EP0046395B1 - Dimmer-Einrichtung für elektrische Entladungslampen - Google Patents

Dimmer-Einrichtung für elektrische Entladungslampen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0046395B1
EP0046395B1 EP19810303732 EP81303732A EP0046395B1 EP 0046395 B1 EP0046395 B1 EP 0046395B1 EP 19810303732 EP19810303732 EP 19810303732 EP 81303732 A EP81303732 A EP 81303732A EP 0046395 B1 EP0046395 B1 EP 0046395B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
lamp
lamps
control device
supply
lighting installation
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP19810303732
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0046395A1 (de
Inventor
Peter David Parker
John Britton
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ledvance Ltd
Original Assignee
General Electric Co PLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by General Electric Co PLC filed Critical General Electric Co PLC
Publication of EP0046395A1 publication Critical patent/EP0046395A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0046395B1 publication Critical patent/EP0046395B1/de
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/02—Details
    • H05B41/04—Starting switches
    • H05B41/042—Starting switches using semiconductor devices
    • H05B41/044—Starting switches using semiconductor devices for lamp provided with pre-heating electrodes
    • H05B41/046—Starting switches using semiconductor devices for lamp provided with pre-heating electrodes using controlled semiconductor devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B41/00—Circuit arrangements or apparatus for igniting or operating discharge lamps
    • H05B41/14—Circuit arrangements
    • H05B41/36—Controlling
    • H05B41/38—Controlling the intensity of light
    • H05B41/39—Controlling the intensity of light continuously
    • H05B41/392—Controlling the intensity of light continuously using semiconductor devices, e.g. thyristor
    • H05B41/3921—Controlling the intensity of light continuously using semiconductor devices, e.g. thyristor with possibility of light intensity variations
    • H05B41/3924—Controlling the intensity of light continuously using semiconductor devices, e.g. thyristor with possibility of light intensity variations by phase control, e.g. using a triac

Definitions

  • This invention relates to lighting installations incorporating a plurality of electric discharge lamps operable on an a.c. supply, and is concerned especially with such lighting installations incorporating means for dimming the lamp or lamps.
  • a method of transmitting information by alteration of selected cycles of the supply voltage waveform of an alternating current supply system has been disclosed in GB-A-1500891, this enabling the information to be transmitted over the supply conductors.
  • a lighting installation comprising a plurality of lamp units designed to incorporate one or more electric discharge lamps operable from an a.c. supply, and each associated with a remotely controllable device for dimming the respective lamp or lamps in response to control signals from a remotely positioned control device, and including detector means for sensing each zero crossing point of the a.c. power supplying the lamp or lamps, is characterised in that the lamps are fluorescent electric discharge lamps, the control device is arranged to generate said control signals by altering the voltage of selected cycles of the a.c.
  • each controllable device includes a slope detector arranged to generate an output pulse when the slope of the voltage waveform of the a.c. supply at or adjacent the zero crossing point is altered by more than a predetermined amount as determined by the control device, and decoder means responsive to a predetermined first pattern of output pulses for activating the selected controllable device to cause it to control the associated lamp or lamps in dependence on a further subsequent instruction pattern of output pulses.
  • controllable device which transmits information by altering the voltage waveform of the a.c. supply at or adjacent to the zero crossing point of selected cycles as described in the aforesaid GB-A-1500891, has the advantage that it causes imperceptible perturbations in the mains supply because alteration of the waveform takes place near to the zero crossing point. Thus a lamp connected to the controllable device is not observed to flicker.
  • a plurality of remotely controllable devices may be controlled independently by a single remotely positioned control device by making them responsive to different signals generated by the latter.
  • illumination can be arranged to be greater in some parts of a room or building than in others; for example to compensate for variations in natural light or to cater for different requirements at various times of the day.
  • controllable devices are responsive to different signals generated by the control device, whereby the light output from the lamp unit or units associated with different controllable devices can be separately controlled.
  • control signals to the controllable device are impressed on the a.c. mains supply as described in Patent Specification No. 1500891 by modifying the voltage waveform of the a.c. supply at or adjacent the zero crossing point by a remotely positioned control device shown diagrammatically at C.
  • the signals are fed over the a.c. supply conductors to an analogue slope detector 3 which generates control pulses when the slope of the voltage waveform is altered by more than a predetermined amount as determined by the remotely positioned control device C.
  • the output from the detector is in the form of digital control signals having a baud rate determined by the supply frequency.
  • the coding as determined by the control device is in the form of:-
  • the controllable device essentially comprises three parts; the analogue slope detector 3, together with a logic decoder and a lamp control unit 15.
  • the analogue slope detector 3 shown in more detail in Figure 2, serves to determine the slope of the mains supply at the zero crossing point in known manner, giving a positive output when the slope exceeds a predetermined value.
  • the analogue slope detector 3 comprises a voltage divider provided by resistors 21, 22 for reducing the mains supply voltage, the reduced voltage being fed to two different differentiating circuits provided by capacitors C1, C2 and a potentiometer 23, balanced to give a zero output for an undistorted mains supply, and a difference output for a modulated supply.
  • the output is fed into a high gain amplifier OP1 having a low frequency pass characteristic cut-off at approximately 2 kilohertz.
  • the output of this amplifier is clipped to the logic levels by resistor R2 and zener diode ZD1 and buffered by a voltage follower OP2.
  • the slope detector could be replaced in known manner by a phase-locked loop which would increase the signal-to-noise discrimination. Either circuit could also be time gated on the output to increase noise immunity.
  • the logic decoder is used to translate the output from the analogue slope detector into a power control signal.
  • the signal from the analogue slope detector 3 (Fig. 1) resets a monostable 4 that has a time constant slightly longer than the mains period.
  • This output enables a divide-by-thirteen counter 5.
  • the output of the divide-by-thirteen counter 5 is then used to enable a monostable 6 with a time constant slightly longer than twelve mains cycles.
  • the function of this first part allows the controllable device to accept a twelve-bit word after having received a sequence of thirteen consecutive pulses which triggers the device.
  • the first four-bit byte is sent to a unit identity decoder 8. This block is hard-wired to accept a certain four bit pattern. If the input signal agrees with this predetermined address then the output enables an eight-bit latch 9 which transfers the rest of the twelve-bit word through to the following logic circuit where it is held unchanged until the unit is again addressed, One of the two bytes transferred determines the rate of change of light output and the other determines the final steady light level of an associated lamp.
  • the rate byte is sent to programme a variable, divide-by-N, up/ down counter 10. This divides the output of clock 13 and sends the result as a varying four-bit word to a comparator 2. (Note that the rate word may be decoded to give different weightings to N e.g.
  • the other inputs to this comparator 2 are fed from a counter 11 which inputs from a dock 12 running at a frequency just less than 32 times the mains frequency. This counter is cleared by a mains zero crossing detector 14 every half cycle. The effect of this is to divide each mains cycle into 16 time intervals.
  • the output from the programmable counter is also fed into a comparator 1 which compares it with the input word that determines the signal steady level.
  • This comparator's A ⁇ B output is also used to control the up/down line on the programmable counter, ensuring that the light level increases or decreases in the correct manner.
  • the final output is a pulse at a controlled interval after the zero crossing point which is advanced or retarded at the required rate to the final required value.
  • FIG. 3 shows the lamp control unit 15 incorporating a conventional switch start circuit for a fluorescent electric discharge lamp 19 having a ballast choke B in series with it in the usual way.
  • the starter switch 16 is shown dotted since this may or may not be used, as the lamp control unit can be used as a starter as well as a lamp dimmer.
  • the transistor 17 is thereby pulsed and fires the thyristor 18.
  • the thyristor then causes the lamp 19 to be shorted out through the diode bridge 20, the lamp arc is thereby extinguished and a heavy heater current flows through the lamp cathodes E keeping them hot. This current stops at the end of the half cycle, the lamp re-ignites on the next half cycle when it is again extinguished at the appropriate point in the waveform.
  • Such an arrangement has the advantage that as the light output is reduced the heater current is increased and vice versa, thus tending to keep the cathode temperature near optimum at all light output levels.
  • a single control device C can be arranged to control the light output of, through respective controllable devices, a plurality of lamps disposed in different parts of a room or building.
  • the control device may, for example, incorporate a microprocessor having a programme preselected to provide a light output from the individual lamps or sets of lamps of a lighting installation in dependence upon the time and/or conditions prevailing and the location of the lamps.
  • the lamps may be arranged to be switched on at preselected times dependent on the time of the year, with those lamps furthest from a window being switched on first followed by the others.
  • the lighting levels of the individual lamps may be adjusted to suit the prevailing natural lighting conditions, or other circumstances as may be desired.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)

Claims (6)

1. Beleuchtungsanlage, enthaltend eine Vielzahl von Lampeneinheiten ausgelegt zur Aufnahme einer oder mehrerer, von einer Wechselstromversorgung gespeister elektrischer Entladungslampen (19) und mit jeweils einem zugeordneten ferneinstellbaren Steuergerät (1 bis 15, FIG. 1), das zum Abblenden der jeweiligen Lampe oder Lampen (19) in Abhängigkeit von Steuersignalen eines Ferneinstellgeräts (C) dient und eine Detektoreinrichtung (3) zum Abfühlen aller Nulldurchgangspunkte der die Lampe oder Lampen (19) speisenden Wechselstromleistung aufweist, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Lampen (19) Leuchtstofflampen sind, daß das Ferneinstellgerät (C) derart ausgebildet ist, daß die Steuersignale durch Änderung der Spannung ausgewählter Perioden der Wechselstromversorgung für die Lampeneinheiten während eines Zeitabschnitts in jeder ausgewählten Periode erzeugt werden, der ein kleiner Anteil der Gesamtperiode darstellt und einen Spannungsnullpunkt umfaßt, und daß jedes Steuergerät (1 bis 15, FIG. 1) enthält: einen Steigungsdetektor (3), der einen Ausgangsimpuls erzeugt, wenn die Steigung der Spannungsschwingungsform der Wechselstromversorgung bei dem Nulldurchgangspunkt oder im Bereich des Nulldurchgangspunktes um mehr als ein vorbestimmtes, vom Ferneinstellgerät (C) festgelegtes Ausmaß geändert ist, und eine Decodiereinrichtung (1, 2, 4bis 13, FIG. 1), die ansprechend auf ein vorbestimmtes Muster von Ausgangsimpulsen das ausgewählte Steuergerät aktiviert und es veranlaßt, die zugeordnete Lampe oder Lampen (19) in Abhängigkeit eines weiteren nachfolgenden Befehlsmusters von Ausgangsimpulsen anzusteuern.
2. Beleuchtungsanlage nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Steuergeräte (1 bis 15, FIG. 1) auf durch das Ferneinstellgerät (C) erzeugte, verschiedene erste Muster von Ausgangsimpulsen ansprechen, wodurch die Lichtabgabe der Lampeneinheit oder der Lampeneinheiten oder der Lampeneinheiten, die den verschiedenen Steuergeräten zugeordnet sind, getrennt gesteuert werden kann.
3. Beleuchtungsanlage nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Ferneinstellgerät (C) einen Mikroprozessor enthält, der in einer solchen Weise programmiert ist, daß die Lichtabgabe von einzelnen Lampen oder Gruppen von Lampen (19) von der Zeit und/oder externen, gerade herrschenden Bedingungen abhängt.
4. Beleuchtungsanlage nach Anspruch 2 oder 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß das Ferneinstellgerät (C) die Steuersignale erzeugt in Form eines Digitalsignals einschließlich eines Byte, das das erste Muster darstellt und einem ausgewählten Steuergerät (1 bis 15, FIG. 1) zum Einleiten der Inbetriebnahme dieses Geräts eindeutig zugeordnet ist, ein schließlich eines weiteren Byte, das das Befehlsmuster darstellt, welches das erforderliche Beleuchtungsniveau der zugeordneten Lampe oder Lampen (19) angibt, und einschließlich eines dritten Byte, das ein weiteres Befehlsmuster datstellt, welches eine erforderliche Änderungsgeschwindigkeit des Beleuchtungsniveaus der Lampe oder Lampen (19) angibt.
5. Beleuchtungsanlage nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Lampen (19) heizbare Kathoden (E) aufweisen, daß das jeder Lampe zugeordnete Steuergerät eine auf Signale ansprechende Einrichtung enthält, die die Stromleitdauer der Lampe in jeder Halbperiode der Wechseistromversorgung in Abhängigkeit von empfangenen Signalen steuert, und daß Mittel vorgesehen sind, die während der restlichen Zeitdauer der Halbperioden, wenn die Lampe erloschen ist, einen durch die Lampenkathoden fließenden Heizstrom aufrechterhalten.
6. Beleuchtungsanlage nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Kathodenheizstrom während der restlichen Zeitdauer der Halbperioden angehoben ist, um bei unterschiedlichen Lichtabgabeniveaus die Kathodentempera- tur nahe beim Optimum zu halten.
EP19810303732 1980-08-18 1981-08-17 Dimmer-Einrichtung für elektrische Entladungslampen Expired EP0046395B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8026864 1980-08-18
GB8026864 1980-08-18

Publications (2)

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EP0046395A1 EP0046395A1 (de) 1982-02-24
EP0046395B1 true EP0046395B1 (de) 1985-02-13

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EP19810303732 Expired EP0046395B1 (de) 1980-08-18 1981-08-17 Dimmer-Einrichtung für elektrische Entladungslampen

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EP (1) EP0046395B1 (de)
DE (1) DE3168901D1 (de)
GB (1) GB2082359B (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19632282A1 (de) * 1996-08-09 1998-02-19 Holzer Walter Prof Dr H C Ing Verfahren und Einrichtung zur Helligkeitssteuerung von Leuchtstofflampen

Families Citing this family (15)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2155708B (en) * 1984-02-24 1988-02-10 Colin Robert Francis Electrical devices
GB2174222B (en) * 1985-04-27 1988-09-21 Peter Stanley Phillips Remote operation of an electrical light switch
DE4013360A1 (de) * 1990-04-26 1991-11-14 Diehl Gmbh & Co Schaltungsanordnung fuer den betrieb einer leuchtstofflampe
US5955847A (en) * 1994-06-10 1999-09-21 Beacon Light Products, Inc. Method for dimming a fluorescent lamp
US5652481A (en) * 1994-06-10 1997-07-29 Beacon Light Products, Inc. Automatic state tranition controller for a fluorescent lamp
US5757145A (en) * 1994-06-10 1998-05-26 Beacon Light Products, Inc. Dimming control system and method for a fluorescent lamp
DE4421736C2 (de) * 1994-06-22 1998-06-18 Wolfgang Nuetzel Steuerbare Lichtanlage
DE19502772C2 (de) * 1995-01-30 2002-02-28 Walter Holzer Elektronisches Vorschaltgerät für Leuchtstofflampen
AU5250296A (en) * 1995-03-16 1996-10-02 Beacon Light Products, Inc. Dimming controller and method for a fluorescent lamp
GB9509234D0 (en) * 1995-05-05 1995-06-28 Bailey Arthur R High frequency fluorescent lamp circuit with ballast protection
US5708330A (en) * 1995-09-19 1998-01-13 Beacon Light Products, Inc. Resonant voltage-multiplication, current-regulating and ignition circuit for a fluorescent lamp
US5736817A (en) * 1995-09-19 1998-04-07 Beacon Light Products, Inc. Preheating and starting circuit and method for a fluorescent lamp
US5739640A (en) * 1995-12-08 1998-04-14 Beacon Light Products, Inc. Low line voltage detection control module and method for a fluorescent lamp
DE20380220U1 (de) * 2002-03-20 2005-03-10 Hass, Gernot Scheinwerfer mit Regeleinrichtung
US20110293830A1 (en) 2010-02-25 2011-12-01 Timo Hatanpaa Precursors and methods for atomic layer deposition of transition metal oxides

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1500891A (en) * 1974-07-18 1978-02-15 Gen Electric Co Ltd Systems for transmitting information in an alternating current electricity supply system
US3970893A (en) * 1974-11-27 1976-07-20 Strand Century Incorporated Apparatus for controlling the intensity of lights
CA1112295A (en) * 1978-03-31 1981-11-10 Nabil K. Takla Programmable lighting control system

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19632282A1 (de) * 1996-08-09 1998-02-19 Holzer Walter Prof Dr H C Ing Verfahren und Einrichtung zur Helligkeitssteuerung von Leuchtstofflampen

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Publication number Publication date
DE3168901D1 (en) 1985-03-28
GB2082359A (en) 1982-03-03
GB2082359B (en) 1984-02-22
EP0046395A1 (de) 1982-02-24

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