Universal phase dimming module

• US 9,401,588 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zulim, Dalibor, Westrick, Richard L. Jr., Mullins, Leslie, Cash, Audwin W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thuy Vinh
• Application Number:
  US14/256,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20140312869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/294, 315/299, 315/308, 315/309, 315/360, 307/106, 323/905
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/32 Mounting of devices therein
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/00 Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems H02H7/00; systems for change-over to standby supply H02J9/00 ; integrated protection for motors H02H7/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/327 against abnormal temperatures
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/156 with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/293 using semiconductor devices only
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/2935 using reverse phase control, i.e. turn-on of switches in series with load at zero crossing of input voltage, turn-off before next zero crossing
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2828 using control circuits for the switching elements H05B41/2827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/07 Starting and control circuits for gas discharge lamp using transistors

Abstract

A universal load control module includes a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range, a microcontroller, and one or more functional control blocks. A functional control block includes a dimmer circuit for controlling a lighting load that provides reverse phase cut mode dimming, forward phase cut mode dimming, and hybrid phase cut mode dimming, as well as thermal protection. One or more universal control modules are housed in a cabinet that includes a cabinet control module. The cabinet includes additional thermal protection measures.

Claims

1. A dimmer circuit, comprising:

a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;

a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;

an ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit that provides gate drive control for a plurality of power switching devices in a dimmer output circuit and transition time control, wherein the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit using the PWM control signal;

a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming; and

the dimmer output circuit that powers a load based on the PWM control signal, the transition time control provided by the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit, and the additional transition time control provided by the wave shaping circuit,

wherein the dimmer output circuit includes MOSFET or IGBT power switching devices.

2. The dimmer circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a zero cross detection circuit that operates over the wide voltage range and that provides an input to the microcontroller that indicates zero cross points of the input voltage, wherein the microcontroller uses the input to synchronize the PWM control signal.

3. The dimmer circuit of claim 1, wherein the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit includes at least one thermistor.

4. The dimmer circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a current sense device that senses current through the load and provides load current information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on an rms value and peak current information.

5. The dimmer circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

an inductive load sense circuit that senses a flyback voltage from the load and provides flyback voltage warning information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller uses the flyback voltage warning information to determine whether to change a dimming mode from reverse phase cut to forward phase cut or from forward phase cut to hybrid phase cut.

6. The dimmer circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sense device that provides temperature information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on the temperature information.

7. A dimmer circuit, comprising:

a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;

a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;

a first transition circuit that provides a first transition time;

a second transition circuit that provides a second transition time;

wherein the microcontroller selects either the first transition circuit or the second transition circuit as a selected transition stage circuit to control a transition time; and

a dimmer output circuit that provides an output to a load based on the PWM control signal and the selected transition circuit,

wherein the dimmer output circuit includes a plurality of power switching devices operable over the wide voltage range.

8. The dimmer circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a zero cross detection circuit that operates over the wide voltage range and that provides an input to the microcontroller that indicates zero cross points of the input voltage.

9. The dimmer circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a current sense device that senses current through the load and provides current information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on an rms value and peak current information.

10. The dimmer circuit of claim 9, wherein the current sense device is further operable to detect a failure of one of the power switching devices and to provide failure information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 100% based on the failure information.

11. The dimmer circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

an inductive load sense circuit that senses a flyback voltage from the load and provides flyback voltage warning information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller uses the flyback voltage warning information to determine whether to change a dimming mode from reverse phase cut to forward phase cut or from forward phase cut to hybrid phase cut.

12. The dimmer circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a temperature sense device that provides temperature information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on the temperature information.

13. The dimmer circuit of claim 7, further comprising:

a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming.

14. A dimmer circuit, comprising:

a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;

a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;

an ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit that provides gate drive control for a plurality of power switching devices in a dimmer output circuit and transition time control, wherein the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit using the PWM control signal;

a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming; and

the dimmer output circuit that powers a load based on the PWM control signal, the transition time control provided by the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit, and the additional transition time control provided by the wave shaping circuit,

wherein the dimmer output circuit includes the plurality of power switching devices, which are operable over the wide voltage range.

15. The dimmer circuit of claim 14, wherein the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit includes at least one thermistor.

16. The dimmer circuit of claim 14, further comprising:

a current sense device that senses current through the load and provides current information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on an rms value and peak current information.

17. The dimmer circuit of claim 16, wherein the current sense device is further operable to detect a failure of one of the power switching devices and to provide failure information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 100% based on the failure information.

18. The dimmer circuit of claim 14, further comprising:

an inductive load sense circuit that senses a flyback voltage from the load and provides flyback voltage warning information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller uses the flyback voltage warning information to determine whether to change a dimming mode from reverse phase cut to forward phase cut or from forward phase cut to hybrid phase cut.

19. The dimmer circuit of claim 14, further comprising:

a temperature sense device that provides temperature information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on the temperature information.

20. The dimmer circuit of claim 14, wherein the dimmer circuit is operable to provide inputs to a three-wire ballast or driver, further comprising:

a relay controlled by the microcontroller,

wherein an output of the relay is connected to a first input of the three-wire ballast or driver and an output of the dimmer output circuit is connected to a second input of the three-wire ballast or driver.