Driver for color tunable light emitting diodes

Abstract

A decorative lighting system includes a command controller, a plurality of illumination devices and a flexible cord interconnecting each. The command controller includes a microcontroller that provides a data signal and a clock signal. The data signal instructs a plurality of addresses corresponding to the lighting devices. Each illumination device has at least three light emitting diodes (LEDs). The LEDs each emit light at a different wavelength than either of the other LEDs. An integrated circuit LED is responsive to the data signal, clock signal, and power signal and drives the first, second, and third LEDs by to a blink rate and intensity. The LED driver includes a plurality of pulse width modulation registers that are selectable in combination to drive the LEDs to a blink rate and intensity independent of one another.

1 . An apparatus comprising: 
 an integrated circuit LED driver electrically responsive to a data signal and a clock signal for driving first, second and third light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the first, second and third LEDs being configured to emit light at a different wavelength than either of the other LEDs, wherein the integrated circuit LED driver is connectable to a bus comprising at least two conductors configured to carry the data signal and the clock signal, the integrated circuit LED driver comprising a plurality of pulse width modulation registers selectable in combination to drive the first, second and third LEDs independent of one another to a blink rate and an intensity to control the color produced by the combination of the LEDs.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises a brightness register configured to interconnect the plurality of pulse width modulation registers to one or more of the LEDs, and configured to control a brightness of the respective one or more of the LEDs by adjusting a duty cycle of current supplied thereto.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises an LED select register configured to control the selection in combination of the plurality of pulse width modulation registers.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises first, second and third field-effect transistor gates electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of pulse width modulation registers, and configured to gate current to respective ones of the first, second and third LEDs.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver is electrically responsive to the data signal and the clock signal received by the integrated circuit LED driver according to an inter-integrated circuit protocol (I 2 C).  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises an electronically programmed address circuit configured to store an address, the integrated circuit LED driver being responsive to the data signal upon receiving a corresponding address in the data signal.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver is connectable to a bus having one or more other illumination devices connected thereto, wherein the electronically programmed address circuit is configured to store an address at least a portion of which is common to an address of each of one or more other illumination devices such that the integrated circuit LED drivers of the illumination device and respective one or more other illumination devices are responsive to the data signal carried by the bus upon receiving, in the data signal, an address including the common portion.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the LED driver is connectable to a bus comprising at least two conductors configured to carry a modulated power signal, the modulated power signal being modulated according to the data signal and the clock signal, the LED driver being connectable to the bus via a demodulator configured to separate the data signal and the clock signal from the modulated power signal.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pulse width modulation registers are selectable in combination to logarithmically drive the first, second and third LEDs.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver is additionally responsive to variations in the intensity of one or more of the first, second and third LEDs for dynamically driving one or more of the first, second and third LEDs.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus comprising: 
 an integrated circuit LED driver responsive to signals received by the integrated circuit LED driver according to an inter-integrated circuit protocol (I 2 C), the integrated circuit LED driver being responsive to the signals for driving first, second and third light emitting diodes (LEDs), each of the first, second and third LEDs being configured to emit light at a different wavelength than either of the other LEDs, wherein the integrated circuit LED driver comprises a plurality of pulse width modulation registers selectable in combination to drive the first, second and third LEDs independent of one another to a blink rate and an intensity to control the color produced by the combination of the LEDs.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises a brightness register configured to interconnect the plurality of pulse width modulation registers to one or more of the LEDs, and configured to control a brightness of the respective one or more of the LEDs by adjusting a duty cycle of current supplied thereto.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises an LED select register configured to control the selection in combination of the plurality of pulse width modulation registers.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises first, second and third field-effect transistor gates electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of pulse width modulation registers, and configured to gate current to respective ones of the first, second and third LEDs.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver is electrically responsive to the data signal and the clock signal received by the integrated circuit LED driver according to an inter-integrated circuit protocol (I 2 C).  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises an electronically programmed address circuit configured to store an address, the integrated circuit LED driver being responsive to the data signal upon receiving a corresponding address in the data signal.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver is connectable to a bus having one or more other illumination devices connected thereto, wherein the electronically programmed address circuit is configured to store an address at least a portion of which is common to an address of each of one or more other illumination devices such that the integrated circuit LED drivers of the illumination device and respective one or more other illumination devices are responsive to the data signal carried by the bus upon receiving, in the data signal, an address including the common portion.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus electrically responsive to a data signal and a clock signal for driving red, blue and green light emitting diodes (LEDs), wherein the apparatus is connectable to a bus comprising at least two conductors configured to carry the data signal and the clock signal, the apparatus comprising a plurality of pulse width modulation registers selectable in combination to drive the LEDs independent of one another to a blink rate and an intensity to control the color produced by the combination of the LEDs.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises a brightness register configured to interconnect the plurality of pulse with modulation registers to one or more of the LEDs, and configured to control a brightness of the respective one or more of the LEDs by adjusting a duty cycle of current supplied thereto.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises an LED select register configured to control the selection in combination of the plurality of pulse width modulation registers.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the integrated circuit LED driver further comprises first, second and third field-effect transistor gates electrically connected to respective ones of the plurality of pulse width modulation registers, and configured to gate current to respective ones of the red, green and blue LEDs.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is electrically responsive to the data signal and the clock signal received by the apparatus according to an inter-integrated circuit protocol (I 2 C).  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus according to  claim 18  further comprising an electronically programmed address circuit configured to store an address, the integrated circuit LED driver being responsive to the data signal upon receiving a corresponding address in the data signal, wherein the LED driver is connectable to a bus having one or more other LED drivers connected thereto, 
 wherein the electronically programmed address circuit is configured to store an address at least a portion of which is common to an address of each of one or more other LED drivers such that the LED driver and respective one or more other LED drivers are responsive to the data signal carried by the bus upon receiving, in the data signal, an address including the common portion.    
   
   
       24 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is connectable to a bus comprising at least two conductors configured to carry a modulated power signal, the modulated power signal being modulated according to the data signal and the clock signal, the apparatus being connectable to the bus via a demodulator configured to separate the data signal and the clock signal from the modulated power signal.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of pulse width modulation registers are selectable in combination to logarithmically drive the LEDs.