AUTOMATIC CONFIGURATION OF A LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20170150561A1
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Kober, Steven J., Walsh, III, Richard M., Knode, Galen Edgar, Raneri, Daniel Curtis
• Granted Patent: US 10,009,969 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/04 by static converters controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, e.g. by tap changing H02P13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

A control module is able to be installed with electrical devices, such as, for example electrical loads (e.g., lighting loads) and/or load regulation devices. The control module may determine whether an LED driver for an LED light source is responsive to one or more of a plurality of control techniques. The control module may be able to automatically determine an appropriate control technique to use to control the connected LED driver and/or LED light source. The control module may sequentially attempt to control the LED driver and/or LED light source using each of the plurality of control techniques and determine if the LED driver and/or LED light source is responsive to the present control technique. The plurality of control techniques may include one or more analog control techniques and one or more digital control techniques.

Claims

1. A control module for controlling a light emitting diode (LED) driver powered from a power source, the LED driver configured to control an LED light source, the control module comprising:

a control connection for providing a plurality of control signals in accordance with respective control techniques to the LED driver, the control techniques comprising one or more analog control techniques and one or more digital control techniques; and

a control circuit configured to sequentially generate the plurality of control signals at the control connection according to each of the control techniques and determine if the LED driver is responsive to at least one of the control techniques.

2. The control module of claim 1, wherein the control connection is adapted to be coupled to the LED driver and the LED driver is responsive to at least one of the control techniques.

3. The control module of claim 2, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine if the LED driver is responsive to at least one of the control techniques by monitoring a parameter of the LED driver or the LED light source.

4. The control module of claim 3, further comprising:

a power measurement circuit for measuring an amount of power being delivered to the LED driver;

wherein the control module is configured to attempt to adjust an intensity of the LED light source to a predetermined intensity using one of the control techniques and to measure the power being consumed by the LED driver and the LED light source at the predetermined intensity to determine if the LED driver is responsive to the one of the control techniques.

5. The control module of claim 4, wherein the control circuit is configured to attempt to adjust the intensity of the LED light source to a high-end intensity and to a low-end intensity using the one of the control techniques and to measure the power being consumed by the LED driver and the LED light source at the high-end intensity and at the low-end intensity to determine if the LED driver is responsive to the one of the control techniques.

6. The control module of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a digital message to the LED driver via the control connection.

7. The control module of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine if the LED driver transmitted a response to the digital message to determine if the LED driver is responsive to one of the control techniques.

8. The control module of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a digital message indicating a measured intensity of the LED light source and to determine if the LED driver is responsive to one of the control techniques using the measured intensity.

9. The control module of claim 1, wherein the one or more analog control techniques comprise at least one of a 0-10V control technique, a 10-0V control technique, or an analog PWM control technique.

10. The control module of claim 1, wherein the digital control technique comprises a digital addressable lighting interface (DALI) protocol or an ECOSYSTEM protocol.

11. The control module of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to generate a phase-control signal for controlling the LED driver.

12. The control module of claim 1, wherein, if the control circuit determines that the LED driver is responsive to a specific control technique, the control circuit is configured to control the LED driver using the specific control technique during normal operation.

13. The control module of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of control techniques comprises switching-only control and the control circuit is configured to use switching-only control if the LED driver is not responsive to the other of the control techniques.

14. A method comprising:

sequentially providing a plurality of control signal to a light emitting diode (LED) driver according to respective control techniques, the control techniques comprising one or more analog control techniques and one or more digital control techniques, the LED driver configured to control an LED light source; and

determining if the LED driver is responsive to at least one of the control techniques.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining if the LED driver is responsive to at least one of the control techniques comprises monitoring a parameter of the driver or the LED light source to determine if the LED driver is responsive to at least one of the control techniques.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

attempting to adjust an intensity of the LED light source to a predetermined intensity using one of the control techniques; and

measuring power being consumed by the LED driver and the LED light source at the predetermined intensity to determine if the LED driver is responsive to the one of the control techniques.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

attempting to adjust an intensity of the LED light source to a high-end intensity and to a low-end intensity using one of the control techniques; and

measuring the power being consumed by the LED driver and the LED light source at the high-end intensity and at the low-end intensity to determine if the LED driver is responsive to the one of the control techniques.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting a digital message to the LED driver using one of the control techniques; and

determining if the LED driver transmitted a response to the digital message to determine if the LED driver is responsive to the one of the control techniques.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a digital message indicating a measured intensity of the LED light source to determine if the LED driver is responsive to one of the control techniques using the measured intensity.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining that the LED driver is responsive to a specific control technique; and

controlling the LED driver using the specific control technique during normal operation.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein one of the control techniques comprises switching-only control, and the method further comprising:

determining that the LED driver is not responsive to the other of the control techniques; and

controlling the LED driver using the switching-only control.