Low-voltage controller with dimming function and method

• US 10,165,660 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2018
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Curbell Medical Products, Inc. (Curbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Curbell Medical Products, Inc. (Curbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilkolaski, Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thuy Vinh
• Application Number:
  US15/997,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20180288861A1
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• Field of Search: 315157, 315293, 315307, 5905
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A low-voltage controller (LVC) is configured to utilize a low-voltage signal to operate a high-voltage load, such as, for example, a lamp. The LVC is configured to receive a low-voltage step signal at a switch input. The LVC has a line input for connection to a source of power at a line voltage and a load output for connection to a load, and a dimmer for setting an intensity of the load. Subsequent step signals alter the intensity of the load. A method for low-voltage control of a lamp is provided. A method includes the steps of receiving a first switch signal at a switch input of an LVC; setting the lamp to a first intensity; receiving a second switch signal at the switch input; and setting the lamp to a second intensity.

Claims

1. A method for low-voltage control of a lamp, comprising the steps of:

receiving a first switch signal at a switch input of a low-voltage controller (LVC), wherein the first switch signal is a low voltage step signal;

setting the lamp to a first intensity;

receiving a second switch signal at the switch input of the LVC, wherein the second switch signal is a low voltage step signal;

setting the lamp to a second intensity;

receiving a third switch signal at the switch input of the LVC, wherein the third switch signal is a low voltage step signal; and

setting the lamp to off.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a first switch signal at the switch input comprises the sub-steps of:

incrementing a switch counter if the switch counter is not at a maximum value;

resetting the switch counter if the switch counter is at the maximum value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of setting the lamp to the first intensity comprises the sub-step of energizing a relay with a pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting the lamp to a first intensity comprises the sub-step of sending a first control signal to the lamp.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first control signal is formatted according to a protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the protocol is 0-10V, ACN, ASCII, BACnet, DALI, DMX512, EnOcean, Konnex, LonWorks, MIDI, Modbus, RDM, SMPTE®

, TCP/IP, an XML, Zigbee®

, or Z-Wave®

.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the protocol is a wireless protocol.