Lighting intensity control system

• US 5,998,928 A
• Filed: 11/03/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Hipp, Kenneth Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Shingleton, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US08/962,724
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 315/307, 315/291, 315/77, 315/84, 327/336, 327/344, 327/432, 327/491, 327/489, 327/493, 327/478, 307/10.8, 362/800, 362/19
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 35/00 Electric light sources using a combination of different types of light generation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/044 continuously H05B39/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/80 Light emitting diode

Abstract

An illumination control system comprises a source of a lighting intensity control signal, the source having an intensity control signal output. The system also includes at least one first lighting element coupled for direct intensity control by the lighting intensity control signal. Further, the system comprises at least one second lighting element. Additionally, the system comprises a low-pass filter having a filter input and a filter output, the filter input coupled in electrical communication with the intensity control signal output. Also, the system includes a transistor responsively coupled to the filter output and intensity-controllingly coupled to the at least one second lighting element. In one embodiment of the present invention, the transistor has a control input terminal, a second terminal and a third terminal, the control input terminal responsively coupled to the filter output, the second terminal intensity-controllingly coupled to the at least one second lighting element and the third terminal coupled in electrical communication with the intensity control signal output. Systems according to the present invention can be used to effectively control the intensity of lighting elements of different technologies at lower cost than prior art systems.

Claims

1. A lighting intensity control system comprising:

a source of a lighting intensity control signal, said source having an intensity control signal output;

at least one first lighting element coupled to said intensity control signal output;

at least one second lighting element;

a low-pass filter having a filter input and a filter output, said filter input coupled in electrical communication with said intensity control signal output; and

a transistor having a control input terminal, a second terminal and a third terminal, said control input terminal responsively coupled to said filter output, said second terminal intensity-controllingly coupled to said at least one second lighting element and said third terminal coupled in electrical communication with said intensity control signal output.

2. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one first lighting element has an intensity versus voltage characteristic of lesser linearity than an intensity versus voltage characteristic of said at least one second lighting element.

3. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 2, wherein said at least one second lighting element has a substantially linear intensity versus voltage characteristic.

4. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 3, wherein:

said transistor is a bipolar transistor;

said control terminal is a base of said transistor;

said second terminal is an emitter of said transistor; and

said third terminal is a collector of said transistor.

5. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 1, wherein said at least one first lighting element is an incandescent lamp and said at least one second lighting element comprises a light-emitting diode.

6. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 5, wherein:

said transistor is a bipolar transistor;

said control terminal is a base of said transistor;

said second terminal is an emitter of said transistor; and

said third terminal is a collector of said transistor.

7. A lighting intensity control system comprising:

a source of a lighting intensity control signal, said source having an intensity control signal output;

at least one first lighting element coupled for direct intensity control by said lighting intensity control signal;

at least one second lighting element;

a low-pass filter having a filter input and a filter output, said filter input coupled in electrical communication with said intensity control signal output; and

a transistor having a control input terminal, a second terminal and a third terminal, said control input terminal responsively coupled to said filter output, said second terminal intensity-controllingly coupled to said at least one second lighting element and said third terminal coupled in electrical communication with said intensity control signal output.

8. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 7, wherein said at least one first lighting element has an intensity versus voltage characteristic of lesser linearity than an intensity versus voltage characteristic of said at least one second lighting element.

9. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 8, wherein said at least one second lighting element has a substantially linear intensity versus voltage characteristic.

10. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 9, wherein:

said transistor is a bipolar transistor;

said control terminal is a base of said transistor;

said second terminal is an emitter of said transistor; and

said third terminal is a collector of said transistor.

11. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 7, wherein said at least one first lighting element is an incandescent lamp and said at least one second lighting element comprises a light-emitting diode.

12. A lighting intensity control system as recited in claim 11, wherein:

said transistor is a bipolar transistor;

said control terminal is a base of said transistor;

said second terminal is an emitter of said transistor; and

said third terminal is a collector of said transistor.

13. A lighting intensity control system comprising:

a source of a lighting intensity control signal, said source having an intensity control signal output;

at least one first lighting element coupled for direct intensity control by said lighting intensity control signal;

at least one second lighting element;

linearity-reducing means for reducing a linearity of a lighting intensity versus voltage characteristic of said at least one second lighting element, said linearity reducing means having an input coupled in electrical communication with said intensity control signal output and an output coupled to said at least one second lighting element.