POWERLINE COMMUNICATION CONTROL OF LIGHT EMITTING DIODE (LED) LIGHTING FIXTURES

• US 20120133298A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumenpulse Group Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lumenpulse Lighting Inc (Lumenpulse Inc.)
• Inventors: Campbell, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 8,410,630 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 3/54 flexible
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

A powerline communication control system for controlling a lighting unit, such as an LED lighting unit, including a master controller for receiving lighting unit control inputs from a lighting controller and generating corresponding lighting unit command outputs in a lighting system command format and transmission mode and superimposing the lighting unit command outputs onto the power distribution system and at least one lighting slave unit for receiving the lighting command signal, separating the lighting command signal from the power signal and for providing lighting unit control commands to the at least one lighting unit to control illumination thereof.

Claims

1. A powerline communication control system for controlling a lighting fixture, comprising:

a master controller, comprising;

a configurable interface suitable for interconnecting to at least one of a plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers;

a lighting control processor in communication with the configurable interface, the lighting control processor adapted to generate a lighting unit command output in a lighting unit system command format in response to an indication of a user-adjusted setting of an interconnected one of the plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers received from the configurable interface; and

a power distribution system interface in communication with the lighting control and adapted for interconnection to a power distribution system, the power distribution system interface adapted to superimpose the lighting unit system command output onto the power distribution system when connected thereto; and

at least one lighting fixture controller, comprising;

a command receiving interface adapted for interconnection to the power distribution system, the command receiving interface further adapted to separate the lighting unit system command output from the power distribution system when connected thereto;

a slave control processor in communication with the command receiving interface and adapted to convert the received lighting unit system command output into a corresponding lighting unit control command; and

a lighting unit interface for providing the lighting unit control command to at least one lighting unit to control the at least one lighting unit in response to the user-adjusted setting of the interconnected one of the conventional dimmers.

2. The powerline communication control system of claim 1, wherein each dimmer controller of the plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers is selected from the group consisting of:

digital multiplex (DMX) dimmer controllers;

0-10 volt dimmer controllers;

TRIAC dimmer controllers;

electronic low voltage (ELV) dimmer controllers; and

current loop controllers, such as 4-20 mA control loop controllers.

3. The powerline communication control system of claim 1, wherein the power distribution system is selected from the group consisting of:

an AC line;

a 117 volt AC line;

a 230 volt AC line;

a 100 volt AC line;

a 277 volt AC line;

a 347 volt AC line;

a DC line;

a 380 volt DC line;

a 48 volt DC line;

a 24 volt DC line;

a 12 volt DC line; and

combinations thereof.

4. The powerline communication control system of claim 1, wherein the power distribution system interface comprises a modulator adapted to superimpose the lighting unit system command output an AC power signal of the power distribution system.

5. The powerline communication control system of claim 4, wherein the modulator modulates the AC power signal according to a modulation selected from the group consisting of:

amplitude modulation;

frequency modulation;

phase modulation;

binary phase shift keying modulation;

quadrature phase shift keying modulation;

quadrature amplitude modulation;

frequency shift keying modulation;

phase shift keying modulation; and

combinations thereof.

6. The powerline communication control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting unit comprises at least one lighting element and a lighting element driver.

7. The powerline communication control system of claim 6, wherein the at least one lamp is a light emitting diode (LED).

8. A powerline communication master controller, comprising:

a configurable interface suitable for interconnecting to one of a plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers;

a lighting control processor in communication with the configurable interface, the lighting control processor adapted to generate a lighting unit command output in a lighting unit system command format in response to an indication of a user-adjusted setting of an interconnected one of the plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers received from the configurable interface; and

a power distribution system interface in communication with the lighting control and adapted for interconnection to a power distribution system, the power distribution system interface adapted to superimpose the lighting unit system command output onto the power distribution system when connected thereto.

9. The powerline communication master controller of claim 8, wherein each dimmer controller of the plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers is selected from the group consisting of:

digital multiplex (DMX) dimmer controllers;

0-10 volt dimmer controllers;

TRIAC dimmer controllers;

electronic low voltage (ELV) dimmer controllers; and

current loop controllers, such as 4-20 mA control loop controllers.

10. The powerline communication master controller of claim 8, further comprising at least one power converter configured to derive from electrical power obtained from the power distribution system, electrical power suitable for operating one or more of the configurable interface, the lighting control processor and the power distribution system interface.

11. The powerline communication master controller of claim 8, wherein the configurable interface comprises a plurality of different interfaces, each interface of the plurality of different interfaces suitable for interconnecting to a respective one of the plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers.

12. The powerline communication master controller of claim 8, wherein the configurable interface comprises a plurality of different interfaces, each interface of the plurality of different interfaces suitable for interconnecting to a respective one of the plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers.

13. The powerline communication master controller of claim 12, further comprising a selectable internal interface adapted to couple a selected one of the plurality of different interfaces to the lighting control processor.

14. The powerline communication master controller of claim 13, wherein the selectable internal interface comprises at least one switch settable during configuration of the powerline communication master controller.

15. The powerline communication master controller of claim 8, wherein the lighting unit system command format comprises a messaging protocol having provisions for an address, a command and a value.

16. The powerline communication master controller of claim 8, wherein the power distribution system interface comprises a modulator adapted to superimpose the lighting unit system command output an AC power signal of the power distribution system.

17. The powerline communication master controller of claim 16, wherein the modulator modulates the AC power signal according to a modulation selected from the group consisting of:

amplitude modulation;

frequency modulation;

phase modulation;

binary phase shift keying modulation;

quadrature phase shift keying modulation;

quadrature amplitude modulation;

frequency shift keying modulation;

phase shift keying modulation; and

combinations thereof.

18. The powerline communication master controller of claim 8, further comprising a common housing for the configurable interface, the lighting control processor, and the power distribution system interface.

19. The powerline communication master controller of claim 18, wherein the common housing is sized for installation within a conventional multi-gang electrical box.

20. A method for controlling a lighting fixture, comprising:

determining a user-adjusted setting of one of a plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers;

generating a lighting unit command output in a lighting unit system command format in response to the determined user-adjusted setting of the conventional dimmer controllers;

distributing through a power distribution system the lighting unit command output to at least one lighting fixture;

converting at the at least one lighting fixture the lighting unit command output into a corresponding lighting unit control command; and

controlling at least one lighting unit in response to the user-adjusted setting of the interconnected one of the conventional dimmers.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein distributing through a power distribution system the lighting unit command output to at least one lighting fixture, comprises:

superimposing the lighting unit system command output onto a power distribution system;

receiving from the power distribution system distributed power with the superimposed lighting unit system command output; and

separating the lighting unit system command from the distributed power.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein determining a user-adjusted setting of one of a plurality of different conventional dimmer controllers, comprises detecting an electrical response of the conventional dimmer controller, the electrical response variable according to the user-adjusted setting.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

isolating the conventional dimmer controller from a power distribution system; and

electrically stimulating the conventional dimmer controller, thereby inducing the electrical response.

24. A powerline communication control system for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) lighting unit, the powerline communication control system comprising:

a master controller including;

a lighting control command processor for receiving a lighting unit control input from at least one lighting controller and for generating corresponding lighting unit command outputs in a lighting system command format; and

a power distribution system interface connected to a power distribution system for superimposing the lighting unit command outputs onto the power distribution system and a power signal present thereon as a lighting command signal according to a lighting unit command transmission mode, and

at least one lighting slave unit including;

at least one LED lighting unit,

a command receiving interface connected to the power distribution system for receiving the lighting command signal, separating the lighting command signal from the power signal, and generating corresponding slave control commands,

a slave control processor for converting the received slave control commands into lighting unit control commands, and

a lighting unit interface for providing the lighting unit control commands to the at least one lighting unit to control the at least one lighting unit.

25. The powerline communication control system for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) lighting unit according to claim 24, wherein each master controller includes:

for each lighting controller, a corresponding lighting control conversion circuit for converting control inputs from a corresponding lighting controller into corresponding command inputs to the microprocessor.

26. The powerline communication control system for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) lighting unit according to claim 24, wherein the master controller includes:

a lighting controller, and

a lighting control conversion circuit for converting control inputs from the lighting controller into the command inputs to the microprocessor.

27. The powerline communication control system for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) lighting unit according to claim 24, wherein the power distribution system is selected from the group consisting of an AC line;

a 117 volt AC line;

a 230 volt AC line;

a 100 volt AC line;

a 277 volt AC line;

a 347 volt AC line;

a DC line;

a 380 volt DC line;

a 48 volt DC line;

a 24 volt DC line;

a 12 volt DC line; and

combinations thereof.

28. The powerline communication control system for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) lighting unit according to claim 24, wherein at least one dimmer controller is coupled to the exemplary master controller for supplying at least one dimmer control input thereto.

29. The powerline communication control system for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) lighting unit according to claim 28, wherein the at least one dimmer controller is selected from the group consisting of:

digital multiplex (DMX) dimmer controllers;

0-10 volt dimmer controllers;

TRIAC dimmer controllers;

electronic low voltage (ELV) dimmer controllers; and

current loop controllers, such as 4-20 mA control loop controllers.