DRIVER DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD FOR DRIVING A LOAD, AND HAVING A POLARITY-DEPENDENT BLEEDER CIRCUIT

A driver device for driving a load, in particular an LED unit having one or more LEDs. The driver device includes input terminals for receiving an input voltage from an external power source and a polarity-dependent unit for connecting the input terminals to each other and for providing a current path dependent on the polarity of the input voltage. The polarity-dependent unit includes a first current path for connecting the input terminals in a first current direction and a second current path for connecting the input terminals in a second current direction opposite to the first current direction. The first and the second current path each comprise a current control unit for controlling a bleeding current in the respective current path and diodes for blocking the bleeding current in the respective current path in a reverse direction opposite to the respective current direction.