Apparatus and method for a light-emitting diode lamp that simulates a filament lamp
First Claim
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1. An apparatus comprising:
- a circuit assembly comprising a light-emitting diode (LED) load, a filament bulb simulation circuit in parallel with the LED load, and a voltage converter circuit connected between the LED load and the filament bulb simulation circuit, the filament bulb simulation circuit being configured to simulate a load that would be presented to a monitoring system by a filament bulb; and
a legacy aircraft monitoring system in communication with the circuit assembly, the legacy aircraft monitoring system configured to test whether the circuit assembly exhibits a predetermined characteristic to determine whether the circuit assembly is operational;
wherein the voltage converter circuit comprises a rectifier bridge circuit and at least one load resistor connected in series between the filament bulb simulation circuit and the rectifier bridge circuit; and
wherein the legacy aircraft monitoring system comprises a multiplexed monitoring system that is configured to test the circuit assembly for the predetermined characteristic, and wherein the predetermined characteristic comprises a resistance exhibited by a filament bulb load within a predetermined threshold.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a circuit assembly comprising a light-emitting diode (LED) load in combination with a filament bulb simulation circuit, the filament bulb simulation circuit being configured to simulate a load that would be presented to a monitoring system by a filament bulb. In this manner, a filament bulb can be effectively replaced with one or more LEDs and thereby achieve power consumption savings. Also disclosed is a method for monitoring an LED circuit assembly with a monitoring system to determine whether the LED circuit assembly is deemed operational.
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Citations
53 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a circuit assembly comprising a light-emitting diode (LED) load, a filament bulb simulation circuit in parallel with the LED load, and a voltage converter circuit connected between the LED load and the filament bulb simulation circuit, the filament bulb simulation circuit being configured to simulate a load that would be presented to a monitoring system by a filament bulb; and a legacy aircraft monitoring system in communication with the circuit assembly, the legacy aircraft monitoring system configured to test whether the circuit assembly exhibits a predetermined characteristic to determine whether the circuit assembly is operational; wherein the voltage converter circuit comprises a rectifier bridge circuit and at least one load resistor connected in series between the filament bulb simulation circuit and the rectifier bridge circuit; and wherein the legacy aircraft monitoring system comprises a multiplexed monitoring system that is configured to test the circuit assembly for the predetermined characteristic, and wherein the predetermined characteristic comprises a resistance exhibited by a filament bulb load within a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus comprising:
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a circuit assembly comprising a light-emitting diode (LED) load, a filament bulb simulation circuit in parallel with the LED load, and a voltage converter circuit connected between the LED load and the filament bulb simulation circuit, the filament bulb simulation circuit being configured to simulate a load that would be presented to a monitoring system by a filament bulb; and a legacy aircraft monitoring system in communication with the circuit assembly, the legacy aircraft monitoring system configured to test whether the circuit assembly exhibits a predetermined characteristic to determine whether the circuit assembly is operational; wherein the voltage converter circuit comprises a rectifier bridge circuit and at least one load resistor connected in series between the filament bulb simulation circuit and the rectifier bridge circuit; and wherein the legacy aircraft monitoring system comprises a Triacs-based monitoring system that is configured to test the circuit assembly for the predetermined characteristic, and wherein the predetermined characteristic comprises a predetermined capacitive reactance exhibited by a filament bulb load. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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38. An apparatus for replacing a filament bulb, the apparatus comprising:
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a light-emitting diode (LED) load; a monitoring system configured to monitor whether the LED load is operational; a capacitor in parallel with the LED load, wherein the capacitor is sized such that the apparatus exhibits at least one of the group consisting of an equivalent series resistance and a capacitive reactance that an operational filament bulb would have exhibited, thereby creating a simulation of the filament bulb for the monitoring system; and a voltage converter circuit connected between the capacitor and the LED load; wherein the capacitor and the voltage converter are enclosed within a housing, the housing having a first end for exposing an illumination portion of the LED load and a second end for connecting to a legacy aircraft socket; and wherein the monitoring system comprises a legacy aircraft multiplexed monitoring system that is in communication with LED load, the voltage converter and the capacitor by way of the socket, and wherein the capacitor is sized such that the apparatus exhibits an equivalent series resistance that an operational filament bulb would have exhibited, thereby creating a simulation of the filament bulb for the monitoring system. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. An apparatus for replacing a filament bulb, the apparatus comprising:
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a light-emitting diode (LED) load; a monitoring system configured to monitor whether the LED load is operational; a capacitor in parallel with the LED load, wherein the capacitor is sized such that the apparatus exhibits at least one of the group consisting of an equivalent series resistance and a capacitive reactance that an operational filament bulb would have exhibited, thereby creating a simulation of the filament bulb for the monitoring system; and a voltage converter circuit connected between the capacitor and the LED load; wherein the capacitor and the voltage converter are enclosed within a housing, the housing having a first end for exposing an illumination portion of the LED load and a second end for connecting to a legacy aircraft socket; and wherein the monitoring system comprises a legacy aircraft Triacs-based monitoring system, and wherein the capacitor is sized such that the apparatus exhibits a capacitive reactance that an operational filament bulb would have exhibited, thereby creating a simulation of the filament bulb for the monitoring system.
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42. A method comprising:
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installing a light-emitting diode (LED) circuit assembly into a legacy aircraft socket, the LED circuit thereby being electrically connected with the socket, the LED circuit assembly comprising an LED load and a filament bulb simulation circuit in parallel with the LED load; monitoring the LED circuit assembly through a legacy aircraft monitoring system that is configured for monitoring an operational status for a filament bulb, wherein the filament bulb simulation circuit comprises a capacitor in parallel with the LED load, and wherein the filament bulb simulation circuit is configured such that the LED circuit assembly simulates an operational filament bulb for the monitoring system; automatically determining, via the monitoring system and in response to the monitoring step, an operational status for the LED circuit assembly; permitting illumination of the LED load in response to a positive determined operational status for the LED circuit assembly; and removing a filament bulb from the socket prior to the installing step. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A method comprising:
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monitoring a light-emitting diode (LED) circuit assembly through a legacy aircraft multiplexed monitoring system that is configured for monitoring an operational status for a filament bulb, the LED circuit assembly comprising an LED load and a filament bulb simulation circuit in parallel with the LED load, wherein the filament bulb simulation circuit comprises a capacitor in parallel with the LED load, and wherein the filament bulb simulation circuit is configured such that the LED circuit assembly simulates an operational filament bulb for the monitoring system; automatically determining, via the monitoring system and in response to the monitoring step, an operational status for the LED circuit assembly; and permitting illumination of the LED load in response to a positive determined operational status for the LED circuit assembly. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method comprising:
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monitoring a light-emitting diode (LED) circuit assembly through a legacy aircraft Triacs-based monitoring system that is configured for monitoring an operational status for a filament bulb, the LED circuit assembly comprising an LED load and a filament bulb simulation circuit in parallel with the LED load, wherein the filament bulb simulation circuit comprises a capacitor in parallel with the LED load, and wherein the filament bulb simulation circuit is configured such that the LED circuit assembly simulates an operational filament bulb for the monitoring system; automatically determining, via the monitoring system and in response to the monitoring step, an operational status for the LED circuit assembly; and permitting illumination of the LED load in response to a positive determined operational status for the LED circuit assembly. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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Specification