Patent ID: 8493002

Claim:
A driver for driving a dimmable load, the driver being powered from phase-cut input mains for determining a dimming state of the dimmable load on the basis of a phase cutting angle of the input mains, the driver comprising: a load current generating device configured to generate load current having an adjustable duty cycle by cycling between to an active state for outputting the load current and a blocking state for blocking the load current, in response to the phase-cut input mains, the load current generating device having an output coupled to an output of the driver connected to the dimmable load; a controllable auxiliary load connected to an input of the load current generating device; and a control device configured to control operation of the auxiliary load, the control device comprising an input coupled to receive a signal indicating a momentary voltage at an input of the driver; wherein an average of the output current corresponds to a dimming command reflected by the phase cutting angle of the input mains; and wherein the control device is configured to switch the auxiliary load on during time periods of the adjustable duty cycle when the output current generated by the load current generating device is zero.