Supply unit for identifying and powering a LED unit, and method therefor

• US 6,975,214 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 12/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft Fur Elektrische Gluhlampen mbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Schleicher, Gotthard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): Blount, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/607,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20040056774A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.45, 340/693.1, 340/458, 340/333, 340/907, 340/908, 340/931, 340/286.02, 324/414, 324/403, 324/600, 324/602, 324/605, 324/606, 307 18- 20, 307/24, 307 31- 34, 315/291, 315/307, 315/82
• US Class Current: 340/435
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules

Abstract

The invention relates to a supply unit (1) and method for detecting the identity of and for supplying power to LED units (2). The supply unit (1) firstly determines, by means of a detection unit (7), the identity of a connected LED unit (2) by the application of an electrical quantity and reception of a further electrical quantity generated in response thereto by an identification unit (3). By means of a control unit (6), the power supply required for the LED unit (2) can subsequently be determined using the identity determined and said power supply can be output to the LED unit (2) via an output unit (5). In this case, both the detection of the identity and the power supply are effected via the supply terminals (4a, 4b).

Claims

1. A method for detecting an identity of at least one LED unit that is powered from a power supply via supply terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

providing, from the power supply, a first electrical quantity to the LED unit; and

detecting the identity of the LED unit using a second electrical quantity, wherein the second electrical quantity is provided by the LED unit in response to the first electrical quantity;

wherein;

(i) the identity of the LED unit is detected via the supply terminals;

(ii) in order to detect the identity of the LED unit, a voltage that is substantially less than that of the power supply is applied to the LED unit; and

(iii) the identity of the LED unit is detected by an impedance of an identification unit, the impedance of the identification unit being substantially less than an impedance of the LED unit that is effective at the voltage applied to the LED unit.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of controlling the power supplied to the LED unit on the basis of the detected identity of the LED unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of providing and detecting are performed repeatedly during operation of the LED unit.