Patent ID: 7777430
Filing Date: 2010-08-17
Classification: F21K,F21V,F21Y,H01L,H05B,Y02B

Abstract:
1. A method for regulating current drive through at least one light emitting diode to compensate for temperature induced resistance changes in the light emitting diode, comprising: supplying a source voltage; using the source voltage to create a regulated current that is usable by the light emitting diode; applying the regulated current to the light emitting diode to cause the regulated current to flow through the light emitting diode; generating a sense voltage that is related to the regulated current and to a temperature at a position in a thermal pathway of heat emanating from the light emitting diode which heat is produced by the light emitting diode responsive to the regulated current; and using the sense voltage as a feedback to modify the regulated current to be maintained within a non-destructive operating range of the light emitting diode when the regulated current would otherwise be outside of the non-destructive range due to a decreased resistance of the light emitting diode caused by an increased temperature of the light emitting diode.