Anti-cycling control system for luminaires

• US 7,323,826 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frederick H. Blake
• Original Assignee: Frederick H. Blake
• Inventors: Blake, Frederick H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Wilson
• Assistant Examiner(s): VY, HUNG T
• Application Number:
  US10/913,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20050035720A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 362/276, 315/312, 315/307, 315/318, 315/291, 315/119, 315/225, 315/362, 315149-159, 315/244, 315/219, 315/259, 315/276, 356/4.01
• US Class Current: 315/244
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2925 against abnormal lamp operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/2928 for protecting the lamp against abnormal operating conditions

Abstract

An anti-cycling luminaire control system may detect repeated lamp-off conditions and interrupt power to the lamp and provide an indication of lamp cycling after a predetermined number of lamp-off conditions has been detected. The control system also provides a cool-off period after a lamp-off cycling event is detected during which time restarting of the lamp is inhibited. If the lamp does not restart after multiple restart attempts and cool-off periods, the system determines that a fault condition exists, and may provide a fault alert. The system may provide for shut-off or dimming of the lamp during the night after a portion of the night has passed. This delayed turn-off may be varied according to the length of the night. Starting and dimming the lamp at a zero voltage crossing of the line current can reduce stress on luminaire and control system components and reduce maintenance.

Claims

1. A luminaire control system for use with a luminaire having an alternating line current power source comprising:

a photosensor system for detecting and outputting signals representative of day and night conditions;

a lamp sensor system for detecting and outputting signals representative of lamp on and off conditions;

a power control system for providing and interrupting power to a lamp in response to power control signals;

a microcontroller system for receiving the signals from the photosensor system and the lamp sensor and for outputting power control signals to the power control system, the microcontroller being programmed to respond to signals from the lamp sensor system indicating a lamp off condition and, in response thereto, to interrupt power to the lamp, and to apply power to restart the lamp only after the expiration of a predefined period of time, the luminaire control system further comprising a signal generation system for providing a signal representative of the alternating line current frequency and a lamp dimming system, wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to operate the power control system to operate the dimming system to change between dim and bright states of the lamp only at a zero voltage crossing system of the line current.

2. A luminaire control system for use with a high pressure sodium lamp having an alternating line current power source comprising:

a photosensor system for detecting and outputting a signal representative of day and night conditions;

a lamp sensor system for sensing current flow and outputting signals representative of lamp on and off conditions;

a power control system for providing and interrupting power to a lamp in response to power control signals;

a microcontroller system for receiving the signals from the photosensor system and the lamp sensor system and for outputting power control signals to the power control system, the microcontroller being programmed to respond to signals from the lamp sensor system indicating a lamp off condition and, in response thereto, to interrupt power to the lamp, and to apply power to restart the lamp only after the expiration of a predefined period of time, the luminaire control system further comprising a signal generation system for providing a signal representative of the alternating line current frequency and a lamp dimming system for dimming the lamp, wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to operate the power control system to operate the dimming system to change between dim and bright states of the lamp only at a zero voltage crossing of the line current.

3. The luminaire control system of claim 2 wherein the microcontroller is further programmed to generate a value representative of a portion of the length of a first night condition in response to signals from the photosensor system, and to operate the lamp dimming system to dim the lamp during a subsequent night condition after the elapsing of the portion of the night condition represented by the value.