Solid state lighting system

• US 8,878,454 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2009
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: Rix, Robert D., Weber, Ronald Martin, Gingrich, Charles Raymond III, Mostoller, Matthew Edward, Daily, Christopher George
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Jimmy
• Assistant Examiner(s): YANG, AMY X
• Application Number:
  US12/634,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,791 Days
• Field of Search: 315/294, 315/291, 315/312, 315/246, 362/249, 362/249.02
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

A solid state lighting system includes an electronic driver having a power input configured to receive power from a power source and the electronic driver having a power output. The electronic driver controls the power supply to the power output according to a control protocol, and the electronic driver has at least one expansion port having a separable interface. The system also includes a light emitting diode (LED) subassembly having an LED board having at least one LED that receives power from the power output of the electronic driver to power the LED. The system further includes a first expansion module configured to be coupled to the at least one expansion port of the electronic driver having a first functionality affecting the control protocol, and a second expansion module configured to be coupled to the at least one expansion port of the electronic driver having a second functionality affecting the control protocol. The first and second expansion modules are selectively coupled to the at least one expansion port to change the control protocol.

Claims

1. A solid state lighting system comprising:

an electronic driver having a housing holding a driver printed circuit board (PCB), the driver PCB defining a driver power circuit thereon, the electronic driver having a power input configured to receive power from a power source and being supplied to the driver power circuit, the electronic driver having a power output connected to the driver power circuit downstream of the power input, the electronic driver controlling the power supply to the power output according to a control protocol, the electronic driver having at least one expansion port defined by the housing and having a separable interface to the driver PCB being electrically connected to the driver power circuit downstream of the power input;

a light emitting diode (LED) subassembly comprising an LED board having at least one LED, the LED subassembly receiving power from the power output of the electronic driver to power the LED;

a first expansion module configured to be coupled to the at least one expansion port of the electronic driver, the first expansion module being configured to be electrically connected to the driver power circuit downstream of the power input, the first expansion module having a first functionality affecting the control protocol; and

a second expansion module configured to be coupled to the at least one expansion port of the electronic driver, the second expansion module being configured to be electrically connected to the driver power circuit downstream of the power input, the second expansion module having a second functionality affecting the control protocol;

wherein the first and second expansion modules are selectively coupled to the at least one expansion port to change the control protocol; and

wherein the first and second expansion modules have the same form factor and are swappable such that either the first expansion module or the second expansion module are configured to be coupled to any of the at least one expansion port to change the control protocol.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one expansion port includes a first expansion port, the first expansion module being removable from the first expansion port and the second expansion module being configured to be coupled to the first expansion port after the first expansion module is removed therefrom.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second expansion modules are capable of mating with the at least one expansion port using a pluggable connection, the first and second expansion modules being configured to be unplugged from the at least one expansion port to be replaced with the other of the first and second expansion modules.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein both the first and second expansion modules are coupled to the at least one expansion port in series with one another.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein both the first and second expansion modules are coupled to the at least one expansion port in parallel with one another.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one expansion port includes multiple expansion ports each having a different separable interface, the first expansion module being coupled to one of the expansion ports, the second expansion module being connected to a different one of the expansion ports.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic driver includes a socket, the driver printed circuit board (PCB) received in the socket, the at least one expansion port being defined on an external surface of the socket, the at least one expansion port being electrically connected to the driver PCB across a socket interface between the socket and the driver PCB.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic driver includes a socket, the driver printed circuit board (PCB) received in the socket, the at least one expansion port being defined by pads on the driver PCB, the first expansion module being coupled to the pads on the driver PCB in a solderless connection.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the power input is integrated with the at least one expansion port, the power from the power supply being transferred to the electronic driver through at least one of the first and second expansion modules.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes multiple expansion ports configured to receive expansion modules therein, the first expansion module being received in a first of the expansion ports and the second expansion module being received in a second of the expansion ports such that the control protocol is affected by both the first and second expansion modules.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein only one of the first and second expansion modules is coupled to the at least one expansion port such that the control protocol is affected by only one of the first and second expansion modules.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first expansion module has a first expansion module printed circuit board (PCB) having a first control circuit, the first control circuit defining the first functionality, and wherein the second expansion module has a second expansion module printed circuit board (PCB) having a second control circuit, the second control circuit defining the second functionality, at least one of the control circuits constitutes a filter circuit for filtering a power circuit.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first expansion module has a first expansion module printed circuit board (PCB) having a first control circuit, the first expansion module PCB having a connector coupled to the first control circuit and configured to receive a plug from an external device, the external device sending a signal to the first control circuit to define the first functionality.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the first expansion module has a first expansion module housing and a first expansion module printed circuit board (PCB) held by the expansion module housing, the expansion module housing engaging and being secured to the electronic driver.

15. A solid state lighting system comprising:

an expandable electronic driver having a driver printed circuit board (PCB), the driver PCB defining a driver power circuit thereon, the electronic driver having a power input configured to receive power from a power supply circuit and being supplied to the driver power circuit, the electronic driver having a power output connected to the driver power circuit downstream of the power input, the electronic driver controlling the power supply to the power output according to a control protocol, the electronic driver having a first expansion port having a separable interface being electrically connected to the driver power circuit downstream of the power input;

a light emitting diode (LED) subassembly comprising an LED board having at least one LED, the LED subassembly receiving power from the power output of the electronic driver to power the LED;

a first expansion module capable of being coupled to the first expansion port, the first expansion module having a first expansion module PCB having a first control circuit operatively coupled to the driver power circuit of the driver PCB downstream of the power input by the first expansion port, the first control circuit affecting the control protocol when the first expansion module is plugged into the first expansion port, wherein the first expansion module is removable from the first expansion port such that the first control circuit is not operatively coupled to the driver PCB, wherein the electronic driver is operable in a basic mode when the first expansion module is removed from the first expansion module, and wherein the electronic driver is operable in an enhanced control mode when the first expansion module is coupled to the first expansion port, the control protocol being different in the basic mode and the enhanced control mode; and

a second expansion module capable of being coupled to the driver power circuit of the expandable electronic driver downstream of the power input, wherein the first and second expansion modules have the same form factor and are swappable such that either the first expansion module or the second expansion module are configured to be coupled to the expandable electronic driver to change the control protocol.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the electronic driver includes a second expansion port, the second expansion module capable of being coupled to the second expansion port, the second expansion module having a second expansion module PCB having a filtering circuit affecting the control protocol when the second expansion module is plugged into the second expansion port, the second expansion module being removable from the second expansion port such that the filtering circuit is not affecting the control protocol, wherein the electronic driver is operable in a filtered mode when the second expansion module is coupled to the electronic driver and wherein the electronic driver is operable in an unfiltered mode when the second expansion module is removed from the electronic driver, the control protocol being different in the filtered mode and the unfiltered mode.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the electronic driver includes a second expansion port, the second expansion module capable of being coupled to the second expansion port, the second expansion module having a second expansion module PCB having a second control circuit operatively coupled to the driver PCB by the second expansion port, the second control circuit affecting the control protocol when the second expansion module is plugged into the second expansion port, wherein the second expansion module is removable from the second expansion port, the control protocol being affected by the presence or absence of the first expansion module and/or the second expansion module.

18. A solid state lighting system comprising:

an expandable electronic driver having a driver printed circuit board (PCB) forming a driver power circuit, the driver power circuit having a power input configured to receive power from a power supply circuit, and the driver power circuit having a power output;

a light emitting diode (LED) subassembly comprising an LED board having at least one LED, the LED subassembly receiving power from the power output of the driver power circuit to power the LED;

a first expansion module capable of being coupled to the driver power circuit of the electronic driver downstream of the power input, the first expansion module having a first expansion module PCB having a filtering circuit being tapped into one of the power supply circuit and the driver power circuit, the first expansion module being removable from the electronic driver such that the filtering circuit is not tapped into either of the power supply circuit or the driver power circuit, wherein the electronic driver is operable in a filtered mode when the first expansion module is coupled to the electronic driver and wherein the electronic driver is operable in an unfiltered mode when the first expansion module is removed from the electronic driver, power characteristics of the driver power circuit being different when the electronic driver is operated in the filtered mode than when the electronic driver is operated in the unfiltered mode; and

a second expansion module capable of being coupled to the driver power circuit of the expandable electronic driver downstream of the power input, wherein the first and second expansion modules have the same form factor and are swappable such that either the first expansion module or the second expansion module are configured to be coupled to the expandable electronic driver to change the control protocol.

19. The system of claim 18, the second expansion module having a second expansion module PCB having a control circuit operatively coupled to the driver PCB, the control circuit affecting a control protocol of the electronic driver when the second expansion module is coupled to the electronic driver, wherein the second expansion module is removable from the electronic driver such that the control circuit is not operatively coupled to the driver PCB, wherein the electronic driver is operable in a basic mode when the second expansion module is removed from the second expansion module, and wherein the electronic driver is operable in an enhanced control mode when the second expansion module is coupled to the electronic driver, the control protocol being different in the basic mode and the enhanced control mode.