KICKSTART FOR DIMMERS DRIVING SLOW STARTING OR NO STARTING LAMPS

• US 20140062330A1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Restrepo, Carlos Eduardo, Dodal, Rohit Sumerchand, Neundorfer, Oscar Lewis
• Granted Patent: US 8,907,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/224
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/044 continuously H05B39/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A method for providing a kickstart pulse to a dimmer circuit for a light source that is slow starting. The method includes receiving an initial power signal for a light source electrically coupled to a dimmer circuit, and generating, using the initial power signal, a pulse signal. The method also includes sending, for a period of time, the pulse signal to a load control circuit for the light source. In such a case, the light source is illuminated by the pulse signal for the period of time, and the magnitude of the pulse signal is greater than the magnitude of a steady-state signal generated by the dimmer circuit for the light source. The method can be performed using discrete components, integrated circuits, software, some other electrical device, or any combination thereof. A kickstart circuit and a dimmer circuit, using substantially the method described above, is also disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A method for providing a kickstart pulse to a dimmer circuit, the method comprising:

receiving an initial power signal for a light source electrically coupled to a dimmer circuit;

generating, using the initial power signal, a pulse signal; and

sending, for a period of time, the pulse signal to a load control circuit for the light source,

wherein the light source is illuminated by the pulse signal for the period of time,

wherein the pulse signal has a first magnitude,

wherein the first magnitude of the pulse signal is greater than a second magnitude of a steady-state signal generated by the dimmer circuit for the light source.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating, after the period of time, the pulse signal,

wherein the steady-state signal generated by the dimmer circuit is used to illuminate the light source after the period of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the pulse signal comprises:

activating, using the initial power signal, a power supply;

generating, by the power supply using the initial power signal, a processed signal;

sending the processed signal to a pulse generator; and

initiating the pulse generator using the processed signal generated by the power supply.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, after the period of time, the power supply stops generating the processed signal to terminate the pulse signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting, using a variable resistor, the first magnitude of the pulse signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the period of time is less than 20 cycles.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second magnitude of the steady-state signal generated by the dimmer circuit is based on a dimmer setting of a dimmer switch.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulse signal is generated using a hardware processor.

9. A kickstart circuit for a light source with a dimmer, comprising:

a power supply comprising a first plurality of first components that receives the initial power signal and generates, using the initial power signal, a processed signal; and

a pulse generator electrically coupled to the power supply, wherein the pulse generator comprises a second plurality of components configured to;

receive the processed signal;

generate, using the processed signal, a pulse signal; and

send the pulse signal to a load control circuit of a dimmer circuit for the light source.

10. The kickstart circuit of claim 9, wherein the second plurality of components comprises an optocoupler that generates the pulse signal to the load control circuit.

11. The kickstart circuit of claim 10, wherein the second plurality of components further comprises a resistor, electrically coupled to an output of the optocoupler, which determines a magnitude of the pulse signal sent to the load control circuit.

12. The kickstart circuit of claim 11, wherein the second plurality of components further comprises a diode for alternating current that is electrically coupled to the resistor.

13. The kickstart circuit of claim 11, wherein the resistor has a fixed resistance value.

14. The kickstart circuit of claim 11, wherein the resistor is a variable resistor within a range of resistance values, wherein the variable resistor can be adjusted by a user.

15. The kickstart circuit of claim 9, wherein the load control circuit comprises a triac.

16. The kickstart circuit of claim 9, wherein the power supply is a switched-mode power supply.

17. A dimmer circuit, comprising:

a dimming network that receives a power signal from a power source and generates a steady-state signal, wherein the dimming network is electrically coupled to a light source;

a load control circuit that is electrically coupled to an output of the dimming network and to the light source; and

a kickstart circuit electrically coupled to the load control circuit, wherein the kickstart circuit provides a pulse signal for a period of time to the load control circuit,

wherein the load control circuit uses the pulse signal to illuminate the light source during the period of time, and

wherein the load control circuit uses the steady-state signal generated by the dimmer circuit to illuminate the light source after the period of time.

18. The dimmer circuit of claim 17, wherein the kickstart circuit is electrically coupled in parallel with the dimmer circuit.

19. The dimmer circuit of claim 17, wherein the pulse signal illuminates the light source more brightly than the steady-state signal.

20. A computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for performing a method for controlling a lighting device, the method comprising:

receiving an initial power signal for a light source electrically coupled to a dimmer circuit;

generating, using the initial power signal, a pulse signal; and

sending, for a period of time, the pulse signal to a load control circuit for the light source,

wherein the light source is illuminated by the pulse signal for the period of time,

wherein the pulse signal has a first magnitude,

wherein the first magnitude of the pulse signal is greater than a second magnitude of a steady-state signal generated by the dimmer circuit for the light source.