Systems and methods for intelligent dimming control using TRIAC dimmers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10687397-B2
Application number	US-201916270416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2019
Priority date	Jul 8, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods for dimming control using TRIAC dimmers are provided. An example apparatus for a power conversion system includes: a process-and-drive component configured to receive an input signal and output a drive signal to a switch to affect a current that flows through a primary winding of a power conversion system. The input signal includes a first pulse associated with a first input period and a second pulse associated with a second input period. The drive signal is associated with a first modulation period for the first input period and a second modulation period for the second input period. The process-and-drive component is further configured to: determine the first modulation period for the first input period; change the drive signal between a first logic level and a second logic level at a modulation frequency during the first modulation period; determine the second modulation period for the second input period.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for a power converter, the apparatus comprising:
a process and drive signal generator configured to receive an input signal and generate a drive signal based at least in part on the input signal;
wherein:
the input signal includes a pulse associated with a pulse width; and
the process and drive signal generator is further configured to:
process information associated with the pulse width; and
generate a drive signal based on at least information associated with the pulse width so that a current flowing through one or more light emitting diodes changes non-linearly with the pulse width but a brightness of the one or more light emitting diodes changes linearly with the pulse width.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the process-and-drive signal generator includes:
a reference signal generator configured to receive the input signal and generate a reference signal based at least in part on the input signal;
an error amplifier configured to receive the reference signal and generate an amplified signal based at least in part on the reference signal;
a modulation signal generator configured to generate a modulation signal based at least in part on the amplified signal; and
a drive signal generator configured to generate the drive signal based at least in part on the modulation signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the reference signal generator includes:
a first signal generator configured to receive the input signal and generate a first signal based at least in part on the input signal; and
a reference signal modulator configured to receive the first signal and change the reference signal based at least in part on the first signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the drive signal generator includes:
a second signal generator configured to receive the modulation signal and a dimming signal generated by the first signal generator and generate a second signal based at least in part on the modulation signal and the dimming signal; and
a gate driver configured to generate the drive signal based at least in part on the second signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the modulation signal generator includes:
a multiplier configured to receive the amplified signal and the input signal and generate a multiplied signal based at least in part on the amplified signal and the input signal; and
a modulator configured to receive the multiplied signal and a sensing signal and generate the modulation signal based at least in part on the multiplied signal and the sensing signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the error amplifier is further configured to generate the amplified signal with a capacitor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the brightness of the one or more light emitting diodes corresponds to a luminance of the one or more light emitting diodes.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:
the pulse width corresponds to a phase angle; and
the process and drive signal generator is further configured to:
process information associated with the phase angle; and
generate the drive signal based on at least information associated with the phase angle so that the current changes non-linearly with the phase angle but the brightness of the one or more light emitting diodes changes linearly with the phase angle.

9. A method for a power converter, the method comprising:
receiving an input signal including a pulse associated with a pulse width;
processing information associated with the input signal; and
generating a drive signal based at least in part on the input signal;
wherein the processing information associated with the input signal includes processing information associated with the pulse width;
wherein the generating a drive signal based at least in part on the input signal includes generating the drive signal based on at least information associated with the pulse width so that a current flowing through one or more light emitting diodes changes non-linearly with the pulse width but a brightness of the one or more light emitting diodes changes linearly with the pulse width.

Assignees

• On Bright Electronics Shanghai Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhu Liqiang
• Yang Jiqing
• Li Zhuoyan
• Fang Lieyi

Classifications

• H05B39/044 Primary

  continuously (H05B39/042 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B45/385

  using flyback topology · CPC title

• H05B45/10 Primary

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• Y02B20/00

  Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps · CPC title