Patent ID: 8692471

Claim:
A LED driving system for driving one or more LEDs, comprising: a switching power converter comprising: an inductor coupled to an input voltage; a switching element coupled to said inductor; an output terminal coupled to said inductor; and a controller arranged to operate said switching element so as to control the flow of current in said inductor and thereby provide a desired output voltage at said output terminal; a LED ON signal which toggles from a first state to a second state when one or more LEDs coupled to said output terminal are to be turned on and from said second state to said first state when said LEDs are to be turned off, said switching power converter arranged such that said switching element is nominally operated only when said LED ON signal is in said second state; and a delay circuit coupled to said LED ON signal such that, when said LED ON signal toggles from said first state to said second state, said LEDs are turned on a predetermined amount of time after said switching converter's switching element begins operating, such that the energy stored in said inductor when said LEDs become turned on is greater than it would be if said LEDs were turned on prior to the predetermined amount of time.