Anti-cycling control system for luminaires

• US 20050035720A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frederick H. Blake
• Original Assignee: Frederick H. Blake
• Inventors: Blake, Frederick H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,323,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/244
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2925 against abnormal lamp operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2928 for protecting the lamp against abnormal operating conditions

Abstract

An anti-cycling luminaire control system may detect repeated lamp-off conditions and interrupt power to the lamp and provide an indication of lamp cycling after a predetermined number of lamp-off conditions has been detected. The control system also provides a cool-off period after a lamp-off cycling event is detected during which time restarting of the lamp is inhibited. If the lamp does not restart after multiple restart attempts and cool-off periods, the system determines that a fault condition exists, and may provide a fault alert. The system may provide for shut-off or dimming of the lamp during the night after a portion of the night has passed. This delayed turn-off may be varied according to the length of the night. Starting and dimming the lamp at a zero voltage crossing of the line current can reduce stress on luminaire and control system components and reduce maintenance.

Claims

1. A method of controlling operation of a luminaire that includes a high pressure sodium lamp comprising:

monitoring the on-off condition of the lamp;

upon detection of a lamp off condition, performing a delayed lamp restart procedure by interrupting power to the lamp during a cool-down period, restoring power to the lamp after the cool-down period and checking the on-off condition of the lamp to determine whether the lamp has restarted; and

disabling the lamp if the lamp fails to restart after the performing of the delayed lamp restart procedure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the delayed lamp restart procedure is repeated a predetermined number of times prior to the lamp being disabled for failure to restart.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the off condition of the lamp is determined based on the current flowing to the lamp.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of detecting a night condition, monitoring the occurrence of a lamp off condition during the night condition and interrupting power to the lamp when the occurrences of the lamp off conditions exceeds a predefined parameter.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the power to the luminaire is supplied in the form of an alternating current and further comprising the steps of sensing a zero voltage crossing of the alternating current and applying power to the lamp in response to the sensing of the zero voltage crossing.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the power to the luminaire is supplied in the form of an alternating current and further comprising the steps of sensing a zero voltage crossing of the alternating current and applying power to the lamp in response to the sensing of the zero voltage crossing.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of detecting the start of a night condition and interrupting power to the lamp prior to the end of the night condition.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of determining a value representative of the length of a prior night condition, calculating a lamp turn-off value representative of a portion of said value, the timing of the interrupting of power to the lamp being responsive to the calculated lamp turn-off value.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of detecting the start of a night condition and reducing power to the lamp prior to the end of the night condition.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of determining a value representative of the length of a prior night condition, calculating a lamp dimming value representative of a portion of said value, and dimming the lamp in response to the lamp dimming value.

11. A luminaire control system for use with a luminaire having an alternating line current power source comprising:

a photosensor system for detecting and outputting signal representative of day and night conditions;

a lamp sensor system for detecting and outputting signals representative of lamp on and off conditions;

a power control system for providing and interrupting power to a lamp in response to power control signals;

a microcontroller system for receiving the signals from the photosensor system and the a lamp sensor and for outputting power control signals to the power control systems, the microcontroller being programmed to respond to signals from the lamp sensor system indicating a lamp off condition and, in response thereto, to interrupt power to the lamp, and to apply power to restart the lamp only after the expiration of a predefined period of time.

12. The luminaire control system of claim 11 wherein the microcontroller system is further programmed to respond to the photosensor system night condition signal to identify a night condition, and, during the night condition, to respond to the lamp off condition signals from the lamp sensor system to generate a value representative of the number of lamp out conditions during the night condition, and to operate the power control system to interrupt power to the lamp when the value exceeds a predetermined level.

13. The luminaire control system of claim 11 further comprising a signal generation system for providing a signal representative of the alternating line current frequency and wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to operate the power control system to provide power to a lamp only at a zero voltage crossing of the line current.

14. The luminaire control system of claim 11 further comprising a signal generation system for providing a signal representative of the alternating line current frequency and a lamp dimming system, wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to operate the power control system to operate the dimming system to change between dim and bright states of the lamp only at a zero voltage crossing of the line current.

15. The luminaire control system of claim 12 wherein the microcontroller is programmed to generate a value representative of the length of a first night condition in response to signals from the photosensor system, to generate a value representative of a portion of the night condition and to operate the power control system to interrupt power to the power control system after the elapsing of that portion of a subsequent night condition.

16. The luminaire control system of claim 15 further comprising a signal generation system for providing a signal representative of the alternating line current frequency and wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to operate the power control system to provide power to a lamp only at a zero voltage crossing of the line current.

17. The luminaire control system of claim 16 wherein the microcontroller system is further programmed such that, after operating the power control system to apply power to restart the lamp a first time, it checks the lamp sensor signal and repeats the procedure of checking the lamp sensor signal, and, if a lamp off signal is sensed, operating the power control system to apply power to the lamp after the expiration of a predefined period of time for up to a predefined number of repetitions of the procedure.

18. The luminaire control system of claim 17 further comprising a photosensor mounted to receive light through a lens wherein the lens is tinted.