Error Detector in an Operating Device for Lighting Devices

• US 20100096994A1
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tridonicatco GmbH & Co. KG. (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tridonic ATCO GmbH
• Inventors: Marent, Guenter, Zudrell-Koch, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 8,664,896 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/119
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/28 using static converters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2828 using control circuits for the switching elements H05B41/2827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A control circuit for an operating device for lighting devices, wherein a return signal is supplied to an input of the control circuit by the lighting device, and the control circuit has an error detection block that recognizes at least two different types of lighting device errors by means of the return signal applied at said input.

Claims

1. Control circuit for an operating device for lighting means,

wherein a feedback signal from the lighting means is supplied to an input of a control circuit and the control circuit comprises an error recognition block that recognizes at least two different types of lighting means errors using the feedback signal applied at the input.

2. Control circuit as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the error recognition block evaluates the feedback signal using at least two different criteria.

3. Control circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein

the feedback signal is supplied to a comparator in the control circuit in order for it to be compared with a reference value, and

the error recognition block evaluates the duty cycle of the comparator using at least two different criteria.

4. Control circuit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the criteria are at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of:

a duration of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value, and

an amount of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value.

5. Control circuit as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the criterion “

duration of the deviation”

is implemented in the error recognition block by low-pass filtering or integration of a signal reproducing the duty cycle.

6. Control circuit as claimed in claim 4,

wherein the criterion “

amount of the deviation”

is implemented in the error recognition block by a signal reproducing the duty cycle, by a threshold value comparison.

7. Control circuit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the error recognition block uses the two following criteria:

a small deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value over a relatively long period of time, and

a comparatively large deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value in a comparatively short period of time.

8. Control circuit as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the feedback signal is the lamp voltage or a parameter dependent on the lamp voltage.

9. Control circuit as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the lighting means is a discharge lamp.

10. Control circuit as claimed in claim 1,

which controls, by an output signal, an inverter to which a load circuit containing the lamp is connected.

11. Control circuit as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the control circuit is designed to output a signal which switches off the inverter if at least one type of error is recognized.

12. Operating device for lighting means comprising a control circuit as claimed in claim 1.

13. Light, comprising a lighting means and an operating device as claimed in claim 12.

25. Control circuit as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the criteria are at least one of the group consisting of:

a duration of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50%, and an amount of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50%.

26. Control circuit as claimed in claim 3, wherein the error recognition block uses the two following criteria:

a small deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50% over a relatively long period of time, and a comparatively large deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50% in a comparatively short period of time.

27. Operating device for an electronic ballast for gas-discharge lamps comprising a control circuit as claimed in claim 1.

14. Method for recognizing types of error in a control circuit for an operating device for lighting means,

comprising recognizing at least two different types of lighting means errors using a parameter of the lighting means detected by a feedback signal from the lighting means, comprising recognizing the different error types by evaluating the feedback signal using at least two different criteria.

15. Method as claimed in claim 14, comprising

supplying the feedback signal to a comparator in the control circuit for the feedback signal to be compared to a reference value, and

the error recognition block evaluating the duty cycle of the comparator using the at least two different criteria.

16. Method as claimed in claim 15,

wherein the criteria are at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of:

a duration of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value, and

an amount of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value.

17. Method as claimed in claim 15,

comprising implementing the criterion “

duration of the deviation”

in the error recognition block by low-pass filtering or integration of a signal reproducing the duty cycle.

18. Method as claimed in claim 15,

comprising implementing the criterion “

amount of the deviation”

in the error recognition block by the signal reproducing the duty cycle by a threshold value comparison.

19. Method as claimed in claim 15,

comprising using the two following criteria:

a small deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value over a relatively long period of time, and

a comparatively large deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value in a comparatively short period of time.

20. Method as claimed in claim 15,

wherein the feedback signal is the lamp voltage or a parameter dependent on the lamp voltage.

21. Method as claimed in claim 15,

comprising controlling, by an output signal, an inverter to which a load circuit containing the lamp is connected.

22. Method as claimed in claim 21,

comprising switching off the inverter if at least one type of error is recognized.

23. Computer software program product,

which implements a method as claimed in claim 15 when the computer software program product is running in a computing device.

24. Integrated circuit or microcontroller or a hybrid version thereof designed to implement a method as claimed in claim 15.

28. Method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the criteria are at least one criterion selected from the group consisting of:

a duration of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50%, and an amount of the deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50%.

29. Method as claimed in claim 15, comprising using the two following criteria:

a small deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50% over a relatively long period of time, and a comparatively large deviation of the duty cycle from a desired value of 50% in a comparatively short period of time.

30. An ASIC integrated circuit designed to implement a method as claimed in claim 15.