Patent ID: 7075252

Claim:
A driver circuit for protecting an LED from transient voltage conditions, said LED having a maximum operating current, said driver circuit having a source voltage applied thereto, comprising: a first switching mechanism having a first switching condition and a second switching condition, said first switching mechanism being in said first switching condition when said source voltage is at or below a first threshold value and moving to said second switching condition when said source voltage exceeds said first threshold value; and a second switching mechanism having a third switching condition and a fourth switching condition, said second switching mechanism being in said third switching condition when said source voltage is applied thereto and is at or below a second threshold value that is less than said first threshold value and moving to said fourth switching condition when said source voltage is applied thereto and exceeds said second threshold value and is at or below said first threshold value, wherein said third switching condition causes a first current to flow through said LED, said first current being less than said maximum operating current, and wherein said fourth switching condition causes a second current to flow through said LED, said second current being less than said maximum operating current; wherein said second switching condition of said first switching mechanism causes a current less than said maximum operating current to flow through said LED, and said first switching condition of said first switching mechanism causes said source voltage to be applied to said second switching mechanism.