Dimmable Solid State Lighting System, Apparatus and Method, with Distributed Control and Intelligent Remote Control

• US 20130229119A1
• Filed: 10/30/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LUXERA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: LUXERA, Inc.
• Inventors: Korobov, Vladimir, Shteynberg, Anatoly, Livschitz, Leonard Simon, Orlov, Nkolai, Nikitin, Anton
• Application Number:
  US13/664,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229119A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/185.R
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/385 using flyback topology
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

Exemplary systems, methods and apparatuses for a distributed solid-state lighting system are disclosed. An exemplary system comprises a central power source, and one or more terminal lighting apparatuses. An exemplary central power source comprises: an AC/DC rectifier coupled to a DC/DC converter to convert an AC input power to a first DC voltage level; a central user interface to receive user input for a selected brightness level; and a central controller to provide a first control signal to the DC/DC converter to provide a second DC voltage level corresponding to the selected brightness level. A terminal lighting apparatus may comprise: a plurality of LEDs; a current (or power) source or regulator; and a terminal controller which, in response to the second DC voltage level, provides a second control signal to the current source or regulator to provide a selected current level of the LEDs corresponding to the selected brightness level.

Claims

1. A distributed solid-state lighting system comprising:

a central power source coupleable to an AC input power source, the central power source comprising;

an AC/DC rectifier coupled to a DC/DC converter to convert AC input power to a first DC voltage level;

a central user interface to receive user input for a selected brightness level; and

a central controller coupled to the DC/DC converter, the central controller to provide a first control signal to the DC/DC converter in response to the user input to provide a second DC voltage level corresponding to the selected brightness level; and

one or more terminal lighting apparatuses coupled to and spaced apart from the central power source, each terminal lighting apparatus comprising;

a plurality of light emitting diodes;

a current source or regulator coupled to the plurality of light emitting diodes; and

a terminal controller coupled to the current source or regulator and, in response to the second DC voltage level, to provide a second control signal to the current source or regulator to provide a selected current level of the plurality of light emitting diodes corresponding to the selected brightness level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central controller is to determine the second DC voltage level Vout as:

Vout=ρ

Δ

Voutmax+Voutmin

in which “

ρ

”

is a user selectable brightness level and corresponds to

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminal controller is to determine the LED current Iout as linearly proportional to the input voltage Vin:

Iout=μ

Vin

where μ

is a linear transfer function;

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the terminal controller is to determine the LED current Iout using the sensed value of Vin as an index into a look up table stored in a memory.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the central user interface further comprises a scanner to scan a plurality of machine-readable encoded fields, the plurality of machine-readable encoded fields comprising data encoding a plurality of operational parameters.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the central controller further is to utilize the plurality of operational parameters to determine the second DC voltage level provided to the one or more terminal lighting apparatuses.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of operational parameters comprise at least two operational parameters selected from a group consisting of:

a maximum input voltage, a minimum input voltage, a maximum input current, a minimum input current, a nominal power level, a voltage level at a nominal current level, a minimum dimming level, an adjustable color temperature range, a unique identifier, and combinations thereof.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the current source or regulator comprises:

a fuse; and

a thermal current regulator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the current source or regulator comprises a converter selected from the group consisting of:

a buck converter;

a boost converter;

a buck-boost converter;

a flyback converter;

a sepic converter; and

combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the current source or regulator comprises:

a fuse;

a current source; and

a voltage divider to provide an operating voltage to the current source.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of light emitting diodes further comprise a plurality of series-connected light emitting diodes forming a plurality of channels of light emitting diodes, each channel corresponding to a different emission color of light emitting diodes, and wherein each terminal lighting apparatus further comprises:

a remote user interface to receive user input for a selected emission color or color temperature of a plurality of emission colors and color temperatures.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an inverter to convert the second DC voltage level to an AC voltage level having a frequency in the range of about 500 Hz to 90 kHz.

13. A method of providing power to a spatially-distributed plurality of terminal lighting apparatuses each comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the method comprising:

receiving a selected brightness level through a user interface;

using a central controller, determining a dimming level “

ρ

”

;

using a central controller, determining an output voltage or output current level;

rectifying an input AC voltage (current) and providing corresponding DC output voltage and current levels; and

monitoring output voltage or output current levels and providing a first feedback signal to maintain the output voltage or output current level at the determined level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the output voltage is calculated as Vout=ρ

Δ

Voutmax+Voutmin, in which “

ρ

”

is a user selectable brightness level and corresponds to

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

using an input scanner, receiving a plurality of operational parameters corresponding to a selected terminal LED lighting apparatus.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving an input voltage;

using a terminal controller and using the received input voltage level, calculating or determining an LED current level Iout for the plurality of light emitting diodes of a selected terminal lighting apparatus of the plurality of terminal lighting apparatuses;

setting the LED current level to the value of Iout; and

monitoring the LED current level and providing a second feedback signal to maintain the LED current level at the determined level Iout.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the LED current level Iout is calculated as Iout=μ

Vin, where μ

is a selected transfer function, Iout is the selected current level of the plurality of light emitting diodes, and Vin the sensed input voltage of the selected terminal lighting apparatus.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the LED current level Iout is determined using the sensed value of Vin as an index into a look up table stored in memory.

19. A method of dimming a brightness level of a terminal lighting apparatus comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes, the method comprising:

receiving an input voltage at the terminal lighting apparatus;

using a terminal controller and using the received input voltage level, calculating or determining an LED current level Iout;

setting the LED current level to the value of Iout; and

monitoring the LED current level and providing a feedback signal to maintain the LED current level at the determined level Iout.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the LED current level Iout is calculated as Iout=μ

Vin, where μ

is a selected transfer function, Iout is the selected current level of the plurality of light emitting diodes, and Vin the sensed input voltage of the selected terminal lighting apparatus.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein μ

is a linear transfer function;

22. The method of claim 20, wherein μ

is a nonlinear transfer function.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the LED current level Iout is determined using the sensed value of Vin as an index into a look up table stored in memory.

24. A kit for a distributed solid-state lighting system, the kit comprising:

a central power source comprising;

an AC/DC rectifier coupled to a DC/DC converter to convert an AC input power to a first DC voltage level;

a central user interface to receive user input for a selected brightness level; and

a central controller coupled to the DC/DC converter, the central controller to provide a first control signal to the DC/DC converter in response to the user input to provide a second DC voltage level corresponding to the selected brightness level; and

one or more terminal lighting apparatuses, each terminal lighting apparatus comprising;

a plurality of light emitting diodes;

a current source or regulator coupled to the plurality of light emitting diodes; and

a terminal controller coupled to the current source or regulator and, in response to the second DC voltage level, to provide a second control signal to the current source or regulator to provide a selected current level of the plurality of light emitting diodes corresponding to the selected brightness level.

25. The kit of claim 24, wherein each terminal lighting apparatus is embodied as an LED bulb or luminary having an interface compatible with an interface standard selected from a group consisting of:

an E12 lighting standard, an E14 lighting standard, an E26 lighting standard, an E27 lighting standard, a GU-10 lighting standard, and combinations thereof.