Universal phase dimming module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9401588-B2
Application number	US-201414256272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 18, 2014
Priority date	Apr 18, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A universal load control module includes a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range, a microcontroller, and one or more functional control blocks. A functional control block includes a dimmer circuit for controlling a lighting load that provides reverse phase cut mode dimming, forward phase cut mode dimming, and hybrid phase cut mode dimming, as well as thermal protection. One or more universal control modules are housed in a cabinet that includes a cabinet control module. The cabinet includes additional thermal protection measures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dimmer circuit, comprising:
a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;
a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;
an ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit that provides gate drive control for a plurality of power switching devices in a dimmer output circuit and transition time control, wherein the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit using the PWM control signal;
a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming; and
the dimmer output circuit that powers a load based on the PWM control signal, the transition time control provided by the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit, and the additional transition time control provided by the wave shaping circuit,
wherein the dimmer output circuit includes MOSFET or IGBT power switching devices.

2. The dimmer circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a zero cross detection circuit that operates over the wide voltage range and that provides an input to the microcontroller that indicates zero cross points of the input voltage, wherein the microcontroller uses the input to synchronize the PWM control signal.

3. The dimmer circuit of claim 1 , wherein the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit includes at least one thermistor.

4. The dimmer circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a current sense device that senses current through the load and provides load current information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on an rms value and peak current information.

5. The dimmer circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
an inductive load sense circuit that senses a flyback voltage from the load and provides flyback voltage warning information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller uses the flyback voltage warning information to determine whether to change a dimming mode from reverse phase cut to forward phase cut or from forward phase cut to hybrid phase cut.

6. The dimmer circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:
a temperature sense device that provides temperature information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on the temperature information.

7. A dimmer circuit, comprising:
a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;
a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;
a first transition circuit that provides a first transition time;
a second transition circuit that provides a second transition time;
wherein the microcontroller selects either the first transition circuit or the second transition circuit as a selected transition stage circuit to control a transition time; and
a dimmer output circuit that provides an output to a load based on the PWM control signal and the selected transition circuit,
wherein the dimmer output circuit includes a plurality of power switching devices operable over the wide voltage range.

8. The dimmer circuit of claim 7 , further comprising:
a zero cross detection circuit that operates over the wide voltage range and that provides an input to the microcontroller that indicates zero cross points of the input voltage.

9. The dimmer circuit of claim 7 , further comprising:
a current sense device that senses current through the load and provides current information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on an rms value and peak current information.

10. The dimmer circuit of claim 9 , wherein the current sense device is further operable to detect a failure of one of the power switching devices and to provide failure information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting the duty cycle of the PWM control signal to 100% based on the failure information.

11. The dimmer circuit of claim 7 , further comprising:
an inductive load sense circuit that senses a flyback voltage from the load and provides flyback voltage warning information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller uses the flyback voltage warning information to determine whether to change a dimming mode from reverse phase cut to forward phase cut or from forward phase cut to hybrid phase cut.

12. The dimmer circuit of claim 7 , further comprising:
a temperature sense device that provides temperature information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on the temperature information.

13. The dimmer circuit of claim 7 , further comprising:
a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming.

14. A dimmer circuit, comprising:
a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;
a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;
an ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit that provides gate drive control for a plurality of power switching devices in a dimmer output circuit and transition time control, wherein the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit using the PWM control signal;
a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming; and
the dimmer output circuit that powers a load based on the PWM control signal, the transition time control provided by the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit, and the additional transition time control provided by the wave shaping circuit,
wherein the dimmer output circuit includes the plurality of power switching devices, which are operable over the wide voltage range.

15. The dimmer circuit of claim 14 , wherein the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit includes at least one thermistor.

16. The dimmer circuit of claim 14 , further comprising:
a current sense device that senses current through the load and provides current information to the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is further operable for adjusting a duty cycle of the PWM control signal based on an rms value and peak current info

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc
• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Zulim Dalibor
• Westrick Jr Richard L
• Mullins Leslie
• Cash Audwin W

Classifications

• H02M3/158

  including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load · CPC title

• H02M3/156

  with automatic control of output voltage or current, e.g. switching regulators · CPC title

• Y10S315/07

  Starting and control circuits for gas discharge lamp using transistors · CPC title

• H02H3/00

  Emergency protective circuit arrangements for automatic disconnection directly responsive to an undesired change from normal electric working condition with or without subsequent reconnection (specially adapted for specific types of electric machines or apparatus or for sectionalised protection of cable or line systems H02H7/00; systems for change-over to standby supply H02J9/00 ){; integrated protection (for motors H02H7/0822)} · CPC title

• G09G3/3406

  Control of illumination source (illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336) · CPC title