Lighting system

• US 10,076,009 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Creusen, Martinus Petrus, Verhoeven, Mark Johannes Antonius, Den Boer, Reinier Imre Anton, Beij, Marcel
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anh
• Application Number:
  US15/567,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 886 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting system (1) comprising a lighting device (6) having a first USB-PD connector and a power providing unit, which is preferentially a component of a power providing device (4) and which is operable in different operational modes. A second USB-PD connector is electrically connected with the power providing unit and adapted to be connected with the first USB-PD connector for generating a USB-PD connection (5) via which power and optionally also data are receivable by the lighting device. A connection feature value being indicative of a feature of the connection is determined and the operational mode of the power providing unit is controlled depending on the determined connection feature value. This allows for a reaction on the current connection situation. For instance, if the connection feature value indicates a relatively low thermal coupling, the power providing unit may provide less power.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a power providing unit for providing power to a lighting device, wherein the power providing unit is operable in different operational modes,

the lighting device, wherein the lighting device has a first USB-PD connector,

a second USB-PD connector electrically connected with the power providing unit and being adapted to be connected with the first USB-PD connector for generating a connection via which the provided power is receivable by the lighting device,

a connection feature determination unit for determining a connection feature value being indicative of a feature of the connection formed by the first USB-PD connector and the second USB-PD connector, wherein the connection feature value indicates the quality of a thermal coupling of the connection, and

a controlling system for controlling the lighting system, wherein the controlling system is adapted to control, in which operational mode the power providing unit is operated, depending on the determined connection feature value.

2. The lighting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the power providing unit is adapted to provide in a first operational mode a first power and in a second operational mode a second power, wherein the first power is lower than the second power.

3. The lighting system as defined in claim 2, wherein the controlling system is adapted to control the lighting system such that a) the connection feature determination unit determines the connection feature value while the power providing unit is in the first operational mode and b) the power providing unit changes from the first operational mode to the second operational mode depending on the determined connection feature value.

4. The lighting system as defined in claim 2, wherein the power providing unit is adapted to provide the power by using pulse-width modulation having a duty cycle, wherein the power providing unit is adapted to be operable in a third operational mode, in which the power providing unit provides the second power with a duty cycle being smaller than the duty cycle used in the second operational mode, wherein the controlling system is adapted to control the lighting system such that a) the connection feature determination unit determines the connection feature value while the power providing unit is in the first operational mode and b) the power providing unit changes from the first operational mode to the third operational mode depending on the determined connection feature value.

5. The lighting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the connection feature determination unit is adapted to determine a temperature value being indicative of the temperature of the lighting device and/or of the first USB-PD connector and/or of the second USB-PD connector and/or of the power providing unit as the connection feature value.

6. The lighting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the lighting system further comprises an output unit for outputting a signal depending on the connection feature value.

7. The lighting system as defined in claim 6, wherein the output unit and the lighting device are integrated such that the signal is output as an optical signal via the lighting device.

8. The lighting system as defined in claim 6, wherein the power providing unit is adapted to provide in a first operational mode a first power and in a second operational mode a second power, wherein the first power is lower than the second power, wherein the controlling system is adapted to control the output unit such that the signal is output depending on the connection feature value while the power providing unit is operated in the first operational mode.

9. The lighting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the connection feature determination unit is adapted to determine whether the connection comprises miswiring and to provide the connection feature value such that it is indicative of whether miswiring has been determined.

10. The lighting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second USB-PD connectors are adapted such that they are connectable to each other by plugging the first and second USB-PD connectors into each other, by rotating the first and second USB-PD connectors relatively to each other to a relative rotational position and by mechanically fixing the first and second USB-PD connectors relative to each other at the relative rotational position.

11. The lighting system as defined in claim 10, wherein the first USB-PD connectors and/or the second USB-PD connector comprises extendable electrical coupling elements, in order to provide the mechanical fixing by extending the electrical coupling elements.

12. A power providing device for being used within the lighting system as defined in claim 1, wherein the power providing device comprises:

a power providing unit for providing power to a lighting device of the lighting system, wherein the power providing unit is operable in different operational modes,

a second USB-PD connector electrically connected with the power providing unit and being adapted to be connected with a first USB-PD connector of the lighting device for generating a connection via which the provided power is receivable by the lighting device, wherein the connection feature value indicates the quality of a thermal coupling of the connection formed by the first USB-PD connector and the second USB-PD connector,

a controller for controlling, in which operational mode the power providing unit is operated, depending on a connection feature value determined by a connection feature determination unit of the lighting system.

13. A control method for controlling a lighting system as defined in claim 1, the controlling method comprising:

determining a connection feature value being indicative of a feature of a connection, which is formed by a first USB-PD connector of a lighting device and a second USB-PD connector electrically connected with a power providing unit and via which provided power is receivable by the lighting device, wherein the connection feature value indicates the quality of a thermal coupling of the connection, and

controlling, in which operational mode the power providing unit is operated, depending on the determined connection feature value.

14. A computer program for controlling a lighting system as defined in claim 1, the computer program comprising program code means for causing the controlling system of the lighting system to carry out the steps of a control method when the computer program is run on the controlling system.