Controllable lighting system with a second communication protocol and appliances for this purpose

• US 7,042,173 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2004
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Optotronic GmbH (Inventronics (Hangzhou), Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Patent-Treuhand-Gesellschaft Fur Elektrische Gluhlampen mbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Huber, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US10/843,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20040245943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 315291-297, 315/307, 315/312, 315/316, 315/318, 315/324, 315/362, 315/209.R, 315/DIG.4, 315/DIG.7, 315/DIG.5, 315/325, 700/9, 700/20, 700/22, 700/286, 700/297, 700/298, 375/333, 375/361, 375/369
• US Class Current: 315/318
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/295 with semiconductor devices and specially adapted for lamps with preheating electrodes, e.g. for fluorescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic ballast and to a controller which drives this ballast, in which two communication protocols are provided for the digital drive.

Claims

1. An electronic ballast for a lamp, in which the operation of the lamp is controlled by a digital drive for the ballast by means of a communication protocol, wherein the ballast is designed to be driven digitally by means of at least two communication protocols, the at least two communication protocols comprising a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol have identical start bits.

2. An electronic ballast for a lamp, in which the operation of the lamp is controlled by a digital drive for the ballast by means of a communication protocol, wherein the ballast is designed to be driven digitally by means of at least two communication protocols, the at least two communication protocols comprising a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol have different word lengths.

3. An electronic ballast for a lamp, in which the operation of the lamp is controlled by a digital drive for the ballast by means of a communication protocol, wherein the ballast is designed to be driven digitally by means of at least two communication protocols, the at least two communication protocols comprising a first communication protocol and a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol have different stop bits.