WIRELESS BALLAST CONTROL UNIT

• US 20110184577A1
• Filed: 01/22/2010
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Ilyes, Laszlo Sandor
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/295
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A ballast control unit for controlling at least one light output of at least one dimmable ballast is disclosed, in which the dimmable ballast powers one or more light sources via the light output(s). The ballast control unit includes a wireless interface provisioned to receive messages from a mesh network, and to retransmit the received messages not destined for the ballast control unit. The ballast control unit further includes a control module provisioned to control the dimmable ballast(s) and the light output(s) according to commands in the received messages destined for the ballast control unit, where the commands correspond to the dimmable ballast(s) and/or the light output(s).

Claims

1. A ballast control unit for controlling at least one light output of at least one dimmable ballast, wherein the dimmable ballast powers at least one light source via the light output, said ballast control unit comprising:

a wireless interface provisioned to receive messages from a transmitter, wherein the wireless interface retransmits the received messages not destined for the ballast control unit; and

a control module provisioned to control the dimmable ballast and the light output according to commands in the received messages destined for the ballast control unit, wherein each of the commands corresponds to at least one of the dimmable ballast or at least one of the light output.

2. The ballast control unit of claim 1, wherein the control module includes a relay for the at least one of the dimmable ballast, wherein the relay of the at least one of the dimmable ballast enables or disables power to the at least one of the dimmable ballast according to an ON/OFF command corresponding to the at least one of the dimmable ballast.

3. The ballast control unit of claim 1, the at least one of the dimmable ballast includes a plurality of dimmable ballasts.

4. The ballast control unit of claim 1, wherein the control module includes a digital-to-analog converter for the at least one of the light output, wherein the digital-to-analog converter of the at least one of the light output provides a dimming signal to the at least one of the light output according to a dimming command corresponding to the at least one of the light output.

5. The ballast control unit of claim 4, wherein the dimming signal of the digital-to-analog converter of the at least one of the light output is 0V to 10V.

6. The ballast control unit of claim 4, wherein the digital-to-analog converter of the at least one of the light output includes a feedback loop for the dimming signal.

7. The ballast control unit of claim 4, where the at least one of the light output includes a plurality of light outputs.

8. The ballast control unit of claim 4, wherein the control modules includes a miswiring circuit for the at least one of the light output, wherein the miswiring circuit is disposed between the digital-to-analog converter and the at least one of the light output.

9. The ballast control unit of claim 1, wherein the ballast control unit is identified by a unique id.

10. The ballast control unit of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is a node in a mesh network.

11. The ballast control unit of claim 10, wherein the ballast control unit registers with a coordinator unit of the mesh network.

12. The ballast control unit of claim 1, wherein the control modules provides a digital dimming signal to the at least one of the light output according to a dimming command corresponding to the at least one of the light output.

13. A method for controlling at least one light output of at least one dimmable ballast, wherein the dimmable ballast powers at least one light source via the light output, said method comprising:

receiving a message from a mesh network;

determining if the message has reached its destination;

if the received message has not reached its destination, retransmitting the received message; and

,

if the received message has reached its destination, controlling the dimmable ballast and the light output according to commands in the received message, wherein each of the commands corresponds to at least one of the ballast or at least one of the light output.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising registering with a coordinator of the mesh network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling includes enabling or disabling power to the at least one of the ballast according to an ON/OFF command corresponding to the at least one of the ballast.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling includes providing a dimming signal to the at least one of the light output according to a dimming command corresponding to the at least one of the light output.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the mesh network uses ZigBee wireless protocol.

18. A lighting system for controlling at least one light output of at least one dimmable ballast via a mesh network, wherein the dimmable ballast powers at least one light source via the light output, the lighting system comprising:

a ballast control unit comprising;

a wireless interface provisioned to receive messages from the mesh network, wherein the wireless interface retransmits the received messages not destined for the ballast control unit; and

a control module provisioned to control at least one of the dimmable ballast and at least one of the light output according to commands in the received messages destined for the ballast control unit; and

,

a dimming unit provisioned to transmit messages over the mesh network, wherein each of the transmitted messages contains an ON/OFF command and/or a dimming command.

19. The lighting system of claim 18, further comprising a coordinator unit for controlling the ballast control unit, wherein the coordinator unit receives the messages transmitted by the dimming unit and provides the commands contained therein to the ballast control unit.

20. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein both the ballast control unit and the dimming unit register with the coordinator unit.