System and method for learning dimmer characteristics

• US 9,282,598 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Melanson, John L., King, Eric, Maru, Siddharth
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Adam
• Application Number:
  US14/101,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20140265933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 315/307, 315/297, 315/302
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/044 continuously H05B39/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/14 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/31 Phase-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3575 by means of dummy loads or bleeder circuits, e.g. for dimmers
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3577 Emulating the dimming characteristics, brightness or colour temperature of incandescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/385 using flyback topology
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

Systems and methods for learning dimmer characteristics provide improved efficiency in operating lighting devices. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a lamp controller that is configured to monitor voltage information associated with one or more lamps or a dimmer of a system, adjust one or more parameters of an attach current profile in conformity with the voltage information to arrive at a selected attach current profile, and apply within the system the selected attach current profile.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a lamp controller configured to:

monitor voltage information associated with one or more lamps or a dimmer of a system;

adjust one or more parameters of an attach current profile based on the voltage information to arrive at a selected attach current profile; and

apply within the system the selected attach current profile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the attach current profile is associated with a leading edge of the dimmer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters of the attach current profile comprise one or more of:

a starting current, a peak current, a steady state hold current, or timing associated with a current.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the timing is relative to a leading edge of the dimmer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the timing is relative to the starting current, the peak current, or the steady state hold current.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the one or more parameters of the attach current profile iteratively.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the selected attach current profile is chosen from among two or more iteratively adjusted attach current profiles, based on a performance of the one or more lamps or dimmer of the system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selected attach current profile is chosen based at least in part on different behavior associated with positive and negative half line cycles associated with the system.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the one or more parameters of the attach current profile automatically.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more lamps comprise one or more LED lamps.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether parallel lamps are within the system based on the voltage information.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selected attach current profile is different, depending on whether parallel lamps are determined to be within the system.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to monitor voltage information iteratively for one or more cycles of dimmer operation.

14. A method comprising:

monitoring voltage information associated with one or more lamps or a dimmer of a system;

adjusting one or more parameters of an attach current profile based on the voltage information to arrive at a selected attach current profile; and

applying within the system the selected attach current profile.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the attach current profile is associated with a leading edge of the dimmer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more parameters of the attach current profile comprise one or more of:

a starting current, a peak current, a steady state hold current, or timing associated with a current.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the timing is relative to a leading edge of the dimmer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the timing is relative to the starting current, the peak current, or the steady state hold current.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein adjusting comprises adjusting the one or more parameters of the attach current profile iteratively.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selected attach current profile is chosen from among two or more iteratively adjusted attach current profiles, based on a performance of the one or more lamps or dimmer of the system.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the selected attach current profile is chosen based at least in part on different behavior associated with positive and negative half line cycles associated with the system.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the adjusting is performed automatically.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more lamps comprise one or more LED lamps.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining whether parallel lamps are within the system based on the voltage information.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the selected attach current profile is different, depending on whether parallel lamps are determined to be within the system.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein the monitoring comprises monitoring voltage information iteratively for one or more cycles of dimmer operation.