Control device with light adjustment function

• US 9,398,671 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lextar Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lextar Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Yeh, Chien-Nan
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahr, Kurtis R
• Application Number:
  US14/248,274
• Publication Number:
  US 20150173136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A control device including a first switch, a control unit and a second switch is provided. When the first switch is turned on, a power signal generated by a power supply is transmitted to a lighting load via the first switch. The brightness of the lighting load is gradually increased or reduced as time increases. When the first switch is turned on, the control unit executes a countdown according to a time value. Upon finishing the countdown, the control unit generates a trigger signal and simultaneously the brightness of the lighting load is at a set value. When receiving the trigger signal, the second switch stops transmitting the power signal from the first switch to the lighting load at first and then transmits the power signal from the first switch to the lighting load such that the brightness of the lighting load keeps at the set value.

Claims

1. A control device with a light-adjustment function coupled between a power supply and a lighting load, comprising:

a first switch coupled to the power supply, wherein when the first switch is turned on by a user, a power signal generated by the power supply is transmitted to the lighting load via the first switch, and the brightness of the lighting load is gradually increased or reduced as time increases;

a timing setting switch configured to set a time value by the user independently of the first switch;

a control unit coupled to the timing setting switch, wherein when the first switch is turned on, the control unit executes a countdown according to the time value during which time the brightness of the lighting load is gradually increased or reduced, and upon finishing the countdown, the control unit generates a trigger signal and simultaneously the brightness of the lighting load is at a set value; and

a second switch coupled between the control unit, the first switch and the lighting load, wherein when the second switch receives the trigger signal, the second switch automatically stops transmitting the power signal from the first switch to the lighting load, and then immediately transmits the power signal from the first switch to the lighting load such that the brightness of the lighting load is at the set value.

2. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lighting load comprises:

a lighting device; and

a driving circuit electrically coupled between the second switch and the lighting device, wherein when the first switch is turned on, the driving circuit receives the power signal passing through the first and second switches to drive the lighting device such that the lighting device shines.

3. The control device as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the second switch stops transmitting the power signal according to the trigger signal, the driving circuit records a driving voltage which is used to drive the lighting device to shine at the set value, and when the second switch is turned on, the driving circuit provides the driving voltage to the lighting load such that the brightness of the lighting load is at the set value.

4. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the timing setting switch comprises a button switch configured to set the time value.

5. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first switch is a digital switch or a machine switch.

6. The control device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the machine switch is a machine button.

7. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first switch and the timing setting switch are integrated in a complex switch comprising a button body with a push-down function and a rotation function, and when the button body is pressed, the first switch is turned on, and the time value is set by rotation of the button body.

8. The control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second switch is a normally closed relay.

9. The control device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lighting device comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

10. The control device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the power signal is an alternating current (AC) signal.