Method of configuring an LED driver, LED driver, LED assembly and method of controlling an LED assembly

• US 9,113,512 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eldoLAB Holding B.V. (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eldoLAB Holding B.V. (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Welten, Petrus Johannes Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Vibol
• Application Number:
  US14/056,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20140175981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 315/151, 315/152, 315/185.R, 315/192, 315/250, 315/291, 315/294, 315/297, 315/308, 315/312, 362/231, 362/249.06
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/48 having LEDs organised in strings and incorporating parallel shunting devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A method of configuring an LED driver is disclosed. The LED driver being arranged to provide a supply current to an LED fixture comprising a plurality of LEDs. The method comprises: identifying the LED fixture (LF), sending via a communication network (NTW) a configuration request to a configuration database (DB), receiving configuration data from the configuration database; and configuring the LED driver (LPS) according to the configuration data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

configuring an LED driver, the LED driver to provide a supply power to an LED fixture comprising a plurality of LEDs, by

identifying the LED fixture;

obtaining, using the identification of the LED fixture, configuration data for the LED driver from a configuration database; and

configuring the LED driver according to the configuration data; and

operating the LED driver, the LED driver comprising a power converter for powering the LED fixture and a control unit for controlling the power converter and/or the LED fixture, by determining, by the control unit, an output signal for the power converter or LED fixture based on the configuration data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining the configuration data comprises:

sending via a communication network a configuration request to a configuration database; and

receiving the configuration data from the configuration database.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the LED fixture comprises:

detecting by the LED driver an electrical signal obtained via the LED fixture; and

deriving by the LED driver an LED fixture identification code from the obtained electrical signal.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the configuration data is obtained using the LED fixture identification code.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the LED driver; and

obtaining, using the identification of the LED driver, the configuration data for the LED driver from a configuration database.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of configuring the LED driver comprises:

decoding by a Lookup table the configuration data into LED driver settings; and

configuring the LED driver according to the LED driver settings.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a feedback signal from the LED fixture to the LED driver; and

reconfiguring the LED driver according to the feedback signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identification of the LED fixture is an LED type or model identification.

9. An LED driver comprising a power converter for powering an LED fixture and a control unit for controlling the power converter and/or the LED fixture,

wherein the control unit is arranged to determine an output signal for the power converter or LED fixture based on configuration data, and

wherein the LED driver is configured according to a method comprising:

identifying the LED fixture;

obtaining, using the identification of the LED fixture, the configuration data for the LED driver from a configuration database; and

configuring the LED driver according to the configuration data.

10. The LED driver according to claim 9 wherein the control unit comprises:

an input terminal for receiving an input signal,

an output terminal for providing an output signal to the power converter and/or the LED fixture for controlling the power converter and/or the LED fixture, and

wherein the control unit is further arranged to;

receive, by means of a download, a program comprising an algorithm for converting the input signal to the control signal for the power converter and/or the LED fixture and

following receipt of the program, establish a conversion from the input signal to the output signal using the algorithm.

11. The LED driver according to claim 10 wherein the program is downloaded to the control unit using wireless communication.

12. The LED driver according to claim 10 wherein the program is received via the input terminal.

13. The LED driver according to claim 10 wherein the algorithm is based on one or more parameters of the power converter and/or the LED fixture and/or environmental parameters.

14. The LED driver according to claim 13, wherein the one or more parameters are provided to the control unit via the downloaded program.

15. An LED assembly comprising:

an LED fixture comprising at least one LED; and

an LED driver according to claim 13,

wherein the one or more parameters comprise at least one parameter of the LED fixture and at least one parameter of the power converter.

16. The LED assembly according to claim 15 further comprising a cooling element for cooling the LED fixture and/or the power converter and wherein the one or more parameters further comprise at least one parameter of the cooling element.

17. The LED assembly according to claim 15 wherein the one or more parameter comprises at least one parameter describing a thermal characteristic of the LED assembly.

18. The LED driver according to claim 10 wherein the algorithm comprises a model such as a thermal or electric model, of the power converter and/or the LED fixture.

19. The LED driver according to claim 10 wherein the algorithm further enables to determine a one-to-one relationship between the input signal and the control signal over an entire range of the input signal.

20. The LED driver according to claim 9, wherein obtaining the configuration data comprises:

sending via a communication network a configuration request to a configuration database; and

receiving the configuration data from the configuration database.

21. The LED driver according to claim 9, wherein the step of configuring the LED driver comprises:

identifying the LED driver; and

obtaining, using the identification of the LED driver, the configuration data for the LED driver from a configuration database.

22. The LED driver according to claim 9, wherein the step of configuring the LED driver comprises:

decoding by a Lookup table the configuration data into LED driver settings; and

configuring the LED driver according to the LED driver settings.

23. The LED driver according to claim 9, wherein the step of configuring the LED driver comprises:

providing a feedback signal from the LED fixture to the LED driver; and

reconfiguring the LED driver according to the feedback signal.

24. A method of controlling an LED assembly, the LED assembly comprising:

an LED fixture comprising at least one LED;

an LED driver comprising a power converter for providing a supply power to the LED fixture; and

a control unit for controlling the power converter and/or the LED fixture, the method comprising the steps of;

receiving an algorithm applying one or more parameters of the LED assembly and or environmental parameters for determining a control signal value from an input signal value by downloading a program to the control unit,

receiving an input signal by the control unit,

converting an input signal value of the input signal to a control signal value using the algorithm, and

controlling the power converter and/or LED fixture of the LED assembly using the control signal value, wherein the LED driver is configured by identifying the LED fixture;

by obtaining, using the identification of the LED fixture, configuration data for the LED driver from a configuration database; and

by configuring the LED driver according to the configuration data and wherein the one or more parameters comprise the configuration data.