Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B45/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
  • H05B45/40—Details of LED load circuits
  • H05B45/44—Details of LED load circuits with an active control inside an LED matrix
  • H05B45/48—Details of LED load circuits with an active control inside an LED matrix having LEDs organised in strings and incorporating parallel shunting devices
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
  • H05B47/175—Controlling the light source by remote control
  • H05B47/18—Controlling the light source by remote control via data-bus transmission
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
  • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
  • H05B47/17—Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations

Definitions

• the invention relates to the field of lighting devices and initializing addresses of lighting device units of a lighting device. More specifically, the invention relates to a lighting device comprising a group of light units, and to a method of initializing addresses of lighting device units of a lighting device.
• US 2004/0232856 Al describes a lighting system having ballasts which are connected to lamps and at least one controller for controlling the ballasts and thus the operation of the lamps.
• the ballasts are provided with codes which are individual for each of the ballasts and can be addressed externally by signaling. These codes are read during the installation of the lighting system and are entered in a controller.
• the controller assigns drive addresses for drive purposes to each of the ballasts, and the controller uses the drive addresses to control the ballasts.
• Controllers are connected by means of control signal outputs to a control signal line or bus line, to which the electronic ballasts are connected.
• a lighting device comprising:
• a primary control unit comprising a control unit interface; and a group of light units, each light unit of said group being arranged for receiving commands from the primary control unit via a light unit interface of the light unit, wherein said group of light units and said primary control unit are arranged in a power supply chain, wherein each succeeding unit comprises a power input which is connected to a switchable power output of a respective preceding unit, and
• each preceding unit is arranged to supply power at the power output only after initializing an address identification of the unit, and wherein each succeeding unit is arranged to initialize an address identification of the unit upon being supplied with power at the power input.
• said lighting device is a luminaire, a light source, or a fixture.
• said lighting device may be an arrangement of lighting device units, such as a primary control unit and at least one light unit, said arrangement having a common power supply.
• said common power supply is a power supply for all units of the lighting device.
• the lighting device may comprise said common power supply.
• said address identification may be an interface address of the light unit.
• Said address identification of a unit is used e.g. when communicating a light generation control command to a respective light unit in an addressing communication mode, after the address initialization stage.
• said address identifications are internal to the lighting device. Thus, they may not be visible outside the lighting device.
• address initialization is simplified. For example, address
• the structure of the light units may be simplified, because the chain structure insures that only one light unit is initialized at a time.
• address identifications that are unique within the lighting device may be assigned to the units in a simple manner, e.g. based on address initialization procedures known as such in the art.
• said units of the chain of units each comprise an address initializer for initializing an address identification of the unit, which initializer is connected to said interface of the respective unit and arranged to obtain an address identification of the unit.
• the address initializer is arranged to perform said initializing an address identification of the unit.
• each unit of the chain of units is arranged to supply power at the power output only after initializing an address identification of the unit.
• each unit of the chain of units is arranged to initialize an address identification of the unit upon being supplied with power at the power input.
• each unit of the chain is arranged to assign, in case said unit is the first unit in the chain, different address identifications to succeeding units and
• said initializing an address identification of a unit comprises: assigning, in case the unit is the first unit in the chain of units, an address identification;
• the unit is a succeeding unit in the chain of units, an address identification from the first unit in the chain of units.
• the address identification is received via the interface of the respective unit and via the interface of the first unit.
• said initializing an address identification of a unit comprises: assigning, in case the unit is the primary control unit, a predetermined primary control unit address identification.
• the primary control unit may always set its address to the predetermined primary control unit address identification, thereby overruling any assigned address in case the primary control unit is not the first unit in the chain of units.
• each light unit of said group of light units is arranged to notify, in case said light unit is the first unit in the chain of units, the primary control unit of completion of the address initialization of all succeeding units of the chain of units.
• said unit is arranged to report to the primary control unit that the address initialization stage is completed.
• a predetermined primary control unit address is used for said notifying.
• each unit of said chain of units other than the primary control unit i.e. each light unit and, if applicable, each secondary control unit
• each unit of said chain of units other than the primary control unit is arranged to notify, in case said unit is the first unit in the chain of units, the primary control unit of completion of the address initialization of all succeeding units of the chain of units.
• control unit interface is a bus interface
• the light unit interfaces are bus interfaces.
• the bus interfaces are serial bus interfaces.
• the light unit interfaces are connected to the control unit interface.
• the light unit interfaces are connected to the control unit interface via a lighting device bus.
• said lighting device bus may be a serial bus.
• Said individual address may be an address identification received from the first unit, or, in case of the first unit or the primary control unit, an address assigned by the unit to itself.
• each unit of the chain of units is arranged to operate, in case said unit is a succeeding unit in the chain of units, its respective control unit interface or light unit interface in a slave communication mode only, at least until completion of said initializing an address identification of the unit.
• a slave communication mode an interface does not initiate communication, but only receives and/or responds to communication requests or communicated commands.
• only the first unit operates its respective control unit interface or light unit interface in a master communication mode, at least until completion of said initializing an address identification of the unit.
• communication during address initialization is simplified.
• address initialization of a unit may take place without interference from bus operations of another unit.
• the first unit is a light unit
• the light unit may communicate an address identification to a succeeding unit, wherein the light unit interface of the first unit is operated in a master communication mode during the address initialization stage of the light device.
• said initializing an address identification of the unit comprises changing a default address identification to an individual address identification.
• each unit of the chain of units may obtain an individual address.
• said individual address may be unique within the lighting device.
• said default address identification is common to said units of the chain of units. That is, all units may have the same default address at power-up.
• configuration of the units is simplified.
• manufacture and installation of the units is simplified.
• said assigning an address identification may comprise changing a default address identification to an individual address identification.
• the primary control unit is the first unit of the chain of units and is the only unit of the chain of units which is arranged to assign different address identifications to succeeding units. Therefore, each light unit of the chain of units is a succeeding unit and is arranged to receive an address identification from the primary control unit.
• the light unit may be operated in a slave communication mode only.
• the primary control unit is arranged to obtain a lighting device control command; and each light unit of said group of light units is arranged for receiving light generation control commands via the light unit interface of the light unit, wherein the primary control unit is arranged
• the primary control unit may comprise a lighting device interface arranged for receiving said lighting device control command.
• the primary control unit may comprise a lighting device interface as well as said control unit interface.
• a communication message provided by the primary control unit may comprise the address identification specific to a respective one of the light units.
• the address identifications may be unique within an individual lighting device, i.e. amongst the light units, the primary control unit and, optionally, further control units of the lighting device.
• address identifications may be used in an addressing mode only, but not in a broadcast mode.
• a light generation control command specifies an action to be taken by the light unit(s) to which the command is directed, which action is related to an attribute of light generation, such as light on/off, light intensity, hue, etc.
• each light unit of said group of light units may comprise at least one light element and at least one light element controller connected to the at least one light element and arranged to generate light element drive signals on the basis of a light generation control command received via the light unit interface of the light unit.
• the term "light element" is understood to include a single light emitter, which is the typical situation, as well as a group of light emitters, which are driven simultaneously, i.e. by the same drive signal.
• the light element controller is arranged to calculate a drive signal for the at least one light element and to feed the drive signal to the at least one light element, and more particularly to at least one light element driver thereof.
• the primary control unit is arranged
• a specific address identification in only output in an addressing communication mode, but not in a broadcast communication mode.
• a broadcast identifier e.g. in the form specifying an address "0"
• the control unit interface and the light unit interfaces are bit serial interfaces.
• said light unit interfaces are arranged to receive light generation control commands in a broadcast communication mode and in an addressing communication mode.
• the primary control unit may comprise a translator for receiving a lighting device control command requiring light generation control of at least two light units of the lighting device, i.e. requiring control of light generation of said at least two light units of the lighting device, and for translating the lighting device control command into light generation control commands for each of said at least two light units,
• the primary control unit is arranged to selectively operate the translator on the basis of said obtained lighting device control command and to select an addressing communication mode for communicating said light generation control commands to said at least two light units.
• said lighting device control command requiring light generation control of at least two light units of the lighting device may be a lighting device control command requiring control of light generation of all light units of the lighting device, or a lighting device control command related to light generation control of only some of the light units of the lighting device.
• the light units are not required to perform complex operations of coordinated control of light units, because coordination may be performed by the primary control unit. Thus, the processing capabilities of the light units may be reduced.
• the primary control unit is arranged to communicate said at least one light generation control command to said at least one of said light unit interfaces, wherein said at least one light generation control command is executable by each respective light unit, to the light unit interface of which it is to be communicated, independently of any other light unit of the group of light units.
• said at least one light generation control command is executable by each respective light unit, to the light unit interface of which it is to be communicated, independently of any other light unit of the group of light units.
• it may be executable without requiring communication between the light units.
• any light generation control command that is communicated by the primary control unit to any light unit of the group of light units in a broadcast communication mode or an addressing communication mode is a light generation control command that is executable, by the respective at least one light unit it is directed to, independently of any other of said group of light units, and, more particularly, executable without requiring communication between light units.
• the structure of the light units and the light unit interfaces may be considerably simplified.
• said light unit interface of each of said group of light units is arranged to be operated, with the exception of an initialization of the respective light unit, in a slave communication mode only.
• the structure of the light unit interface may be considerably simplified, and the communication within the lighting device may be simplified.
• control unit interface is arranged to communicate said at least one light generation control command to at least one of said light unit interfaces of at least one respective one of said of group of light units via the control unit interface being operated in a master communication mode, and said at least one of said light unit interfaces is arranged to be operated in a slave communication mode during receiving said at least one light generation control command and during execution of said at least one light generation control command by the respective light unit.
• the light unit interface may be operated in a slave communication mode only, optionally with the exception of an initialization phase of the lighting device.
• Said initialization comprises the above described address identification initialization.
• the lighting device may optionally further comprise at least one secondary control unit, which comprises a secondary control unit interface for
• the at least one secondary control unit may be part of said power supply chain of lighting device units.
• a light system comprising a plurality of lighting devices as described above, and a system controller, which is arranged for generating lighting device control commands, and communicating said lighting device control commands to primary control units of said lighting devices via a system interface of the system controller and via lighting device interfaces of said lighting devices.
• the system interface is a bus interface
• the lighting device interfaces are bus interfaces connected to the system interface via a system bus.
• a lighting device unit for being arranged in the power supply chain of the lighting device as described above, the unit comprising:
• an interface for sending or receiving lighting device unit control commands a power input; a switchable power output;
• the lighting device unit is arranged to initialize an address
• the lighting device unit is arranged to supply power at the power output only after initializing an address identification of the unit.
• the lighting device unit may be one of the primary control unit, the secondary control unit, and the light unit as described above.
• a method of initializing addresses of lighting device units of a lighting device comprising steps of:
• steps (b) and (c) being repeated for each succeeding lighting device unit of said chain of lighting device units.
• the succeeding lighting device unit initializes a lighting device unit address identification after being powered.
• the method comprises:
• said lighting device units include the primary control unit, and the method further comprises:
• an embodiment of a lighting device 101 such as a luminaire, a light source, or a fixture, comprises a primary control unit 103.
• the lighting device may optionally comprise a secondary control unit 105.
• the lighting device comprises a group of light units 107.
• the secondary control unit 105 and the light units 107 are connected via a lighting device bus 109 to the primary control unit 103.
• the primary control unit 103 comprises a control unit interface 113 connected to the lighting device bus 109
• the secondary control unit 105 comprises a control unit interface 115 connected to the lighting device bus 109
• the light units 107 each comprise a light unit interface 117 connected to the lighting device bus 109.
• Each light unit 107 comprises multiple light elements 119 and a light element controller 121, which is connected to drivers 123 of the light elements 119.
• each light unit 107 may comprise light elements 119 of at least three different colors, such as red, green and blue, so that a light unit 107 can generate a large palette of colors.
• the light element controller 121 is connected to the light unit interface 117.
• the light element controllers 121 are used for causing the lighting device 101 to emit light of a desired character, for example as regards color and intensity.
• the light elements 119 are LEDs, but any solid state light (SSL) element is incorporated within the scope of this invention.
• the primary control unit 103 has a controller 127 that is connected to the control unit interface 113. Further, the controller 127 is connected to a lighting device interface 129, which, in the embodiment of Fig. 1, is a bus interface to be connected to a system bus 131. Via the system bus 131, the lighting device 101 may be connected to a system interface 133 of a light system.
• the secondary control unit 105 comprises a controller 137 connected to the control unit interface 115.
• the controller 137 is further connected to at least one control device 139 of the secondary control unit 105.
• the control device 139 comprises a sensor.
• the controllers 127 and 137 are arranged to communicate with each other via the lighting device bus 109.
• the lighting device 101 is advantageously modular, the light units 107 being light modules and, preferably, the control units 103 and/or 105 also being control modules. These modules are detachable. Thus, for example, a defective light unit 107 may easily be exchanged.
• each lighting device unit On power-up, an initialization is performed as follows. On power-up of each lighting device unit, the respective unit has a default address identification. For example, each light unit 107 and each control unit 103, 105 may have the same default address, and new, individual address identifications are assigned as follows.
• the unit 103 switches power on its power output 147, and initialization of the succeeding unit, which is the secondary control unit 105 in the described example, is executed as the secondary control unit 105 is powered.
• the controller 127 of the primary control unit 103 may assign an available, unique address identification to the secondary control unit 105 via the lighting device bus 109 using the default address of the unit 105.
• the new address identification is stored in the storage 149 of the control unit interface 115.
• the unit 105 has received a new address identification.
• the primary control unit 103 may be connected outside the lighting device 101.
• the primary control unit 103 may be connected to a network of lighting devices 101.

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• Circuit Arrangement For Electric Light Sources In General (AREA)

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• 2011
  • 2011-12-19 CN CN201180061844.1A patent/CN103329630B/zh active Active
  • 2011-12-19 WO PCT/IB2011/055776 patent/WO2012085816A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2011-12-19 RU RU2013134160/07A patent/RU2589724C2/ru active
  • 2011-12-19 EP EP11810669.9A patent/EP2656694B1/en active Active
  • 2011-12-19 US US13/996,635 patent/US9380677B2/en active Active
  • 2011-12-19 JP JP2013545603A patent/JP6058551B2/ja active Active

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