Triac Dimming Control System

• US 20130175931A1
• Filed: 01/04/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Laurence P. Sadwick
• Original Assignee: Laurence P. Sadwick
• Inventors: Sadwick, Laurence P.
• Application Number:
  US13/734,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20130175931A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/158
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

A triac dimming control system processes the output of a triac based dimmer, generates a dimming control signal based on the output, and provides dimming at a load output based on the dimming control signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a dimming signal input;

a dimming control signal output; and

a dimming control circuit operable to provide a dimming control signal at the dimming control signal output based at least in part on a dimming signal at the dimming signal output, wherein a format of the dimming control signal is different than a format of the dimming signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming signal is selected from a group consisting of a dimming signal generated by a triac based dimmer, a powerline dimming signal, and a wireless dimming signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming control signal comprises a direct current dimming control signal having a voltage range operable to specify a desired dimming level.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimming control signal comprises a 0 to 10 volt dimming control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming control signal comprises an analog dimming control signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming control signal comprises a digital dimming control signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming control circuit comprises a zero crossing detector operable to detect zero crossings in the dimming signal input and a conversion circuit operable to generate a direct current dimming control signal having a voltage range that specifies a desired dimming level based upon an output of the zero crossing detector.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a dimmable driver operable to drive a load output based at least in part upon the dimming control signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the dimmable driver is operable to drive at least one light emitting diode lamp connected to the load output.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the dimmable driver is operable to drive at least one fluorescent lamp ballast connected to the load output.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a second dimmable driver operable to drive a second load output based at least in part upon the dimming control signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a secondary load connected to the dimming signal input, operable to facilitate triggering in a triac based dimmer that generates the dimming signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the secondary load comprises a variable impedance.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming control circuit comprises a microcontroller with an analog to digital converter input connected to the dimming signal input and a digital to analog converter output connected to the dimming control signal output.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming control circuit comprises a microcontroller with a comparator input connected to the dimming signal input and a digital to analog converter output connected to the dimming control signal output.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dimming control circuit comprises a microcontroller with a comparator input connected to the dimming signal input and a pulse width modulated output connected to the dimming control signal output.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor operable to disable the dimming control signal during periods in which no motion has been detected.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a photosensor, wherein the dimming control circuit is operable to generate the dimming control signal at least in part on an output of the photosensor.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an external control input, wherein the dimming control circuit is operable to generate the dimming control signal at least in part on the external control input.

20. A method of driving a load, comprising:

receiving a signal from a triac-based dimmer;

generating a dimming control signal having a voltage range that specifies a desired dimming level based on the signal from the triac-based dimmer; and

driving the load based on the dimming control signal.