Light emitting diode driver

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016374168-A1
Application number	US-201615239310-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 17, 2016
Priority date	Dec 9, 2013
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Devices, systems, software, and methods for control of light emitting diodes (LEDs) via an LED driver circuit that receives an input signal from a power source and generates an output signal to power at least one LED element. The LED driver comprises a driver housing, an opening in the driver housing configured for receiving a removable plug-in module, and a plug-in interface configured for providing electrical connection between the plug-in module and the LED driver. The plug-in module comprises an external memory storing configuration information. The LED driver further comprises at least one driver circuit disposed within the driver housing and comprising an internal memory and a microcontroller. The microcontroller is configured for receiving the configuration information from the external memory of the plug-in module and regulating the output signal provided to the at least one LED element based on the configuration information

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A light emitting diode (LED) driver configured for receiving an input signal and generating an output signal to power at least one LED element, the LED driver comprising:
a driver housing; an opening in the driver housing configured for receiving a removable plug-in module, wherein the plug-in module comprises an external memory storing configuration information and an identification number of the plug-in module, wherein the configuration information comprises current output level; a plug-in interface configured for providing electrical connection between the plug-in module and the LED driver; and at least one driver circuit disposed within the driver housing and comprising an internal memory, a microcontroller, and a plug-in detection circuit, wherein the microcontroller comprises a processor configured for executing one or more processor-executable instructions stored in the internal memory that cause acts to be performed comprising:
receiving a signal that the plug-in module is plugged into the plug-in interface from the plug-in detection circuit;
reading the identification number of the plug-in module;
associating the identification number of the plug-in module with the LED driver and storing the association on the internal memory;
receiving the configuration information from the external memory of the plug-in module; and
regulating the output signal provided to the at least one LED element such that the driver circuit generates an output signal substantially equal to the output current level.

2 . A light emitting diode (LED) driver configured for receiving an input signal and generating an output signal to power at least one LED element, the LED driver comprising:
a driver housing; an opening in the driver housing configured for receiving a removable plug-in module, wherein the plug-in module comprises an external memory storing configuration information; a plug-in interface configured for providing electrical connection between the plug-in module and the LED driver; and at least one driver circuit disposed within the driver housing and comprising an internal memory and a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller comprises a processor configured for executing one or more processor-executable instructions that cause acts to be performed comprising:
receiving the configuration information from the external memory of the plug-in module; and
regulating the output signal provided to the at least one LED element based on the configuration information.

3 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the plug-in module comprises a housing portion and a printed circuit board (PCB) containing the external memory.

4 . The LED driver of claim 3 , wherein the opening comprises a first recessed portion sized and shaped for receiving the housing portion of the plug-in module; and wherein the opening further comprises a second recessed portion sized and shaped for receiving the PCB.

5 . The LED driver of claim 3 , wherein driver housing is configured for receiving the plug-in module such that the PCB is internal to the driver housing and an upper surface of the housing portion of the plug-in module is substantially flush with an outer surface of the driver housing.

6 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the plug-in interface comprises at least one of a serial port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a mini-USB interface, a micro-USB interface, a CREScode interface, and a RJ45 interface.

7 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured for:
writing the configuration information from the external memory of the plug-in module to the internal memory; and regulating the output signal provided to the at least one LED element based on the configuration information stored on the internal memory.

8 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the configuration information comprises an output current level, wherein the microcontroller regulates the output signal such that the driver circuit generates an output signal substantially equal to the output current level.

9 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the LED driver comprises a plurality of outputs, and wherein the configuration information comprises output current levels for each output of the plurality of outputs.

10 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the input signal comprises a dimming level, wherein the microcontroller is further configured for:
detecting an incoming dimming level of the input signal; and generating an output duty cycle D out based upon the detected incoming dimming level and the configuration information; wherein the driver circuit is configured for generating a current to drive the at least one LED element based on the output duty cycle D out .

11 . The LED driver of claim 10 , wherein the configuration information comprises one or more dimming level parameters.

12 . The LED driver of claim 11 , wherein the one or more dimming level parameters comprise at least one of a maximum dimming level, a minimum dimming level, or a combination thereof.

13 . The LED driver of claim 11 , wherein the one or more dimming level parameters comprise parameters configured for keeping the LED element at a low power until the detected incoming duty cycle D in exceeds a low-end dimming level.

14 . The LED driver of claim 11 , wherein the one or more dimming level parameters comprise parameters configured for setting the output duty cycle D out equal to a minimum duty cycle output value D min when the detected incoming duty cycle D in falls below a low-level duty cycle threshold D Lth .

15 . The LED driver of claim 11 , wherein the one or more dimming level parameters comprise parameters configured for keeping the LED element at a high power when the detected incoming dimming level exceeds a high-end dimming level.

16 . The LED driver of claim 11 , wherein the one or more dimming level parameters comprise parameters configured for setting the output duty cycle D out equal to a maximum duty cycle output value D max when the detected incoming duty cycle D in exceeds a high-level duty cycle threshold D Hth .

17 . The LED driver of claim 11 , wherein the one or more dimming level parameters comprise parameters configured for scaling the detected incoming duty cycle D in to a value between a low end rescale value S L and a high end rescale value S H when the detected incoming duty cycle D in falls between a low-level duty cycle threshold D Lth and a high-level duty cycle threshold D Hth .

18 . The LED driver of claim 10 , wherein the configuration information indicates a type of a dimming curve, including at least one of a linear curve a logarithmic curve, a modified linear curve, a square law curve, a modified square law curve, and a sensor 2.0 curve.

19 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the configuration information comprises a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) throttling temperature value.

20 . The LED driver of claim 2 , wherein the configuration information comprises network configuration information for the LED driver.

21 . The LED driver of claim 20 , wherein the network configuration information comprises at least one of a network address, a group assignment, a lighting scene value, a dimming level, a fading time, a hold time, and any combinations thereof.

22 . The LED circuit of claim 2 , wherein the external memory of the plug-in module comprises an identification number of the plug-in module.

Assignees

• Crestron Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Ackmann Evan

Classifications

• H05B45/14 Primary

  using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules · CPC title

• F21V23/06

  the elements being coupling devices {, e.g. connectors} · CPC title

• F21V23/008

  the casing being outside the housing of the lighting device · CPC title

• H05B33/0815

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0845 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic