MODULAR LIGHTING CONTROL

• US 20140001972A1
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, Michael J., Pickard, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,506,678 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/200.R
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/355 Power factor correction [PFC]; Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a modular lighting system that may include a driver module, an array of LEDs that are driven by the driver module, and a control module. The control module is configured to control the driver module, which in turn drives the LEDs of the array of LEDs in a desired fashion. The control module may communicate with one or more remote lighting control systems through wired or wireless communications and function to control the driver module accordingly. Notably, the driver module and the control module communicate with each other through a standard communication protocol, such that either of the driver module or the control module can be replaced without replacing the other of the driver module or control module. Further, power may be provided to the control module and the array of LEDs by the driver module via the standard communication interface or separate power interface.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

an array of LEDs;

a driver module adapted to;

receive a command from a separate control module via a communication port;

drive the array of LEDs in response to the command; and

provide power to the control module via a power port.

2. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the communication port and the power port are integrated.

3. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the driver module comprises rectifying circuitry and conversion circuitry adapted to convert an AC input signal into a DC power signal that is used to supply the power to the power port.

4. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the driver module comprises control circuitry that drives the array of LEDs and facilitates communications with the control module via a communication bus coupled to the communication port.

5. The lighting system of claim 4 wherein the control circuitry is adapted to facilitate bidirectional communications with the control module using a standard communication protocol via the communication bus.

6. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the driver module comprises a first connector that comprises the communication port and the power port and is adapted to receive a second connector of the control module, such that the driver module and the control module are electronically and mechanically coupled together when the first connector receives the second connector.

7. The lighting system of claim 6 wherein the first connector is mounted on a printed circuit board on which control circuitry for the driver module is formed and the control circuitry is adapted to drive the array of LEDs.

8. The lighting system of claim 1 further comprising a lighting fixture housing in which the array of LEDs is mounted and an electronics housing attached to the lighting fixture housing, wherein the driver module is mounted within the electronics housing.

9. The lighting system of claim 8 wherein the driver module comprises a first connector that comprises the communication port and the power port and is adapted to receive a second connector of the control module such that the driver module and the control module are electronically and mechanically coupled together when the first connector receives the second connector.

10. The lighting system of claim 1 further comprising a lighting fixture housing in which the array of LEDs is mounted and an electronics housing attached to the lighting fixture housing, wherein the driver module is mounted outside the electronics housing.

11. The lighting system of claim 1 further comprising a supplemental housing that houses the control module and is attached to the electronics housing.

12. The lighting system of claim 1 further comprising a lighting fixture housing in which the array of LEDs is mounted, and the control module is mounted to an outside surface of the electronics housing.

13. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the control module is further adapted to provide commands to the driver module to control how the driver module drives the array of LEDs and receive information from the driver module.

14. The lighting system of claim 13 wherein the control module is further adapted to generate the commands provided to the driver module based on commands received from a remote control system and send the information received from the driver module to the remote control system.

15. The lighting system of claim 14 wherein the control module is further adapted to communicate with the driver module using a first protocol and to communicate with the remote control system using a second protocol, which is different from the first protocol.

16. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein communications between the driver module and the control module are serial communications.

17. The lighting system of claim 1 wherein the array of LEDs comprises a plurality of LEDs of a first type and a plurality of LEDs of a second type, which is different than the first type.

18. A control module for a lighting system comprising:

a communication port coupled to a communication bus;

a power port for receiving power from a separate driver module; and

a central processing unit that receives power from the power port and is adapted to provide a command instructing a driver module how to drive an array of LEDs in the lighting system via the communication port.

19. The control module of claim 18 wherein the power from the power port is provided by the driver module.

20. The control module of claim 18 wherein the central processing unit is further adapted to receive information from the driver module.

21. The control module of claim 20 wherein the control module is further adapted to generate the command provided to the driver module based on commands received from a remote control system and send the information received from the driver module to the remote control system.

22. The control module of claim 21 wherein the control module is further adapted to communicate with the driver module using a first protocol and to communicate with the remote control system using a second protocol, which is different from the first protocol.

23. The control module of claim 22 wherein the central processing unit is further adapted to support a plurality of protocols including the second protocol and determine that the second protocol is an appropriate one of the plurality of protocols to use for communications with the remote control system.

24. The control module of claim 18 further comprising a supplemental housing in which the central processing unit, the communication port, and the power port are mounted and wherein the supplemental housing is configured to attach to an outside of an electronics housing in which the driver module is mounted and which is coupled to a frame of the lighting fixture.

25. A driver module for a lighting system comprising:

a communication port coupled to a communication bus;

a power port for providing power to a separate control module; and

control circuitry adapted to;

receive a command from the control module via the communication port; and

drive an array of LEDs in response to the command.

26. The driver module of claim 25 wherein the communication port and the power port are integrated.

27. The driver module of claim 25 further comprising rectifying circuitry and conversion circuitry adapted to convert an AC input signal into a DC power signal that is used to supply power to the power port.

28. The driver module of claim 25 wherein the control circuitry is adapted to facilitate bidirectional communications with the control module using a standard communication protocol via the communication bus.