Power regulation for lighting fixtures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10993302-B2
Application number	US-201815880426-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2018
Priority date	Jan 25, 2017
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A device can include multiple light loads, where each light load includes at least one light source. The device can also include multiple switches coupled to the light loads. The device can further include a controller coupled to the switches, where the controller actively operates the switches multiple times within each cycle to control delivery of power to the light loads. Active operation of the switches by the controller is performed on a dynamic schedule, where the dynamic schedule is based on multiple environmental conditions, and where the controller bypasses a forward voltage of the light loads when actively operating the switches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a plurality of light loads, wherein each light load of the plurality of light loads comprises at least one light source;
a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of light loads; and
a controller coupled to the plurality of switches, wherein the controller actively operates the plurality of switches multiple times within each cycle to control delivery of power to the plurality of light loads, wherein each cycle is at most approximately 1/50 th of a second,
wherein active operation of the plurality of switches by the controller is performed on a dynamic schedule, wherein the dynamic schedule is based on a plurality of environmental conditions, wherein the controller bypasses a forward voltage of the plurality of light loads when actively operating the plurality of switches, and wherein the controller controls the plurality of switches on a first on, first off basis.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a light-emitting diode.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein input power delivered to the device is nominally between 120 VAC and 480 VAC.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one switch comprises a field-effect transistor.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one additional switch coupled to the controller and disposed in parallel with at least one light load of the plurality of light loads, wherein the controller operates the at least one additional switch to further control delivery of the power to the at least one light load of the plurality of light loads.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one energy storage device coupled to at least one light load of the plurality of light loads, wherein the at least one energy storage device provides reserve power to the at least one light load when the plurality of switches prevents the power from being delivered to the at least one light load.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one sensor coupled to the controller, wherein the at least one sensor measures the plurality of environmental conditions, wherein at least one parameter corresponds to the plurality of environmental conditions, wherein the controller actively operates the plurality of switches based, at least in part, on measurements made by the at least one sensor.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of environmental conditions comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a current and a voltage, wherein the controller determines whether a light load of the plurality of light loads has failed, wherein the controller isolates the light load that has failed.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of environmental conditions comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a current and a voltage, wherein the controller determines whether a light load of the plurality of light loads is beginning to fail, wherein the controller reduces utilization of the light load that is beginning to fail.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of environmental conditions comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a current and a voltage, wherein the controller identifies a short circuit in at least one light load of the plurality of light loads, wherein the controller isolates at least one light load with the short circuit.

11. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of environmental conditions comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a current and a voltage, wherein the controller identifies an open circuit in at least one light load of the plurality of light loads, wherein the controller isolates at least one light load with the open circuit.

12. The device of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of environmental conditions comprises a temperature, wherein the controller determines whether a light load of the plurality of light loads has a temperature that exceeds a first threshold value, wherein the controller reduces utilization of the light load.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the controller determines whether a light load of the plurality of light loads has a temperature that exceeds a second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is greater than the first threshold value, wherein the controller isolates the light load.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein a power factor of the plurality of light loads is at least 0.9.

15. A method for dynamically regulating power for a lighting system, the method comprising:
receiving a plurality of environmental conditions measured by a plurality of sensors;
operating, at a first time within a cycle, at least one first switch of a plurality of switches based on the plurality of environmental conditions, wherein operating the at least one first switch allows a first current to flow through a first subset of light loads and prevents the first current from flowing through a first remainder of light loads, wherein the first remainder of light loads receives power from a first remainder of energy storage devices; and
operating, at a second time within the cycle, at least one second switch of the plurality of switches based on the plurality of environmental conditions, wherein operating the at least one second switch allows a second current to flow through a second subset of light loads and prevents the second current from flowing through a second remainder of light loads, wherein the second remainder of light loads receives power from a second remainder of energy storage devices, wherein the cycle is at most approximately 1/50 th of a second, and wherein the controller controls the plurality of switches on a first on, first off basis.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein operating the at least one second switch at the second time within the cycle is further based on an additional plurality of environmental conditions measured by the plurality of sensors.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first current further flows through a first subset of energy storage devices to charge the first subset of energy storage devices.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first subset of light loads and the second subset of light loads change over time based on the plurality of environmental conditions.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first subset of light loads and the second subset of light loads change over time based on operating history of each of the plurality of light loads.

20. A device comprising:
a plurality of light loads, wherein each light load of the plurality of light loads comprises at least one light source;
a plurality of switches coupled to the plurality of light loads; and
a controller coupled to the plurality of switches, wherein the controller actively operates the plurality of switches multiple times within each cycle to control delivery of power to the plurality of light loads, wherein each cycle is a fraction of a second,
wherein active operation of the plurality of switches by the controller is performed on a dynamic schedule, wherein the dynamic schedule is based on real-time changes in at least one of a plurality of environmental conditions that are independent of a dimming function, wherein the controller bypasses a forward voltage of the plurality of light loads when actively operating the plurality of switches, and wherein the controller controls the plurality of switches on a first on, first off basis.

Assignees

• Eaton Intelligent Power Ltd

Inventors

• Freer Benjamin Avery
• Scarlata Andrew Francis

Classifications

• H05B45/56

  involving measures to prevent abnormal temperature of the LEDs · CPC title

• H05B45/3725

  Switched mode power supply [SMPS] · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H05B45/355

  Power factor correction [PFC]; Reactive power compensation · CPC title

• H05B45/37 Primary

  Converter circuits · CPC title