A LED controller for an LED pixel array includes a switch K1 activated in response to a row and column select signal; a switch K2 activated in response to a pulse width modulation duty cycle; and a switch K3 providing a current source from Vbias. Pixel activation is determined at least in part by state of switch K1 and K2. In operation, the LED pixel in the LED pixel array is selected by switch K1 and a fault determination for the LED pixel is made based on determined Vf on a Vf bus.

A LED controller includes an image buffer to hold image data. An LED pixel forming a part of a large pixel array is activatable in response to image data, LDO state, and pulse width modulation module state. A logic module including a pixel diagnostic mode using an LDO bypass is connected to modify LDO state and allow direct addressing of the LED pixel for diagnostic purposes without needing to use image data from the image buffer.

The power supply device comprises a supply transistor commanded by a command signal and providing electric power to a lighting module, and a driving means configured to selectively generate, depending on an instruction signal representative of the structure of said at least one lighting module, a first command signal able to command the supply transistor into an ohmic regime, a second command signal able to command the supply transistor into a pulse width modulation regime involving an alternation of ohmic regimes and blocked regimes, and a third command signal able to command the supply transistor into a saturated regime.

The power supply device comprises a supply transistor commanded by a command signal and providing electric power to a lighting module, and a driving means configured to selectively generate, depending on an instruction signal representative of the structure of said at least one lighting module, a first command signal able to command the supply transistor into an ohmic regime, a second command signal able to command the supply transistor into a pulse width modulation regime involving an alternation of ohmic regimes and blocked regimes, and a third command signal able to command the supply transistor into a saturated regime.

The power supply device comprises a supply transistor commanded by a command signal and providing electric power to a lighting module, and a driving means configured to selectively generate, depending on an instruction signal representative of the structure of said at least one lighting module, a first command signal able to command the supply transistor into an ohmic regime, a second command signal able to command the supply transistor into a pulse width modulation regime involving an alternation of ohmic regimes and blocked regimes, and a third command signal able to command the supply transistor into a saturated regime.

The power supply device comprises a supply transistor commanded by a command signal and providing electric power to a lighting module, and a driving means configured to selectively generate, depending on an instruction signal representative of the structure of said at least one lighting module, a first command signal able to command the supply transistor into an ohmic regime, a second command signal able to command the supply transistor into a pulse width modulation regime involving an alternation of ohmic regimes and blocked regimes, and a third command signal able to command the supply transistor into a saturated regime.

A method for controlling an in-vehicle lamp includes receiving a signal for supplying a power into an in-vehicle lamp, maintaining an amount of current flowing through the in-vehicle lamp below a first threshold level during an initial driving section after the power is supplied, and maintaining the amount of current flowing through the in-vehicle lamp below a second threshold level which is lower than the first threshold level after the initial driving section.

An LED lighting device includes an auxiliary power supply that supplies power to a control circuit of the LED lighting device that receives an input from a terminal of a light-emitting diode (LED) string of the lighting device that has a substantially lower voltage than the line voltage to which the lighting device is connected. The terminal may be within the LED string, or may be an end of the string. A linear regulator may be operated from the voltage drop across a number of the LEDs in the string so that the energy wasted by the auxiliary power supply is minimized. In other designs, the auxiliary power supply may be intermittently connected in series with the LED string only when needed. The intermittent connection can be used to forward bias a portion of the LED string when the voltage supplied to the LED string is low, increasing overall brightness.

A method for controlling an in-vehicle lamp includes receiving a signal for supplying a power into an in-vehicle lamp, maintaining an amount of current flowing through the in-vehicle lamp below a first threshold level during an initial driving section after the power is supplied, and maintaining the amount of current flowing through the in-vehicle lamp below a second threshold level which is lower than the first threshold level after the initial driving section.