Power handling system and method

• US 10,104,745 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Csibi, Lajos, Balazs, Jeno, Boros, Richard, Daranyi, Tamas, Pap, Gabor
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ly, Xuan
• Application Number:
  US15/073,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20170273158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 307 20
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/18 The network being internal to a power source or plant
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A power handling system of a digitally addressable lighting interface (DALI) system controls switches connected with a bus of the DALI system that powers lower power light sources. A power supply circuit receives energy conducted on the bus to the lower power light sources and conducts at least part of the energy to a capacitor. Electric energy is stored in the capacitor until the capacitor stores at least a designated threshold of input voltage of a controller. The capacitor powers the controller to close one or more switches using at least some of the stored electric energy.

Claims

1. A switching assembly comprising:

a controller configured to control one or more switches connected with a control bus of a digitally addressable lighting interface (DALI) system that supplies an electric current to one or more lower power light sources, the controller configured to close the one or more switches to activate or deactivate one or more higher power devices; and

a power supply circuit operably coupled with the controller and the bus of the DALI system, the power supply circuit including a power supply capacitor and configured to receive at least part of the current conducted on the bus to the one or more lower power light sources and to conduct the at least part of the current to the power supply capacitor, the power supply circuit configured to store electric energy of the at least part of the current in the power supply capacitor until the power supply capacitor stores at least a designated upper threshold of input voltage of the controller,

wherein the power supply capacitor is configured to discharge at least some of the electric energy that is stored in the power supply capacitor into the controller to power the controller to change a state of the one or more switches using at least some of the electric energy stored in the power supply capacitor responsive to the power supply capacitor storing at least the designated upper threshold of the input voltage of the controller.

2. The switching assembly of claim 1, wherein the power supply capacitor of the power supply circuit is charged with the same current as is conducted on the bus to the one or more lower power light source drivers.

3. The switching assembly of claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit includes a first voltage comparator, a first semiconductor switch, and a storage capacitor operably coupled with the power supply capacitor, the first voltage comparator configured to conduct a logic signal that closes the first semiconductor switch to conduct the current to the storage capacitor for storage as electric energy in the storage capacitor.

4. The switching assembly of claim 3, wherein the power supply circuit includes a second semiconductor switch configured to close and conduct the current to the storage capacitor instead of conducting the current to the power supply capacitor responsive to the first voltage comparator conducting the logic signal and the first semiconductor switch closing.

5. The switching assembly of claim 3, wherein, responsive to the voltage on the power supply capacitor decreasing below a designated lower threshold, the first voltage comparator one or more of stops generating the logic signal or changes the logic signal to open the second semiconductor switch to direct the current back to the power supply capacitor instead of the storage capacitor.

6. The switching assembly of claim 1, further comprising a receiver and transmitter circuit operably coupled with the controller and the bus, the receiver and transmitter circuit configured to communicate a control signal received via the bus to the controller to control the one or more switches.

7. The switching assembly of claim 6, wherein the power supply circuit includes a first semiconductor switch and a bipolar transistor operably coupled with the power supply capacitor, wherein, responsive to the voltage presented on the bus increasing above a designated upper threshold, the power supply circuit is configured to conduct the current to the bipolar transistor that cuts off conduction of the current to the first semiconductor switch to open the first semiconductor switch and prevent the current from being conducted to the internal controller, receiver and transmitter circuitry.

8. The switching assembly of claim 7, wherein the power supply circuit includes a storage capacitor configured to store electric energy of the current, wherein, responsive to the current decreasing to no more than the designated upper threshold, the power supply circuit is configured to conduct the current to close the first semiconductor switch to conduct the current to the storage capacitor for storage as the electric energy in the storage capacitor.

9. The switching assembly of claim 1, wherein, responsive to the controller receiving a control signal via the bus, the controller is configured to examine the electric energy that is stored in the power supply capacitor and generate a switch signal that one or more of opens or closes the one or more switches.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a current conducted along a bus of a digitally addressable lighting interface (DALI) system that supplies the current to one or more lower power light sources drivers, the current received by a power supply circuit;

conducting at least part of the current conducted on the bus to a power supply capacitor of the power supply circuit;

storing electric energy of the at least part of the current in the power supply capacitor until the power supply capacitor stores at least a designated upper threshold of input voltage of the controller; and

responsive to the power supply capacitor storing at least the designated upper threshold of the input voltage of the controller, discharging at least some of the electric energy that is stored in the power supply capacitor into a controller to power the controller and cause the controller to change a state of one or more switches connected with one or more higher power devices to activate the higher power devices with the current conducted on the bus.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the electric energy includes charging the power supply capacitor with the same current as is conducted on the bus to the one or more lower power light source drivers.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising conducting a logic signal from a first voltage comparator of the power supply circuit to a first semiconductor switch of the power supply circuit to close the first semiconductor switch and conduct the current to a storage capacitor of the power supply circuit for storage as electric energy in the storage capacitor.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising closing a second semiconductor switch of the power supply circuit to conduct the current to the storage capacitor instead of conducting the current to the power supply capacitor responsive to the first voltage comparator conducting the logic signal and the first semiconductor switch closing.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising, responsive to the current conducted on the bus decreasing below a designated lower threshold, one or more of stopping generation of the logic signal or changing the logic signal by the first voltage comparator to open the second semiconductor switch and direct the current back to the power supply capacitor instead of the storage capacitor.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating a control signal received at a receiver and transmitter circuit operably coupled with the controller and the bus to the controller to control the one or more switches.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, responsive to the voltage presented on the bus increasing above a designated upper threshold, conducting the current to a bipolar transistor of the power supply circuit to cut off conduction of the current to a first semiconductor switch of the power supply circuit to open the first semiconductor switch and prevent the current from being conducted to the internal controller, receiver and transmitter circuitry.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, responsive to the current decreasing to no more than the designated upper threshold, conducting the current to close the first semiconductor switch of the power supply circuit to conduct the current to a storage capacitor of the power supply circuit for storage as the electric energy in the storage capacitor.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising, responsive to the controller receiving a control signal via the bus, examining the electric energy that is stored in the power supply capacitor with the controller and generating a switch signal with the controller that one or more of opens or closes the one or more switches.

19. A digitally addressable lighting interface (DALI) power handling system comprising:

a rectifier configured to be operably coupled with a bus of a DALI lighting system that supplies an electric current to one or more light source drivers;

a receiver and transmitter circuit configured to be operably coupled with the rectifier to receive a control signal conducted along the bus of the DALI lighting system;

a controller configured to be operably coupled with the receiver and transmitter circuit, the controller configured to control one or more switches to conduct at least some of the current conducted on the bus to one or more devices that operate on greater loads than the one or more light source drivers; and

a power supply circuit configured to be operably coupled with the controller and the rectifier, the power supply circuit configured to receive at least part of the current conducted on the bus and to store electric energy based on the at least part of the current that is received by the power supply circuit,

wherein the power supply circuit is configured to discharge at least some of the electric energy that is stored in the power supply circuit into the controller to power the controller to change a state of the one or more switches.

20. The DALI power handling system of claim 19, wherein the power supply circuit is charged with the same current as is conducted on the bus to the one or more light source drivers.