Method and circuit arrangement for operating light-emitting means with a sudden load variation

• US 9,445,464 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tridonic GmbH & Co. KG (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Tridonic GmbH & Co. KG (Zumtobel Group AG)
• Inventors: Mitterbacher, Andre
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY V
• Application Number:
  US14/367,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20140361707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 315/209.R, 315/247, 315/287, 315/291, 315/307, 315/308
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 45/355 Power factor correction [PFC]; Reactive power compensation
• 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: H05B 45/39 Circuits containing inverter bridges
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

An operating circuit for light-emitting means (18), in particular an LED string, contains an actively clocked power factor correction circuit (11), which produces a regulated output voltage (U_BUS), by means of which the light-emitting means (18) are supplied directly or indirectly via at least one further converter stage (17). The regulation is performed by means of a control unit (16), which, as manipulated variable (t_ON), actuates clocking of a switch of the power factor correction circuit (11). The operating circuit is designed, in the event of the presence of a predefined event, for example a rapid or sudden change in the energy demand of the light-emitting means (18), selectively: —to change suddenly the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) using feedforward control, and/or —to vary the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS).

Claims

1. An operating circuit for light-emitting means (18) comprising an actively clocked power factor correction circuit (11), which generates an output voltage (U_BUS) controlled using a control loop, by means of which output voltage the light-emitting means (18) are supplied indirectly via at least one further converter stage (17),

wherein the control loop has a control unit (16), which, as manipulated variable (t_ON), drives the clocking of a switch of the power factor correction circuit (11),

wherein the control unit is configured, in the event of the presence of a predefined event selectively:

to vary the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) suddenly with feed-forward control, or

to vary the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS); and

wherein the control unit (16) is configured to increase the value of the manipulated variable (tON) suddenly with feed-forward control in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden increase in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18), and to reduce the value of the manipulated variable (tON) suddenly with feed-forward control in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden reduction in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18).

2. The operating circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (16) is configured to determine the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) or the time constant of the control loop by means of a calculation specification or by reading from a table in the event of the presence of the predefined event.

3. An operating circuit for light-emitting means (18) comprising an actively clocked power factor correction circuit (11), which generates an output voltage (U_BUS) controlled using a control loop, by means of which output voltage the light-emitting means (18) are supplied indirectly via at least one further converter stage (17),

wherein the control loop has a control unit (16), which, as manipulated variable (t_ON), drives the clocking of a switch of the power factor correction circuit (11),

wherein the control unit is configured, in the event of the presence of a predefined event selectively:

to vary the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) suddenly with feed-forward control, or

to vary the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS), and wherein the control unit (16) is configured to reduce the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS) in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden increase in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18), and to reduce the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS) in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden reduction in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18).

4. A method for operating light-emitting means (18), wherein a controlled output voltage (U_BUS) is generated by means of actively clocked power factor correction, by means of which output voltage the light-emitting means (18) are supplied indirectly, wherein a closed-loop control uses, as manipulated variable (t_ON), the clocking of the power factor correction (11), wherein, in the event of the presence of a predefined event selectively:

changing, suddenly, the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) with feed-forward control, or

changing the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS); and

wherein a difference between a power consumed at present by the light-emitting means (18) and a power consumed by the light-emitting means (18) after a change in power is formed, and in that the predefined event is detected depending on the difference and wherein the difference is compared with at least one threshold value, and the predefined event is detected depending on the comparison.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS) is reduced in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden increase in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18), and the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS) is reduced in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden reduction in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18).

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein in the event of the presence of the predefined event, the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) or the time constant of the control loop are determined by a calculation specification or by reading from a table.

7. A method for operating light-emitting means (18), wherein a controlled output voltage (U_BUS) is generated by means of actively clocked power factor correction, by means of which output voltage the light-emitting means (18) are supplied indirectly, wherein a closed-loop control uses, as manipulated variable (t_ON), the clocking of the power factor correction (11), wherein, in the event of the presence of a predefined event selectively:

changing, suddenly, the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) with feed-forward control, or

changing the time constant of the control loop of the output voltage (U_BUS); and

wherein the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) is increased suddenly with feed-forward control in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden increase in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18), and the value of the manipulated variable (t_ON) is reduced suddenly with feed-forward control in the event of the presence of a rapid or sudden reduction in the energy requirement of the light-emitting means (18).