JP2009238755A - Led lamp - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To materialize in a simplest possible structure an LED lamp integrally incorporated in an LED lamp itself with a function to forecast that its lifetime is close to end. <P>SOLUTION: An AC power source wave is introduced into a comparator 74 through a capacitor C and a resistance R and a zero cross point is detected. A pulse signal of 50 Hz synchronized with the AC power source is output from the comparator 74, and a 16 bit counter 75 is counted up by the pulse signal. A carry signal of the counter 75 is counted by a CPU 71 and the counted value is recorded in an RAM 72. Whenever the counted value of the RAM 72 becomes a value corresponding to one hour, the CPU 71 accumulates one unit each of a power conduction total time recorded in an EEPROM 73. When the CPU 71 is started up, the power conduction total time recorded in the EEPROM 73 is checked as an initial process, and if it is found in a range of 50,000-60,000 hours, a light emitting mode of the LED lamp itself is changed to forecast that its lifetime is close to end. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an LED lamp using a high-intensity light-emitting diode (LED) as a light source, and more particularly to a function for predicting the life of an LED and notifying the replacement time.

  Since high-intensity blue LEDs have been put into practical use, LED lamps as general lighting fixtures in which red, green, and blue LEDs are collectively mounted and driven to emit light with a commercial AC power supply have become practical. Compared to incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps, LED lamps have many advantages and will become very popular.

  LEDs have a much longer lifetime than incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps, but are not without lifetimes. Assuming that LED lamps are widely used as lighting fixtures in public places such as ordinary homes, offices, and stations, LED lamps are not as familiar as incandescent bulbs and fluorescent lamps. It will be difficult. No matter how long the appliance is, it is more practical and convenient if the user or the administrator predicts in advance when to replace each LED lamp.

  The present invention has been made from such a viewpoint. An object of the present invention is to integrally incorporate a function for predicting that the LED lamp itself is near the end of its life, and to realize an LED lamp having such a function with the simplest possible configuration at a low cost. .

  The LED lamp according to the present invention integrally incorporates a function for predicting that the life of the LED lamp itself connected to the AC power supply is near, and the life prediction function is based on the frequency of the AC power supply. The LED energization time is integrated and stored, and the set value used as a reference for the life prediction is stored, and when the accumulated LED energization time exceeds the set value, the light emission mode of the LED lamp itself is changed to increase the life. It is characterized by notifying that it is close.

  The LED lamp according to the present invention measures and integrates the energization time of the LED group based on the AC frequency as the power source, and when the accumulated time exceeds the set value, the LED group is set to the normal illumination mode. Informs neighboring users and managers that their life is approaching by emitting light in different forecast modes. You can prepare for the exchange by receiving this forecast. It is even more convenient if you set multiple types of life prediction modes according to multiple grades.

It is an electrical block diagram of the LED lamp by one Example of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the principal point of the control procedure which CPU71 in an Example same as the above performs.

  FIG. 1 shows an electrical configuration of an LED lamp according to an embodiment of the present invention. The aforementioned AC power supply connection portion is a power plug 1 suitable for a general 100-volt commercial AC power outlet. When the power plug 1 is connected to a valid power outlet and the power switch 2 is turned on, the AC power is rectified and smoothed by the diode bridge rectifier circuit 3 and the capacitor 4 and converted to a DC power. A red LED group 5a, a green LED group 5b, and a blue LED group 5c are connected to the DC power supply line via a red driver 6a, a green driver 6b, and a blue driver 6c, respectively. In the figure, the LED group of each color is represented by one LED symbol. However, there are actually a large number of LEDs of each color, and these LEDs are appropriately connected in series and parallel. Further, the three color LEDs are mixed and assembled and mounted, and the optical system is configured such that each color is well mixed and emitted as illumination light.

  The control circuit 7 also operates by receiving the DC power source. The control circuit 7 is a microcomputer including a CPU 71, a RAM 72, an EEPROM 73, and the like (not shown, but includes a power supply circuit for appropriately reducing the voltage), and the integrating means, counting means, energization mode control means, dimming Functions as a means. The main points of the control procedure executed by the CPU 71 are shown in the flowchart of FIG.

  The red driver 6 a, the green driver 6 b, and the blue driver 6 c are on / off controlled by drive signals individually output from the control circuit 7. In the normal illumination mode, the control circuit 7 continuously turns on the drivers 6a, 6b, and 6c, and causes the red LED group 5a, the green LED group 5b, and the blue LED group 5c to emit light with the highest luminance.

  An AC power waveform applied to the power plug 1 is introduced into the comparator 74 via a capacitor C and a resistor R, and a zero cross point of the AC power waveform is detected. The comparator 74 outputs a 50 Hz pulse signal synchronized with the AC power supply, and the 16-bit counter 75 counts up by this pulse signal. The CPU 71 counts the carry signal of the counter 75 and records the count value in the RAM 72.

  The CPU 71 accumulates the energization integration time recorded in the EEPROM 73 by one unit every time the count value in the RAM 72 becomes a value corresponding to one hour. The count value in the RAM 72 disappears when the power switch 2 is turned off, but the energization integration time recorded in the EEPROM 73 does not disappear. By doing so, the number of write accesses to the EEPROM 73 is reduced.

When the power switch 2 is turned on and the CPU 71 is started up, the energization integration time recorded in the EEPROM 73 is checked as an initial process. If it has not reached 50,000 hours, the drivers 6a, 6b, and 6c are checked. The LED groups 5a, 5b, and 5c are energized in the normal illumination mode with the power turned on continuously.
If the energization integration time is in the range of 50,000 to 60,000 hours, the drivers 6a and 6b are operated in the first prediction mode in which the red LED group 5a and the green LED group 5b are continuously lit and the blue LED group 5c is blinked. • Drive 6c for 5 minutes, then switch to normal lighting mode.
When the energization integration time is in the range of 60,000 to 70,000 hours, the drivers 6a and 6b are in the second prediction mode in which the green LED group 5b and the blue LED group 5c are continuously lit and the red LED group 5a is blinked. • Drive 6c for 5 minutes, then switch to normal lighting mode.
When the energization integration time is in the range of 70,000 to 80,000 hours, the drivers 6a and 6b are in the third forecast mode in which the red LED group 5a and the blue LED group 5c are continuously lit and the green LED group 5b is blinked. • Drive 6c for 5 minutes, then switch to normal lighting mode.
When the energization integration time is in the range of 80,000 to 90,000 hours, the drivers 6a, 6b, and 6c are set in the fourth forecast mode in which the red LED group 5a, the green LED group 5b, and the blue LED group 5c are blinked together. Drive for 5 minutes, then switch to normal lighting mode.
If the energization integration time is in the range of 90,000 to 100,000 hours, the drivers 6a and 6b are in the fifth forecast mode in which only the red LED group 5a is blinked while the green LED group 5b and the blue LED group 5c are turned off. • Drive 6c for 5 minutes, then switch to normal lighting mode.
If the energization integration time exceeds 100,000 hours, the fifth prediction mode in which only the red LED group 5a is blinked is continued, and the normal illumination mode is not shifted.
Note that during the execution of the normal illumination mode, the above check process is executed every hour for updating the energization integration time of the EEPROM 73, and the forecast mode is executed in the same manner as described above.

  In the above embodiment, a dimming input means is provided for externally supplying a light emission color and light amount adjustment signal to the CPU 71, and the CPU 71 controls each driver 6a, 6b, 6c based on the adjustment signal, and the LED group. It can also be configured to adjust the color tone and amount of illumination light. Note that the AC power supply connection portion does not need to be the power plug 1 as in the embodiment, and may have a structure like a cap of an incandescent light bulb, for example. Further, the power switch 2 in the embodiment is not essential.

1 Power plug (AC power connection)
2 Power switch 3 Rectifier circuit 4 Smoothing capacitor 5a Red LED group 5b Green LED group 5c Blue LED group 6a Red driver 6b Green driver 6c Blue driver 7 Control circuit 71 CPU
72 RAM
73 EEPROM (nonvolatile memory)
74 Comparator

Claims (3)

  The LED lamp connected to the AC power supply itself is integrated with a function for predicting that its life is near. The life prediction function integrates the LED energization time based on the frequency of the AC power supply. The LED lamp which memorize | stores and memorize | stores the setting value used as the reference | standard of a lifetime forecast, and alert | reports that a lifetime is near by changing the light emission aspect of LED lamp itself, when the LED energization time accumulated and stored exceeds a setting value.   The LED lamp according to claim 1, further comprising a base such as an incandescent light bulb and connected to an AC power source by the base.   3. The LED lamp according to claim 1, wherein the LED lamp is not equipped with a power switch, and the LED lamp itself is energized when connected to an effective AC power source.

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