Patent ID: 8664883

Claim:
An LED lighting device comprising: a DC power source having positive and negative output terminals; a switching element coupled across the output terminals of the DC power source; an inductor coupled on a first end to the switching element and effective to receive and store energy when the switching element is turned on; a lighting device output connector coupled to a second end of the inductor and effective to receive a semiconductor light emitting element; a regeneration diode coupled to the node between the inductor and the switching element and effective to discharge energy stored in the inductor to the output connector when the switching element is turned off; a current sensor effective to detect current flowing to the switching element; and a control circuit effective in a normal operation to receive the detected current value from the current sensor; compare the detected current value to a predetermined value; decrease a gate drive signal to turn off the switching element when the detected current value reaches the predetermined value; and increase a gate drive signal to turn on the switching element when energy discharge of the inductor is completed; the control circuit further effective in a dimming operation to receive a dimming control signal, and intermittently disable the normal operation in accordance with the dimming control signal.