Systems and methods for providing power and data to lighting devices

• US 9,609,720 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hunter Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Woytowitz, Peter John, Hunter, Gregory R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, Amy
• Application Number:
  US13/898,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20130249429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,408 Days
• Field of Search: 315/307, 315/308, 315/294, 315/291
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for lighting systems, including high output lighting systems for various environments. The lighting systems include a lighting controller for driving lighting modules and transmitting a data signal to the lighting modules. The data signal varies between logical states. The lighting controller provides a low loss rectified power signal. The lighting controller further provides data within the power signal by forming a positive polarity rectified power waveform corresponding to data in a first state and a negative polarity rectified waveform signal corresponding to data in a second state using substantially loss-less circuitry.

Claims

1. A control device to control illumination intensity of a lighting device configured to be powered from a first sinusoidal AC signal, the control device communicating with a controller configured to address a system of lights over a two-wire communication network using a second sinusoidal AC signal with data encoded power waveforms that comprise command and address data including illumination intensity data, said lighting device not in communication with said two-wire communication network, said control device comprising:

a switching circuit configured to receive said first sinusoidal AC signal;

a detection circuit configured to receive said first sinusoidal AC signal and to sense phase information of said first sinusoidal AC signal; and

a processor in communication with said two-wire communication network, the processor configured to determine control data responsive to said command and address data and illumination intensity data of said data encoded power waveforms, to receive said phase information, and to generate a trigger signal responsive to said phase information and said control data, said trigger signal comprising a delay time based at least in part on said illumination intensity data, said switching circuit further configured to receive said trigger signal and to generate a third sinusoidal AC signal by conducting said first sinusoidal AC signal responsive to said trigger signal to said lighting device, said trigger signal inhibiting said conduction of said first sinusoidal AC signal to said lighting device during said delay time, wherein a voltage of said third sinusoidal AC signal is less than a voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal when said delay time is non-zero;

wherein the control device is configured to be powered by said first sinusoidal AC signal, to receive said data encoded power waveforms from said second sinusoidal AC signal, and to modify said first sinusoidal AC signal to produce said third sinusoidal AC signal that is configured to power said lighting device and to control said illumination intensity of said lighting device, wherein said third sinusoidal AC signal is different from said second sinusoidal AC signal.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein said illumination intensity of said lighting device is dependent on the voltage of said third sinusoidal AC signal, the voltage of said third sinusoidal AC signal is dependent at least in part on said delay time delaying conduction of said first sinusoidal AC signal through said switching circuit, and said delay time is based on said illumination intensity data of said command and address data of said data encoded power waveforms of said second sinusoidal AC signal.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein the detection circuit includes one or more electrical isolation devices.

4. The control device of claim 1, comprising one or more electrical isolation devices between said switching circuit and said processor.

5. The control device of claim 1, wherein said switching circuit comprises a triode for alternating current (“

triac”

).

6. The control device of claim 5, wherein a conduction angle of said triac is responsive to said control data.

7. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter and a receiver, and wherein said processor comprises a first processor associated with said transmitter and a second processor associated with said receiver.

8. The control device of claim 7, wherein said transmitter is configured to output a transmission signal responsive to said data encoded power signal, said receiver is configured to receive said transmission signal and said second processor is configured to generate said trigger signal from said transmission signal and forward said trigger signal to said switching circuit.

9. The control device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of transmitters and a corresponding plurality of receivers, wherein each transmitter in said plurality of transmitters is assigned a lighting zone, and wherein each transmitter transmits to its corresponding receiver when said control information comprises its assigned lighting zone.

10. The control device of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of receivers, wherein each receiver is assigned a lighting zone, and said transmitter transmits said control information to said plurality of receivers.

11. The control device of claim 1, further comprising an LED communicating with said processor and configured to receive an LED control signal from said processor and to turn on and off in response to said LED control signal.

12. The control device of claim 11, wherein said LED control signal causes said LED to flash out identifying information of said control device.

13. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with said processor.

14. The control device of claim 1, wherein the voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal is approximately the same as a voltage of said second sinusoidal AC signal.

15. The control device of claim 1, wherein the voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal is greater than a voltage of said second sinusoidal AC signal.

16. A method to control illumination intensity of a lighting device configured to be powered from a first sinusoidal AC signal, said method comprising:

receiving a first sinusoidal AC signal;

sensing phase information of said first sinusoidal AC signal;

receiving over a two-wire communication network a second sinusoidal AC signal comprising a data encoded power waveform configured to address a system of lights, said received data encoded power waveform including command and address data that includes illumination intensity data, said lighting device not in communication with said two-wire communication network;

determining control data responsive to said command and address data of said received data encoded power waveform;

generating a trigger signal responsive to said phase information, said trigger signal comprising a delay time based at least in part on said illumination intensity data; and

generating a third sinusoidal AC signal by conducting said first sinusoidal AC signal responsive to said trigger signal to said lighting device, said trigger signal inhibiting said conduction of said first sinusoidal AC signal to said lighting device during said delay time, wherein a voltage of said third sinusoidal AC signal is less than a voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal when said delay time is non-zero;

wherein said third sinusoidal AC signal is configured to power said lighting device and to control said illumination intensity of said lighting device based at least in part on said data encoded waveform of said second sinusoidal AC waveform, wherein said third sinusoidal AC signal is different from said second sinusoidal AC signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said illumination intensity of said lighting device is dependent on the voltage of said third sinusoidal AC signal, the voltage of said third sinusoidal AC signal is dependent at least in part on said delay time delaying conduction of said first sinusoidal AC signal through said switching circuit, and said delay time is based on said illumination intensity data of said command and address data of said data encoded power waveform of said second sinusoidal AC signal.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising electrically isolating said first sinusoidal AC signal from said data encoded power waveform.

19. The method of claim 16;

wherein said determining control data further comprises wirelessly transmitting said control data to a first processor and wirelessly receiving said transmitted control data at a second processor.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving an LED control signal and turning on and off an LED in response to said LED control signal.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal is approximately the same as a voltage of said second sinusoidal AC signal.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal is greater than a voltage of said second sinusoidal AC signal.

23. A method of controlling a lighting device configured to be powered from a first sinusoidal AC signal, said method comprising:

receiving a data encoded power waveform formed by rectifying a second sinusoidal AC signal to form a rectified power signal, and encoding command and address data that includes illumination intensity data to form said data encoded power waveform by outputting said rectified power signal with a higher polarity when a control signal is in a first state and outputting said rectified power signal with a lower polarity when said control signal is in a second state, said control signal based at least in part on a phase of said second sinusoidal AC signal and said command and address data, wherein said second sinusoidal AC signal is different from said first sinusoidal AC signal;

extracting said illumination intensity data from said data encoded power waveform;

receiving and sensing phase information of said first sinusoidal AC signal;

generating a switch enable signal including a delay for each zero crossing of said first sinusoidal AC signal, said switch enable signal responsive to said phase information of said first sinusoidal AC signal, and said delay responsive to said extracted illumination intensity data;

triggering a switch with said switch enable signal to conduct said first sinusoidal AC signal through said switch to generate a third sinusoidal AC signal, said switch enable signal inhibiting said conduction of said first sinusoidal AC signal during said delay, wherein a voltage of said third sinusoidal AC signal is less that a voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal when said delay is non-zero, said third sinusoidal AC signal comprises said first sinusoidal AC signal responsive to said delay; and

conducting said third sinusoidal AC signal to said lighting device to power said lighting device and to control an illumination intensity of said lighting device, wherein said third AC signal is different from said data encoded power waveform.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising wirelessly transmitting said extracted command and address data at a first processor and wirelessly receiving said transmission to a second processor.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the voltage of said first sinusoidal AC signal is approximately the same as a voltage of said second sinusoidal AC signal.