COORDINATED DIMMER COMPATIBILITY FUNCTIONS

• US 20150162838A1
• Filed: 12/11/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Cirrus Logic Incorporated
• Inventors: Melanson, John L., King, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,240,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0006 Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/36 Means for starting or stopping converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/22 with intermediate conversion into ac
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/33507 with automatic control of the output voltage or current, e.g. flyback converters H02M3/33561, H02M3/33569 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 7/06 using discharge tubes without control electrode or semiconductor devices without control electrode
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

A system and method includes a controller that is configured to coordinate (i) a low impedance path for a dimmer current, (ii), control of switch mode power conversion and (iii) an inactive state to, for example, to allow a dimmer to function normally from cycle to cycle of an alternating current (AC) supply voltage. In at least one embodiment, the dimmer functions normally when the dimmer conducts at a correct phase angle indicated by a dimmer input setting and avoids prematurely resetting while conducting. In at least one embodiment, by coordinating functions (i), (ii), and (iii), the controller controls a power converter system that is compatible with a triac-based dimmer. In at least one embodiment, the controller coordinates functions (i), (ii), and (iii) in response to a particular dimming level indicated by a phase cut, rectified input voltage supplied to the power converter system.

Claims

1. An apparatus, wherein a dimmer voltage to a power converter system comprises three states that occur from:

A. an approximately zero volt crossing of the dimmer voltage of a dimmer until a phase cut, leading edge of the dimmer voltage;

B. an end of state A until energy transferred to a load is sufficient to meet at least one energy transfer parameter; and

C. an end of state B until a beginning of state A,

the apparatus comprising;

a controller configured to;

for state A, enable a low impedance path for a dimmer current of the dimmer, wherein the impedance of the low impedance path is sufficiently low to maintain a stable phase angle of the dimmer;

for state B,

enable control of switch mode power conversion of the dimmer voltage; and

control the switch mode power conversion to maintain the dimmer current above a current threshold; and

for state C, enter an inactive state, wherein during the inactive state the low impedance path and the control of mode power conversion is disabled.

2-34. -34. (canceled)