JP4347794B2 - LED dimming controller - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing power to devices via an A.C. power source, and for facilitating the use of LED-based light sources on A.C. power circuits that provide signals other than standard line voltages. In one example, LED-based light s sources may be coupled to A.C. power circuits that are controlled by conventional dimmers (i.e, "A.C. dimmer circuits"). Hence, LED-based light sources may be conveniently substituted for other light sources (e.g., incandescent lights) in lighting environments employing conventional A.C. dimming devices and/or other control signals present on the A.C. power circuit. In yet other aspects, one or more parameters relating to the light generated by LED-based light sources (e.g., intensity, color, color temperature, temporal characteristics, etc.) may be conveniently controlled via operation of a conventional A.C. dimmer and/or other signals present on the A.C. power circuit.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

Priority Claims This application includes US Provisional Application No. 60 / 379,079, “Systems and Methods for Controlling LED Based Lighting” filed on May 9, 2002, and US Provisional Application No. 60 / 391,627, June 2002. It claims the priority of “Switched Current Sink” filed on the 26th.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention is generally directed to a method and apparatus for supplying power to devices in an AC power circuit. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for supplying power to a light emitting diode (LED) based device primarily for lighting purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Light generated by one or more conventional light sources (eg, incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lighting fixtures, etc.) in various lighting applications (eg, home, commercial, industrial, etc.) It may be desirable to adjust the amount. In many cases this is commonly referred to as a “dimmer” and is accomplished by a user operated device that regulates the power supplied to the light source. Many types of conventional dimmers are known and some sort of user interface (eg, turning a knob, moving a slider, etc .; these must be mounted on a wall near the area where the light level adjustment is desired. The user can adjust the light output of one or more light sources. A dimmer user interface is a switch that instantly turns on or off one or more light sources, or gradually changes the light output when the switch is turned on. / Can be equipped with an adjustment mechanism.

  Many lighting systems for general internal or external lighting are powered by an AC power source, commonly referred to as a “line voltage” (eg, 120V RMS at 60Hz, 220V RMS at 50Hz). Is done. Conventional AC dimmers typically receive line voltage as input, and the average voltage of the output signal in response to the user's dimmer operation (and thus the ability of the AC output signal to deliver power). AC signal output having one or more variable parameters with the effect of adjusting This dimmer output signal is applied, for example, to one or more light sources mounted in a conventional socket or fixture that couples to the dimmer output (such a socket or fixture on the “dimming circuit”). In some cases).

  Conventional AC dimmers can be configured to control the power supplied to one or more light sources in one of several different ways. For example, according to one implementation, adjusting the user interface increases or decreases the voltage amplitude of the AC dimmer output signal. More generally, however, in other implementations, adjusting the user interface results in an adjustment of the duty cycle of the AC dimmer output signal (eg, partially “chopping out the AC voltage period). ) " This technique may be referred to as “angle modulation” (based on an adjustable phase angle of the output signal). Probably the most commonly used dimmer of this type uses a triac that selectively operates to raise the half-cycle of the AC voltage (ie, before the peak after the zero crossing). To adjust the duty cycle of the dimmer output signal (ie, modulate the phase angle). Other types of dimmers that adjust the duty cycle use gate turn-off (GTO) thyristors that selectively operate to cut off the falling portion of the AC voltage half cycle (ie, after the peak and before the zero crossing). You can also

  FIG. 1 schematically shows a conventional example of several AC dimmers. In particular, FIG. 1 shows an example of an AC voltage waveform 302 (eg, showing a standard line voltage) that can supply power to one or more conventional light sources. FIG. 1 also shows a typical AC dimmer 304 responsive to the user interface 305. In a first prior art example, the dimmer 304 is configured to output a waveform 308, where the dimmer output signal amplitude 307 can be adjusted via the user interface 305. In the second conventional example, the dimmer 304 is configured to output a waveform 309, and the duty cycle 306 of the waveform 309 can be adjusted via the user interface 305.

  As mentioned above, both of the above techniques have the effect of adjusting the average voltage applied to the light source (s), thereby adjusting the intensity of the light produced by the light source (s). . Incandescent light power supplies are particularly suitable for this type of operation because they produce light when current flows through the filament in either direction; adjusting the average voltage of the AC signal applied to the power supply (eg, (By adjusting the voltage amplitude or duty cycle), the current (and thus power) transferred to the light source (s) will also change, and the corresponding light output will also change. With respect to the duty cycle technique, the filament of the incandescent light source has a thermal inertia and the light emission does not stop completely even during a short period when the voltage is interrupted. Thus, the generated light perceived by the human eye does not appear to flash when the voltage is “turned off”, but rather appears to change gradually.

Overview The present invention is generally directed to a method and apparatus for supplying power to an AC powered device. More particularly, methods and apparatus according to various embodiments of the present invention facilitate the use of LED-based light sources in AC power circuits that provide either standard line voltages or signals other than standard line voltages.

  According to one embodiment, the method and apparatus of the present invention facilitates the use of LED-based light sources, particularly in AC power circuits controlled by conventional dimmers (ie, “AC dimming circuits”). To do. In one aspect, the method and apparatus of the present invention facilitates LED-based light sources as a convenient alternative in light emitting environments using AC dimming devices and conventional light sources. In yet another aspect, the method and apparatus of the present invention can be used for one or more parameters (eg, intensity, color, color temperature, and temporal characteristics) associated with light generated by an LED-based light source. Control is facilitated through the manipulation of conventional AC dimmers and / or other signals present on the AC power circuit.

  More generally, one embodiment of the present invention is directed to a luminaire that includes at least one LED and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED. The controller is configured to receive a power related signal from an AC power source that provides a signal other than a standard AC line voltage. The controller is further configured to provide power to the at least one LED based on the power related signal.

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a lighting method that includes an act of supplying power to at least one LED based on a power related signal from an AC power supply that provides a signal other than a standard AC line voltage. .
Another embodiment of the present invention is configured to receive at least one LED and a power related signal coupled to the at least one LED and from an alternating current (AC) dimming circuit, the power related signal Is directed to a lighting device comprising at least one controller for supplying power to the at least one LED.

Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a lighting method that includes an act of supplying power to at least one LED based on a power related signal from an alternating current (AC) dimming circuit.
Other embodiments of the present invention include at least one LED adapted to produce essentially white light, and power related from an alternating current (AC) dimming circuit coupled to the at least one LED. It is intended for a lighting device comprising at least one controller configured to receive a signal and to supply power to the at least one LED based on the power related signal. The AC dimming circuit is controlled by the user interface to change the power related signal. The controller is configured to variably control at least one parameter of essentially white light in response to operation of the user interface to approximate the generation characteristics of the incandescent light source.

Another embodiment of the present invention relates to at least one LED, a power connector, and a power connector adapted to convert AC dimming circuit power received by the power connector to form converted power. It is intended for a light emitting system including a conversion device. The system also includes an adjustment circuit associated with the power converter that is adapted to adjust the power supplied to the at least one LED.
Another embodiment of the present invention includes providing an AC dimming circuit, connecting the LED lighting system to the AC dimming circuit, generating light from the LED lighting system by activating the AC dimming circuit, And it is aimed at a method for providing illumination, comprising adjusting the light generated by the LED lighting system by adjusting an AC dimming circuit.

  Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method for controlling at least one device that is powered via an AC line voltage. The method includes an act of generating a power signal based on an AC line voltage, wherein the power signal provides an essentially constant power to at least one device and controls for the at least one device. It includes at least one communication channel that conveys information, and the at least one communication channel occupies a portion of the duty cycle during a period of AC line voltage.

  Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an apparatus for controlling at least one device that is powered via an AC line voltage. The apparatus includes a supply voltage controller configured to generate a power signal based on an AC line voltage, wherein the power signal provides an essentially constant power to at least one device, the at least one It includes at least one communication channel that conveys control information for one device, the at least one communication channel occupying a portion of the duty cycle during a period of AC line voltage. In one aspect of this embodiment, the supply voltage controller includes at least one user interface for supplying variable control information in at least one communication channel.

  For purposes of this disclosure, as used herein, the term “LED” refers to any electroluminescent diode or other type of carrier injection / junction base that can generate radiation in response to an electrical signal. It should be understood to include the system. That is, the term LED includes, but is not limited to, various semiconductor base structures that emit light in response to current, light emitting polymers, electroluminescent strips, and the like.

  In particular, the term LED refers to emission in one or more of the infrared spectrum, ultraviolet spectrum, and various portions of the visible spectrum (generally including emission wavelengths from about 400 nanometers to about 700 nanometers). All types of light emitting diodes (including semiconductors and organic light emitting diodes) that can be configured to produce Some examples of LEDs include, but are not limited to, various types of infrared LEDs, ultraviolet LEDs, red LEDs, blue LEDs, green LEDs, yellow LEDs, amber LEDs, orange LEDs, and white LEDs ( (Described in detail below). It should also be understood that the LED can be configured to produce radiation having a variety of bandwidths (eg, narrowband, wideband) for a given spectrum.

  For example, one implementation of an LED configured to generate essentially white light (eg, a white LED) may include a number of dies, each of which is inherent when combined and mixed. Emits a different spectrum of electroluminescence, which typically forms white light. In another implementation, a white light LED can be associated with a phosphorous material that converts electroluminescence having a first spectrum into a different second spectrum. In one example of such an implementation, electroluminescence having a relatively short wavelength and a narrow band spectrum “pumps” the phosphor material, which has a somewhat broader spectrum. It emits long wavelength radiation.

  It should also be understood that the term LED does not limit the physical and / or electrical package type of the LED. For example, as described above, an LED refers to a single light emitting device having multiple dies each configured to emit radiation of a different spectrum (eg, individually controllable or not possible). Sometimes. An LED can also be associated with phosphorus that can be considered an integral part of the LED (eg, some types of white LEDs). In general, the term LED refers to packaged LED, non-packaged LED, surface mounted LED, chip on board LED, T packaged LED, radial packaged LED, power packaged LED, certain containers and / or optical elements It refers to an LED including (for example, a diffusing lens).

  The term “light source” should be understood to refer to any one or more of a variety of radiation sources, including but not limited to those described above. LED-based light sources (using one or more LEDs as defined above), incandescent light sources (eg filament lamps, halogen lamps), fluorescent sources, phosphorous light sources, high intensity discharge sources (eg sodium lamps) , Mercury lamps and metal halide lamps), lasers, other types of electroluminescence sources, pyroluminescence sources (eg flame), candle luminescence sources (eg gas mantle, carbon arc radiation sources), photoluminescence Sources (eg gaseous discharge sources), cathodoluminescent sources using electron saturation, galvano-luminescent sources sources, crystal luminescent sources, kine-luminescent sources, thermoluminescent sources, triboluminescent sources, sonoluminescent sources, radioluminescent sources, and luminescent polymers .

  Any light source can be configured to generate electromagnetic radiation within the visible spectrum, outside the visible spectrum, or a combination of both. Accordingly, the terms “light” and “radiation” are used interchangeably herein. In addition, a light source can include one or more filters (eg, color filters), lenses, or other optical components as an integral component. It should also be understood that the light source can be configured for a variety of applications, including but not limited to display and / or illumination. An “illumination source” is a light source that is specifically configured to generate radiation having sufficient intensity to effectively illuminate an interior or exterior space.

  The term “spectrum” should be understood to mean any one or more frequencies (or wavelengths) of radiation produced by one or more light sources. Thus, the term “spectrum” means not only the frequency (or wavelength) in the visible region, but also the frequency (or wavelength) of the entire electromagnetic spectrum in the infrared, ultraviolet, and other regions. Also, a particular spectrum can have a relatively narrow band (essentially few frequencies or wavelength components) or a relatively wide band (several frequencies or wavelength components with various relative intensities). It should also be appreciated that a particular spectrum may be the result of a mixture of two or more other spectra (eg, a mixture of radiation each emitted from multiple light sources).

  For the purposes of this disclosure, the term “color” is used interchangeably with the term “spectrum”. However, the term “color” is generally used to refer to a characteristic of radiation that is essentially perceivable by an observer (however, such use is not intended to limit the scope of this term). Absent). Thus, the term “different colors” implies a plurality of spectra with different wavelength components and / or bandwidths. It should also be appreciated that the term “color” can be used in connection with both white and non-white light.

  The term “color temperature” is generally used herein in connection with white light, but such usage is not intended to limit the scope of this term. Color temperature essentially means a particular color component or shade of white light (eg, reddish, bluish). The color temperature of a particular radiant sample is characterized by the Kelvin absolute temperature (° K) of a blackbody radiator that, according to conventional methods, emits essentially the same spectrum as the radiant sample in question. In general, the color temperature of white light falls in the range from about 700 ° K (generally considered the first visible to the human eye) to over 10,000 ° K.

  A low color temperature generally indicates a strong or “warm atmosphere” white light with a red component, while a high color temperature generally indicates a strong blue color or “cold atmosphere” white light. Show. As an example, the color temperature of fire is about 1,800 ° K, the color temperature of a conventional incandescent bulb is about 2848 ° K, the color temperature of early morning sunlight is about 3,000 ° K, and it is cloudy daytime The color temperature of the sky is about 10,000 ° K. A color image viewed under white light having a color temperature of about 3,000 ° K has a relatively reddish hue, whereas the same color viewed under white light having a color temperature of about 10,000 ° K. The image has a relatively bluish tone.

  The terms “lighting unit” and “lighting fixture” are used interchangeably herein and refer to a device that includes one or more light sources of the same or different types. A particular light emitting unit may be any one of various types, such as mounting arrangements for light source (s), housing / housing arrangements and shapes, and / or electrical or mechanical connections. Can have. Further, a particular light emitting unit is optionally associated (eg, included, coupled, and / or together) with various other components (eg, control circuitry) that are involved in the operation of the light source (s). Can be packaged). “LED-based lighting unit” refers to a light-emitting unit that includes one or more LED-based light sources, as described above, alone or in combination with other non-LED-based light sources. means.

  The terms “processor” or “controller” are used interchangeably herein to describe various devices involved in the operation of one or more light sources. The processor or controller can be implemented in many ways, for example, one piece programmed to perform various functions described herein using software (eg, microcode). Or a dedicated hardware method using two or more microprocessors, or dedicated hardware that performs some functions, and a microprocessor and associated circuitry programmed to perform other functions. It is a combination method.

  In various implementations, the processor or controller may include one or more storage media (collectively referred to herein as “memory”, eg, RAM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM, floppy (registered). Trademark) disk, compact disk, optical disk, magnetic tape, etc., volatile and non-volatile computer memory). In some implementations, the storage medium encodes one or more programs, and when the programs are executed on one or more processors and / or controllers, It is possible to perform at least some of the functions mentioned in the book. To implement the various aspects of the invention described herein, the various storage media may be fixed within a processor or controller, or as portable, stored in one or two. The above program may be loaded into the processor or controller. The term “program” or “computer program” as used herein in a general sense means any type of computer code that can be used to program one or more processors or controllers. (For example, software or microcode) is used.

  The term “addressable” is herein configured to receive information (eg, data) for a plurality of devices, including itself, and selectively respond to specific information thereto. Also, it is used to mean a device (eg, a light source in general, a light emitting unit or light fixture, a controller or processor associated with one or more light sources or light emitting units, other non-light emitting related devices, etc.). The term “addressable” is frequently used in connection with a networked environment (or “network”, further described below), in which multiple devices may communicate with any communication medium (one or more). ).

  In one network implementation, one or more devices coupled to the network are controllers for one or more other devices coupled to the network (eg, in a master / slave relationship). Can serve as. In another implementation, the networked environment can include one or more dedicated controllers configured to control one or more of the devices coupled to the network. In general, multiple devices coupled to a network can each access data residing on the communication medium (s), but a particular device can be associated with, for example, one or more assigned to it. In a configuration that selectively exchanges data with the network (ie, receives data from and / or transmits data thereto) based on a particular identifier (eg, “address”) of “ Addressable ”.

  As used herein, the term “network” refers to any two or more devices coupled to the network and / or between multiple devices (eg, device control, data storage, data Means any interconnection of two or more devices (including a controller or processor) that facilitates the transfer of information (such as for exchange). It should be immediately recognized that various network implementations suitable for interconnecting multiple devices include any of a variety of network topologies and the use of any of a variety of communication protocols. it can. Further, in various networks according to the present invention, any one connection between two devices can represent a dedicated connection or alternatively a non-dedicated connection between the two systems. In addition to carrying information for two devices, such a non-dedicated connection can carry information that is not necessarily specified for either of the two devices (eg, an open network connection). . Further, the various networks of devices described herein may facilitate the movement of information throughout the network using one or more wireless, wired / cable, and / or fiber optic links. It should be easily recognized what can be done.

  As used herein, the term “user interface” refers to a human user or operator and one or more devices that allow communication between the user and the device (s). Means the interface between. Examples of user interfaces that can be used in various implementations of the present invention include, but are not limited to, switches, potentiometers, buttons, dials, sliders, mice, keyboards, keypads, various types of game controllers ( Joysticks), trackballs, display screens, various types of graphical user interfaces (GUIs), touch screens, microphones, and other types that receive some form of stimuli generated by humans and generate signals accordingly There are sensors.

  It should be understood that all combinations of the foregoing concepts and additional concepts described below are intended as part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. In particular, all combinations of claimed subject matter presented at the beginning of the disclosure are intended as part of the inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION The figure below figure shows illustrative embodiments of the present invention, in these figures, the same reference numerals denote the same elements. It is understood that these illustrated embodiments are illustrative of the invention and are not limiting in any way.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary operation of a conventional AC dimming device.
FIG. 2 is a conventional implementation for supplying power from an AC line voltage to an LED-based light source.
FIG. 3 is a light emitting unit including an LED-based light source according to an aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating various components of the light emitting unit of FIG. 3 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a light emitting unit including an LED-based light source according to another aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating various components of the light emitting unit of FIG. 5 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a processor-based light emitting unit including an LED-based light source according to another aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram illustrating various components of a power circuit for the light emitting unit of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram illustrating a conventional current sink used in a drive circuit for an LED-based light source, according to one aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram illustrating an improved current sink, according to one aspect of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram illustrating an improved current sink according to another aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Overview Light emitting diode (LED) based illumination sources are becoming more prevalent in applications where general, task, accent, or other light emission is desired. The efficiency, high intensity, low cost, and high level of controllability of LEDs are driving forces to replace LED-based light sources with conventional non-LED-based light sources.

  While the conventional AC dimming devices described above are often used to control conventional light sources such as incandescent light using an AC power source, applicants generally consider such dimmers to be solid-state such as LED-based light sources Recognized and understood that it was not satisfactory for use with a light source. That is, Applicants have determined that LED-based light sources that operate substantially based on a DC power source are generally not compatible with dimming circuits that provide an AC output signal. This situation hinders the simple replacement of LED-based light sources in existing light-emitting systems that operate conventional light sources via an AC dimming circuit.

Although solutions currently exist for supplying power to LED-based light sources via AC line voltage, these solutions have significant drawbacks when applied to AC dimming circuits. FIG. 2 illustrates one such generalized scenario where a standard AC line voltage 302 (eg, 120 Vrms, 220 Vrms, etc.) is applied to an LED-based light emitting system, eg, traffic light 808 (the traffic light is , 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green, including 3 LED array modules and associated circuitry). In the arrangement of FIG. 2, full wave rectifier 802, along with capacitors 800 and 806, and resistor 804, filters the applied AC line voltage and provides substantial DC power to signal 808. In particular, the capacitor 800 can be specifically selected depending on other circuit components to transfer energy to the traffic light primarily based on the expected frequency of the AC line voltage (eg, 60 Hz).
In the arrangement shown in FIG. 2, one problem when the applied AC signal is applied by a dimming circuit rather than as a line voltage is that the applied signal is designed based on this circuit. There is a possibility that a frequency component greatly different from the frequency of the line voltage is included. For example, consider a dimming circuit that provides a duty cycle controlled (ie, phase angle modulated) AC signal 309 as shown in FIG. 1; a sudden “chopping off” of a portion of the voltage period. Due to the effectiveness of signal excursion, this type of signal contains very high frequency components compared to normal line voltage. If such a phase angle modulated AC signal is applied to the arrangement of FIG. 2, capacitor 800 allows excess energy associated with these high frequency components to pass through the signal, often fatal to the light source. Cause general damage.

  In view of the foregoing, one embodiment of the present invention is generally on an AC power circuit that provides a standard line voltage or is controlled by a conventional dimmer (ie, an “AC dimming circuit”). It is aimed at a method and apparatus for facilitating the use of LED-based light sources. In one aspect, the method and apparatus of the present invention facilitates making LED-based light sources a convenient alternative in light emitting environments using conventional dimming devices and conventional light sources. In yet another aspect, the method and apparatus according to the present invention includes one or more parameters (eg, intensity, color, color temperature, temporal characteristics, etc.) associated with the light generated by the LED-based light source. Facilitates control through the operation of conventional dimmers and / or other control signals that may exist in connection with the AC line voltage.

  Light emitting units and systems using various concepts based on the principles of the present invention can be used in residential, commercial, industrial environments or any other environment where conventional dimmers are found or desired. . Furthermore, the various concepts disclosed herein can be applied to the light emitting unit according to the present invention, and the compatibility of the light emitting unit to various light control protocols that provide various control signals via the AC power circuit. Guarantee.

  One example of such a control protocol is the X10 communication language, which communicates with each other between X10 compatible products via existing home electrical wires (eg, wiring that supplies standard AC line voltage). enable. In a typical X10 implementation, the equipment to be controlled (eg, light, thermostat, jacuzzi / hot tub, etc.) is connected to an X10 receiver that connects to a conventional outlet that couples to AC line voltage. . A specific address can be assigned to the device to be controlled. The X10 transmitter / controller is connected to another outlet that couples to the line voltage, and at least partially based on the assigned address (s) via the same wiring that supplies the line voltage. Or communicate control instructions (eg, on, off, dim, brighten, etc.) to two or more X10 receivers (see www.smarthome.com for more information on X10 implementations) Is possible). According to one embodiment, the method and apparatus of the present invention is compatible with various LED-based light sources and light-emitting units having X10 and other communication protocols that communicate control information related to AC line voltage. Facilitate sex.

  In general, the method and apparatus according to the invention allow a solid LED-based light source to be applied substantially completely later to the light-emitting environment; in particular according to the invention, an LED base as an alternative to an incandescent light source. The use of the light source is not limited to AC power supplied directly from line voltage (eg, via a switch); rather, the method and apparatus of the present invention makes LED-based light sources any number of conventional (E.g., incandescent light) can be used in sockets, including those coupled to AC dimming circuits and / or receiving signals from other than standard line voltage.

  In various embodiments, an LED-based light emitting unit or fixture according to the present invention can include a controller that appropriately adjusts the AC signal supplied from the dimming circuit to provide one or two of the light emitting units. Supply power (ie, “drive”) one or more LEDs. The controller can drive the LED (s) using any of a variety of techniques including analog control techniques, pulse width modulation (PWM) techniques, or other power adjustment techniques. Although not an essential feature of the present invention, in some embodiments, the circuitry of the LED-based light emitting unit is programmed to perform various signal conditioning and / or light control functions, one or more. Microprocessors can be included. In various implementations, both processor-based and non-processor-based, the LED-based light emitting unit according to the present invention is for adjusting one or more parameters of the generated light by the operation of a user dimmer. It can be configured to operate on an AC dimming circuit with or without conditions.

  More specifically, in one embodiment, the LED-based light emitting unit includes a controller, and if at least a portion of the power supplied to the controller comes from an AC dimming circuit, the dimmer's Adjusted to a substantially constant value over the main range of operation, thereby providing an essentially stable power supply to the controller and other circuitry associated with the light emitting unit. In one aspect of this embodiment, the controller can also be configured to monitor adjustable power supplied by the dimming circuit, whereby one or more of the light generated by the light emitting unit. Parameters can be adjusted in response to the operation of the dimmer.

  In particular, there are several types of parameters (eg, other than or in addition to intensity or brightness) in the light generated by LED-based light sources that are controlled in response to the operation of the dimmer according to the present invention. be able to. For example, in various embodiments, the LED-based light-emitting unit can have one or more characteristics of the generated light, such as color (eg, hue, saturation or brightness), or correlated color temperature of white light. , And temporal characteristics (e.g., the rate of change of color, or the strobing of one or more colors), etc. can also be configured to be adjustable via the operation of the dimmer.

  As described above, in one embodiment, the LED-based light emitting unit can include one or more processor-based controllers that include one or more storage devices, thereby providing: Facilitates the above or other examples of adjustable light generation via dimmer operation. In particular, in one embodiment, such a lighting unit can be configured to selectively execute one or more lighting programs stored in the memory of the controller via the operation of the dimmer. Such a lighting program can provide various static or time-varying lighting effects related to the generated light, eg, multiple colors, color temperature and intensity. In one aspect of this embodiment, the processor-based controller of the light emitting unit monitors the AC signal supplied from the dimming circuit and monitors certain characteristics (eg, specific instantaneous values associated with the dimming signal, dimming signal 1 or more than one change in the monitored dimming signal having a specific time average value associated with the power, interruption of the power supplied from the dimmer for a predetermined time, specific change rate of the dimming signal, etc. Based on this, it can be configured to select different programs and / or program parameters. By selecting a new program or parameter, the dimmer can be further manipulated to adjust the selected parameter or program.

  In another example embodiment, an LED-based light-emitting unit according to the present invention is coupled to an AC dimming circuit and operates a dimmer to increase or decrease the intensity of the light produced, thereby allowing conventional incandescent light It can be configured to essentially reproduce the luminescent properties. In one aspect of this embodiment, this mimicry is the variable emission characteristic of an incandescent light source in which the intensity and color of the light generated by the LED-based light source is changed simultaneously in response to the operation of the dimmer and the intensity changes. Can be achieved by approximating In another aspect of this embodiment, such imitation is by monitoring the AC signal supplied from the dimming circuit and controlling the different color LEDs of the issuing unit in response to the operation of the dimming circuit, respectively. It can be easily implemented with a processor-based controller that is specifically programmed to change both the overall color and intensity of the light produced by the light emitting unit simultaneously.

  Many of the lighting effects discussed herein are related to dimmer-compatible controls, but some effects can also be generated using other control systems in accordance with the present invention. For example, the color temperature of an LED-based light source can be programmed to decrease as the intensity decreases, and these light emission changes can occur in systems other than dimming systems (e.g., wireless communications, It can also be controlled by wired communication).

  Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method of selling, marketing and advertising LED based light sources and light emitting systems. This method can include the promotion of LED lighting systems that are compatible with conventional AC dimmers or dimming systems. The method can also include the promotion of LED light that is compatible with both dimmable and non-dimmable lighting control systems.

  In the following, various concepts and embodiments related to the method and apparatus for powering LED-based light emission according to the present invention will be described in more detail. It should be understood that the various aspects of the invention described above and below can be implemented by any of a number of methods, and the invention is limited to specific modes of implementation. It is not something. Examples of specific implementations are provided for illustrative purposes only.

2. Non-Processor-Based Exemplary Embodiments As described above, according to various embodiments, an LED-based light source operated via an AC dimming circuit can be implemented with or without a microprocessor-based circuit. In this section, several examples of light emitting units are shown that include circuitry configured to properly adjust the AC signal supplied by a dimming circuit without the assistance of a microprocessor or microcontroller. In subsequent sections, some processor-based examples will be discussed.

  FIG. 3 illustrates an LED-based light emitting unit 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. For purposes of illustration, the light emitting unit 200 is generally shown to resemble a conventional incandescent bulb that has a screw-type base connector 202 and is mechanically and electrically fitted into a conventional light socket. However, it should be understood that the invention is not so limited because many other configurations are possible, including other housing shapes and / or connector types, according to other embodiments. That's why. Various examples of power connector configurations include, but are not limited to, screw-type connectors, wedge-type connectors, multi-pin type connectors, etc., with conventional incandescent, halogen, fluorescent or high-intensity discharge (HID) type sockets. Easy to adapt. Such a socket can then be connected directly to an AC power source (eg, line voltage) or connected to an AC power source via a switch and / or dimmer.

  The light emitting unit 200 of FIG. 3 includes an LED base light source 104 having one or more LEDs. The light emitting unit also includes a controller 204 configured to receive the AC signal 500 via the connector 202 and supply operating power to the LED-based light source 104. In accordance with one aspect of this embodiment, the controller 204 has various components to ensure that the light emitting unit operates properly for the AC signal 500, where the AC signal 500 is transmitted by a dimming circuit. More specifically, it is supplied by a dimming circuit that outputs an AC signal that is duty cycle controlled (ie, phase angle modulated) as described above.

  Finally, according to the embodiment of FIG. 3, the controller 204 includes a rectifier 404, a low pass (ie, high frequency) filter 408 and a DC converter 402. In one aspect of this embodiment, the output of the DC converter 402 powers an essentially stable DC voltage to the LED-based light source 104, regardless of adjustment by the user of the dimmer that provides the AC signal 500. Supply as. More specifically, in this embodiment, the various components of the controller 204 facilitate the operation of the light emitting unit 200 on the dimming circuit without adjustment based on the operation of the dimmer of the generated light. Rather, the primary function of the controller 204 in the embodiment of FIG. 3 is to ensure that there is no damage to the LED-based light source based on the power provided from the AC dimming circuit.

  In particular, according to one aspect of this embodiment, essentially constant DC power is supplied to the LED-based light source as long as the dimming circuit outputs an AC signal 500 that provides sufficient power to operate the controller 204. Is done. In one implementation, the dimming circuit has an AC signal 500 having a low duty cycle up to 50% “on” (ie, conductive) that provides sufficient power to cause light generation by the LED-based light source 104. Can be output. In yet another aspect, the dimming circuit can provide an AC signal 500 having a low duty cycle of up to 25% “on” that provides sufficient power to the light source 104. In this way, user adjustment over a very wide range of dimmers does not substantially affect the light output of the light emitting unit 200. Again, the above examples are provided primarily for illustrative purposes and the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto.

  FIG. 4 is an example circuit diagram illustrating some details of the various components shown in FIG. 3, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Again, one of the main functions of the circuit shown in FIG. 4 is the safe operation of the LED-based light source 104 based on the AC signal 500 supplied to the light emitting unit 200 via a conventional AC dimming circuit. It is to guarantee. As shown in FIG. 4, the rectifier 404 can be realized by a diode bridge (D47, D48, D49, and D50), and the low-pass filter includes various active components (capacitors C2 and C3, inductor L2, And resistors R4 and R6). In this embodiment, the DC converter 402 partially uses integrated circuit model number TNY264 / 266 manufactured by Power Integrations, Inc., 5245 Hellyer Avenue, San Jose, California 95138 (www.powerint.com). Implemented and configured to supply a 16 VDC supply voltage to power the LED-based light source 104.

  The parameters of the filter (eg, the low pass filter of FIG. 4) are very important to ensure proper operation of the controller 204. In particular, the cutoff frequency of the filter must be significantly lower than the switching frequency of the DC converter, but much higher than the typical few cycles of cutoff frequency used in normal switch mode power supplies. Must-have. According to one implementation, the total input capacitance of the control circuit is such that little energy remains in the capacitor at the end of each half cycle of the AC waveform. Similarly, the inductance must be selected so that the high frequency components generated by the DC converter are adequately separated to meet regulatory standards (this value can be zero under certain conditions). In still other implementations, it may be advantageous to place all or part of the filter components in front of the bridge rectifier 404.

  The light source 104 of FIG. 4 may include one or more LEDs (as shown, for example, as D52 and D53 LEDs in FIG. 4) having any of a variety of colors, It can be configured in series or parallel arrangement. Further, based on the particular configuration of the LED light source 104, one or more resistors or other components can be used in series and / or parallel arrangement with the LED light source 104, with the light source at the DC supply voltage. Combine properly.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, the LED-based light source is not only safely powered by the AC dimming circuit, but also the AC signal that the dimming circuit supplies the intensity of the light generated by the light source. It can be adjusted through operation by the user of the dimmer that controls. FIG. 5 shows another example of the light emitting unit 200A that is suitable for the operation through the dimming circuit, similar to the light emitting unit shown in FIG. However, unlike the light emitting unit of FIG. 3, the light emitting unit 200A of FIG. 5 is configured to have an adjustable light output controlled via a dimmer. As a result, the controller 204A of FIG. 5 includes an additional adjustment circuit 208 that further adjusts the signal output from the DC converter 402. The adjustment circuit 208 then provides a variable drive signal to the LED-based light source 104 based on a change in the AC signal 500 in response to the user operating the dimmer (eg, a change in the average voltage of the signal).

  FIG. 6 is an example circuit diagram illustrating some details of the various components shown in FIG. 5, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Many of the circuit elements shown in FIG. 6 are similar or identical to those shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the additional regulation circuit 208 is implemented in part by resistors R2 and R6 that form a voltage divider in the feedback loop of the integrated circuit U1. A control voltage 410 is drawn at the junction of resistors R2 and R6, and the control voltage changes in response to changes in the AC signal 500 due to the operation of the dimmer. Control voltage 410 is applied via diode D5 to a voltage / current converter implemented by resistor R1 and transistor Q1 to provide variable drive current to an LED-based light source that tracks adjustments by the dimmer user interface. Supply. In this way, the intensity of light generated by the light source 104 can be varied through the dimmer over the main range of dimmer operation. Of course, it should also be understood that if the dimmer is adjusted so that the AC signal 500 can no longer provide adequate power to the associated circuitry, the light source 104 simply stops generating light. is there.

  In the circuit of FIG. 6, it should be understood that the control voltage 410 is essentially filtered and scaled and a maximum limited version of the average DC voltage is provided to the DC converter. This circuit relies on the DC converter emitting an input to the capacitor substantially every half cycle. In practice, this can be easily achieved because the input current to the controller remains fairly constant or increases as the duty cycle of the signal 500 decreases unless the output of the device decreases faster than the control voltage. Because.

3. Processor-Based Exemplary Embodiment According to another embodiment of the present invention, an LED-based light emitting unit suitable for operating via an AC dimming circuit can be implemented using a processor-based controller. In the following, an embodiment of an LED-based light-emitting unit including a processor is presented, including a discussion of how such a light-emitting unit can be specifically configured to operate via an AC dimming circuit. For example, such a processor-based lighting unit can include, in addition to a microprocessor, one or more other components associated with the microprocessor, and / or can receive signals therefrom, Can facilitate control of the light generated based at least in part on adjustments by a user of a conventional AC dimmer. Once a processor-based control scheme is implemented in a light emitting unit according to the present invention, a virtually unlimited number of configurations for the control of generated light is possible.

  FIG. 7 illustrates a portion of an LED-based light emitting unit 200B that includes a processor-based controller 204B, according to one embodiment of the present invention. Various examples of processor-controlled LED-based light emitting units similar to those described below in connection with FIG. 7 can be found, for example, issued to Mueller et al. On January 18, 2000, US Pat. No. 6,016,038 “Multicolored LED Lighting Method and Apparatus” and US Pat. No. 6,211,626, issued April 3, 2001 to Lys et al. "Illumination Components", etc., both of which are incorporated herein by reference.

  According to one aspect, although not explicitly shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting unit 200B may also include a housing structure configured similarly to the other light emitting units shown in FIGS. Ie, as an alternative to incandescent bulbs with conventional screw connectors). Here again, however, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in this respect. More generally, the light emitting unit 200B includes a variety of light source (s), housing / housing arrangements and shapes to partially or wholly contain the light sources, and / or electrical and mechanical connection configurations. It can be implemented using any one of the mounting arrangements.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting unit 200B includes one or more light sources 104A, 104B and 104C (collectively indicated as 104), where one or more light sources are one Alternatively, an LED-based light source including two or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) may be used. In one aspect of this embodiment, any two or more light sources 104A, 104B, and 104C can be adapted to produce radiation of different colors (eg, red, green, and blue, respectively). . Although three light sources 104A, 104B, and 104C are shown in FIG. 7, it should be understood that the light emitting units are not limited in this respect, because, as further described below, essentially Different numbers and different types of light sources, including white light (all LED-based light sources, or a combination of LED-based and non-LED-based light sources, etc.) are adapted to produce a variety of different colored emissions and emit light This is because it can be used in the unit 200B.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting unit 200B can also include a processor 102 that is configured to control the drive circuit 109 to drive the light sources 104A, 104B, and 104C to produce various intensities from the light source. Produces light. For example, in one implementation, the processor 102 outputs at least one control signal to each light source via the drive circuit 109 to independently control the intensity of light generated by each light source. Can be configured. Some examples of control signals that can be generated by the processor and drive circuit to control the light source include, but are not limited to, a pulse modulation signal, a pulse width modulation signal (PWM), and a pulse amplitude modulation signal (PAM). , Pulse code modulation signals (PCM), analog control signals (eg current control signals, voltage control signals), combinations and / or modulations of the aforementioned signals or other control signals.

  In one implementation of the light emitting unit 200B, one or more of the light sources 104A, 104B, and 104C shown in FIG. 7 may be a group of multiple LEDs or other types of light sources (eg, Various parallel and / or direct connections of multiple LEDs or other types of light sources. In addition, one or more light sources 104A, 104B and 104C include one or more LEDs adapted to produce radiation having any of a variety of spectra (ie, wavelengths or wavelength bands). These include, but are not limited to, various visible colors (including essentially white light), and various color temperatures of white light, ultraviolet light, or infrared light. LEDs with different spectral bandwidths (eg, narrowband, wideband) can be used for various implementations of the light emitting unit 200B.

  In another aspect of the light emitting unit 200B shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting unit can be configured and arranged to produce a wide range of variable color radiation. For example, the light emitting unit 200B combines processor-controlled variable intensity light generated by two or more light sources to produce mixed color light (including essentially white light with various color temperatures). Can be specifically arranged to generate In particular, the color (or color temperature) of the mixed color light is changed by changing the intensity of each of the one or more light sources (eg, to one or more signal outputs by the processor and the drive circuit). In response). Further, the processor 102 provides control signals to one or more light sources to produce static or time-varying (dynamic) multi-color (and multi-color temperature) lighting effects. Can be specifically configured (eg, programmed).

  Accordingly, the light emitting unit 200B can include a wide range of color LEDs in various combinations, for example, to generate a color mixture with two or more red, green, and blue LEDs, and one Or generating white light changing color and color temperature with two or more other LEDs. For example, the red, green and blue LEDs can be mixed with amber, white, UV, orange, IR or other colors. Such a combination of LEDs of different colors in the light emitting unit 200B can facilitate an accurate reproduction of a desired spectrum of light emission conditions, such as, but not limited to, different of the day. It includes various outdoor daylight equivalents at various times, various indoor lighting conditions, and lighting conditions that simulate a complex multi-colored background. Other desirable emission conditions can be generated by removing specific spectra that can be specifically absorbed, attenuated, or reflected in an environment.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting unit 200B may also include a memory 114 that stores various information. For example, the memory 114 is used to store one or more lighting programs executed by the processor 102 (eg, to generate one or more control signals for the light source). And can be used to store various types of data (eg, calibration information) useful for generating variable color radiation. The memory 114 can also store one or more specific identifiers (eg, serial numbers, addresses, etc.) that can be used locally or system-wide to identify the lighting unit 20B. In various embodiments, such identifiers can be pre-programmed, for example, by the manufacturer, and can be changed later or not (eg, installed in the light emitting unit). Via one or more data or control signals received by the light emitting unit via a user interface of the kind). Alternatively, such an identifier can be determined when the light emitting unit is first used in the field, and here again it can be either changeable or non-changeable thereafter.

  As shown in FIG. 7, in another aspect, the light emitting unit 200B has a number of settings or functions that can be selected by the user (for example, generally controlling the light output of the light emitting unit 200B; Specific identifiers such as changing and / or selecting various pre-programmed lighting effects, changing and / or selecting various parameters of the selected lighting effects, address or serial number of the lighting unit Can be optionally configured to receive a user interface signal 118 that is provided to facilitate any of the following. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention described further below, the user interface signal 118 is generated from an AC signal provided by a dimming circuit and / or other control signal (s) on the AC power circuit. As such, the light generated by the light source 104 can be controlled in response to dimmer operation and / or in response to other control signal (s).

  More generally, in one aspect of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the processor 102 of the lighting unit 200B monitors the user interface signal 118 and uses one or two based at least in part on the user interface signal. Configured to control one or more light sources 104A, 104B, and 104C. For example, the processor 102 is responsive to the user interface signal by generating one or more control signals (eg, via the drive circuit 109) to control one or more light sources. Can be configured. Alternatively, the processor 102 can select one or more control signals pre-programmed and stored in the memory, thereby executing a lighting program to modify the generated control signals to create new ones from the memory. It can be configured to respond by selecting and executing a lighting program, or otherwise affecting the radiation generated by one or more light sources.

  Ultimately, the processor 102 performs one or more functions in response to the user interface signal using any one or more of several “evaluation” criteria of the user interface signal 118. Can be configured. For example, the processor 102 may calculate a specific instantaneous value of a user interface signal, a change in a characteristic of the user interface signal, a rate of change of a characteristic of the user interface signal, a time average value of a characteristic of the user interface signal, a specific duration. It may be configured to take certain actions based on periodic patterns or interruptions of user interface signals having, zero crossings of AC user interface signals, and the like.

  In one embodiment, the processor digitally samples the user interface signal 118, processes the samples according to predetermined criteria, and determines whether to perform one or more functions. Composed. In still other embodiments, the memory 114 associated with the processor 102 maps the values associated with the user interface signals to values for various control signals used to control the LED-based light source 104 (eg, user One or more tables providing a specific value or condition associated with the interface signal, which can correspond to a specific duty cycle of the PWM signal respectively applied to different color LEDs in the light source, Or, more generally, a database can be included. With this method, a wide range of light emission control functions can be performed based on user interface signals.

  FIG. 7 also illustrates that the light emitting unit 200B can be configured to receive one or more signals 122 from one or more other signal sources 124. In one implementation, the processor 102 of the lighting unit combines the signal (s) 122 alone or with other control signals (eg, signals generated by execution of a lighting program, user interface signals, etc.). One or more light sources 104A, 104B and 104C are controlled in a manner similar to that described above in connection with the user interface. Some examples of signal source 124 that can be used in or in connection with light emitting unit 200B of FIG. 7 generate one or more signals in response to a stimulus. Includes any of a variety of sensors or transducers. Examples of such sensors include, but are not limited to, various types of environmental condition sensors, such as sensors that sense heat (eg, temperature, infrared), humidity sensors, motion sensors, photosensors / luminescent sensors (eg, , Sensors that sense one or more specific spectra of electromagnetic radiation), various types of cameras, sound or vibration sensors, or other pressure / force transducers (eg, microphones, piezoelectric devices), and the like.

  As further shown in FIG. 7, the light emitting unit 200B can include one or more communication ports 120 to facilitate coupling of the light emitting unit with any of a variety of other devices. For example, one or more communication ports 120 can facilitate coupling multiple lighting units as a networked lighting system, where at least some of the lighting units are addressable ( Responds to specific data being transported across the entire network (eg, having a specific identifier or address).

  In particular, in a networked lighting system environment, when data is communicated over the network, the processor 102 of each lighting unit coupled to the network is responsive to specific data associated therewith (eg, lighting control commands). Can be configured (in some cases indicated by the respective identifier of the networked light emitting unit). When a particular processor identifies the particular data intended, the processor reads the data and, for example, changes the lighting conditions that the light source generates according to the received data (eg, provides an appropriate control signal for the light source). By generating). In one aspect, the memory 114 of each light emitting unit coupled to the network can be loaded with a table of light emission control signals corresponding to data received by the processor 102, for example. Once the processor 102 receives data from the network, the processor refers to the table and selects a control signal corresponding to the received data, thereby controlling the light source of the light emitting unit.

  In one aspect of this embodiment, the processor 102 of a light emitting unit receives light emission received in the DMX protocol (eg, as described in US Pat. Nos. 6,016,038 and 6,211,626) with or without coupling to the network. It can also be configured to interpret instructions / data, and the DMX protocol is a luminescence command protocol conventionally used in the luminescence industry for some programmable luminescence applications. However, it should be understood that light-emitting units suitable for the purposes of the present invention are not limited in this regard, because light-emitting units according to various embodiments are each responsive to other types of communication protocols. This is because the light source can be controlled.

  The light emitting unit 200B of FIG. 7 also includes a power circuit 108 configured to supply power to the light emitting unit based on an AC signal 500 (eg, line voltage, signal supplied by a dimming circuit, etc.). In one embodiment of the light emitting unit 200B, the power circuit 108 can be configured similar to, for example, a portion of the circuit shown in FIGS. In particular, FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a circuit arrangement of the power circuit 108 based on several elements shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 that can be used in one implementation of the light emitting unit 200B. In the circuit shown in FIG. 8, a 5V DC output 900 is provided to at least the processor 102, while a 16V DC output 902 is provided to the drive circuit 109, which ultimately provides power to the LED-based light source 104. To do. Similar to the circuits shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, when the overall power supplied by the AC signal 500 is reduced, for example by the operation of a dimmer, the power circuit 108 at a certain point in time for the various components of the light emitting unit 200B. As a result, the light emitting unit stops generating light. Nevertheless, in one aspect, the power circuit 108 is configured to provide sufficient power to the light emitting unit over the main range of dimmer operation.

  In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the power circuit 108 shown in FIG. 8 is modified to also provide a control signal that reflects changes in the AC signal 500 (eg, changes in average voltage) in response to dimmer operation. can do. For example, the circuit shown in FIG. 8 has additional components similar to those associated with the regulator circuit 208 of FIG. 6 that provides the control voltage 410 (eg, a resistor divider network in a light blocking feedback loop). Can be modified to include. A control signal similarly generated from the circuit of FIG. 8 serves as a user interface signal 118 applied to the processor 102, as shown by the dotted line 410B in FIG. In other embodiments, the circuit of FIG. 8 can be modified to derive control / user interface signals from other parts of the circuit, such as the output from a rectifier or low pass filter, for example.

  In still other embodiments, the user interface signal 118 provided to the processor 102 may be the AC signal 500 itself, as shown by the connection line 500B in FIG. In this embodiment, processor 102 digitally samples AC signal 500 and specifically detects changes in one or more characteristics of the AC signal (eg, amplitude change, degree of phase angle modulation, etc.). Can be programmed. In this way, rather than responding to a control signal that is derived based on the average voltage of the AC signal 500 due to the operation of the dimmer, the processor is “more directly” certain characteristics of the AC dimming output signal (eg phase angle modulation It is possible to respond to the operation of the dimmer. Numerous techniques will be apparent to those skilled in the art, some of which are described above in connection with user interface signal 118, and are similarly implemented by the processor to sample and process AC signal 500. be able to.

  Once the user interface signal 118 indicative of dimmer operation is derived using any of the techniques described above (or other techniques), the processor 102 may transmit substantially infinite light based on dimmer user adjustments. It can be programmed to implement any of the control functions. For example, user adjustment of the dimmer allows the processor to change one or more of the intensity, color, correlated color temperature, or temporal quality of the light generated by the light emitting unit 200B. .

  To more specifically illustrate the foregoing, consider a light emitting unit 200B comprised of two light emission programs stored in memory 114; the first light emission program generates light in response to dimmer operation. The second lighting program is configured to adjust the overall color, and the second lighting program is configured to adjust the overall intensity of the generated light in a certain color in response to the dimmer operation. Further, the processor switches between two programs when the operation of a specific type of dimmer is performed, and one of the two programs (for example, the first program) is automatically executed as an initial setting at the time of initial startup. Programmed.

  In this example, at start-up, execution of the first program (eg, adjustable color) begins and the user adjusts the dimmer user interface to a certain range in a “normal” manner (eg, dimming). The overall color of the generated light can be changed by changing the color through the rainbow's multiple colors from red to blue by slow adjustment of the instrument user interface.

  Once the desired color is achieved, the user then selects a second program (eg, intensity adjustment) and incorporates the dimmer user interface into a specific predetermined method (eg, dimmer). This is accomplished by operating with an on / off switch for momentarily shutting off power for a predetermined period of time, adjusting the dimmer user interface at a rapid rate, etc. Evaluate dimmer operation as described above in connection with the concept of user interface signals, determine if a new program selection is desired, or adjust the currently running program Any number of criteria can be used to determine whether. Various examples of program or mode selection via the user interface and parameter adjustments within the selected program or mode are described in US Non-Provisional Applications Nos. 09 / 805,368 and 10 / 045,629. Which are incorporated herein by reference.

  In this example, once execution of the second program begins, the user can adjust the intensity of the light produced (in a pre-adjusted color) to a subsequent “normal” operation of the dimmer user interface (eg, It can be changed by adjusting slowly). By using the exemplary procedure described above, the user can adjust both the intensity and color of the light emitted by the light emitting unit via a conventional AC dimmer.

  It should be understood that the foregoing examples are provided primarily for purposes of illustration and that the invention is not limited in these respects. In general, according to various embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of parameters associated with the generated light can be changed in sequence or in combination at the same time. Also, through the selection and execution of the lighting program, the temporal characteristics of the generated light can also be adjusted (e.g., specific color strobing rate, color rainbow wash rate of change, etc.).

  For example, in one embodiment, an LED-based light source coupled to an AC dimming circuit operates the dimmer to increase or decrease the intensity of the light produced, essentially changing the emission characteristics of conventional incandescent light. Can be configured to reproduce. In one aspect of this embodiment, such mimicry can be achieved by simultaneously changing the intensity and color of the light generated by the LED-based light source via a dimmer operation.

  More specifically, in conventional incandescent light sources, the color temperature of the emitted light generally decreases as the power consumed by the light source decreases (eg, at low intensity levels, the correlated color temperature of the generated light is 2000 ° K, while the correlated color temperature of light at higher intensity is close to 3200 ° K). This is the reason why incandescent light appears more red as the power to the light source decreases. Thus, in one embodiment, the LED-based light emitting unit uses a single dimmer adjustment to change both the intensity and color of the light source simultaneously, thereby providing higher intensity (eg, dimmer Configured to produce a relatively high correlated color temperature at a lower intensity, thereby simulating an incandescent light source. it can.

  Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a flame simulation control system or other simulation control system. The system can include an LED-based light source or light emitting unit arranged to create a flame effect or simulation thereof. Such a flame simulation system can be used as an alternative to more conventional flame simulation systems (eg, incandescent or neon). The flame simulation light emitting device is configured to simulate the wind blowing through the flame and random flicker effects (eg, including a light emission program) by changing the appearance of the generated light to make the simulation more realistic be able to. Such a simulation system can be associated with a user interface to control the effect, and an AC dimming circuit (eg, a dimming control system may be used to change the effect of the simulation system). And can be configured to be used and / or controlled via In other implementations, the user interface can communicate with the simulation device through wired or wireless communication, and the user can change the effects of the device through the user interface. The simulation device can include a changeable effect on rate of change, altitude, color, flicker rate, or any other desired change to simulate wind conditions, resting conditions, mid-range conditions .

  Many lighting control systems do not include dimming circuits where dimming effects and other changing lighting effects are desired. Accordingly, yet another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a lighting effect control system including a wireless control system. With this embodiment, the LED-based light source or light emitting unit can be adapted to receive wireless communications and show the effect of light emission changes in the light emitting system (see, eg, association with communication link 120 in FIG. 7). . The wireless transmitter can be used by a user to change the lighting effect generated by the lighting system. In one implementation, the transmitter is associated with a power switch of the control system. For example, the power switch may be a wall mounted power switch and the user interface may be associated with the wall mounted switch. The user interface can be used to generate a wireless communication signal that is transmitted to the light emitting system to effect a change in light emission. In other embodiments, the signal is transmitted through the power line in a multiplexed fashion to the lighting system, where the light decodes data from the power.

  Still other embodiments of the present invention provide a portion of the line voltage duty cycle to one or more light emitting devices and other devices typically powered via standard AC line voltage. A method and apparatus for communicating control information using a computer. For example, according to one embodiment, the supply voltage controller receives a standard AC line voltage as an input and provides a power signal including control information as an output. The power signal provides an essentially constant AC power supply; however, according to one aspect of this embodiment, the signal is periodically “interrupted” (eg, part of the AC duty cycle over a period of time). One or more devices fed to one or more communication channels while control information (eg, digitally encoded information) is coupled to the power signal Is transmitted to. The device (s) coupled to the power signal can be specially configured to respond in some way to such control information.

  For example, the various LED-based light emitting units disclosed herein may be from standard AC line voltages, from AC dimming circuits (eg, providing phase angle modulated power), or others related to AC line voltages. It has the ability to supply power to the LED-based light source from a power source that can have a control signal, and is compatible with the power signal and responds to control information transmitted through the communication channel. It should be understood that it is specially configurable.

  In accordance with one aspect of this embodiment, a supply voltage controller that supplies a power signal as described above includes any number of features that facilitate user operation of the controller (eg, buttons, dials, sliders, etc.) Can be implemented as a base user interface. In particular, in one implementation, the supply voltage controller can be implemented to resemble a conventional dimmer (eg, with a knob or slider as the user interface), where the associated processor is a user It is specifically programmed to monitor the operation of the interface and generate control information in response to such operation. The processor is also programmed to transmit the control signal over one or more power signal communication channels as described above.

  In another aspect of this embodiment, unlike currently available home control networks / systems such as X10, the device (s) that are essentially controlled by the power signal are programming or device (s). Rather than by the address assigned to it, it is defined by the electrical line that supplies the power signal. In addition, other “uncontrollable” devices (ie, those that are not configured to respond to control information transmitted on the power signal) can be coupled to the power signal without any adverse effects, and the same Allows a mix of controllable and uncontrollable devices on the power circuit (ie, transmitting the same power signal to all devices on the circuit). Furthermore, it is ensured throughout the topology that devices in different wiring areas (ie on different power circuits) are not disturbed by or responsive to power signals on a particular power circuit. In yet another aspect, the power signal of this embodiment is essentially “transparent” (ie, does not violate) other protocols such as X10.

  In one exemplary implementation based on a supply voltage controller that provides a power signal as described above on a particular power circuit, the power circuit may have multiple light emitting devices (eg, conventional light emitting devices, LED-based light emitting units, etc.). And can be configured such that they are essentially non-responsive to any control signal transmitted over the power circuit. For example, a “non-responsive” light emitting device may be a conventional incandescent light source or other device that receives power via a portion of a power signal that does not include a communication channel. These light emitting devices can play a role in certain environments to provide general lighting in the environment.

  In addition to the non-responsive light emitting device in this example, one or more other controllable light emitting devices (eg, a specifically configured LED-based light emitting unit) can also be coupled to the same power circuit, and the power signal Can be configured to respond to the control information of the other communication channels (ie, to respond to an operation by a user of the supply voltage controller). In this way, the controllable light-emitting device (s) complements the general lighting provided by other “non-responding” devices on the same power circuit, providing various types of accent / special effect light emission. Can be offered as.

4). Exemplary Embodiment of Driving Circuit Referring again to FIG. 7, the driving circuit 109 of the light emitting unit 200B can be implemented in a number of ways, one of which is one or more light sources 104A, 104B. And one or more current drivers respectively corresponding to 104 and 104C. In particular, according to one embodiment, the drive circuit 109 is configured such that each different color light source is associated with a voltage / current converter, where the voltage / current converter is a voltage control signal from the processor 102 (eg, , A digital PWM signal) and supply a corresponding current to activate the light source. Such a drive circuit is not limited to an implementation of a light emitting unit that is specifically configured to operate via an AC dimming circuit; more generally, it is similar to the light emitting unit 200B and includes various types of power sources (eg, AC A light emitting unit configured for use with a line voltage, an AC dimming circuit, a DC power source) may use a drive circuit including one or more voltage / current converters.

FIG. 9 shows an example of a portion of a drive circuit 109 using a conventional voltage / current converter, also referred to as a “current sink” 910. As shown in FIG. 9, the current sink 910, a digital input control signal received from the processor 102 provides a current _{I A} to drive the light source 104A. It should be understood that according to one aspect, multiple light sources are included in the light emitting unit, and that the drive circuit 109 includes circuitry similar to that shown in FIG. 9 for each light source (where processor Provides one control signal for each current sink).

The current sink 109 shown in FIG. 9 is widely used for current control in various applications and includes many well-known texts (eg, Intuitive IC OPAMPS, Thomas M. Frederiksen, 1984, pages 186-189). Reference). The op amp base current sink of FIG. 9 maintains the voltage at node “A” (ie, across resistor R6) and the “reference” voltage at node “C” (at the non-inverting input of op amp U1A) at the same value. To function. In this way, the light source current I _A, the processor 102 is associated with the digital control signal supplied (i.e., track (track)).

The reference voltage at point “C” in FIG. 9 can be generated by various methods, and the Frederiksen text referenced above suggests that a resistive divider (eg, R2 and R5) is a good way to create this voltage. is doing. In general, the reference voltage is the result selected compromise by the circuit designer; whereas in voltage, current sink of the load voltage (burden voltage) (i.e., the lowest voltage that can maintain the current I _A) as low as possible in order to reduce the Should. On the other hand, lowering the reference voltage increases circuit error due to various sources, including 1) the offset voltage of the operational amplifier; 2) the difference in the input bias current of the operational amplifier; 3) the low-value resistor Low tolerance; and 4) errors in sensing small voltages due to voltage drops across component interconnections. Lowering the reference voltage also reduces the speed of the circuit because feedback to the operational amplifier is reduced. This situation can also cause instability in the circuit.

The reference voltage at point “C” in FIG. 9 need not be constant, and may be switched between any desired voltage values to generate different currents. In particular, pulse width modulation (PWM) digital control voltage may be applied from the processor 102 to the circuit, it generates a switching current I _A. By carefully selecting the resistance values for the voltage divider formed by resistors R2 and R5, various circuit objectives can be achieved, including op amp bias current matching.

One problem with the circuit shown in FIG. 9 is that if the digital control signal from the processor is not present or is off (ie 0V), the op amp U1A may not completely turn off the transistor M1. Is that there is. As a result, when it is intended to turn off the light sources, some current I _A flows through the light source 104A. In view of the above, one aspect of the present invention is directed to a drive circuit for an LED-based light source that incorporates an improved current sink design that ensures more precise control of the light source.

FIG. 10 illustrates one example of such an improved current sink 910A according to an aspect of the present invention. Current sink 910A is configured such that a known “error voltage” exists at node “B” (ie, the inverting input of operational amplifier U1A) through the use of resistors R4 and R1. In particular, the values of resistors R4 and R1 are selected such that the voltage at node “B” increases slightly compared to the arrangement shown in FIG. As a result, if the reference voltage at node “C” is 0 (ie, as if the digital control signal was intended to turn off power supply 104A), the voltage at node “B” would be at node “C Is slightly higher than the voltage at This voltage difference serves as the op amp lower its output, thus, put the transistors M1 "off" region and avoids the flow of any inadvertent current I _A.

The small known error voltage introduced at node “B” does not necessarily result in any increase in current error. In one aspect, the values of resistors R2 and R5 can be adjusted to compensate for the effects of error voltage. For example, resistors R4 and R1 can be selected to be 20 mV at node “B” when node “C” is 0 V (and thus the operational amplifier is “off”). In the “on” state, the circuit can be configured such that there is a sense voltage of approximately 5 mV at node “A” (across resistor R6). The error voltage is added to the desired sense resistor voltage and the values of resistors R2 and R5 are 25 mV in the presence of a digital control signal where the reference voltage at node “C” indicates an “on” state. Is appropriately selected. In one aspect, the circuit can be configured such that the output current I _A and the sense voltage at node “A” are much higher than the minimum, for various reasons, but most notably, This is because a low cost operational amplifier can be used to achieve 1% accuracy when the sense voltage is increased to a range of 300 to 700 mV.

  FIG. 11 shows yet another aspect of current sink 910B, where some additional components have been added to the circuit of FIG. 10 to increase the speed and current capacity of the circuit. Capacitor C1 and resistor R3 may be added to compensate for the large capacitance of M1, especially when the size of transistor M1 is increased to the larger current side. This capacitance results in a greater load on the op amp, and for many op amp designs this results in instability. Resistor R3 reduces the apparent load introduced by M1, and C1 provides a high frequency feedback path for the operational amplifier, thereby bypassing M1. In one aspect of this embodiment, the circuit impedances at nodes “B” and “C” are matched, reducing the operational amplifier bias current effect. In other embodiments, this matching can be avoided by using a new FET input operational amplifier.

  Having described above several illustrative embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will readily perceive various changes, modifications, and improvements. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. Although some examples given herein relate to specific combinations of functions or structural elements, these functions and elements can be combined in other ways in accordance with the present invention and have the same or different purposes. It should be understood that this is achieved. In particular, acts, elements and characteristics described in connection with one aspect are not intended to be excluded from similar or other roles in other aspects. Accordingly, the above description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting.

2 illustrates an exemplary operation of a conventional AC dimming device. A conventional implementation for supplying power from an AC line voltage to an LED-based light source. 1 is a light emitting unit including an LED-based light source according to an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram illustrating various components of the light emitting unit of FIG. 3 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. 4 is a light emitting unit including an LED-based light source according to another aspect of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating various components of the light emitting unit of FIG. 5 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a processor-based light emitting unit including an LED-based light source according to another aspect of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram illustrating various components of a power circuit for the light emitting unit of FIG. 7. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a conventional current sink used in a drive circuit for an LED-based light source, according to one aspect of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating an improved current sink, according to one aspect of the invention. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram illustrating an improved current sink according to another aspect of the present invention.

Claims (29)

At least one LED; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to provide DC power to the at least one LED, the variable power duty from an AC power source Including at least one controller configured to receive an AC power related signal having a cycle and having a higher frequency component than a standard AC line voltage, and supplying the DC power based on the AC power related signal The at least one controller filters out the high frequency component, the AC power source is an AC dimming circuit, and the AC dimming circuit is controlled by a user interface to change a power related signal, wherein at least One controller controls the user interface for at least one LED. Power essentially unchanged configured to supply the main operating range, the lighting device.   The operation of the user interface changes the variable duty cycle of the power related signal, wherein at least one controller is configured for at least one LED despite the variable duty cycle variation of the power related signal. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to provide essentially unchanged power over a major operating range of the user interface.   A rectifier for receiving and supplying a rectified power-related signal by at least one controller; a low-pass filter for filtering the rectified power-related signal; and the rectified and filtered power-related signal 3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a DC converter for supplying essentially unchanged power based on the above.   An AC dimming circuit is controlled by a user interface to change a power related signal, wherein at least one controller is responsive to at least one parameter of light generated by the at least one LED for operation of the user interface. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus is configured to be variably controlled.   An adjustment circuit for variably controlling at least one light parameter based on a varying power-related signal; and at least a power based on the varying power-related signal for at least one LED; A device according to claim 4, comprising: a power circuit for supplying   A rectifier for receiving a power related signal and providing a rectified power related signal; a low pass filter for filtering the rectified power related signal; and at least based on the rectified filtered power related signal, 6. A device according to claim 5, comprising a DC converter for supplying power to one LED.   6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the conditioning circuit is coupled to the DC converter and configured to variably control at least one LED based on the rectified and filtered power related signal.   The conditioning circuit includes at least one processor configured to monitor at least one of the power related signal, the rectified power related signal, and the rectified and filtered power related signal, thereby at least one The device according to claim 5, wherein the LED is variably controlled.   9. The apparatus according to any of claims 5 to 8, wherein the power circuit is configured to supply at least power to at least one LED and power to at least one processor based on the varying power related signal. .   10. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the at least one processor is configured to sample the changing power related signal and determine at least one changing characteristic of the changing power related signal.   The operation of the user interface varies the variable duty cycle of the power related signal, and the at least one processor is configured to variably control at least one parameter of light based at least on the variable duty cycle of the power related signal. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9.   The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one LED is configured to produce essentially white light.   The operation of the user interface varies a variable duty cycle of the power related signal, wherein at least one controller is configured to variably control at least one parameter of light based at least on the duty cycle of the power related signal. The apparatus of claim 4.   14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of light intensity, light color, light color temperature, and light temporal characteristics.   15. The apparatus of claim 13 or 14, wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control at least two different parameters of light generated by the at least one LED in response to operation of the user interface. .   15. An apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control at least the intensity and color of light simultaneously in response to operation of the user interface.   The conditioning circuit includes a drive circuit, the drive circuit including at least one voltage / current converter and providing at least one drive current to the at least one LED, thereby generating generated light. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the apparatus controls at least one parameter.   At least one voltage / current converter includes an operational amplifier, which, in operation, has its non-inverting input and inverting input when the voltage applied to the at least one voltage / current converter is essentially zero. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a predetermined error voltage is applied between and at least one voltage / current converter to reduce the current output to essentially zero.   The at least one LED is adapted to produce essentially white light, and the at least one controller is configured to approximate at least one parameter of essentially white light so as to approximate the emission characteristics of an incandescent light source. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to variably control.   20. A screw power connector configured to mechanically and electrically engage a conventional incandescent light socket to couple the device to an AC dimming circuit. Equipment.   21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a housing coupled to the screw power connector and structurally resembling an incandescent light bulb that includes at least one LED and at least one controller.   20. An apparatus according to any of claims 12 or 19, wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control at least the intensity and color temperature of essentially white light simultaneously in response to user interface operation.   23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control the color temperature of essentially white light over a range from about 2000 ° K at minimum intensity to 3200 ° K at maximum intensity. .   24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one LED comprises a plurality of different color LEDs.   A plurality of differently colored LEDs adapted to output at least a first radiation having a first spectrum; at least one first LED; outputting a second radiation having a second spectrum different from the first spectrum; At least one second LED adapted to be at least one second LED, and at least one controller responsive to operation of the user interface for at least a first intensity of the first radiation and a second intensity of the second radiation. 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the apparatus is configured to control independently.   The at least one controller includes at least one processor programmed to implement a pulse width modulation (PWM) technique to control at least a first intensity of the first radiation and a second intensity of the second radiation. 26. The apparatus of claim 25.   The microprocessor further generates at least a first PWM signal to control the first intensity of the first radiation, generates a second PWM signal to control the second intensity of the second radiation; and the first and second PWM signals, respectively. 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is programmed to determine a duty cycle of the at least one based on a change in a power related signal due to operation of a user interface.   28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to monitor at least one signal representative of a change in power related signal.   28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the microprocessor is further programmed to directly sample the power related signal to measure a change in the power related signal.

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