Illumination systems

• US 8,749,159 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: EMD Technologies Inc (Benchmark Electronics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: EMD Technologies Inc (Benchmark Electronics Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beland, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILOGENE, HAISSA
• Application Number:
  US13/066,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20120001564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,151 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/292, 315/294, 315/307, 315/312, 315/276, 315/209.R, 315/244, 315/247, 336/117, 336/119, 336/145, 336/172, 336/173, 336/177, 363/17, 363/61, 363/89, 363/95, 363/98, 362/218, 362/231, 362/249, 362/252, 362/294, 362/373, 362/545, 362/800, 362/812
• US Class Current: 315/276
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/355 Power factor correction [PFC]; Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/39 Circuits containing inverter bridges
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/58 involving end of life detection of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

An illumination system includes a master power supply providing power to several illumination modules. The master power supply is constructed and arranged to generate high-frequency and low-voltage electrical power provided to a primary wire forming a current loop. Each illumination module includes an electromagnetic coupling element and several light sources. The electromagnetic coupling element includes a magnetic core arranged to receive the current loop in a removable arrangement, and a secondary wire wound around the magnetic core to enable inductive coupling. The secondary wire is connected to provide current to the light sources that may be arranged in the illumination module as a DC load or an AC load.

Claims

1. A master power supply for an illumination system, comprising:

a resonant inverter constructed and arranged to generate a high-frequency and low-voltage electrical output;

an AC current source including an inductor, said electrical output of said resonant inverter being magnetically coupled and provided to said AC current source;

a transformer including a primary side and a secondary side, said primary side being connected to said current source and

a current carrying loop connected to said secondary side and being arranged to provide power in a contactless way by inductive coupling to an illumination module including several light emitting diodes (LEDs).

2. The master power supply of claim 1 further including a power factor corrector.

3. The master power supply of claim 1 further including a pulse width modulation line regulator.

4. The master power supply of claim 1 further including a loop current sensor and an open circuit voltage sensor.

5. The master power supply of claim 1 further including a microcontroller for controlling a loop current and max power.

6. The master power supply of claim 3, wherein said pulse width modulation line regulator includes a buck converter.

7. The master power supply of claim 1 wherein said illumination module includes said LEDs used for building or pathway lighting purposes.

8. The master power supply of claim 1 wherein said illumination module includes said LEDs located inside a letter channel for lighting purposes.

9. The master power supply of claim 1, wherein said resonant inverter includes two transistors connected back to back in a push-pull arrangement.

10. A master power supply for an illumination system, comprising:

a resonant inverter having a resonant circuit topology and being constructed and arranged to generate a high-frequency and low-voltage electrical output;

an AC current source including an inductor connected to receive said electrical output;

a transformer including a primary side and a secondary side, said primary side being connected to said current source and said secondary side including a current limiter; and

a current carrying loop connected to said secondary side and being arranged to provide power in a contactless way by inductive coupling to an illumination module including several light emitting diodes (LEDs).

11. The master power supply of claim 10 further including a power factor corrector.

12. The master power supply of claim 10 further including a pulse width modulation line regulator.

13. The master power supply of claim 10 further including a loop current sensor and an open circuit voltage sensor.

14. The master power supply of claim 10 further including a microcontroller for controlling a loop current and max power.

15. The master power supply of claim 11, wherein said power factor corrector includes a switch coupled to an inductor and a diode to provide boost voltage output.

16. The master power supply of claim 15, wherein said power factor corrector includes said switch coupled in a feedback arrangement to an output voltage regulator.

17. The master power supply of claim 16, wherein said feedback arrangement includes a voltage feedback loop.

18. The master power supply of claim 16, wherein said feedback arrangement includes a current feedback loop.

19. The master power supply of claim 10, wherein said resonant inverter includes a half bridge converter.

20. The master power supply of claim 19, wherein said half bridge converter includes a driver providing signals to semiconductor switches operating with a resonant circuit.

21. The master power supply of claim 20, wherein said half bridge converter includes said current limiter.

22. The master power supply of claim 20, wherein said half bridge converter includes an open circuit limiter.

23. The master power supply of claim 10, wherein said resonant inverter includes a self oscillating sinusoidal resonant circuit topology.

24. The master power supply of claim 23, wherein said resonant inverter includes two transistors connected back to back in a push-pull arrangement.

25. The master power supply of claim 12, wherein said pulse width modulation line regulator includes a buck converter.

26. The master power supply of claim 14, wherein said microcontroller receives a signal from a loop current sensor associated with said primary side.

27. The master power supply of claim 14, wherein said microcontroller receives a signal from an open circuit voltage sensor associated with said primary side.

28. The master power supply of claim 10 wherein said illumination module includes said LEDs used for building or pathway lighting purposes.

29. The master power supply of claim 10 wherein said illumination module includes said LEDs located inside a letter channel for lighting purposes.

30. The master power supply of claim 10, wherein said resonant inverter provides said output in the range of about 20 kHz to about 40 kHz.

31. A master power supply for an illumination system, comprising:

a resonant inverter having a resonant circuit topology and being constructed and arranged to generate a high-frequency and low-voltage electrical output;

an AC current source including an inductor connected to receive said high-frequency and low-voltage electrical output;

a transformer including a primary side and a secondary side, said primary side being connected to said current source;

a loop current sensor associated with said primary side;

an open circuit voltage sensor associated with said primary side; and

a current carrying loop connected to said secondary side and being arranged to provide power in a contactless way by inductive coupling to an illumination module.

32. The master power supply of claim 31 further including a pulse width modulation line regulator.

33. The master power supply of claim 32, wherein said pulse width modulation line regulator includes a buck converter.

34. The master power supply of claim 32, wherein said pulse width modulation line regulator is controlled by a microcontroller in a feedback arrangement.

35. The master power supply of claim 31, wherein said loop current sensor and said open circuit voltage sensor provide signals to a microcontroller.

36. The master power supply of claim 31, wherein said resonant inverter includes two transistors connected back to back in a push-pull arrangement.

37. The master power supply of claim 31, wherein said resonant inverter provides said output in the range of about 20 kHz to about 40 kHz.