DETECTION OF AN LED MODULE

• US 20150373811A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 12/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tridonic GmbH & Co. KG (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tridonic GmbH & Co. KG (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Inventors: MARENT, Gunter, DUNSER, Matthias, FINK, Jurgen, ONDRISEK, Thomas, MUNDLE, Klaus, MITTERBACHER, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• 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: H05B 45/39 Circuits containing inverter bridges
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/59 for reducing or suppressing flicker or glow effects
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

The invention relates to an LED module (1), comprising: connections (2) for an LED array (3); a circuit (4) which is configured to constitute a load, preferably an effective power load, if during a starting phase a constant current or a constant voltage is applied to the LED module (1), and which is configured not to constitute a load when the starting phase has finished, wherein the circuit (4) is designed to constitute a variable-current load which effects a change in the power consumption of the LED module (1) according to at least one predetermined protocol effected.

Claims

1. An LED module (1) comprising:

connections (2) for an LED string (3);

a circuit (4), which is configured to constitute a load, preferably a real power load, when a constant current or a constant voltage is applied to the LED module (1) in a starting phase, and which is configured to constitute no load when the starting phase has elapsed, wherein

the circuit (4) is configured to constitute a variable-current load, which effects a change in the power consumption of the LED module (1) in accordance with at least one preset protocol.

2. The LED module (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit (4) is configured to code at least one operational and/or maintenance parameter of the LED module (1) by the change in the power consumption in accordance with the at least one preset protocol.

3. The LED module (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one preset protocol presets a frequency and/or an amplitude and/or a duty factor for the change in the power consumption of the LED module (1).

4. The LED module (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit (4) is configured in such a way that the change in the power consumption of the LED module (1) is effected depending on a value of the first supply voltage (5a) in accordance with one of a plurality of preset protocols.

5. The LED module (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit (4) comprises a timer circuit (6), which is configured to preset a frequency of the change in the power consumption of the LED module (1).

6. The LED module (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one sensor is provided on the LED module (1), said sensor is configured to influence an electrical parameter of the circuit (4).

7. The LED module (1) as claimed in claim 6, wherein the at least one sensor is a light sensor having a light-dependent resistor, and the light sensor is connected to the circuit (4) in such a way that a change in the light-dependent resistor changes the load resistance of the circuit (4).

8. An LED converter (10) for an LED module (1) as claimed in claim 1, said LED converter is configured having a converter with radiofrequency clocking,

wherein the converter with radiofrequency clocking can be operated at least in a starting phase as constant current source and is configured

to detect a power consumption of the LED module (1) on the primary side of the transformer of the converter with radiofrequency clocking during this starting phase, and

to determine, on the basis of the detected power consumption, at least one operational and/or maintenance parameter of the LED module (1).

9. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8, which is configured:

to use the at least one determined operational and/or maintenance parameter for setting or regulating the operation of the LED module (1),

to store said operational and/or maintenance parameter in an assigned memory,

to display said operational and/or maintenance parameter optically and/or acoustically and/or

to transmit said operational and/or maintenance parameter via a wireless or wired interface.

10. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least one operational and/or maintenance parameter is a setpoint current through an LED string (3) connected to the LED module (1), an aging parameter, an operating duration and/or a spectrum of a light emitted by the LED string (3).

11. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8, which is configured to identify the LED module (1) on the basis of the at least one determined operational and/or maintenance parameter.

12. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8, which is configured to changeover selectively between a mode for detecting a power consumption of the LED module (1) and a mode for lighting operation of an LED string (3) connected to the LED module (1) by setting a first supply current or a second supply current for the LED module (1).

13. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8, which is configured to perform a voltage measurement for directly detecting the power consumption of the LED module (1).

14. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8, which is configured to perform indirect detection of the power consumption of the LED module (1).

15. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 14, which is configured to detect a change in the power consumption of the LED module (1) as a result of a change in a duty factor for clocking of the LED converter (10).

16. The LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8, which is configured

to discharge a capacitor (11) via a load of the LED module (1),

to determine a discharge current of the capacitor (11) directly, or indirectly via a discharge time, and

to determine the at least one operational and/or maintenance parameter of the LED module (1) on the basis of said discharge current.

17. An LED luminaire, comprising an LED module (1) having:

connections (2) for an LED string (3);

a circuit (4), which is configured to constitute a load, preferably a real power load, when a constant current or a constant voltage is applied to the LED module (1) in a starting phase, and which is configured to constitute no load when the starting phase has elapsed, wherein

the circuit (4) is configured to constitute a variable-current load, which effects a change in the power consumption of the LED module (1) in accordance with at least one preset protocol; and

an LED converter (10) as claimed in claim 8.

18. A method for transmitting information from an LED module (1) to an LED converter (10) comprising a converter with radiofrequency clocking, preferably an isolated flyback converter or a resonant half-bridge converter, the method comprises

activating a circuit at least during a starting phase in order to constitute a load, preferably a real power load, and

detecting a power consumption of the LED module (1) by the converter with radiofrequency clocking.

19. A method for determining information with respect to an LED module (1) using an LED converter (10) comprising a converter with radiofrequency clocking the method comprises

detecting a power consumption of the LED module (1) by the converter with radiofrequency clocking, wherein a circuit (4) on the LED module (1) effects a modulated load change at least during a starting phase, and

determining at least one operational and/or maintenance parameter of the LED module (1) on the basis of the detected power consumption.

20. An LED module (1), comprising:

connections (2) for an LED string (3);

a circuit (4), which is configured to constitute a load in a temporally limited starting phase of the LED module (1), wherein the circuit (4) is configured to constitute no load after the end of the starting phase, wherein the circuit (4) is configured to constitute a variable-current load which effects a change in the power consumption of the LED module (1) in accordance with at least one preset protocol in order to code at least one operational and/or maintenance parameter of the LED module (1) by changing the power consumption in accordance with the at least one preset protocol.