MODULAR LIGHT-STRING SYSTEM HAVING INDEPENDENTLY ADDRESSABLE LIGHTING ELEMENTS

摘要

Apparatus and associated methods relate to modular series-connectable LED light strings having an input connector and an output connector for electrically communicating power and a control signal, an input control signal being actively level-shifted to a level suitable to a first lighting element of the LED light string. In an illustrative embodiment, the LED light string may have a plurality of series connected lighting elements that generate a series of intermediate supply voltage levels. In some embodiments, the active level shifter may bias the input control signal between an DC voltage level applied to a positive supply pin of the first lighting element and the intermediate supply voltage level generated at the connection of a negative supply pin of the first lighting element and the positive supply pin of the second lighting element. In some embodiments, active level-shifting may advantageously restore the proper bias for a series connected light string.

主权项

1. A modular light-string system comprising:
an input connector configured to receive operating power and an input light-string control signal; a series-connected plurality of independently controllable lighting elements generating a series of distinct intermediate supply-voltage levels each shared by a negative supply pin of a first lighting element of an adjacent pair of lighting elements and a positive supply pin of a second element of the adjacent pair of lighting elements, the second lighting element of each adjacent pair receiving the control signal from the first lighting element of the adjacent pair; wherein each of said lighting elements has a control module and a plurality of independently controllable Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), the control module generating an illumination signal for each of the plurality of LEDs in response to the received control signal; a level shifter configured to actively translate the control signal received by the input connector from a first voltage range to a second voltage range, wherein the second voltage range is between a DC voltage supplied to the positive supply pin of the first lighting element of the series-connected plurality of independently controllable lighting elements and the intermediate supply voltage between the first and second lighting elements of the series-connected plurality of independently controllable lighting elements; and, an output connector configured to provide the received operating power and the control signal output by a last lighting element in the series-connected plurality of independently controllable lighting elements to another modular light-string system, when connected.