Systems, methods, and apparatuses for using a high current switching device as a logic level sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9288873-B2
Application number	US-201414179737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2014
Priority date	Feb 13, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A line voltage signal at a first voltage and a first current supplied by a line voltage switching device responsive to a sensed or detected event can be provided to a first node of a regulator. A portion of the line voltage signal can be passed at the first voltage through a capacitive device in the regulator and provided at a second node for return to an electrical circuit containing a load device. The remaining portion of the line voltage signal can be passed to a voltage divider comprising at least a first resistive device and a second resistive device. A signal output at a second voltage and a second current that is suitable for introduction to a high-impedance controller input can be obtained at a third node electrically coupled to a point between the first resistive device and the second resistive device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system to permit a line voltage switching device operable at a first voltage and a first current to provide, when in an electrically continuous state, an output signal to a high-impedance controller input used to control the delivery of power at the first voltage from a line voltage source to a load device, the system comprising:
a first node electrically, communicably, coupled to the line voltage switching device to receive a line voltage signal from the line voltage switching device when the line voltage switching device is in the electrically continuous state;
a second node that outputs at the first voltage a first portion of the line voltage signal received at the first node, the second node electrically, communicably, coupled through at least one first capacitive device to the first node;
a voltage divider electrically, communicably, coupled to the first node, the voltage divider including at least a first resistive device serially electrically coupled to a second resistive device; and
a third node that provides a second portion of the line voltage signal received at the first node as the output signal indicative of the electrically continuous state of the line voltage switching device to the high-impedance controller input, the third node electrically, communicably, coupled between the first resistive device and the second resistive device, the output signal at a second voltage lower than the first voltage and the output signal at a second current that is lower than the first current.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising the line voltage switching device that selectively, reversibly, switches between at least the electrically continuous state and an electrically discontinuous state responsive to an occurrence or lack of an occurrence of at least one event.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising the line voltage source operating at the first voltage, the line voltage source electrically, communicably coupled to the line voltage switching device and to at least one controller that includes the high-impedance controller input.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising the load device electrically, communicably coupled through at least one controller to the voltage source.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the load device comprises at least one solid state lighting device including at least one solid state light source.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first voltage comprises an alternating current (“A.C.”) voltage and the at least one controller includes a power converter that converts the A.C. voltage provided by the voltage source to a power signal provided to the at least one solid state lighting device when the line voltage switching device is in the electrically continuous state.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the power converter further comprises a switched-mode power supply and the power signal provided to the at least one solid state lighting device includes at least one of: a pulse-width modulated power signal or a pulse-frequency modulated power signal.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein the line voltage switching device comprises a photosensitive device that selectively, reversibly, enters the electrically continuous state based on the occurrence of an event corresponding to a level of ambient illumination proximate the photosensitive device: rising above one or more defined ambient illumination thresholds, or falling below one or more defined ambient illumination thresholds.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one overvoltage protection device that limits the second voltage of the output signal provided at the third node to less than a defined second voltage threshold, the at least one overvoltage protection device electrically coupled in parallel with the second resistive device.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the at least one overvoltage protection device comprises at least one zener diode.

11. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one damping device that dampens fluctuations in the second current of the output signal provided at the third node to less than a defined current threshold, the at least one damping device electrically coupled in parallel with the second resistive device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one damping device comprises at least one second capacitor.

13. A method to permit a line voltage switching device operable at a first voltage and a first current to provide, when in an electrically continuous state, an output signal to a high-impedance controller input used to control the delivery of power at the first voltage from a line voltage source to a load device, the method comprising:
receiving a line voltage signal at a first node, the first node electrically, communicably, coupled to the line voltage switching device, the line voltage signal indicative of the presence of the line voltage switching device in the electrically continuous state;
communicating a first output at the first voltage and including at least a first portion of the line voltage signal received at the first interface at a second node, the second node electrically, communicably, coupled through at least one first capacitive device to the first node;
introducing at least a second portion of the line voltage signal received at the first node to a voltage divider electrically, communicably, coupled to the first node, the voltage divider including at least a first resistive device serially electrically coupled to a second resistive device; and
communicating the output signal including at least a portion of the second portion of the line voltage signal to the high-impedance controller input via a third node, the third node electrically, communicably, coupled between the first resistive device and the second resistive device, the output signal at a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage and at a second current that is lower than the first current, the output signal indicative of the line voltage switching device in the electrically continuous state.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
limiting the second voltage to less than a defined second voltage threshold via at least one overvoltage protection device electrically, communicably, coupled in parallel with the second resistive device.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
limiting the fluctuation of the second current via at least one damping device electrically, communicably, coupled in parallel with the second resistive device and the overvoltage protection device.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein receiving a line voltage signal indicative of the line voltage switching device in an electrically continuous state at the first node comprises:
receiving the line voltage signal when the line voltage switching device is in an electrically continuous state responsive to an occurrence or lack of an occurrence of at least one event.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving the line voltage signal when the line voltage switching device is in an electrically continuous state responsive to an occurrence or lack of an occurrence of at least one event comprises:
receiving the line voltage signal when the line voltage switching device is in an electrically continuous state responsive to an occurrence or lack of an occurrence of at least one of: an event corresponding to a change in ambient lighting levels, or an event corresponding to movement of an object or a body.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
receiving the output signal at the high-impeda

Assignees

• Express Imaging Systems Llc

Inventors

• Reed William G

Classifications

• H02M1/10

  Arrangements incorporating converting means for enabling loads to be operated at will from different kinds of power supplies, e.g. from AC or DC · CPC title

• H05B47/10 Primary

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• H05B37/02 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M2001/0006

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M1/0006

  Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters · CPC title