Systems and methods for determining a type of transformer to which a load is coupled

• US 9,072,125 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Cirrus Logic Incorporated
• Inventors: King, Eric Jerome, Melanson, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Crystal L
• Application Number:
  US13/799,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 315/247
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/315 Reverse phase-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

An apparatus may include a controller to provide compatibility between a load and a secondary winding of a transformer driven at its primary winding by a dimmer, wherein the controller is configured to: determine from a transformer secondary signal whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer; and select a compatibility mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation based on the determination of whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer. A method for providing compatibility between a load and a secondary winding of a transformer driven at its primary winding by a dimmer may include determining from a transformer secondary signal whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer and selecting a compatibility mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation based on the determination of whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a controller to provide compatibility between a load and a secondary winding of a transformer driven at its primary winding by a dimmer, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine from a transformer secondary signal whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer; and

select a compatibility mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation based on the determination of whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer, wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise at least;

a magnetic transformer compatibility mode, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine from a magnetic transformer secondary signal a period of a half-line cycle of an output signal of the dimmer;

determine from the magnetic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of an end of a phase-cut angle of the dimmer; and

generate a driving signal to the load based on the period and the estimated occurrence of the end of the phase-cut angle; and

an electronic transformer compatibility mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the transformer is a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer based on a frequency of oscillation of the transformer secondary signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the transformer is an electronic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the transformer secondary signal is greater than a first predetermined threshold frequency; and

determine that the transformer is a magnetic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the transformer secondary signal is lesser than a second predetermined threshold frequency.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first predetermined frequency is equal to the second predetermined frequency.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to detect occurrence of alternating phases of the transformer secondary signal responsive to determining from the transformer secondary signal that the transformer is a magnetic transformer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to:

measure an amount of electrical energy delivered to the load in each of the alternating phases; and

based on the measurement of delivered electrical energy, compensate for any imbalance in delivery of electrical energy to each of the alternating phases.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the load comprises a lamp.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the lamp comprises a light-emitting diode lamp.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the lamp comprises a multifaceted reflector form factor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, in the electronic transformer compatibility mode:

predict based on an electronic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of a high-resistance state of the trailing-edge dimmer, wherein the high-resistance state occurs when the trailing-edge dimmer begins phase-cutting an alternating current voltage signal; and

operate in a high-current mode for a period of time immediately prior to the estimated occurrence of the high-resistance state.

11. A method for providing compatibility between a load and a secondary winding of a transformer driven at its primary winding by a dimmer comprising:

determining from a transformer secondary signal whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer; and

selecting a compatibility mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation based on the determination of whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer, wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise at least;

a magnetic transformer compatibility mode, wherein the method further comprises;

determining from a magnetic transformer secondary signal a period of a half-line cycle of an output signal of the dimmer;

determining from the magnetic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of an end of a phase-cut angle of the dimmer; and

generating a driving signal to the load based on the period and the estimated occurrence of the end of the phase-cut angle; and

an electronic transformer compatibility mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining whether the transformer is a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer based on a frequency of oscillation of the transformer secondary signal.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the transformer is an electronic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the transformer secondary signal is greater than a first predetermined threshold frequency; and

determining that the transformer is a magnetic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the transformer secondary signal is less than a second predetermined threshold frequency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first predetermined frequency is equal to the second predetermined frequency.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising detecting occurrence of alternating phases of the transformer secondary signal responsive to determining that the transformer is a magnetic transformer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

measuring an amount of electrical energy delivered to the load in each of the alternating phases; and

based on the measurement of delivered electrical energy, compensating for any imbalance in delivery of electrical energy to each of the alternating phases.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the load comprises a lamp.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the lamp comprises a light-emitting diode lamp.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the lamp comprises a multifaceted reflector form factor.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein in the electronic transformer compatibility mode, the method further comprises:

predicting based on an electronic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of a high-resistance state of the trailing-edge dimmer, wherein the high-resistance state occurs when the trailing-edge dimmer begins phase-cutting an alternating current voltage signal; and

operating in a high-current mode for a period of time immediately prior to the estimated occurrence of the high-resistance state.

21. An apparatus comprising:

a controller to provide compatibility between a load and a secondary winding of a transformer driven at its primary winding by a dimmer, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine from a signal indicative of a transformer secondary signal whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer; and

select a compatibility mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation based on the determination of whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer, wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise at least;

a magnetic transformer compatibility mode, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine from a magnetic transformer secondary signal a period of a half-line cycle of an output signal of the dimmer;

determine from the magnetic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of an end of a phase-cut angle of the dimmer; and

generate a driving signal to the load based on the period and the estimated occurrence of the end of the phase-cut angle; and

an electronic transformer compatibility mode.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether the transformer is a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer based on a frequency of oscillation of the signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine that the transformer is an electronic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the signal is greater than a first predetermined threshold frequency; and

determine that the transformer is a magnetic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the signal is lesser than a second predetermined threshold frequency.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the first predetermined frequency is equal to the second predetermined frequency.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to detect occurrence of alternating phases of the signal responsive to determining from the signal that the transformer is a magnetic transformer.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the controller is further configured to:

measure an amount of electrical energy delivered to the load in each of the alternating phases; and

based on the measurement of delivered electrical energy, compensate for any imbalance in delivery of electrical energy to each of the alternating phases.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the load comprises a lamp.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the lamp comprises a light-emitting diode lamp.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the lamp comprises a multifaceted reflector form factor.

30. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to, in the electronic transformer compatibility mode:

predict based on an electronic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of a high-resistance state of the trailing-edge dimmer, wherein the high-resistance state occurs when the trailing-edge dimmer begins phase-cutting an alternating current voltage signal; and

operate in a high-current mode for a period of time immediately prior to the estimated occurrence of the high-resistance state.

31. A method for providing compatibility between a load and a secondary winding of a transformer driven at its primary winding by a dimmer comprising:

determining from a signal indicative of a transformer secondary signal whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer; and

selecting a compatibility mode of operation from a plurality of modes of operation based on the determination of whether the transformer comprises a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer, wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprise at least;

a magnetic transformer compatibility mode, wherein the method further comprises;

determining from a magnetic transformer secondary signal a period of a half-line cycle of an output signal of the dimmer;

determining from the magnetic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of an end of a phase-cut angle of the dimmer; and

generating a driving signal to the load based on the period and the estimated occurrence of the end of the phase-cut angle; and

an electronic transformer compatibility mode.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising determining whether the transformer is a magnetic transformer or an electronic transformer based on a frequency of oscillation of the signal.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

determining that the transformer is an electronic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the signal is greater than a first predetermined threshold frequency; and

determining that the transformer is a magnetic transformer if the frequency of oscillation of the signal is less than a second predetermined threshold frequency.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the first predetermined frequency is equal to the second predetermined frequency.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising detecting occurrence of alternating phases of the signal responsive to determining that the transformer is a magnetic transformer.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

measuring an amount of electrical energy delivered to the load in each of the alternating phases; and

based on the measurement of delivered electrical energy, compensating for any imbalance in delivery of electrical energy to each of the alternating phases.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein the load comprises a lamp.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the lamp comprises a light-emitting diode lamp.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the lamp comprises a multifaceted reflector form factor.

40. The method of claim 31, wherein in the electronic transformer compatibility mode, the method further comprises:

predicting based on an electronic transformer secondary signal an estimated occurrence of a high-resistance state of the trailing-edge dimmer, wherein the high-resistance state occurs when the trailing-edge dimmer begins phase-cutting an alternating current voltage signal; and

operating in a high-current mode for a period of time immediately prior to the estimated occurrence of the high-resistance state.