Patent ID: 7902769

Claim:
A current regulator for providing variable power to solid state lighting, the current regulator couplable through a phase-modulating switch to an AC line voltage, the current regulator comprising: a rectifier; a switching power supply providing a first current; and an impedance matching circuit coupled to the switching power supply and couplable to the phase-modulating switch or to the AC line voltage, the impedance matching circuit to provide a second current through the phase-modulating switch when a magnitude of the first current is below a first predetermined threshold; wherein the impedance matching circuit comprises: a first resistor coupled to receive the first current from the) switching power supply and provide a first voltage level; a second resistor; and a current switch coupled in series to the second resistor, the switch responsive to a control voltage to modulate the second current through the second resistor in response to the first voltage level.