Omni Voltage Direct Current Power Supply

Abstract

A battery operated LED lighting apparatus including: a battery outputting a battery voltage; a light emitting diode or array of light emitting diodes; and a power supply including a boost regulating circuit. The power supply being in communication with the battery and the light emitting diodes such that a constant voltage or constant current is supplied to the light emitting diodes as the battery discharges and the battery voltage falls below the output voltage. In a preferred embodiment the power supply further includes a buck regulator to maintain the proper output voltage when the battery voltage is greater than the output voltage.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A dimmable lighting apparatus comprising:
 a series circuit, said series circuit including a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically connected in series;   a current sensing device for sensing the electrical current flowing through said series circuit and providing a signal representative of the sensed current; and   a switch-mode regulator for providing an adjustable electrical current to said series circuit, said switch-mode regulator including:
 an output for providing electrical current to said series circuit; 
 a first input for receiving a dimmer signal, wherein said adjustable electrical current is responsive to said dimmer signal; and 
 a second input for receiving said signal representative of the current sensed by said current sensing device, wherein said switch-mode regulator maintains said adjustable electrical current at a substantially constant level. 
   
     
     
         3 . The dimmable lighting apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said current sensing device comprises a resistor. 
     
     
         4 . The dimmable lighting apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said switch mode regulator is a boost regulator. 
     
     
         5 . The dimmable lighting apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said switch mode regulator is a buck regulator. 
     
     
         6 . The dimmable lighting apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising one or more additional series circuits connected in parallel with said series circuit, each of said one or more additional series circuits comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes electrically connected in series.