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the dimmer 1102 generates a clock signal, a clock generator 1104 coupled to the trigger monitoring unit 1106, a counter 1126 driven by the clock signal, and a digital analog coupled to the counter 1126 ( D / A) converter 528. The dimmer 1102 can further include a PWM generator 530 coupled to the D / A converter 528.

  In operation, when the power switch 304 is turned on or off, the trigger monitoring unit 1106 can detect the positive or negative edge of the voltage at the terminal CLK. For example, when the power switch 304 is turned off, the capacitor C10 is discharged and supplies power to the dimming controller 1008. The voltage across resistor R6 drops to zero. Therefore, the negative edge of the voltage at the terminal CLK can be detected by the trigger monitoring unit 1106. Similarly, when the power switch 304 is connected, the voltage across the resistor R6 rises to a predetermined voltage. Therefore, the positive edge of the voltage at the terminal CLK can be detected by the trigger monitoring unit 1106. Therefore, an operation such as a power-on operation or a power-off operation of the power switch 304 can be detected by monitoring the voltage at the terminal CLK by the trigger monitoring unit 1106.

  In one embodiment, the dimming request signal can be received via the terminal CLK by the trigger monitoring unit 1106 when detecting a first set of operations of the power switch 304. The dimming end signal can be received by the trigger monitoring unit 1106 via the terminal CLK when detecting the second set of operations of the power switch 304. In one embodiment, the first set of operations of the power switch 304 includes a first power-up operation following the first power-off operation. In one embodiment, the second set of operations of the power switch 304 includes a second power-up operation following the second power-off operation.

  When the trigger monitoring unit 1106 receives the dimming request signal, the dimming controller 1008 begins to continuously adjust the adjusted power from the power converter 310. In the analog dimming mode, the dimming controller 1008 adjusts the voltage of the reference signal REF and adjusts the adjusted power from the power converter 310. In the burst dimming mode, the dimming controller 1008 adjusts the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 to adjust the adjusted power from the power converter 310.

  When the trigger monitoring unit 1106 receives the dimming end signal, the dimming controller 1008 can stop adjusting the adjusted power from the power converter 310.

  FIG. 12 shows an example of a diagram illustrating the operation of the light source drive circuit including the dimming controller 1008 of FIG. 11, according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is described in combination with FIG. 10 and FIG.

  First, assume that power switch 304 is off. In one embodiment, during operation, for example, when the user turns on the power switch 304, the LED string 312 is powered by the regulated power from the power converter 310 to generate the initial light output. In the analog dimming mode, the initial light output can be determined by the initial voltage of the reference signal REF. In the burst dimming mode, the first light output can be determined by the first duty cycle (eg, 100%) of the PWM signal PWM1. In one embodiment, the reference signal REF and the PWM signal PWM1 can be generated by the D / A converter 528 in accordance with the count value of the counter 1126. Thus, the first voltage at REF and the first duty cycle of PWM1 can be determined by the first count value provided by counter 1126 (eg, 0).

  To adjust the light output of the LED string 312, the user can perform a first set of operations on the power switch 304. When the operation of the first set of power switches 304 is detected, a dimming request signal is generated. In one embodiment, the first set of operations can include a first power-up operation following the first power-off operation. As a result, the trigger monitoring unit 1106 can detect and receive a dimming request signal including the positive edge 1206 following the negative edge 1204 of the voltage at the terminal CLK. In response to the dimming request signal, the trigger monitoring unit 1106 can generate a high level signal EN. Therefore, the clock generator 1104 generates a clock signal. The counter 1126 driven by the clock signal can change the count value in response to each clock pulse of the clock signal. In the example of FIG. 12, the count value increases in response to the clock signal. In one embodiment, after the counter 1126 reaches its predetermined maximum count value, the count value can be reset to zero. In another embodiment, the count value increases until the counter 1126 reaches its predetermined maximum count value and decreases until the counter 1126 reaches its predetermined minimum count value.

  In one embodiment, in the analog dimming mode, the D / A converter 528 reads the count value from the counter 1126 and decreases the voltage of the reference signal REF in response to the increase in the count value. In one embodiment, in burst dimming mode, the D / A converter 528 reads the count value from the counter 1126 and decreases the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 in response to the increase in count value (e.g., decreases by 10% each time). ) Therefore, the adjusted power from the power converter 310 can be determined by the voltage of the reference signal REF (in analog dimming mode) or the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 (in burst dimming mode), so the LED string 312 light output can be adjusted.

  When the desired light output is reached, the user can end the adjustment process by performing a second set of actions on the power switch 304. When the operation of the second set of the power switch 304 is detected, a dimming end signal is generated. In one embodiment, the second set of operations can include a second power-up operation following the second power-off operation. As a result, the trigger monitoring unit 1106 can detect and receive a dimming end signal including the positive edge 1210 following the negative edge 1208 of the voltage at the terminal CLK. Upon detecting the dimming end signal, the trigger monitoring unit 1106 can generate a low level signal EN. Therefore, the clock generator 1104 is disabled so that the counter 1126 can hold the count value. Therefore, in the analog dimming mode, the voltage of the reference signal REF can be held at a desired level. In the burst dimming mode, the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 can be held at a desired value. Therefore, the light output of the LED array 312 can be maintained at a desired light output.

  FIG. 13 shows a flowchart 1300 of a method for adjusting the power of a light source, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 13 is described in combination with FIG. 10 and FIG.

  In block 1302, a light source such as LED string 312 is powered with regulated power from a power converter such as power converter 310.

  In block 1304, the dimming request signal may be received by the dimming controller 1008, for example. The dimming request signal can indicate the operation of a first set of power switches, such as power switch 304, coupled between the power source and the power converter. In one embodiment, the first set of power switch operations includes a first power-up operation following the first power-off operation.

  In block 1306, the adjusted power from the power converter is continuously adjusted, eg, by the dimming controller 1008. In one embodiment, the clock generator 1104 can drive the counter 1126. In accordance with the count value of the counter 1126, a dimming signal (for example, the control signal 538 or the reference signal REF) can be generated. In the analog dimming mode, the adjusted power from the power converter can be adjusted by comparing the reference signal REF and a feedback current monitoring signal indicating the light source current of the light source. The voltage of REF can be determined by the count value. In the burst dimming mode, the adjusted power from the power converter can be adjusted by changing the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 by the control signal 538. The duty cycle of PWM1 can also be determined by the count value.

  In block 1308, the dimming end signal may be received by the dimming controller 1008, for example. The dimming end signal can indicate the operation of a second set of power switches, such as power switch 304, coupled between the power source and the power converter. In one embodiment, the second set of power switch operations includes a second power-up operation following the second power-off operation.

  At block 1310, adjustment of the adjusted power from the power converter ends when a dimming end signal is received. In one embodiment, the clock generator 1104 is disabled, allowing the counter 1126 to hold its count value. As a result, in the analog dimming mode, the voltage of REF can be held at a desired level. In the burst dimming mode, the duty cycle of the PWM signal PWM1 can be held at a desired value. As a result, the light source can maintain a desired light output.

  FIG. 14A shows an example of a schematic diagram of a light source drive circuit 1400 according to one embodiment of the invention. Elements having the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 3, 4, and 10 have the same functions. FIG. 14A is described in combination with FIG.

The light source drive circuit 1400 is coupled to the power source V _IN (eg, 110/120 volts AC, 60 Hz) via the power switch 1404 and is coupled to the light source 1412. Referring to FIG. 14B, an example of the power switch 1404 of FIG. 14A is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the power switch 1404 is a connection / disconnection switch that is attached to the wall. By switching the button 1480 to the contact position or the disconnection position, the conductive state of the power switch 1404 is controlled to be contact or disconnection by the user, for example.

Referring to FIG. 14A again, the light source driving circuit 1400 includes an AC / DC converter 306, a converter 1410, and a dimming controller 1408. The AC / DC converter 306 converts the input AC voltage V _IN into the output DC voltage V _OUT . A converter 1410 coupled to the AC / DC converter 306 receives the output DC voltage _VOUT and provides output power to the light source 1412. A dimming controller 1408 coupled to the AC / DC converter 306 and coupled to the converter 1410 monitors the power switch 1404 and adjusts the output power of the converter 1410 according to the operation of the power switch 1404 to provide a light source 1412. It can be operated to control the color and brightness of the light emitted from it. In one embodiment, dimming controller 1408 includes a plurality of terminals such as terminal HV, terminal CLK, terminal VDD, terminal GND, terminal CTRL1, terminal MON1, terminal CTRL2, and terminal MON2.

  In one embodiment, light source 1412 further includes a plurality of LED light sources, such as light source LED1 and light source LED2. For illustrative purposes, FIG. 14A shows that light source LED1 includes one LED string and light source LED2 includes one LED string. Alternatively, each of the light source LED1 and the light source LED2 can include a plurality of LED rows. The light source LED1 can emit light having a first color such as a warm color. The light source LED2 can emit light having a second color such as a cold color. Accordingly, the light source 1412 can emit light having various colors by controlling the light source LED1 and the light source LED2.

  In one embodiment, converter 1410 further includes power converters 1414 and 1416 that couple to light sources LED1 and LED2, respectively. The power converter 1414 can be a buck converter including an inductor L29, a diode D25, a capacitor C26, a resistor R23, and a control switch Q21. The control switch Q21 coupled in series with the light source LED1 is connected and disconnected according to a switch control signal 1450 such as a pulse width modulation signal. Similarly, power converter 1416 can also be a buck converter including inductor L30, diode D28, capacitor C27, resistor R33, and control switch Q31. The control switch Q31 coupled in series with the light source LED2 is turned on and off according to a switch control signal 1452 such as a pulse width modulation signal. The power converters 1414 and 1416 can have other configurations and are not limited to the example of FIG. 14A.

  Similar to the operation of the power converter 310 (shown in FIG. 4), the power converter 1414 supplies adjusted power to the light source LED1 according to the conductive state of the control switch Q21. More specifically, in one embodiment, control switch Q21 is in contact, or Q21 is alternately connected and disconnected (referred to as a “lighted” state), causing current to pass through light source LED1. The power converter 1414 operates in a burst dimming mode or an analog dimming mode and can adjust the power level of the adjusted power. For example, in the burst dimming mode, the duty cycle of the switch control signal 1450 is adjusted to adjust the power supplied to the light source LED1. In the analog dimming mode, in order to adjust the power to the light source LED1, the peak level of the current passing through the light source LED1 is adjusted according to the switch control signal 1450.

  In addition, when the control switch Q21 is turned off and the disconnected state continues longer than the time threshold (referred to as the “lights off” state), the current passing through the light source LED1 drops to approximately zero amperes, and thus to the light source LED1. Shut off the power. The power converter 1416 operates in the same manner as the power converter 1414.

  Based on switch control signals 1450 and 1452, converter 1410 selectively supplies adjusted power to light sources LED1 and LED2. In one embodiment, one of the control switches Q21 and Q31 is lit to supply power to the corresponding light source LED1 or LED2, and the other control switch is lit to shut off power to the corresponding light source LED1 or LED2. It is in. For example, when power is supplied to LED 1 (eg, warm white LED row) and power to LED 2 (eg, cold white LED row) is cut off, the light source 1412 emits light of warm color temperature. Similarly, when power to LED1 is cut off and power is supplied to LED2, light source 1412 emits light of cold color temperature.

  Therefore, for example, by adjusting the power supplied to the light source 1412 via the switch control signals 1450 and 1452, both the light color and the light brightness of the light source 1412 are controlled.

The dimming controller 1408 can operate to monitor the operation of the power switch 1404 and generate switch control signals 1450 and 1452 accordingly. When the power switch 1404 is connected, the terminal HV coupled to the AC / DC converter 306 receives power from the power source _VIN and supplies power to the dimming controller 1408. In one embodiment, when power switch 1404 is turned off, an energy storage unit such as capacitor C24 coupled to terminal VDD can provide power to dimming controller 1408. Terminal GND is coupled to ground.

  In one embodiment, terminal MON1 is coupled to resistor R23 to monitor the current passing through light source LED1. Similarly, terminal MON2 is coupled to resistor R33 to monitor the current passing through light source LED2.

  In the example of FIG. 14A, the dimming controller 1408 monitors the power switch 1404 by detecting the voltage at a terminal CLK coupled to the AC / DC converter 306. Through the terminal CLK, the dimming controller 1408 receives a color change signal indicating the operation of the first set of the power switch 1404, a dimming request signal indicating the operation of the second set of the power switch 1404, and the first of the power switch 1404. A dimming end signal indicating the operation of the set of 3 is received. In response to the signal received at terminal CLK, dimming controller 1408 generates switch control signals 1450 and 1452 to control control switches Q21 and Q31, respectively.

  When the color change signal is received, the dimming controller 1408 changes the conductive state of the switches Q21 and Q31 so that the light color of the light source 1412 changes. As an example, when the light of the light source 1412 has a warm color temperature (e.g., Q21 is in the lit state and Q31 is in the unlit state), the dimming controller 1408 switches Q21 and Q31 to the unlit state and the lit state, respectively. . Therefore, the light color is switched to the cold color temperature. Similarly, when the color change signal is received, when the light of the light source 1412 has a cold color temperature (e.g., Q21 is in the off state and Q31 is in the on state), the dimming controller 1408 sets Q21 and Q31 respectively. Switch between lit state and unlit state. Therefore, the light color is switched to the warm color temperature.

Upon receiving the dimming request signal, the dimming controller 1408 adjusts the brightness of the light source 1412 accordingly. As an example, when the light from the light source 1412 has a warm color temperature (e.g., Q21 is lit and Q31 is turned off), the dimming controller 1408 can adjust for a predetermined time (e.g., _TTH2 ) or Until the light end signal is received, Q21 is controlled in burst dimming mode or analog dimming mode to increase or decrease the power to light source 1412. Similarly, when the light of the light source 1412 has a cold color temperature (e.g., Q31 is in the on state and Q21 is in the off state), the dimming controller 1408 is adjusted for a predetermined time (e.g., T _TH2 ) or Until the end of light signal is received, Q31 is controlled in burst dimming mode or analog dimming mode to increase or decrease the power to light source 1412.

  Advantageously, the user can control the light color by applying a first set of operations to the power switch 1404. The user can also control the light brightness by performing a second set of operations on the same power switch 1404, so that the brightness of the light source 1412 is gradually reduced or increased. When the desired brightness is reached, the user can end the brightness adjustment by performing a third set of operations on the power switch 1404. Thus, additional devices for color selection and light dimming, such as external remote controls or specially designed switches with adjustment buttons, are avoided, thus reducing costs.

  FIG. 15 shows an example of the configuration of the dimming controller 1408 of FIG. 14A, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 15 is described in combination with FIG. 5 and FIG. 14A. Elements having the same reference numerals as in FIGS. 5, 11, and 14A have the same functions.

In the example of FIG. 15, dimming controller 1408 includes start circuit 1502, undervoltage lockout (UVL) circuit 1504, trigger monitoring unit 1506, dimmers 1552 and 1554, pulse signal generator 504, and logic circuit 1556 and Includes 1558. When the power switch 1404 is connected, the starting circuit 1502 receives power from the terminal HV and supplies a supply voltage to the terminal VDD. The UVL circuit 1504 coupled to the terminal VDD can operate to detect the supply voltage and control the dimming controller 1408 according to the supply voltage. In one embodiment, the UVL circuit 1504 powers up the dimming controller 1408 when the power switch 1404 is in contact. When the power switch 1404 remains off for a duration less than the time threshold T _{TH_VDD} , the capacitor C24 (shown in FIG. 14A) discharges and supplies power to the terminal VDD. Thus, the dimming controller 1408 can still be powered on and operate. However, when the power switch 1404 remains _off for a duration that exceeds the time threshold T _{TH_VDD} , the voltage at the terminal VDD drops until it falls below a predetermined threshold V _THL . Therefore, the UVL circuit 1504 cuts off the power supply to the dimming controller 1408.

As described in FIG. 14A, the color change signal indicates the operation of the first set of the power switch 1404, the dimming request signal indicates the operation of the second set of the power switch 1404, and the dimming end signal is The operation of the third set of the power switch 1404 is shown. In one embodiment, the first set of operations includes a first power-up operation following the first power-off operation. The second set of operations includes a second power-on operation following the second power-off operation. In one embodiment, the first time interval between the first power-off operation and the first power-on operation is a second time between the second power-off operation and the second power-on operation. Different from the interval. For example, the first time interval is larger than a time threshold T _TH1 such as 2 seconds, and the second time interval is smaller than T _TH1 .

In addition, the third set of operations includes a third power-on operation following the third power-off operation. In one embodiment, the third power-off operation follows the second power-on operation, and the time interval between the second power-on operation and the third power-off operation is a second time such as 10 seconds. It is smaller than the time threshold _TTH2 .

  A trigger monitoring circuit 1506 coupled to the terminal CLK can operate to receive a detection signal indicating the conductive state of the power switch 1404 via the terminal CLK. Based on the detection signal, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 determines whether the power switch 1404 performs a power-on operation or a power-off operation. By cooperating with the timer 1508, the trigger monitoring circuit 1506 can operate between different operations of the power switch 1404, such as between a power-on operation and a power-off operation, or between a power-on operation and another power-on operation. Measure the time interval. As a result, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 identifies the color change signal, the dimming request signal, and the dimming end signal.

  The dimmer 1552 includes a counter 1510, a D / A converter 1512, a PWM generator 1514, and a clock generator 1516. Similar to the operation of the dimmer 1102 in FIG. 11, the dimmer 1552 generates the dimming signal PWM3 in accordance with the count value stored in the counter 1510. In one embodiment, the duty cycle of the dimming signal PWM3 is determined by the count value. The logic circuit 1556 coupled to the dimmer 1552 includes a comparator 1530, an SR flip-flop 1532, and an AND gate 1534. Similar to the operation of the circuit including comparator 534, SR flip-flop 522, and AND gate 524 (shown in FIG. 5), logic circuit 1556 generates switch control signal 1450 at terminal CTRL1 in response to dimming signal PWM3. . In one embodiment, the duty cycle of switch control signal 1450 is determined by the count value of counter 1510. The power to the light source LED1 is adjusted by controlling the control switch Q31 based on the switch control signal 1450.

  Similarly, the dimmer 1554 includes a counter 1520, a D / A converter 1522, a PWM generator 1524, and a clock generator 1526, and can operate to generate the dimming signal PWM4. The logic circuit 1558 coupled to the dimmer 1554 includes a comparator 1540, an SR flip-flop 1542, and an AND gate 1544 and can operate to generate the switch control signal 1452. The duty cycle of the dimming signal PWM4 and the switch control signal 1452 can be determined by the count value of the counter 1520. Therefore, the power of the light source LED2 is adjusted by controlling the control switch Q31 based on the switch control signal 1452.

  Table 1 shows the corresponding switch control signal 1450 or 1452 duty cycle for the counter 1510 or 1520 count value, according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Table 1, when setting the count value to 0, the duty cycle is 0, so the corresponding control switch Q21 or Q31 is turned off to shut off the power to the corresponding LED light source Operate in a state. When the count value is greater than 0, such as 1-10, the duty cycle is greater than 0, so the corresponding control switch Q21 or Q31 operates in a lit state that supplies power to the corresponding LED light source.

The UVL circuit 1504 detects the supply voltage at the terminal VDD. In one embodiment, the UVL circuit 1504 can adjust the count values of the counters 1510 and 1520 according to the supply voltage at the terminal VDD. More specifically, the UVL circuit 1504 sets the count value of the counters 1510 and 1520 to a predetermined value of the first set when the supply voltage at the terminal VDD falls below the voltage threshold V _THL and the terminal VDD When the supply voltage at is increased until it exceeds V _THL , the count values of counters 1510 and 1520 are set to a second set of predetermined values. For example, when the supply voltage drops below the voltage threshold V _THL , the count value of the counter 1510 is set to 0, and the count value of the counter 1520 is set to 0. Accordingly, power to both LED strings LED1 and LED2 is cut off. When the supply voltage rises above V _THL , the counter 1510 and counter 1520 count values can be set to 10 and 0, respectively. Therefore, power is supplied to LED1, and power to LED2 is cut off.

In one embodiment, dimming controller 1408 further includes a bus 1560 that interconnects dimmer 1552, dimmer 1554, and trigger monitoring unit 1506. In one embodiment, trigger monitoring unit 1506 generates enable signals EN _COL , EN _DIM1 , and EN _DIM2 to adjust the count values of counters 1510 and 1520.

More specifically, in one embodiment, upon receiving a color change signal, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 generates an enable signal EN _COL that is transferred to both counter 1510 and counter 1520 via bus 1560. In one embodiment, the counts of counters 1510 and 1520 are exchanged in response. For example, when counters 1510 and 1520 have values 5 and 0, respectively, light source 1412 (LED 1 is on and LED 2 is off) indicates that it emits warm color temperature light, but the counter 1510 and 1520 count values Changes to 0 and 5, respectively, in response to the enable signal EN _COL . Therefore, the light emitted from the light source (LED 1 is off and LED 2 is in contact) changes to a cold color temperature. Advantageously, the color changes, but the brightness level of the light remains the same. Alternatively, the count values of counters 1510 and 1520 can change to other values. For example, the count values of counters 1510 and 1520 can be set to 0 and 10. In this case, both the light color and the light luminance change.

In one embodiment, upon receiving a dimming request signal, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 monitors the _count value, determines whether the control switch is lit, and generates an active enable signal EN _DIM1 And control the control switch in the lighting state. As an example, when the control switch Q21 is in the lighting state, the clock generator 1516 supplies the clock signal CLOCK1 to the counter 1510 in response to the operation enable signal EN _DIM1 . Therefore, the counter 1510 adjusts the brightness of the LED 1 by adjusting the count value. For example, the count value can be increased continuously, and thus the brightness of LED1 gradually increases. When receiving the dimming end signal or adjusting the brightness over a predetermined time, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 generates an inactive enable signal EN _DIM1 . Therefore, the clock signal CLOCK1 ends and the counter 1510 stops adjusting the count value. Therefore, the brightness adjustment is completed.

  Thus, by adjusting the counts of counters 1510 and 1520, the power to light source 1412 is adjusted to achieve color change and brightness adjustment.

FIG. 16 shows an example of a diagram illustrating the operation of the light source drive circuit including the dimming controller 1408 of FIG. 15, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 16 is described in combination with FIG. 14A and FIG. FIG. 16 shows voltage V _{CLK at} terminal CLK, enable signal EN _COL , EN _DIM1 and EN _DIM2 generated by trigger monitoring unit 1506, clock signals CLOCK1 and CLOCK2, and count values VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 of counters 1510 and 1520. The example of FIG. 16 shows how the brightness of the light source 1412 is adjusted.

At time t0, voltage V _CLK has a low electrical level indicating that power switch 1404 is off. In one embodiment, the count values VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 are both 0. Therefore, both control switches Q21 and Q31 are in the off state, and cut off the power to LED1 and LED2.

At time t1, the power switch 1404 is turned on. Terminal HV receives power from AC / DC converter 306. At that time, the voltage at the terminal VDD increases until it exceeds V _THL . In one embodiment, the UVL circuit 1504 sets VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 to 10 and 0, respectively. Therefore, Q21 is switched to the lit state, and Q31 remains in the unlit state. Accordingly, the light source 1412 emits light having a warm color temperature at time t1.

At time t2, the voltage V _CLK has a falling edge indicating the power shutoff operation of the power switch 1404. At time t3, the voltage V _CLK has a rising edge indicating the power-on operation of the power switch 1404. Since the time interval T1 between t2 and t3 is smaller than the first time threshold _TTH1 , the trigger monitoring unit 1506 identifies that the dimming request signal has been received. Therefore, at time t3, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 generates the operation enable signal _ENDIM1 and causes the clock generator 1516 to generate the clock signal CLOCK1. In the example of FIG. 16, the count value VALUE — 1510 increases from 1 to 6, for example, and gradually increases the luminance of the light source 1412.

At time t4, the falling edge of V _CLK indicating the power shutdown operation of the power switch 1404 is detected. At time t5, the rising edge of V _CLK indicating the power-on operation of the power switch 1404 is detected. Since the time interval T2 between t3 and t4 is smaller than the second threshold value _TTH2 , the trigger monitoring unit 1506 identifies that the dimming end signal has been received. Therefore, the enable signal EN _DIM1 becomes inactive, eg, at a low electrical level, and the clock signal CLOCK1 ends. Therefore, the count value VALUE_1510 maintains the light luminance from time t5 to 6.

At time t6, V _CLK has a falling edge indicating the power-off operation of the power switch 1404. For example, the time during which the power switch 1404 from t6 to t7 is _off reaches the time threshold T _{TH_VDD} indicating that the supply voltage at the terminal VDD drops until it falls below V _{TH_VDD} . In one embodiment, in response, UVL circuit 1504 sets both VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 back to zero. Accordingly, the light source 1412 is powered off at time t7.

FIG. 17 shows another example of a diagram illustrating the operation of the light source drive circuit including the dimming controller 1408 of FIG. 15, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 17 is described in combination with FIG. 14A and FIG. FIG. 17 shows voltage V _{CLK at} terminal CLK, enable signal EN _COL , EN _DIM1 and EN _DIM2 generated by trigger monitoring unit 1506, clock signals CLOCK1 and CLOCK2, and count values VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 of counters 1510 and 1520. The example of FIG. 17 shows how to adjust the color and brightness of the light source 1412.

At time t0 ′, voltage V _CLK has a low electrical level indicating that power switch 1404 is off. The count values VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 are both 0. Therefore, both control switches Q21 and Q31 are in the off state, and cut off the power to LED1 and LED2.

  At time t1 ′, the power switch 1404 is turned on. The UVL circuit 1504 sets VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 to 10 and 0, respectively. Therefore, Q21 is switched to the lit state, and Q31 remains in the unlit state. Accordingly, the light source 1412 emits light having a warm color temperature.

The voltage V _CLK has a falling edge at time t2 ′ and a rising edge at time t3 ′, which indicates a power-on operation at t3 ′ following a power-off operation at t2 ′. A time interval T3 between t2 ′ and t3 ′ is greater than a first time threshold T _TH1 indicating that a color change signal has been received. Thus, in one embodiment, at time t3 ′, trigger monitoring unit 1506 generates an activation enable signal EN _COL , such as a pulse signal, and exchanges the values stored in counters 1510 and 1520. As a result, VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 are set to 0 and 10, respectively. Therefore, Q21 switches to the off state, Q31 switches to the on state, and at t3 ′, the color of the light source 1412 is changed to the cold color temperature so that the luminance of the light source 1412 is still maintained.

Voltage V _CLK has a falling edge at time t4 ′ and a rising edge at time t5 ′, which indicates a power-on operation at t5 ′ following a power-off operation at t4 ′. The time interval T4 between t4 ′ and t5 ′ is smaller than T _TH1 indicating that the dimming request signal has been received. In response, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 generates an activation enable signal EN _DIM2 . Accordingly, the clock signal CLOCK2 is generated, and the count value VALUE_1520 increases from 1 to 3, for example, to gradually increase the luminance of the light source 1412.

The voltage V _CLK has a falling edge at time t6 ′ and has a rising edge at time t7 ′, which indicates a power-on operation at t7 ′ following a power-off operation at t6 ′. Since the time interval T5 between t5 ′ and t6 ′ is smaller than the first time threshold _TTH2 , the trigger monitoring unit 1506 identifies that the dimming end signal has been received. In response, the enable signal EN _DIM2 is deactivated and the clock signal CLOCK2 is terminated. Therefore, the count value VALUE_1510 maintains 3 from time t7 ′ to maintain the light intensity.

At time t8 ′, V _CLK has a falling edge indicating the power-off operation of the power switch 1404. For example, the time during which the power switch 1404 from t8 ′ to t9 ′ is _off reaches the time threshold T _{TH_VDD} indicating that the supply voltage at the terminal VDD drops until it falls below V _{TH_VDD} . At that time, in one embodiment, the UVL circuit 1504 can set both VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 to 0 again. Accordingly, the light source 1412 is powered off at time t9 ′.

18 shows another example of a diagram illustrating the operation of a light source drive circuit including the dimming controller 1408 of FIG. 15, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 18 is described in combination with FIG. 14A and FIG. FIG. 18 shows voltage V _{CLK at} terminal CLK, enable signal EN _COL , EN _DIM1 and EN _DIM2 generated by trigger monitoring unit 1506, clock signals CLOCK1 and CLOCK2, and count values VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 of counters 1510 and 1520. The example of FIG. 18 shows how the brightness of the light source 1412 is adjusted.

During the time interval between t0 ″ and t3 ″, the dimming controller 1408 operates in the same manner as the operation from t0 to t3 described in FIG. For example, a power-on operation at time t3 "following a power-off operation at time t2" is identified as a dimming request signal. Therefore, VALUE_1510, in "controlled by. Time t4 so as to start the" time t3, luminance, during the predetermined time T _TH2, is adjusted. Therefore, the trigger monitoring unit 1506 generates the non-operation enable signal EN _DIM1 . The clock signal CLOCK1 ends. Therefore, VALUE_1510 maintains 10 from time t4 ", and the brightness adjustment is completed.

At time t5 ″, V _CLK has a falling edge indicating the power-off operation of the power switch 1404. At time t6 ″, for example, the time when the power switch 1404 from t5 ″ to t6 ″ is off is at the terminal VDD A time threshold T _{TH_VDD} is reached, indicating that the supply voltage will fall below V _{TH_VDD} . In one embodiment, in response, UVL circuit 1504 sets both VALUE_1510 and VALUE_1520 back to zero. Accordingly, the light source 1412 is powered off at time t6 ″.

  Referring back to FIG. 15, the dimming controller 1408 can also operate in an analog dimming mode to adjust the brightness of the light source 1412. In one embodiment, the inverting input terminal of comparator 1530 is coupled to the output of D / A converter 1512, and the inverting input terminal of comparator 1540 is coupled to the output of D / A converter 1522. Therefore, the reference signals REF1 and REF2 can be determined by the count values of the counters 1510 and 1520, respectively. Therefore, brightness adjustment is achieved by controlling the peak level of the current passing through the light source LED1 and the light source LED2 according to the count value.

  FIG. 19 shows a flowchart 1900 of a method for adjusting the power of a light source, according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 19 is described in combination with FIG. 14A to FIG. Although specific steps are disclosed in FIG. 19, such steps are examples. That is, the present invention is well suited for implementing various other steps or variations of the steps described in FIG.

  In block 1902, power is supplied from the converter 1410 to a light source such as the light source 1412. At block 1904, a power switch, such as a power switch 1404, coupled between the power source and the converter is monitored.

At block 1906, a color change signal is received that indicates the operation of the first set of power switches. At block 1908, the color of the light source is adjusted in response to the color change signal. At block 1910, a dimming request signal indicating a second set of operations is received. At block 1912, the brightness of the light source is adjusted in response to the dimming request signal. In one embodiment, a detection signal indicative of the conductive state of the power switch is received. A plurality of operations of the power switch including the power-off operation and the power-on operation are identified according to the detection signal. A first set of actions and a second set of actions are identified as a function of the time interval between actions. In one embodiment, the brightness is adjusted for a predetermined time, such as T _TH2 , or until a dimming end signal is received indicating the operation of the third set of power switches 1404. In one embodiment, the color and brightness of light source 1412 is adjusted by adjusting the counts of counters such as counters 1552 and 1554.

  Therefore, the embodiment according to the present invention provides a light source driving circuit for driving a light source including an LED. Advantageously, the user can select the light color by applying a first set of actions to the power switch 1404 and adjusting the brightness by applying a second set of actions to the same power switch 1404. You can also. During the brightness adjustment process, the brightness of the light source gradually decreases or increases. When the desired brightness is reached, the user can end the brightness adjustment by applying a third set of operations to the power switch 1404. Thus avoiding additional devices for color selection and light dimming, such as external remote controls or specially designed switches with adjustment buttons, reducing costs

  Although the foregoing description and drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, various additions, modifications and replacements may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the principles of the invention as defined in the appended claims. It will be appreciated that can be done. The invention is not limited to the forms, structures, configurations, ratios, materials, elements, elements, and many others used in the practice of the invention, specifically tailored to the particular environment and operating requirements without departing from the principles of the invention. One skilled in the art will appreciate that it can be used with modification. Accordingly, the embodiments disclosed herein are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their legal It is shown by an equivalent thing and is not limited to the above description.

100 Conventional LED drive circuit
102 Power converter
104 Power switch
106 LED string
200 Conventional LED drive circuit
208 linear LED current regulator
210 Operational amplifier
300 Light source drive circuit
304 Power switch
306 AC / DC converter
308 Dimming controller
310 Power converter
312 LED string
314 Current sensor
400 Light source drive circuit
502 dimmer
504 Pulse signal generator
506 Trigger monitoring unit
508 start-up and undervoltage lockout (UVL) circuits
510 operational amplifier
512 MOSFET
514 MOSFET
515 MOSFET
516 comparator
518 comparator
520 SR flip-flop
522 SR flip-flop
524 AND gate
526 counter
528 D / A converter
530 PWM generator
532 Current source
534 comparator
536 pulse signal
538 Control signal
540 switch
541 switch
542 switch
602 Signal waveform of LED current passing through LED string
900 Flowchart of how to adjust the light source output
1000 Light source drive circuit
1008 Dimming controller
1102 Dimmer
1104 clock generator
1106 Trigger monitoring unit
1126 counter
1204 negative edge
1206 Positive edge
1208 Negative edge
1210 positive edge
1300 Flowchart of how to adjust the light source power
1400 Light source drive circuit
1404 Power switch
1408 Dimming controller
1410 transducer
1412 light source
1414 power converter
1416 power converter
1450 Switch control signal
1452 Switch control signal
1480 button
1502 Start circuit
1504 UVL circuit
1506 Trigger monitoring unit, trigger monitoring circuit
1508 timer
1510 counter
1512 D / A converter
1514 PWM generator
1516 clock generator
1520 counter
1522 D / A converter
1524 PWM generator
1526 clock generator
1530 comparator
1532 SR flip-flop
1534 AND gate
1540 comparator
1542 SR flip-flop
1544 AND gate
1552 dimmer
1554 Dimmer
1556 Logic circuit
1558 Logic circuit
1560 bus
1900 Flowchart of how to adjust light source power

Claims (20)

A drive circuit for driving a light source including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs),
A converter coupled to a power source, operable to receive power from the power source and to provide adjusted power to the light source in response to a plurality of control signals;
A color change signal coupled to the converter and monitoring a power switch coupled between the power source and the converter, indicating a first set of operations of the power switch and a second set of the power switch; Receiving a dimming request signal indicating operation, controlling the control signal to change the color of light emitted from the light source in response to the color change signal, and responding to the dimming request signal A dimming controller operable to control the control signal to adjust the brightness of the drive circuit.   The first set of operations includes a first power-on operation following the first power-off operation, and the second set of operations includes a second power-on operation following the second power-off operation. A time interval between the first power-off operation and the first power-on operation is different from a time interval between the second power-off operation and the second power-on operation. Item 2. The drive circuit according to Item 1.   The drive according to claim 1, wherein the dimming controller adjusts the luminance until receiving a dimming end signal indicating an operation of a third set of the power switches in response to the dimming request signal. circuit.   The second set of operations includes a first power-on operation following the first power-off operation, and the third set of operations includes a second power-on operation following the second power-off operation. 4. The drive circuit according to claim 3, further comprising a time interval between the first power-on operation and the second power-off operation.   The light source includes a first LED light source capable of operating to emit light having a first color and a second LED light source capable of operating to emit light having a second color. The drive circuit according to claim 1, comprising: The dimming controller is
Including a trigger monitoring unit that is operable to receive a detection signal indicative of a conductive state of the power switch and to identify the first set of operations and the second set of operations based on the detection signal The driving circuit according to claim 1.   The trigger monitoring unit identifies a plurality of operations of the power switch including a power-on operation and a power-off operation based on the detection signal, and the first set of operations based on a time interval between the plurality of operations. 7. The drive circuit according to claim 6, wherein the drive circuit identifies the second set of operations. The dimming controller is
A plurality of dimmers operable to adjust the count values of the counters according to the color change signal and the dimming request signal, respectively, and the control signals according to the count values; The drive circuit according to claim 1, wherein the drive circuit is adjusted. The dimming controller is
Coupled to the dimmer, detects a supply voltage, and when the supply voltage drops below a voltage threshold, sets the count value to a first set of predetermined values, the supply voltage being the voltage threshold 9. The drive circuit of claim 8, further comprising an undervoltage lockout circuit operable to set the count value to a second set of predetermined values when rising to above.   When the dimmer receives the color change signal, the dimmer exchanges the count value of the counter, and the control signal changes the color and maintains the luminance according to the exchange count value. 9. The drive circuit according to claim 8, which is adjusted. A dimming controller for controlling power supplied from a converter to a light source including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs),
A detection terminal for receiving a detection signal indicating a conductive state of a power switch coupled between a power source and the converter;
A plurality of dimming terminals for supplying a plurality of control signals to control the power, wherein the color and brightness of light emitted by the light source are determined by the control signals. ,
Identifying a color change signal indicating the operation of the first set of power switches, identifying a dimming request signal indicating the operation of the second set of power switches, and in response to the color change signal, A dimming controller that is operable to adjust the control signal to change color and to adjust the control signal to adjust brightness of the light source in response to the dimming request signal.   12. The dimming controller according to claim 11, wherein the control signal adjusts luminance of the light source until receiving a dimming end signal in response to the dimming request signal.   The light source includes a first LED light source capable of operating to emit light having a first color and a second LED light source capable of operating to emit light having a second color. 12. The dimming controller according to claim 11, wherein the control signal controls the first LED light source and the second LED light source, respectively. A plurality of operations including a power-on operation and a power-off operation are identified based on the detection signal, a time interval between the plurality of operations is measured, and the color change signal and the dimming request signal according to the time interval The dimming controller of claim 11 further comprising a trigger monitoring unit operable to identify the. Further comprising a plurality of dimmers operable to respectively adjust count values of a plurality of counters in response to the color change signal and the dimming request signal;
12. The dimming controller according to claim 11, wherein the control signal is adjusted based on the count value. Further comprising a supply terminal operable to receive the supply voltage;
When the supply voltage falls below a voltage threshold, the count value is set to a first set of predetermined values, and when the supply voltage rises above the voltage threshold, the count value is set to a second value. 16. The dimming controller according to claim 15, wherein the dimming controller is set to a set predetermined value.   The dimmer exchanges the count value of the counter when receiving the color change signal, and the control signal changes the color and maintains the luminance according to the exchange count value. Item 16. A dimming controller according to Item 15. A method of driving a light source including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs),
Supplying power to the light source from a converter;
Monitoring a power switch coupled between a power source and the converter;
Receiving a color change signal indicative of the operation of the first set of power switches;
Adjusting the color of the light source in response to the color change signal;
Receiving a dimming request signal indicative of the operation of the second set of power switches;
Adjusting the brightness of the light source in response to the dimming request signal. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adjusting the brightness of the light source until receiving a dimming end signal in response to the dimming request signal. Receiving a detection signal indicating a conductive state of the power switch;
Identifying a plurality of operations of the power switch including a power-off operation and a power-on operation in response to the detection signal;
19. The method of claim 18, further comprising identifying the first set of operations and the second set of operations as a function of time intervals between the plurality of operations.