Apparatus, method, and system for galvanically isolated control and monitoring of LED drivers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9781780-B1
Application number	US-201514831986-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 21, 2015
Priority date	Aug 22, 2014
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A system, apparatus, and method for operating one or more drivers of light sources, such as can be used with LED lighting fixtures, wherein main power to the drivers is galvanically isolated from communication functionalities to and from the drivers. In one example, a controller can receive information or send information to the drivers in a galvanically isolated manner. The galvanic isolation can be accomplished in different ways and configurations for high flexibility of design.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for LED lighting comprising:
a. plural LED drivers and associated LED fixtures;
b. a main controller; and
c. plural galvanically isolated interface channels so that isolation exists between individual LED drivers and individual LED drivers and the main controller.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the isolated interface channels monitor LED driver parameters and communicate information about said parameters to the main controller without compromising galvanic isolation.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the parameters monitored are driver voltage and current.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller provides control signals to plural LED drivers.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the control signals are communicated across said isolation to said interface channels.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the interface channels further communicate the control signals to associated drivers.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein isolation is maintained between individual drivers and between the individual drivers and the controller.

8. The system of claim 2 comprising a single board having a control section and further having interface sections wherein the interface sections are galvanically isolated from each other and from the control section.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein the galvanic isolation is sufficient for high voltage differentials.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the high voltage differentials are on the order of one or more thousands of volts.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein the isolated interface channels comprise an addressable bus system.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the isolated interface channels are connected to the main controller by means of mating connectors.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the isolated interface channels comprise different isolation architectures adapted to different LED controllers.

14. A method to operate one or more drivers associated with light sources utilizing a single controller for communication to and from the driver/light sources combination comprising:
a. galvanically isolating the controller from the driver/light sources combination;
b. allowing communication between the controller and the driver/light sources combination;
c. wherein one or more of the drivers has:
i. a different power source from the controller or from one or more of the other drivers; or
ii. a different ground reference from the controller or from one or more of the other drivers.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the communication comprises information or data related to at least one of operating parameters of the driver and/or light sources combination or instructions to the driver and/or light sources combination.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the driver/light sources combination relates to high power and high current operation.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the drivers comprise non-isolated LED drivers and light sources comprise LEDs.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein galvanic isolation comprises setting up galvanically isolated interface channels allowing at least one way communication over each channel.

19. The method of claim 14 comprising plural drivers and the galvanic isolation is between the plural drivers as well as the drivers and the controller.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the method is applied to drivers comprising plural LED drivers of plural LED fixtures of a wide area lighting system comprising one or more fixtures elevated on elevating structures, each elevating structure including an enclosure that can include at least the controller and drivers.

21. A system for operating one or more drivers of LED light sources with a central control subsystem comprising:
a. a central control including a digital programmable controller that has inputs and outputs that relate to control functions for the drivers and information about operating parameters of the drivers;
b. a main electrical power connection to operatively supply high power, high current electrical power to the drivers;
c. a galvanic isolation subsystem between each driver and the controller, the galvanic isolation deterring or preventing unwanted current falling between the main power and control functionalities whether or not main power to drivers is galvanically isolated and whether or not a ground is shared;
d. wherein said main electrical power connection for the drivers is separate from or has a separate ground reference from at least one of the controller or other drivers.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein galvanic isolation includes at least one of: inductive/transformer, opto-isolation, capacitive, acoustic, mechanic, or other forms of galvanic isolation.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein communication comprises at least one of: operating parameters of the driver or light sources, instructions for the driver, or other.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the system can include a combined controller and communication board or a separate control board with one or more communication boards, or a galvanically isolated communication path.

Assignees

• Musco Corp

Inventors

• Van Arendonk Kevin D
• Blanchard David L
• Schembs Andrew J

Classifications

• H05B33/0809 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B47/18

  via data-bus transmission · CPC title

• H05B45/00 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED] · CPC title

• H05B45/382

  with galvanic isolation between input and output · CPC title