Safety flashing detector for traffic lamps

• US 9,018,850 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: GE Lighting Solutions LLC (Savant Systems, LLC)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Truong-Khoa, Essiambre, Benoit, Poirier, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyet Thi
• Application Number:
  US12/979,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20120161641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 315/247, 315/185.S, 315/224, 315/291, 315307-312
• US Class Current: 315/247
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits

Abstract

A safety flashing detector that suitably detects unintentional flashing of the LED light engine in a traffic lamp is provided. The LED light engine may flash unintentionally when there are failures (hardware or software) inside a traffic lamp. In certain embodiments, unintentional flashing may be detected using a current sensor. If unintentional flashing is detected, the flashing detector may activate and shut down the LED light engine to remove the hazardous failure and eventually triggers the fuse blowout circuit. Hardware circuitry is suitably employed for both reliability and safety purposes, but software may also be employed.

Claims

1. An LED traffic lamp comprising:

at least one LED light engine that generates light for the traffic lamp; and

an LED current sense circuit that is configured to monitor the current through the LED light engine and feed one or more output signals to a safety flashing detector and a fuse blow out circuit, wherein the safety flashing detector is configured to detect one or more abnormal fluctuations in the LED light engine current or frequency when such current or frequency should be steady at a predetermined threshold and to shut down the LED light engine.

2. The traffic lamp of claim 1, further comprising a control stage that is configured to control a current level in the LED light engine through one or more LED drivers.

3. The traffic lamp of claim 1, wherein the safety flashing detector further comprises a digital device, a reset circuit, a clock source, a clock enable circuit, and an LED light engine power control circuit.

4. The traffic lamp of claim 3, wherein the digital device comprises one or more of a microcontroller, a counter, and a divider.

5. The traffic lamp of claim 3, wherein the clock source is configured to converts an LED current into a digital clock for the digital device.

6. The traffic lamp of claim 5, wherein the clock source comprises an amplitude and frequency monitor circuit and a level shifter circuit, wherein the amplitude and frequency monitor circuit is configured to ensure that a correct LED current level and/or frequency is met before producing an output signal and the level shifter circuit is configured to take an output signal from the amplitude and frequency monitor circuit and translate higher amplitudes to a compatible voltage level that is safe for the digital device.

7. The LED traffic lamp of claim 1, further comprising:

an LED voltage control circuit that is configured to control the power to the LED light engine to ensure proper operation of the traffic lamp where the traffic lamp is ON when it should be ON, OFF when it should be OFF and/or steady when it should be steady and wherein when unintentional flashing and/or failures within the traffic lamp lead to a wrong signal state, the LED voltage control circuit is further configured to turn OFF the LED light engine and place the traffic lamp in a safe state.

8. The traffic lamp of claim 7, further comprising a control stage that is configured to control a current level in the LED light engine through one or more LED drivers.

9. The traffic lamp of claim 7, wherein the safety flashing detector further comprises a digital device, a reset circuit, a clock source, a clock enable circuit, and an LED light engine power control circuit.

10. The traffic lamp of claim 9, wherein the digital device comprises one or more of a microcontroller, a counter, and a divider.

11. The traffic lamp of claim 9, wherein the clock source is configured to converts an LED current into a digital clock for the digital device.

12. The traffic lamp of claim 11, wherein the clock source comprises an amplitude and frequency monitor circuit and a level shifter circuit, wherein the amplitude and frequency monitor circuit is configured to ensure that a correct LED current level and/or frequency is met before producing an output signal and the level shifter circuit is configured to take an output signal from the amplitude and frequency monitor circuit and translate higher amplitudes to a compatible voltage level that is safe for the digital device.