Driver expansion module for retrofitting a driver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11818816-B2
Application number	US-202117462120-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2021
Priority date	Sep 7, 2020
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A driver expansion module for retrofitting a driver with at least one adjustable output parameter is provided. The driver expansion module comprises an interface for connecting the driver expansion module to the driver, and a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to send a control signal to a control input of the driver to adjust the at least one output parameter of the driver. A driver is further provided, as well as a driver system and a light management system.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A driver expansion module for retrofitting a driver with at least one adjustable output parameter, comprising:
an interface for connecting the driver expansion module to the driver; and
a control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to send a control signal to a control input of the driver to adjust the at least one adjustable output parameter of the driver, and wherein the driver expansion module is configured to allow an output current of the driver to flow via the driver expansion module.

2. The driver expansion module according to claim 1 , wherein the driver expansion module further comprises a sensor system for detecting a current value of the at least one adjustable output parameter, and wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the at least one adjustable output parameter of the driver based on the detected current value.

3. The driver expansion module according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine a current value of a junction temperature of a light emitting diode (LED) based on an output voltage of the driver detected by the sensor system and to adjust the at least one adjustable output parameter of the driver based on the current value of the junction temperature.

4. The driver expansion module according to claim 1 , wherein the driver expansion module is configured to communicate with another driver expansion module for exchanging at least one of data and signals.

5. The driver expansion module according to claim 4 , wherein the driver expansion module comprises a communication interface for at least one of wireless and wired communication, so that communicating with the other driver expansion module is done via the communication interface.

6. The driver expansion module according to claim 1 , wherein the driver expansion module is configured to communicate with another driver expansion module via a network interface of the driver for connecting the driver to a base module of a network assembly.

7. A driver having at least one adjustable output parameter, wherein the driver comprises an interface for connecting a driver expansion module and a control input for receiving a control signal from the driver expansion module, and wherein the driver is configured to adjust the at least one output parameter based on the control signal received from the driver expansion module.

8. The driver according to claim 7 , wherein the driver comprises a network interface for connecting the driver to a base module of a network assembly via a communication bus.

9. A driver system, comprising:
a first driver having at least one first adjustable output parameter, wherein the first driver has a first interface for connecting a first driver expansion module and a first control input for receiving a first control signal from the first driver expansion module for adjusting the at least one first adjustable output parameter, and wherein the first driver expansion module is configured such that a first output current of the first driver flows via the first driver expansion module; and
a second driver having at least one second adjustable output parameter, wherein the second driver has a second interface for connecting a second driver expansion module and a second control input for receiving a second control signal from the second driver expansion module for adjusting the at least one adjustable second output parameter, and wherein the second driver expansion module is configured such that a second output current of the second driver flows via the second driver expansion module;
wherein the first driver is configured to drive a first electrical load and the second driver is configured to drive a second electrical load.

10. The driver system according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first driver expansion module and the second driver expansion module comprises a sensor system for detecting a current value of at least one adjustable output parameter of the first driver and the second driver, respectively, and wherein the first driver expansion module and the second driver expansion module, respectively, are configured to adjust the at least one adjustable output parameter of the first driver and the second driver, respectively, based on the detected current value of the at least one adjustable output parameter.

11. The driver system according to claim 9 , wherein the first driver expansion module and the second driver expansion module are configured to communicate with each other for exchanging at least one of data and signals.

12. The driver system according to claim 11 , further comprising a network assembly having a base module and a communication bus, wherein the first driver and the second driver are connected to the communication bus of the network assembly so that communication between the first driver expansion module and the second driver expansion module takes place via the first driver, via the communication bus of the network assembly, and via the second driver.

13. The driver system according to claim 9 , wherein the first driver expansion module is configured to send a control signal to the second driver expansion module that causes the second driver expansion module to drive the second driver based on the control signal received from the first driver expansion module.

14. The driver system according to claim 9 , wherein the first driver expansion module and the second driver expansion module each comprise a sensor system, and wherein the second driver expansion module is configured to transmit sensor data detected by the sensor system of the second driver expansion module to the first driver expansion module, wherein the first driver expansion module is configured to send control signals to the second driver expansion module that cause the second driver expansion module to drive the second driver based on the sensor data detected by the sensor system of the first driver expansion module and the sensor data detected by the sensor system of the second driver expansion module.

15. A light management system comprising a first light source, a second light source, and the driver system according to claim 9 , wherein the first driver of the driver system is adapted to drive the first light source and the second driver is adapted to drive the second light source, and wherein the light management system comprises a network structure having a base module and a communication bus to which the first driver and the second driver are connected.

16. The driver expansion module according to claim 1 , wherein the driver expansion module is configured to serve a driver with multiple output channels.

17. A luminaire or luminaire system comprising the driver expansion module according to claim 1 .

18. A luminaire or luminaire system comprising the driver according to claim 7 .

19. The driver according to claim 8 , wherein the communication bus is an internal communication bus.

20. A luminaire or luminaire system comprising the driver system according to claim 9 .

Assignees

• Ledvance Gmbh

Inventors

• Niggebaum Alexander
• Bergenek Krister
• Chilachava David

Classifications

• H05B47/183

  using digital addressable lighting interface [DALI] communication protocols · CPC title

• H05B47/18

  via data-bus transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B45/18 Primary

  using temperature feedback · CPC title

• H05B45/345

  Current stabilisation; Maintaining constant current · CPC title