Power line communication for lighting systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9408258-B2
Application number	US-201314062496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2013
Priority date	Oct 24, 2013
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

Techniques are provided for bi-directional communication between a power supply and one or more light engines (and/or other lighting system components) via the existing power lines so that no additional communication wires are needed. In particular, the power supply can transmit information by modulating its output (voltage or current) and the light engine (or other lighting componentry, such as a sensor) can communicate back by modulating how much power it draws from the power supply. Any suitable type of modulation scheme can be used, and a master-slave arrangement can be used to control the bi-directional communication if so desired, so as to avoid multiple devices communicating over the power line communication channel at the same time. Other embodiments allow a multiple simultaneous communications over the power line communication channel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting system device, comprising:
a modulation element configured to operatively couple to DC power lines providing DC power to a lighting system; and
a processor configured to use the modulation element to modulate one of current flow through the modulation element or voltage drop across another element of the lighting system thereby providing an outgoing power line communication signal for transmission over the DC power lines, and wherein the processor is further configured to sense one of the amount of current flow through the other element or the amount of voltage drop across the other element so as to allow for receipt and interpretation of an incoming power line communication signal on the DC power lines.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to use the modulation element to modulate current flow through the modulation element to provide the outgoing power line communication signal, and the processor is configured to measure the amount of voltage drop across the other element so as to allow for receipt and interpretation of the incoming power line communication signal.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to use the modulation element to modulate voltage drop across the other element to provide the outgoing power line communication signal, and the processor is configured to measure the amount of current flow through the other element so as to allow for receipt and interpretation of the incoming power line communication signal.

4. The device of claim 1 further comprising a switch configured to control the in-circuit presence of the modulation element in response to a modulation control signal provided by the processor, so as to modulate one of current flow through the modulation element or voltage drop across the other element, thereby providing the outgoing power line communication signal.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the modulation element is configured to either:
electrically connect in series with the other element and the switch is electrically connected in parallel to the modulation element, such that the voltage drop across the other element is modulated in response to the modulation control signal; or
electrically connect in parallel with the other element and the switch is electrically connected in series to the modulation element, such that the current flow through the modulation element is modulated in response to the modulation control signal.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the modulation element comprises a current source.

7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a current source that is configured to electrically connect in series with the other element.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is one of a lighting system power supply, a lighting module configured with a light source, or a lighting system sensor.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is the other element.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the lighting system is capable of operating in one or more dimming modes, and the processor modulates the one of current flow through the modulation element or voltage drop across the other element in accordance with a modulation scheme that is selected based on the dimming mode.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the lighting system is capable of operating in one or more dimming modes, and the current flow through the other element or the voltage drop across the other element sensed by the processor is modulated in accordance with a modulation scheme that is selected based on the dimming mode.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the processor is powered by a voltage supply derived from the DC power lines, the device further comprising an energy storage element that provides power to the processor during time intervals when no power is provided on the DC power lines.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the modulation element comprises a voltage source serially connected with the other element and responsive to a modulation control signal provided by the processor.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the modulation element comprises a current source connected in parallel to the other element and responsive to a modulation control signal provided by the processor.

15. The device of claim 1 wherein the device comprises one of a wireless communication circuit, a wired communication circuit, an actuator, or a motor controller.

16. A lighting system comprising the device of claim 1 and further comprising the other element, wherein the device is one of a lighting system power supply, a lighting module configured with a light source, or a lighting system sensor, and wherein the other element is one of a lighting system power supply, a lighting module configured with a light source, or a lighting system sensor.

17. A lighting system comprising the device of claim 1 and further comprising the other element, wherein one of the device or the other element is a lighting system power supply, and the other of the device or the other element is a first lighting module configured with a light source.

18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising at least one of a second lighting module configured with a light source and/or a lighting system sensor, wherein the at least one of a second lighting module and/or a lighting system sensor are electrically connected to the DC power lines and in parallel with the first lighting module and the lighting system power supply.

19. A communication method for a lighting system, the method comprising:
using, via a processor, a modulation element to modulate one of current flow through the modulation element or voltage drop across an other element of the lighting system, thereby providing an outgoing power line communication signal for transmission over DC power lines of the system; and
sensing, via the processor, one of the amount of current flow through the other element or the amount of voltage drop across the other element so as to allow for receipt and interpretation of an incoming power line communication signal on the DC power lines.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the processor is configured to use the modulation element to modulate current flow through the modulation element to provide the outgoing power line communication signal, and the processor is configured to measure the amount of voltage drop across the other element so as to allow for receipt and interpretation of the incoming power line communication signal.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the processor is configured to use the modulation element to modulate voltage drop across the other element to provide the outgoing power line communication signal, and the processor is configured to measure the amount of current flow through the other element so as to allow for receipt and interpretation of the incoming power line communication signal.

22. A device configured to carry out the method of claim 19 , wherein the device is one of a lighting system power supply, a lighting module configured with a light source, or a lighting system sensor, a wireless communication module, or a motor controller.

23. A non-transient computer program product encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a power line communication process to be carried out in a light system, the process comprising:
use, via a processor, a modulation element to modulate one of current flow through the modulation element or voltage drop across an other element of the

Assignees

• Siessegger Bernhard
• Osram Sylvania Inc

Inventors

• Siessegger Bernhard

Classifications

• H04B2203/5416

  by adding signals to the wave form of the power source · CPC title

• H04B3/548

  the power on the line being DC (arrangements for feeding power H04L12/10; extracting feeding power from signals H04L25/02) · CPC title

• H05B45/10

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H05B33/0854

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0818

  Electricity · mapped topic