Methods and apparatus for providing power to lighting devices
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
- at least one LED; and
at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to receive a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, the at least one controller further configured to provide power to the at least one LED based on the power-related signal,wherein the A.C. power source is an A.C. dimmer circuit, andwherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to provide an essentially non-varying power to the at least one LED over a significant range of operation of the user interface.
4 Assignments
Litigations
2 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for providing power to devices via an A.C. power source, and for facilitating the use of LED-based light sources on A.C. power circuits that provide signals other than standard line voltages. In one example, LED-based light sources may be coupled to A.C. power circuits that are controlled by conventional dimmers (i.e, “A.C. dimmer circuits”). Hence, LED-based light sources may be conveniently substituted for other light sources (e.g., incandescent lights) in lighting environments employing conventional A.C. dimming devices and/or other control signals present on the A.C. power circuit. In yet other aspects, one or more parameters relating to the light generated by LED-based light sources (e.g., intensity, color, color temperature, temporal characteristics, etc.) may be conveniently controlled via operation of a conventional A.C. dimmer and/or other signals present on the A.C. power circuit.
1091 Citations
64 Claims
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1. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
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at least one LED; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to receive a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, the at least one controller further configured to provide power to the at least one LED based on the power-related signal, wherein the A.C. power source is an A.C. dimmer circuit, and wherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to provide an essentially non-varying power to the at least one LED over a significant range of operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
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at least one LED; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to receive a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, the at least one controller further configured to provide power to the at least one LED based on the power-related signal, wherein the A.C. power source is an A.C. dimmer circuit, wherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control at least one parameter of light generated by the at least one LED in response to operation of the user interface, and wherein the operation of the user interface varies a duty cycle of the power-related signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control the at least one parameter of the light based at least on the variable duty cycle of the power-related signal. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
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at least one LED; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to receive a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, the at least one controller further configured to provide power to the at least one LED based on the power-related signal, wherein the A.C. power source is an A.C. dimmer circuit, wherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control at least one parameter of light generated by the at least one LED in response to operation of the user interface, and wherein the at least one controller includes; an adjustment circuit to variably control the at least one parameter of light based on the varying power-related signal; and power circuitry to provide at least the power to the at least one LED based on the varying power-related signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An illumination method, comprising an act of:
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A) providing power to at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, wherein the act A) includes an act of; providing power to the at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit, wherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the act A) comprises an act of; B) providing an essentially non-varying power to the at least one LED over a significant range of operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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34. An illumination method, comprising an act of:
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A) providing power to at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, wherein the act A) includes an act of; providing power to the at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit, wherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the act A) includes an act of; C) variably controlling at least one parameter of light generated by the at least one LED in response to operation of the user interface, wherein the operation of the user interface varies a duty cycle of the power-related signal, and wherein the act C) includes an act of; D) variably controlling the at least one parameter of the light based at least on the variable duty cycle of the power-related signal. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. An illumination method, comprising an act of:
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A) providing power to at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, wherein the act A) includes an act of; providing power to the at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit, wherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the act A) includes an act of; C) variably controlling at least one parameter of light generated by the at least one LED in response to operation of the user interface, wherein the act C) includes an act of; H) digitally sampling the varying power-related signal so as to determine at least one varying characteristic of the varying power-related signal. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. An illumination method, comprising an act of:
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A) providing power to at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) power source that provides signals other than a standard A.C. line voltage, wherein the act A) includes an act of; providing power to the at least one LED based on a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit, wherein the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal, and wherein the act A) includes an act of; C) variably controlling at least one parameter of light generated by the at least one LED in response to operation of the user interface, wherein; the at least one LED includes; at least one first LED adapted to output at least first radiation having a first spectrum; and at least one second LED adapted to output second radiation having a second spectrum different than the first spectrum; and the act C) includes an act of; I) independently controlling at least a first intensity of the first radiation and a second intensity of the second radiation in response to operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
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at least one LED adapted to generate an essentially white light; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and confianred to receive a power-related signal from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit and provide power to the at least one LED based on the power-related signal, wherein; the A.C. dimmer circuit is controlled by a user interface to vary the power-related signal; and the at least one controller is configured to variably control at least one parameter of the essentially white light in response to operation of the user interface so as to approximate light generation characteristics of an incandescent light source, wherein the operation of the user interface varies a duty cycle of the power-related signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to variably control the at least one parameter of the essentially white light based at least on the variable duty cycle of the power-related signal. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
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at least one LED; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to receive first power from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit, the A.C. dimmer circuit being controlled by a user interface to vary the first power, the at least one controller further configured to provide second power to the at least one LED based on the first power, wherein; the A.C. dimmer circuit includes a triac responsive to the user interface so as to variably control a duty cycle of an A.C. signal and thereby vary the first power; and the at least one controller is configured to provide the second power as an essentially stable non-varying power to the at least one LED notwithstanding significant variations of the first power.
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58. An illumination apparatus, comprising:
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at least one LED; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to receive first power from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit, the A.C. dimmer circuit being controlled by a user interface to vary the first power, the at least one controller further configured to provide second power to the at least one LED based on the first power, wherein; the A.C. dimmer circuit includes a triac responsive to the user interface so as to variably control a duty cycle of an A.C. signal and thereby vary the first power; and the at least one controller is configured to provide the second power as a varying power to the at least one LED based on variations of the first power.
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59. An illumination apparatus, compnsing:
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at least one LED; and at least one controller coupled to the at least one LED and configured to receive first power from an alternating current (A.C.) dimmer circuit, the A.C. dimmer circuit being controlled by a user interface to vary the first power, the at least one controller further configured to provide second power to the at least one LED based on the first power, wherein; the A.C. dimmer circuit includes a triac responsive to the user interface so as to variably control a duty cycle of an A.C. signal and thereby vary the first power; and the at least one controller is configured to variably control at least one parameter of light generated by the at least one LED in response to operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification