EQUIPMENT AND METHODS FOR EMERGENCY LIGHTING THAT PROVIDES BROWNOUT DETECTION AND PROTECTION

• US 20090195161A1
• Filed: 01/21/2009
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acuity Brands, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Acuity Brands, Inc.
• Inventors: Lane, John Evan, Zulim, Don
• Granted Patent: US 7,863,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/86
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/065 for lighting purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/28 using static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems, equipment and methods that provide emergency lighting and allow the detection of brownout conditions. One aspect of the present invention is an emergency lighting system with an input voltage interface for receiving an input voltage, a brownout detection component for detecting a brownout condition on the input voltage and generating a brownout signal, a switch mode power converter for altering the input voltage; and an emergency lighting control and battery charging component for controlling the charging of a battery pack and receiving the brownout signal. Another aspect of the invention is a method of providing emergency lighting performed by receiving an input voltage; automatically establishing a brownout threshold relative to the input voltage; and detecting a brownout condition.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. An emergency lighting unit comprising:

a converter capable of receiving a wide range of input voltages the wide range of input voltages comprising at least three different input voltages; and

a brownout detection component capable of detecting a brownout condition by comparing the input voltage with a brownout threshold value determined using a sample actual voltage level of the input voltage.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the converter is a switch mode power converter.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the converter operates over a range between 85 and 305 VAC.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the converter does not have voltage specific taps.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the converter accepts one or more odd voltage and frequency inputs.

27. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least three different input voltages comprise:

an input voltage of approximately 120VAC;

an input voltage of approximately 220VAC; and

an input voltage of approximately 277VAC.

19. An emergency lighting unit comprising:

a converter receiving an input voltage and capable of receiving a wide range of input voltages; and

a brownout detection component determining a brownout threshold value using a sample actual voltage level of the input voltage and detecting a brownout by comparing the input voltage with the brownout threshold value.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the brownout detection component determines different brownout threshold values for different input voltages.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the detection component determines a different brownout threshold value for each of:

an input voltage of approximately 120VAC;

an input voltage of approximately 220VAC; and

an input voltage of approximately 277VAC.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the converter is a switch mode power converter.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein the converter operates over an input voltage range between 85 and 305 VAC to determine the brownout threshold value based on the input voltage.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the converter does not have voltage specific taps.

26. The system of claim 19 wherein the converter accepts one or more odd voltage and frequency inputs.

20. (canceled)