Remote control of electronic light ballast and other devices

• US 6,693,395 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nextek Power Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nextek Power Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilhelm, William George
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US10/153,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20020175637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/307, 315/362, 315/121, 315/136, 315/209.R, 315/312, 315/316, 315/DIG.4, 315/DIG.7, 315/149, 315/158, 323/320, 323/322
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/04 Dimming circuit for fluorescent lamps

Abstract

An electronic ballast system controls one or more ballasts of HID or fluorescent lamps, which are controlled in an “on/off” manner by a ultra low power controller that is isolated for a primary power circuit or derives its very low switch power from the ballast itself. The on/off control provides a near lossless control system. This system may be applied to electronic ballast for operates at fractional power levels corresponding to different lighting intensities and with conventional occupancy sensors. The system may also be applied to other electronically compatible end-use devices and applications.

Claims

1. The A system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming for at least one electronic ballast for at least one lamp, of at least one lighting fixture, said system comprising said at least one ballast having power electronics, said system further having a remote switch function in said at least one ballast, said remote switch function remotely located apart from said ballast, said remote switch function operating with a low amount of control current and little power loss, said system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming further comprising at least one connection connecting said remotely located switch to a ballast resident opto-isolator circuit with associated interfacing electronics within said at least one ballast, said at least one ballast providing high electrical isolation between an external switch function and said ballast power electronics to each said lamp;

said system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming further comprising a plurality of lead wires connecting said remote switch, a low current power source, and a light emitting diode (LED) at an input of said isolator circuit.

2. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 1 wherein said remote switch is a fully isolated remote switch.

3. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 1 wherein a current power source sufficient to operate external electronics is derived from said at least one ballast.

4. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 1 wherein a current power source sufficient to operate external electronics of said ballast is supplied externally.

5. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 1, wherein said connection is a modular phone connector, and said plurality of lead wires are telephone wire.

6. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of lead wires are any, low voltage, signal grade or larger wire common to control systems.

7. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 5 wherein said telephone wire is a flat multi-conductor cable.

8. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 1 wherein said at least one ballast is a plurality of ballasts of a plurality of light fixtures, each said light fixture having at least one lamp, each said ballast being connected by a multi-way coupler at each ballast and a plurality of multi-conductor cables, one said cable having reversed connectors at each end connecting an output of said multi-way coupler to the input of the next said multi-way coupler, wherein said plurality of ballasts are connected in cascade configuration to said single remote switch such that all connected ballasts of said plurality of ballasts respond to on/off switching action of said remote switch.

9. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 1 wherein an isolated photo-transistor portion of said opto-isolator circuit is controlled by light emitted by a light emitting diode (LED) within said opto-isolator.

10. The System of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 9 further comprising a collector-emitter junction controlling on/off operation of a high frequency inverter circuit used to provide AC power to each said lamp of each said lighting fixture.

11. A The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 1, wherein said system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming is applied to a blinking function used as an attraction in lighted effects.

12. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 1, in which an external on/off function is controlled to switch rapidly and with a proportional on time that is proportional to a controlled power level.

13. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 1, in which the external switch function is provided by an electronic type switching arrangement.

14. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 13, wherein said electronic switching arrangement includes at least one transistor.

15. The System of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 1, in which external switch function is provided by an electronic system that is programmable.

23. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 1 wherein said device is a motor driven appliance.

16. A system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming for a plurality of electrical lighting fixtures comprising:

a control switch;

a connector having a first end connected to said control switch and said connector having a second end;

a plurality of lead wires wherein each said lead wire in said plurality of lead wire has a first end and a second end, said first end of each said wire in said plurality of lead wires is coupled to said second end of said connector;

said plurality of lead wires has a first lead wire coupled to a first end of a first resistor;

a second end of said first resistor is connected to a photo-isolator circuit, said photoisolator circuit providing high electrical isolation between an external control signal and power electronics of at least one electronic ballast;

said plurality of lead wires has a second lead wire coupled to a first end of a second resistor;

a second end of said second resistor is coupled to a first direct current power input terminal and a first end of a reverse polarity protector circuit;

said first end of said reverse polarity protector is coupled to a first end of a third resistor and to a high frequency inverter circuit, and said high frequency inverter circuit has a second end coupled to a second direct power input terminal;

a second end of said third resistor is coupled to a base terminal on a transistor and to said photo-isolator circuit;

an emitter terminal on said transistor is coupled to said photo-isolator circuit and to said second direct current power input terminal;

a collector terminal on said transistor is coupled to a cathode terminal of a first diode and to a cathode terminal of a second diode;

said first diode and said second diode each having an anode terminal coupled to said high frequency inverter circuit;

a third lead wire in said plurality of lead wires is coupled to a first end of a fourth resistor and to said photo-isolator circuit;

said fourth resistor having a second end coupled to said second direct current power input terminal;

said high frequency inverter circuit has at least one output terminal and a ground terminal; and

,

each output terminal in said at least one output terminal is coupled to a lamp.

17. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 16, wherein said connector is a modular phone jack, and said plurality of lead wires are telephone wire.

18. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming system according to claim 16, wherein said plurality of lead wires are low voltage wire common to control systems.

19. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 16, wherein said photo-isolator circuit comprises:

an anode terminal of a light emitting diode coupled to said second end of said first resistor and a cathode terminal of said light emitting diode coupled to said first end of said fourth resistor;

a collector terminal of a photo-transistor coupled to said base terminal of said first transistor and to said second end of said third resistor; and

an emitter terminal of said photo-transistor is coupled to said emitter terminal of said first transistor, said second end of said reverse polarity protector, said second end of said fourth resistor, and said second direct current input terminal.

20. A system for at least one of on/off switching function and dimming for at least one electronically interfaceable end-use appliance device which functions through on/off control, said device having an on/off switch function, said system having power electronics, said system further having a remote switch function, said remote switch function remotely located apart from said device resident power electronics, said remote switch function operating with a low amount of control current and little power loss, said system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming further comprising at least one connection connecting said remotely located switch function to an opto-isolator circuit with high electrical isolation to said power electronics said power electronics providing electrical computability between said switch function and the operation of said device, wherein said device or appliance benefits from proportional on/off control as a means for power modulations.

21. The system of at least of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 20 wherein an isolated photo-transistor portion of said opto-isolator circuit is controlled by light emitted by a light emitting diode (LED) within said opto-isolator.

22. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 21 further comprising a collector-emitter junction controlling on/off operation of a high frequency inverter circuit used to provide AC power to each said device.

24. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 20 wherein said device is a electrical heater.

25. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 20 wherein said device is industrial control equipment.

26. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 20 further comprising a plurality of lead wires connecting said remote switch, a low current power source and a light emitting diode (LED) at an input of said opto-isolator circuit.

27. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming eye-tern as in claim 26 wherein a current power source sufficient to operate external electronics is supplied externally.

28. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 26 wherein a current power source sufficient to operate external electronics is derived from said power input of said power electronics module.

29. The system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming according to claim 26 wherein said connection is a modular phone connector, and said plurality of lead wires are telephone wire.

30. The system of at least on of on/off switching and dimming as in claim 29 wherein said telephone wire is a flat multi-conductor cable.

31. The system of at least one of on/of if switching and dimming according to claim 29, wherein said plurality of lead wires are any, low voltage, signal grade or larger wire common to control systems.

32. A system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming for a plurality of ballasts for a plurality of electrical lighting fixtures comprising:

a photo-isolator integrated circuit providing high electrical isolation between an external control signal and power electronics in at least one ballast;

wherein, to turn on said at least one ballast, a power source supplies voltage to said isolator circuit through a remote switch,

said circuit having a light from an LED exciting a photo transistor reducing its equivalent resistance into conduction thereby, causing a higher current to flow in a resistor, said resistor and said photo transistor forming a voltage divider,

said voltage divider causing a base-emitter voltage of a control transistor to tall below conduction, causing its collector-emitter junction to become highly resistive and non-conducting, thus blocking a current path for diodes to a power supply return and allowing inverter gates to remain in a high impedance state and thus unencumbered to function as part of a self-excited power oscillation inverter servicing at least one lamp driven by said at least one ballast,

wherein further when no voltage is applied on an input of said isolator, said gates are clamped to a potential of a return of said power supply, causing said gates to be placed in a non-conductive state, thereby interrupting said power oscillator/inverter and causing said at least one lamp driven by said at least one ballast to go off.

33. An on/off switching function system for at least one electronically interfaceable end-use appliance device which functions through on/off if control, said device having an on/off switch function, said system having power electronics, said system further having a remote switch function, said remote switch function remotely located apart from said device resident power electronics, said remote switch function operating with a low amount of control current and little power loss, said system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming further comprising at least one connection connecting said remotely located switch function to an opto-isolator circuit with high electrical isolation to said power electronics said power electronics providing electrical computability between said switch function and the operation of said device, wherein said connection is a modular phone connector, and said plurality of lead wires are telephone wire;

wherein said telephone wire is a flat multi-conductor cable;

wherein said at least one device is a plurality of devices, each said device being connected by a multi-way coupler at each device and a plurality of said flat multi-conductor cables, one said cable having reversed connectors at each end connecting an output of said multi-way coupler to the input of the next said multi-way coupler, wherein said plurality of devices with said power electronics are connected in cascade configuration to said single remote switch function such that all connected devices of said plurality of devices respond to on/off switching action of said remote switch function.

34. An on/off switching function system applied with proportional light dimming control, said proportional light dimming control system having as its interface a system comprising said at least one ballast having power electronics, said system further having a remote switch function in said at least one ballast, said remote switch function remotely located apart from said ballast, said remote switch function operating with a low amount of control current and little power loss, said system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming further comprising at least one connection connecting said remotely located switch to a ballast resident opto-isolator circuit with associated interfacing electronics within said at least one ballast, said at least one ballast providing high electrical isolation between an external switch function and said ballast power electronics to each said lamp;

said proportional light dimming control system an electronic ballast having an isolated on/off function interfacing with remote circuitry providing pulse width modulation to said isolated interface control to cause proportional light dimming, said remote circuitry including a fixed frequency oscillator influenced by a pulse-width modulator controlled by a voltage setting, wherein proportional pulses cause constant current to flaw remotely through a light emitting diode in an optical isolator in said electronic ballast, a constant current driver insuring a predetermined proper current to said light emitting diode in compensation for variable cable lengths, wherein a phototransistor/switch of said optical isolator complies with the periodic “

on”

duty cycle set remotely and causes the power in said ballast circiutry to be applied to the lamp with variable intensity.

35. An on/off switching system applied to at least one electrical end-use appliance device compatible with electronic control said device having an on/off switch function, said system having power electronics, said system further having a remote switch function, said remote switch function remotely located apart from said device resident power electronics, said remote switch function operating with a low amount of control current and little power loss, said system of at least one of on/off switching and dimming further comprising at least one connection connecting said remotely located switch function to a opto-isolator circuit with high electronical isolation to said power electronics, said power electronics providing electrical computability between said switch function and the operation of said device, in which an optically isolating interface utilizes circuitry providing pulse width modulation to said optically isolated interface to cause proportional on/off control, said circuitry including a fixed frequency oscillator influenced by a pulse-width modulator controlled by a voltage setting, wherein proportional pulses cause constant current to flow remotely through a light emitting diode in an optical isolator in power electronics, said constant current driver insuring a predetermined proper current to said light emitting diode in compensation for variable cable lengths, wherein a phototransistor/switch of said optical isolator complies with the periodic “

on”

duty cycle set remotely and causes the power in said circuitry to be applied to said end use appliance device with variable intensity, said proportional on/off control system permitting very low power remote control of power consumed by various end-use benefiting from proportional on/off control as a means for power modulation.