Lighting system with a plurality of LEDs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9801243-B2
Application number	US-200913126470-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2009
Priority date	Nov 13, 2008
Publication date	Oct 24, 2017
Grant date	Oct 24, 2017

Abstract

A lighting system ( 1 ) comprises a power unit ( 20 ) for producing data-modulated current, and a light unit ( 10 ) receiving this current at its input and output terminals ( 11, 12 ).
The light unit comprises two or more light modules ( 100 A; 100 B; 100 C) connected in series.
Each light module comprises:
a LED string ( 110 ) of one or more LEDs ( 111, 112, 113 ) connected between module input and output terminals ( 101, 102 ), each LED having an associated controllable shunt switch ( 121, 122, 123 ) connected in parallel thereto; a module controller ( 190 ) for controlling the shunt switches, the module controller ( 190 ) having a input terminals ( 191, 192 ) connected to said module input and output terminals, respectively. The module controller demodulates the data and controls the switches on the basis of an action command contained therein, if an address information contained therein matches the unique controller address.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light module, comprising:
an input terminal;
an output terminal;
a LED string comprising a plurality of LEDs connected between said terminals, each LED having an associated controllable shunt switch connected in parallel thereto;
a module controller adapted to control the shunt switches, the module controller having a first input terminal connected to the module input terminal and a second input terminal connected to the module output terminal, the light module being configured to receive at its input terminal and at its output terminal an input current with a data signal modulated thereon, the data containing an address and an action command;
the module controller being configured decode the modulated data, the module controller having a predetermined unique address; wherein the module controller is configured to compare the decoded data address with its own address and, if the compared addresses match, to execute the decoded action command.

2. The light module according to claim 1 , further comprising a diode coupled between an input terminal of the module controller and the corresponding module input or output terminal.

3. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein the module controller comprises an energy buffer parallel to its input terminals.

4. The light module according to claim 1 , wherein each LED is provided with a respective voltage sensor adapted to measure the voltage drop over the LED, and wherein the module controller has sensor inputs coupled to the voltage sensor adapted to receive their measuring signals.

5. The light module according to claim 3 , wherein the module controller is configured, in response to a measuring signal indicating that at least one LED of the plurality of LEDs has failed, to generate a control signal for the shunt switch associated with said at least one LED to remain closed.

6. The light module according to claim 1 , configured to receive at its input and output terminal an input current from a power source with a current source; wherein the module controller is configured to send a data signal to the power source by briefly switching at least one of said shunt switches from a conductive state to a non-conductive state or from a non-conductive state to a conductive state such as to cause modulation of the output voltage of the current source.

7. A light unit, having an input terminal and an output terminal, the light unit comprising the light module implemented according to claim 1 , wherein the module input terminal is connected to the light unit input terminal and wherein the module output terminal is connected to the light unit output terminal.

8. A light unit, having an input terminal and an output terminal, the light unit comprising two or more light modules of claim 1 connected in series, each light module except one having its output terminal connected to the input terminal of the next light module; wherein the module input terminal of the first light module is connected to the unit input terminal and wherein the module output terminal of the last light module is connected to the unit output terminal.

Assignees

• Sauerlander Georg
• Willwohl Harald
• Philips Lighting Holding Bv

Inventors

• Sauerlander Georg
• Willwohl Harald

Classifications

• H05B47/185

  via power line carrier transmission · CPC title

• H05B33/089

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/083 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B37/036

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B20/48

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic