Battery powered lighting system

• US 10,094,525 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Kaag, Bjorn Christiaan Wouter
• Primary Examiner(s): COX, CASSANDRA F
• Application Number:
  US15/032,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20160270188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/035 the solar unit being integrated within the support for the lighting unit, e.g. within or on a pole
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/623 Portable devices, e.g. mobile telephones, cameras or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/627 Stationary installations, e.g. power plant buffering or backup power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/10 Batteries in stationary systems, e.g. emergency power source in plant
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/18 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

There is provided a battery powered lighting system having illuminating units and a battery module with rechargeable batteries for providing electrical power to the illuminating units. A temperature sensor is arranged to measure a temperature of the battery pack. A charger and discharger are arranged to (dis)charge the battery module, where discharging means powering the illumination units. A control system is arranged to adjust a lighting profile using measurements received from the temperature sensor. The adjusted lighting profile will assures that the temperature of said battery module stays within a predefined temperature range, and in particular above a predefined temperature. This will extend the life time of the batteries.

Claims

1. Battery powered lighting system comprising:

one or more illuminating units;

at least one battery module comprising one or more rechargeable batteries, for providing electrical power to said one or more illuminating units;

a first temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature of said battery module;

a second temperature sensor arranged to measure an ambient temperature;

a charger for charging said battery module;

a discharger for discharging said battery module by powering said one or more illumination units;

a control system arranged to;

receive measurement data from said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor;

receive or determine a lighting profile, said lighting profile comprising information on illumination levels during a certain time period;

adjust said lighting profile using said measurements received from said first and second temperature sensors, to render an adjusted lighting profile which assures that said temperature of said battery module stays above a predefined temperature;

control said charger and discharger using said adjusted lighting profile.

2. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 1, wherein said lighting profile comprises a first level of no illumination, a second level of maximum illumination, and a third level in between said first and second level.

3. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 1, wherein said battery powered lighting system comprises a solar power module arranged to deliver electricity to said charger of said battery module.

4. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 1, wherein said battery powered lighting system comprises a battery pack comprising a number of battery modules, arranged on top of each other.

5. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 1, wherein said battery module comprises a number of batteries arranged in parallel within a substantially cylindrical housing.

6. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 5, wherein said housing comprises an insulation layer.

7. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 5, wherein each of said modules comprises a central opening arranged to receive a rod shaped heating element.

8. Battery powered lighting system comprising:

one or more illuminating units;

at least one battery module comprising one or more rechargeable batteries, for providing electrical power to said one or more illuminating units;

a first temperature sensor arranged to measure a temperature of said battery module;

a charger for charging said battery module;

a discharger for discharging said battery module by powering said one or more illumination units;

a control system arranged to;

receive measurement data from said first temperature sensor;

receive or determine a lighting profile, said lighting profile comprising information on illumination levels during a certain time period;

adjust said lighting profile using said measurements received from said first temperature sensor, to render an adjusted lighting profile which assures that said temperature of said battery module stays above a predefined temperature;

control said charger and discharger using said adjusted lighting profile;

wherein said control system comprises;

a heat predictor arranged to determine a preferred charge-discharge profile for the battery module;

a charge-discharge control engine arranged to receive said charge-discharge profile from said heat predictor and to control said charger and discharger using said charge-discharge profile.

9. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 8, wherein said heat predictor is arranged to determine said preferred charge-discharge profile using:

a power supply map comprising an expected power supply profile for a period of time;

a power demand map comprising an expected power demand for said period of time.

10. Battery powered lighting system according to claim 8, further comprising a heating element for heating said battery module, wherein said heat predictor is arranged to determine a preferred heating profile for the battery pack, and wherein said charge-discharge control engine is arranged to receive said heating profile from said heat predictor and to control said heating element using said heating profile.

11. Method of operating a battery powered lighting system comprising at least one battery module, said method comprising:

charging said battery module using a charger;

powering one or more illumination units of said system using a discharger;

measuring a temperature of said battery module using a first temperature sensor;

measuring an ambient temperature using a second temperature sensor

receiving or determining a lighting profile, said lighting profile comprising information on illumination levels during a certain time period;

adjusting said lighting profile using measurements received from said first and second temperature sensors, to render an adjusted lighting profile which assures that said temperature of said battery module stays above a predefined temperature;

controlling said charger and discharger using said adjusted lighting profile.

12. A lighting system comprising:

one or more illuminating units;

at least one rechargeable battery module having a charger/discharger for providing electrical power to said one or more illuminating units;

a one or more temperature sensors arranged to measure at least one of a temperature of said battery module or an ambient temperature;

a control system arranged to receive measurement data from said one or more temperature sensors, receive or determine a lighting profile, said lighting profile including illumination level/power demand for at least two respective time periods;

adjust said lighting profile based said measurements received from said one or more temperature sensors and a respective time period, to render an adjusted lighting profile which assures that said temperature of said battery module stays above a predefined temperature during said respective time period;

control said charger/discharger using said adjusted lighting profile.

13. Method of operating a battery powered lighting system comprising at least one battery module, said method comprising:

charging said battery module using a charger;

powering one or more illumination units of said system using a discharger;

measuring at least one of a temperature of said battery module or an ambient temperature using one or more temperature sensors;

receiving or determining a lighting profile, said lighting profile including illumination level/power demand for at least two respective time periods;

adjusting said lighting profile using measurements received from said one or more temperature sensors and a respective time period, to render an adjusted lighting profile which assures that said temperature of said battery module stays above a predefined temperature;

controlling said charger and discharger using said adjusted lighting profile.