Abstract
A single chip multi-voltage or multi-brightness LED lighting device having at least two LED circuits. Each of the at least two LED circuits having at least two LEDs connected together in series. Each of the at least two LED circuits are electrically unconnected to each other in a parallel relationship, have a forward operating drive voltage of at least six volts and are monolithically integrated on a single substrate. A method of manufacturing a single chip with two or more LED circuits configurable by means of connecting the circuits so as to provide optional operating voltage level and/or desired brightness level wherein the electrical connection may be achieved and/or completed at the LED packaging level when the single chips are integrated into the LED package. Alternatively, the LED package may have external electrical contacts that match the integrated chips within. Optionally allowable, the drive voltage level and/or the brightness level select-ability may be passed on through to the exterior of the LED package and may be selected by the LED package user, the PCB assembly facility, or the end product manufacturer.
Claims
1. An LED lighting device comprising: at least two LED circuits; at least three voltage input electrical contacts, wherein a first voltage input electrical contact connected to both of the at least two LED circuits, a second voltage input electrical contact is connected to a first of the at least two LED circuits, and a third voltage input electrical contact is connected to a second of the at least two circuits, wherein each of the at least two LED circuits include plurality of LEDs and the at least three voltage input electrical contacts are arranged such that the first voltage input electrical contact is connected to a cathode of one of the plurality of LEDs in both of the at least two LED circuits; the second voltage input electrical contact is connected to an anode of one of the plurality of LEDs in the first of the at least two LED circuits; and the third voltage input electrical contact is connected to an anode of one of the plurality of LEDs in the second of the at least two LED circuits.
2. The LED lighting device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of LEDs in each of the at least two LED circuits are connected in series.
3. The LED lighting device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the plurality of LEDs in each of the at least two LED circuits are connected in an anti-parallel configuration.
4. The LED lighting device of claim 3 wherein each of the at least two LED circuits includes a first portion of the plurality of LEDs connected in a first series string of LEDs, a second portion of the plurality of LEDs connected in a second series string of LEDs, the first portion of the plurality of LEDs and the second portion of LEDs connecting at a first branch junction and a second branch junction in an anti-parallel manner.
5. The LED lighting device of claim 4 wherein the first voltage input electrical contact connects to the first branch junction of both of the at least two LED circuits; the second voltage input electrical contact connects to the second branch junction of the first of the at least two LED circuits; and the third voltage input electrical contact connects to the second branch junction of the second of the at least two LED circuits.
6. The LED lighting device of claim 1 wherein the LED lighting device is an LED package.
7. The LED lighting device of claim 1 wherein the at least two LED circuits are integrated on a single chip.
8. The LED lighting device of claim 1 wherein the at least two LED circuits are integrated on discrete chips so that each of the at least two LED circuits is on a separate chip.
9. The LED lighting device of claim 1 wherein the at least two LEDs forming each of the at least two LED circuits are discrete die integrated on a substrate.
10. The LED lighting device of claim 1 wherein the LED lighting device is an LED assembly of discretely packaged LEDs.
11. An LED lighting device comprising: at least two LED circuits, each LED circuit having a bridge rectifier and at least one LED connected across the output of the bridge rectifier; at least three voltage input electrical contacts, wherein a first voltage input electrical contact connected to both of the at least two LED circuits, a second voltage input electrical contact is connected to a first of the at least two LED circuits, and a third voltage input electrical contact is connected to a second of the at least two circuits, wherein the first voltage input electrical contact is connected to a first input of the bridge rectifier in both of the at least two LED circuits; the second voltage input electrical contact is connected to a second input of the bridge rectifier in the first of the at least two LED circuits; and the third voltage input electrical contact is connected to a second input of the bridge rectifier in the second of the at least two LED circuits.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(4) FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(5) FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(6) FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(7) FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(8) FIG. 8 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(9) FIG. 9 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(10) FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
(11) FIG. 11 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and,
(12) FIG. 12 shows a schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
(13) FIG. 1 discloses a schematic diagram of a multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 10. The multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 10 comprises at least two AC LED circuits 12 configured in a imbalanced bridge circuit, each of which have at least two LEDs 14. The at least two AC LED circuits have electrical contacts 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d at opposing ends to provide various connectivity options for an AC voltage source input. For example, if 16a and 16c are electrically connected together and 16b and 16d are electrically connected together and one side of the AC voltage input is applied to 16a and 16c and the other side of the AC voltage input is applied to 16b and 16d, the circuit becomes a parallel circuit with a first operating forward voltage. If only 16a and 16c are electrically connected and the AC voltage inputs are applied to electrical contacts 16b and 16d, a second operating forward voltage is required to drive the single chip 18. The single chip 18 may also be configured to operate at more than one brightness level “multi-brightness” by electrically connecting for example 16a and 16b and applying one side of the line of an AC voltage source to 16a and 16b and individually applying the other side of the line from the AC voltage source a second voltage to 26b and 26c.
(14) FIG. 2 discloses a schematic diagram of a multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 20 similar to the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 10 described above in FIG. 1. The at least two AC LED circuits 12 are integrated onto a substrate 22. The at least two AC LED circuits 12 configured in a imbalanced bridge circuit, each of which have at least two LEDs 14. The at least two AC LED circuits have electrical contacts 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d on the exterior of the substrate 22 and can be used to electrically configure and/or control the operating voltage and/or brightness level of the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device.
(15) FIG. 3 discloses a schematic diagram of a multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 30 similar to the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 10 and 20 described in FIGS. 1 and 2. The multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 30 comprises at least two AC LED circuits 32 having at least two LEDs 34 connected in series and anti-parallel configuration. The at least two AC LED circuits 32 have electrical contacts 36a, 36b, 36c, and 36d at opposing ends to provide various connectivity options for an AC voltage source input. For example, if 36a and 36c are electrically connected together and 36b and 36d are electrically connected together and one side of the AC voltage input is applied to 36a and 36c and the other side of the AC voltage input is applied to 36b and 36d, the circuit becomes a parallel circuit with a first operating forward voltage. If only 36a and 36c are electrically connected and the AC voltage inputs are applied to electrical contacts 36b and 36d, a second operating forward voltage is required to drive the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness lighting device 30. The multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness lighting device 30 may be a monolithically integrated single chip 38, a monolithically integrated single chip integrated within a LED package 38 or a number of individual discrete die integrated onto a substrate 38 to form a multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness lighting device 30.
(16) FIG. 4 discloses a schematic diagram of the same multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED device 30 as described in FIG. 3 having the at least two AC LED circuits 32 connected in parallel configuration to an AC voltage source and operating at a first forward voltage. A resistor 40 may be used to limit current to the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 30.
(17) FIG. 5 discloses a schematic diagram of the same multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED device 30 as described in FIG. 3 having the at least two AC LED circuits 32 connected in series configuration to an AC voltage source and operating at a second forward voltage that is approximately two times greater than the first forward voltage of the parallel circuit as described in FIG. 4. A resistor may be used to limit current to the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device.
(18) FIG. 6 discloses a schematic diagram of a multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 50. The multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 50 comprises at least two AC LED circuits 52, each of which have at least two LEDs 54 in series and anti-parallel relation. The at least two AC LED circuits 52 have at least three electrical contacts 56a, 56b and 56c. The at least two AC LED circuits 52 are electrically connected together in parallel at one end 56a and left unconnected at the opposing ends of the electrical contacts 56b and 56c. One side of an AC voltage source line is electrically connected to 56a and the other side of an AC voltage source line is individually electrically connected to 56b and 56c with either a fixed connection or a switched connection thereby providing a first brightness when AC voltage is applied to 56a and 56b and a second brightness when an AC voltage is applied to 56a, 56b and 56c. It is contemplated that the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 50 is a single chip, an LED package, an LED assembly or an LED lamp. The multi-brightness switching capability
(19) FIG. 7 discloses a schematic diagram similar to the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED device 50 shown in FIG. 6 integrated within a lamp 58 and connected to a switch 60 to control the brightness level of the multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 50.
(20) FIG. 8 discloses a schematic diagram a multi-brightness LED lighting device 62 having at least two bridge rectified 68 series LED circuits 69. Each of the at least two bridge rectified 68 series LED circuits 69 that are connected to and rectified with an LED bridge circuit 68 comprising four LEDs 70 configured in a bridge circuit 68. The at least two bridge rectified 68 series LED circuits 69 have at least two LEDs 71 connected in series and electrical contacts 72a, 72b and 72c. When one side of an AC voltage is applied to 72a and the other side of an AC voltage line is applied to 72b and 72c individually, the brightness level of the multi-brightness LED lighting device 62 can be increased and/or decreased I a fixed manner or a switching process.
(21) FIG. 9 discloses a schematic diagram the multi-brightness LED lighting device 62 as shown above in FIG. 8 with a switch 74 electrically connected between the multi-brightness LED lighting device 62 and the AC voltage source 78.
(22) FIG. 9 discloses a schematic diagram of at least two single voltage LED circuits integrated with a single chip or within a substrate and forming a multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED device.
(23) FIG. 10 discloses a schematic diagram of a single chip LED bridge circuit 80 having four LEDs 81 configured into a bridge circuit and monolithically integrated on a substrate 82. The full wave LED bridge circuit has electrical contacts 86 to provide for AC voltage input connectivity and DC voltage output connectivity.
(24) FIG. 11 discloses a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a single chip multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 90. The multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 90 has at least two series LED circuits 92 each of which have at least two LEDs 94 connected in series. The at least two series LED circuits 92 have electrical contacts 96 at opposing ends to provide a means of electrical connectivity. The at least two series LED circuits are monolithically integrated into a single chip 98. The electrical contacts 96 are used to wire the at least two series LEDs circuit 92 into a series circuit, a parallel circuit or an AC LED circuit all within a single chip.
(25) FIG. 12 discloses a schematic diagram of the same multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 90 as shown above in FIG. 11. The multi-voltage and/or multi-brightness LED lighting device 90 has at least two series LED circuits 92 each of which have at least two LEDs 94 connected in series. The at least two series LED circuits can be monolithically integrated within a single chip or discrete individual die can be integrated within a substrate to form an LED package 100. The LED package 100 has electrical contacts 102 that are used to wire the at least two series LEDs circuit into a series circuit, a parallel circuit or in anti-parallel to form an AC LED circuit all within a single LED package.
