Settings for light loads connected to bus

• US 9,504,130 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2014
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Panguloori, Rakeshbabu, Mishra, Priya Ranjan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Daniel D
• Application Number:
  US14/761,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20150359074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 315/297, 315/299, 315/307, 315/246
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Devices (1) for selecting settings for illuminating light loads (2, 3) connected to a bus (4) comprise controllers (11) for running processes and for defining, through controls of power converters (5, 6) connected to the bus (4), in response to process results, direct current voltage signals for the bus (4) and comprise power detectors (12) for detecting changes in total power consumptions of the illuminating light loads (2, 3) and for in response to detections of the changes informing the controllers (11) to run the processes again. This way, links are created between the total power consumption via the bus (4) and the direct current voltage signal on the bus (4), to save energy. The devices (1) may further comprise receivers (13) for receiving definitions of optimal individual voltage signals and/or of optimal individual power consumptions and/or of voltage amplitudes and may further comprise power meters (14) for measuring the total power consumption of the illuminating light loads (2, 3) for different direct current voltage signals for the bus (4).

Claims

1. A device for selecting a setting for one or more illuminating light loads connected to a bus, the device comprising

a controller configured to run a calculation and define, through a control of a power converter connected to the bus, in response to a calculation result, a direct current voltage signal for the bus, wherein in said calculation said controller calculates the value of the direct current voltage signal to be equal to or slightly larger than a maximum voltage amplitude of the one or more illuminating light loads, or calculates the value of the voltage signal for which an overall efficiency of the one or more illuminating light loads is maximal, or for which the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads is minimal;

and

a power detector configured to detect a change in a total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads and in response to a detection of the change informing the controller to run the calculation again.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, the power converter comprising an alternating current to direct current converter or comprising a direct current to direct current converter.

3. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising

a receiver configured to receive, from the one or more illuminating light loads connected to the bus, a definition of an optimal individual voltage signal per illuminating light load and/or a definition of an optimal individual power consumption per illuminating light load, wherein the calculation comprises a calculation based on the definition per illuminating light load and storing, for different direct current voltage signals for the bus, of the total power consumption or of an overall efficiency of the one or more illuminating light loads per direct current voltage signal for the bus, wherein the calculation comprises a selection of one of the different direct current voltage signals for the bus, for which one direct current voltage signal for the bus the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads is minimal or the overall efficiency of the one or more illuminating light loads is maximal, and wherein the setting comprises the selected direct current voltage signal for the bus.

4. The device as defined in claim 3, the receiver being a wireless receiver configured to receive the definitions from the light loads via a wireless connection.

5. The device as defined in claim 3, the receiver being a wired receiver configured to receive the definitions from the light loads via the bus or another wired connection.

6. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising

a power meter configured to measure the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads for different direct current voltage signals for the bus, wherein the calculation comprises storing, for the different direct current voltage signals for the bus, of the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads per direct current voltage signal for the bus, wherein the calculation comprises a selection of one of the different direct current voltage signals for the bus, for which one direct current voltage signal for the bus the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads is minimal, and wherein the setting comprises the one direct current voltage signal for the bus.

7. The device as defined in claim 1, the calculation comprising a measurement and storing, for different direct current voltage signals for the bus, of the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads per direct current voltage signal for the bus, wherein the calculation comprises a selection of one of the different direct current voltage signals for the bus, for which one direct current voltage signal for the bus the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads is minimal, and wherein the setting comprises the one direct current voltage signal for the bus.

8. The device as defined in claim 1, further comprising

a receiver configured to receive, from the one or more illuminating light loads connected to the bus, a definition of a voltage amplitude per illuminating light load, wherein the calculation comprises a determination of a maximum voltage amplitude of all voltage amplitudes received, wherein the calculation comprises a selection of a value of the direct current voltage signal for the bus, which value of the direct current voltage signal for the bus is equal to or slightly larger than the maximum voltage amplitude, and wherein the setting comprises the value of the direct current voltage signal for the bus.

9. The device as defined in claim 1, the calculation comprising a retrieval, per illuminating light load connected to the bus, of a definition of a voltage amplitude of that illuminating light load, wherein the calculation comprises a determination of a maximum voltage amplitude of all voltage amplitudes retrieved, wherein the calculation comprises a selection of a value of the direct current voltage signal for the bus, which value of the direct current voltage signal for the bus is equal to or slightly larger than the maximum voltage amplitude, and wherein the setting comprises the value of the direct current voltage signal for the bus.

10. A system for selecting a setting for one or more illuminating light loads connected to a bus, the system comprising:

the

a power converter;

one or more illuminating light loads;

a controller configured to run a calculation and define, through a control of the power converter connected to the bus, in response to a calculation result, a direct current voltage signal for the bus, wherein in said calculation said controller calculates the value of the direct current voltage signal to be equal to or slightly larger than a maximum voltage amplitude of the one or more illuminating light loads, or calculates the value of the voltage signal for which an overall efficiency of the one or more illuminating light loads is maximal, or for which the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads is minimal; and

a power detector configured to detect a change in a total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads and for in response to a detection of the change informing the controller to run the calculation again.

11. The system as defined in claim 10 and further comprising the one or more illuminating light loads connectable to a bus, wherein the one or more illuminating light loads comprise a transmitter configured to transmit a definition of an optimal individual voltage signal and/or a definition of an optimal individual power consumption to the system device as claimed in claim 3.

12. A method for selecting a setting for one or more illuminating light loads connected to a bus, the method comprising:

running a calculation and defining, through a control of a power converter connected to the bus, in response to a calculation result, a direct current voltage signal for the bus, wherein said calculation determines the value of the direct current voltage signal to be equal to or slightly larger than a maximum voltage amplitude of the one or more illuminating light loads, or calculates the value of the voltage signal for which an overall efficiency of the one or more illuminating light loads is maximal, or for which the total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads is minimal; and

detecting a change in a total power consumption of the one or more illuminating light loads and in response to a detection of the change running the calculation again.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code that, when run on a computer, performs the steps of the method as defined in claim 12.