Intelligent lamp or intelligent contact terminal for a lamp

• US 5,742,130 A
• Filed: 11/08/1996
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IWS International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Heikki Korkala
• Inventors: Korkala, Heikki
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHINGLETON, MICHAEL B
• Application Number:
  US08/746,342
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 315/210, 315/209 R, 315/291, 315/294, 315/297, 315/307, 315/308, 315/86, 315/77, 439/422, 439/412, 439/425
• US Class Current: 315/77
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/047 with pulse width modulation from a DC power source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

The invention relates to an intelligent lamp or an intelligent contact terminal for a lamp, which can be used in a lighting system comprising a plurality of individually controlled lamps (1; 5) linked in a common power-supply circuit (8, 9) and an operation control device for transmitting a desired operation control signal to electronic control elements (11, 12, 13), associated with the lamp or the contact terminal and reacting or failing to react selectively to various control signals. Together with the lamp or its contact terminal, said electronic control elements (11, 12, 13) provide a single replaceable component which, on the basis of a message included in the operation control signal, identifies itself to serve as an appropriate lamp. In addition, the electronic control elements (2; 6) monitor the condition of itself and that of the lamp and, if necessary, produce a fault indication.

Claims

1. An intelligent contact terminal for a lamp for use in a lighting system of a vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of individually controlled replaceable lamps linked in a common power-supply circuit having insulated conductors, each of said lamps being connected to an intelligent contact terminal and associated electronic control elements;

at least one common code conductor which is connected to each of said electronic control elements;

an operation control device for transmitting a desired identification code signal over said at least one common code conductor to the electronic control elements associated with each contact terminal, said elements selectively reacting or failing to react to various identification code signals;

wherein each replaceable contact terminal has connecting studs pressed into contact with said conductors through the insulation thereof, said electronic control elements including means for identifying a predetermined identification code included in the identification code signal, means for switching on the lamp upon identification of said predetermined identification code, means for monitoring the operating condition of the lamp and means for giving a fault indication if the current passing through the lamp is higher or lower than a predetermined maximum or minimum value; and

wherein the intelligent contact terminal has additional coding means for locally defining each lamp to operate as a particular lamp according to its location.

2. The intelligent contact terminal of claim 1 wherein said at least one common code conductor comprises a first common code conductor and a second common code conductor disposed in parallel, the first common code conductor sending the identification code signal and the second common code conductor returning a fault indication signal.