Systems and methods for controlling solid state lighting devices and lighting apparatus incorporating such systems and/or methods

• US 8,569,974 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chobot, Joseph Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILOGENE, HAISSA
• Application Number:
  US12/987,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20120104953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,023 Days
• Field of Search: 315/307, 315/308, 315/291, 315/224, 315/149, 315/159, 315/312, 315/362, 315/169.3, 315/118, 315/360, 315/185.R, 315/192, 315/193, 362/234, 362/253, 362/800, 362/276, 362/227, 250/226, 250/216, 250/205, 250/214.C, 250/214.AL
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/24 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules

Abstract

A solid state lighting apparatus includes a first plurality of light emitting devices configured to emit light when energized having a first chromaticity, a second plurality of light emitting devices configured to emit light when energized having a second chromaticity, different from the first chromaticity, and a controller configured to control a duty cycle of current supplied to the first plurality of light emitting devices. The controller is configured to control the duty cycle of the first plurality of light emitting devices in response to a change in a plurality of operating conditions of the solid state lighting apparatus in accordance with a model of the duty cycle that relates the duty cycle of the first plurality of light emitting devices to the plurality of operating conditions of the solid state lighting apparatus for a target light output characteristic of the solid state lighting apparatus. Related methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a solid state lighting apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a first model of a duty cycle of at least one light emitting device of the solid state lighting apparatus based on a temperature of the light emitting device and a level of current supplied to the light emitting device for a target chromaticity of light generated by the solid state lighting apparatus;

controlling the duty cycle of the at least one light emitting device in response to change in at least one of the temperature of the light emitting device and the level of current supplied to the light emitting device in accordance with the first model;

measuring an actual chromaticity of light generated by the solid state lighting apparatus in response to controlling the duty cycle of the at least one light emitting device in accordance with the first model;

comparing the measured chromaticity of light output by the solid state lighting apparatus to the target chromaticity for light output by the solid state lighting apparatus;

in response to a difference between the measured chromaticity and the target chromaticity, providing a second model of the duty cycle of the at least one light emitting device based on the temperature of the light emitting device and the level of current supplied to the light emitting device for an adjusted target chromaticity of light generated by the solid state lighting apparatus; and

controlling the duty cycle of the at least one light emitting device in accordance with the second model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first model of the duty cycle of the at least one light emitting device of the solid state lighting apparatus comprises a plurality of control points of a Bé

zier surface that relates the duty cycle of the at least one light emitting device to the temperature of the light emitting device and the level of current supplied to the light emitting device for the target chromaticity.

3. A method of controlling a solid state lighting apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a first model of an operating parameter of the solid state lighting apparatus based on at least one operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus for a target light output characteristic of the solid state lighting apparatus;

controlling the operating parameter of the solid state lighting apparatus in response to a change in the at least one operating condition in accordance with the first model;

measuring the light output characteristic of the solid state lighting apparatus;

comparing the measured light output characteristic to an acceptable range of light output characteristics for the solid state lighting apparatus;

in response to a difference between the measured light output characteristic and the target light output characteristic, providing a second model of the operating parameter of the solid state lighting apparatus based on the at least one operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus for an adjusted target light output characteristic of the solid state lighting apparatus; and

controlling the operating parameter of the solid state lighting apparatus in response to a change in the at least one operating condition based on the second model.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the operating parameter comprises a duty cycle of current supplied to at least one light emitting device in the solid state lighting apparatus.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus comprises a temperature of the solid state lighting apparatus.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus comprises a current supplied to at least one light emitting device in the solid state lighting apparatus.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus comprises a temperature of the solid state lighting apparatus and a current supplied to at least one light emitting device in the solid state lighting apparatus.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the first model of the operating parameter of the solid state lighting apparatus comprises a plurality of control points of a Bé

zier surface that relates the operating parameter of the solid state lighting apparatus to the at least one operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus for the target light output characteristic.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the light output characteristic comprises a chromaticity point of light output by the solid state lighting apparatus.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein the light output characteristic comprises an intensity of light output by the solid state lighting apparatus.

11. The method of claim 3, wherein the solid state lighting apparatus comprises a first plurality of light emitting devices configured to emit light having a first chromaticity when energized and a second plurality of light emitting devices configured to emit light having a second chromaticity, different from the first chromaticity, when energized, wherein the operating parameter comprises a duty cycle of operation of the first plurality of light emitting devices.

12. A solid state lighting apparatus, comprising:

a first light emitting device configured to emit light having a first chromaticity when energized;

a second light emitting device configured to emit light having a second chromaticity, different from the first chromaticity; and

a controller configured to control a current level supplied to the first light emitting device;

wherein the controller is configured to control the current level of the first light emitting device in response to a change in an operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus in accordance with a model of the current level that relates the current level of the first light emitting device to the operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus for a target light output characteristic of the solid state lighting apparatus;

wherein the model of the current level of the first light emitting device comprises control points of a Bé

zier surface that relates the current level of the first light emitting device to the operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus for the target light output characteristic.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first light emitting device is connected in series to a first current source and the second light emitting device is connected in series to a second current source, the apparatus further comprising a controller coupled to the first current source and configured to selectively activate and deactivate the first current source in accordance with the current level of the first light emitting device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first light emitting device and/or the second light emitting device comprises a plurality of light emitting elements.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the operating condition of the solid state lighting apparatus comprises a temperature of the solid state lighting apparatus and/or a current supplied to at least one light emitting device in the solid state lighting apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the current level of the first light emitting device comprises a duty cycle of the first light emitting device.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the light output characteristic comprises a chromaticity point of light output by the solid state lighting apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the light output characteristic comprises an intensity of light output by the solid state lighting apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first light emitting device and the second light emitting device are connected in a series string, the apparatus further comprising a bypass circuit configured to selectively bypass the first light emitting device and a controller coupled to the bypass circuit and configured to control operation of the bypass circuit.