Shunt regulator for spectral shift controlled light source

• US 10,485,072 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2018
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify North America Corporation (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Signify North America Corporation (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Grajcar, Zdenko, Erickson, Leif
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anh Q
• Application Number:
  US16/117,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20190014636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 45/00 Other aviculture appliances, e.g. devices for determining whether a bird is about to lay
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/24 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/397 Current mirror circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/46 having LEDs disposed in parallel lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/48 having LEDs organised in strings and incorporating parallel shunting devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A light emitting diode lighting assembly that receives an electrical excitation signal that is varied from a dimming device. Driving circuitry receives the varying input and has first and second paths that each have a plurality of light emitting diodes. Each plurality of light emitting diodes has a threshold voltage with the threshold voltage of the first plurality of diodes being less than the threshold voltage of the second plurality of lighting emitting diodes. The current within the first path is controlled by a current limiting device that is controlled by a resistor that receives input from the second path to gradually turn off the first plurality of light emitting diodes as the second plurality of lighting emitting diodes increase in intensity. A shunt voltage regulator within the circuit having a threshold voltage that is above threshold voltages of components in the assembly to minimize voltage increases in the assembly.

Claims

1. A method for influencing animal behaviors, comprising:

providing a lighting assembly in an animal enclosure, the lighting assembly comprising driving circuitry, the driving circuitry adapted to receive an electrical excitation signal from a direct current (DC) input varied in intensity by a dimming device that actuates to increase or decrease a voltage of the electrical excitation signal, the driving circuitry including a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a first path in parallel relation to a second plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a second path, the first plurality of LEDs having a first threshold voltage, and the second plurality of LEDs having a second threshold voltage greater than the first threshold value, and a current limiting device within the first path;

increasing the voltage to an amount between the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage so that the first plurality of LEDs are emitting light of a first color, wherein the first color elicits a first behavior in an animal in the animal enclosure;

increasing the voltage to an amount above the second threshold voltage so that the second plurality of LEDs are emitting light of a second color, wherein the second color elicits a second behavior in the animal;

wherein, at the second voltage, the current limiting devices limits the current to the first plurality of LEDs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current limiting device is a transistor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of LEDs have a first color characteristic and the second plurality of LEDs have a second color characteristic.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first color characteristic is chosen from the group consisting of white light, red light, blue light, and green light and the second color characteristic is selected from the group consisting of white light, red light, blue light, and green light;

and wherein the first color characteristic is not the same as the second color characteristic.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first color characteristic is white, and the second color characteristic is blue.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a third plurality of LEDs in a third path in parallel to the first plurality of LEDs and having a third threshold voltage that is greater than the first threshold voltage.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second and third threshold voltages are equal.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first, second and third pluralities of LEDs each have separate color characteristics.

9. A method for influencing animal behaviors, comprising:

providing a lighting assembly in an animal enclosure, the lighting assembly comprising driving circuitry, the driving circuitry adapted to receive an electrical excitation signal from a direct current (DC) input varied in intensity by a dimming device that actuates to increase or decrease a voltage of the electrical excitation signal, the driving circuitry including a first plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a first path in parallel relation to a second plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) in a second path, the first plurality of LEDs having a first threshold voltage, and the second plurality of LEDs having a second threshold voltage less than the first threshold value, and a current limiting device within the second path;

providing the voltage at an amount greater than the first threshold voltage, wherein only the first plurality of LED'"'"'s are emitting light and wherein the firsts color characteristic elicits a first behavior in an animal in the animal enclosure;

decreasing the voltage to an amount between the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage so that the second plurality of LEDs are emitting light of a second color, wherein the second color elicits a second behavior in the animal;

wherein, at the first voltage, the current limiting devices limits the current to the first plurality of LEDs.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the current limiting device is a transistor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of LEDs have a first color characteristic and the second plurality of LEDs have a second color characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first color characteristic is chosen from the group consisting of white light, red light, blue light, and green light and the second color characteristic is selected from the group consisting of white light, red light, blue light, and green light;

and wherein the first color characteristic is not the same as the second color characteristic.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first color characteristic is white, and the second color characteristic is blue.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising a third plurality of LEDs in a third path in parallel to the first plurality of LEDs and having a third threshold voltage that is less than the first threshold voltage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second and third threshold voltages are equal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first, second and third pluralities of LEDs each have separate color characteristics.