Aleddra Inc.

Lightel Technologies, Inc.

Chungho Hsia

Pai-Sheng Shen

Ching-Feng Lin

Chia-Yiu Maa

Chun-Te Yu

Chunte Yu

Alan Lin

Cheri Qin

A light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire comprising two types of LEDs, a switching circuit, a signal generating circuit, and an LED driving circuit is used to replace a conventional luminaire with a severe temporal light artifact. The switching circuit and the LED driving circuit are configured to reduce a low-frequency ripple associated with AC mains. The signal generating circuit is configured to produce two sets of modulation signals with a phase difference of 180 degrees between the two sets of modulation signals, which are then embedded in the LED driving current to drive the two types of LEDs, resulting in imperceptible flicker at a temporal modulation frequency as a result of color mixing of the two types of LEDs and persistence of vision, thereby drastically reducing eyestrain, visual discomfort, etc.

Solid-state lighting with imperceptible flicker

A linear light-emitting diode (LED) lamp comprising an emergency circuit is used to replace a luminaire operated in a normal circuit with alternate-current (AC) mains. The normal circuit comprises a step-down regulator circuit and a load control relay whereas the emergency circuit comprises a rechargeable battery, a step-up regulator circuit, and a self-diagnostic circuit. The linear LED lamp can be auto-switched from a normal mode to an emergency mode according to availability of the AC mains and whether a rechargeable battery test is initiated. The load control relay is configured to convey a forward electric current and a reverse electric current to and from the LED arrays. The self-diagnostic circuit is configured to provide a test sequence and to auto-evaluate battery performance. The step-up regulator circuit adopts an unconventional low power scheme to prolong an emergency lighting time using a limited power of the rechargeable battery.

Linear solid-state lighting with low emergency power and auto-tests

An all-fiber laser oscillator comprises a laser cavity, an amplification fiber, a plurality of diode lasers, and at least one side-pump signal-and-pump combiner (combiner). The combiner comprises a double-clad fiber (DCF) and four or more multimode fibers (MMFs). DCF comprises a first taper portion, whereas each of MMFs comprises a second taper portion fused around DCF. MMFs are configured to carry a portion of combined optical energy (COE) and to couple to DCF. The first taper portion can partially compensate a beam divergence created by the second taper portion, thereby increasing a coupling efficiency of COE coupled from MMFs to DCF with improved thermal performance. In a coupling portion, a refractive index difference between MMFs and DCF is configured to form a backward coupling barrier to suppress an optical energy in DCF from coupling into MMFs, thereby protecting the plurality of diode lasers from damage.

All-fiber laser oscillators adopting side-pump signal-and-pump combiners

An LED lamp includes an elongated housing, LED arrays, a rechargeable battery, a controller circuit, two drivers, a charging circuit, and a battery backup user interface. The first driver converts an external power to drive the LED array whereas the second driver draws power from the rechargeable battery to drive the LED arrays during power outage. The charging circuit charges the rechargeable battery during normal operation. The battery backup user interface includes a battery charging indicator indicating the charging status of the rechargeable battery. The battery backup user interface also includes a battery shutoff switch configured to allow a user to enable or disable the rechargeable battery. In some cases, the battery backup user interface further includes a test button configured to allow the user to trigger a test of the rechargeable battery.

Light-emitting diode lamps with battery backup user interfaces

A light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire phase-dimming driver comprises a first power supply circuit, a second power supply circuit, and an interface control circuit. The second power supply circuit is configured to convert a constant voltage generated from the first power supply circuit into an output direct-current (DC) voltage to dim an external LED luminaire in response to a phase-dimming signal abstracted from a phase-cut mains voltage no matter whether the external LED luminaire is originally dimmable or not. The second power supply circuit is further configured to receive a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal and to control the output DC voltage in response to the PWM signal. The interface control circuit comprises a relay switch configured to sense the phase-dimming signal and to control switching between an intermediate voltage and the output DC voltage to operate the external LED luminaire without flickering.

Solid-state lighting with a luminaire phase-dimming driver

A linear light-emitting diode (LED) lamp comprising a normally-operated portion and an emergency-operated portion is used to replace a luminaire operated only in a normal mode with alternate-current (AC) mains. The normally-operated portion comprises a fly-back converter whereas the emergency-operated portion comprises a rechargeable battery, a bidirectional circuit, a boost converter, a self-diagnostic circuit, and a control circuit. The linear LED lamp can auto-switch from the normal mode to an emergency mode according to availability of the AC mains and whether a rechargeable battery test is initiated. The bidirectional circuit is configured to convey a forward electric current and a reverse electric current to and from the rechargeable battery, respectively. The self-diagnostic circuit is configured to provide multiple sequences and to auto-evaluate battery performance according to the multiple sequences. During an auto-evaluation period, a terminal voltage on the rechargeable battery is examined with test results displayed in a status indicator.

Linear solid-state lighting with bidirectional circuits

A light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire comprising a battery-backup portion is used to replace a luminaire operated only with alternate-current (AC) mains. The battery-backup portion comprises a rechargeable battery, a self-diagnostic circuit, and a front-end communication circuit. The self-diagnostic circuit comprises timers and is configured to provide test schedules and to auto-evaluate battery performance according to the test schedules with test results stored. The LED luminaire further comprises a remote user interface and a concentrator communication circuit configured to communicate with the front-end communication circuit configured to send the test results to the concentrator communication circuit as soon as a rechargeable battery test is performed. When the remote control signals are initiated by the remote user interface with spread-spectrum modulated signals transmitted, the front-end communication circuit can demodulate such signals and subsequently send commands to the self-diagnostic circuit to respond accordingly.

Solid-state lighting with data communication controls

An optical fiber combiner comprises a double-clad fiber (DCF) and one or more multimode fibers (MMFs). DCF comprises a transition portion, a DCF taper portion, and an output section coupling to the DCF taper portion, whereas each of MMFs comprises an MMF taper configured to be fused around DCF in the transition portion. MMFs are configured to carry a combined optical energy (COE) and to couple to DCF. COE passes through the MMF taper with larger divergence of higher-order modes generated and coupled into DCF, whereas the DCF taper portion can partially offset the larger divergence. COE coupled, when traced through the output section, emerges in the air with a smaller output beam divergence of the higher-order modes, thereby preserving some of the higher-order modes in the output section and increasing a coupling efficiency of COE coupled from MMFs to DCF with improved thermal performance.

Method for manufacturing optical fiber combiners

An optical fiber combiner comprises a double-clad fiber (DCF) and one or more multimode fibers (MMFs). DCF comprises a transition portion, a first taper portion, and an output section coupling to the first taper portion, whereas each of MMFs comprises a second taper configured to be fused around DCF in the transition portion. MMFs are configured to carry a combined optical energy (COE) and to couple to DCF. COE passes through the second taper with larger divergence of higher-order modes generated and coupled into DCF, whereas the first taper portion can partially offset the larger divergence. COE coupled, when traced through the output section, emerges in air with a smaller output beam divergence of the higher-order modes, thereby preserving some of the higher-order modes in the output section and increasing a coupling efficiency of COE coupled from MMFs to DCF with improved thermal performance.

Optical fiber combiner

A light-emitting diode (LED) lamp comprising a normally-operated portion and an emergency-operated portion is used to replace a luminaire operated only in a normal mode with alternate-current (AC) mains. The normally-operated portion comprises a second driving circuit whereas the emergency-operated portion comprises a rechargeable battery, a first driving circuit, a self-diagnostic circuit, and a control circuit. The LED lamp can auto-switch between the normal mode and an emergency mode according to availability of the AC mains and whether a rechargeable battery test is initiated. The control circuit is configured to produce a pulse train with a predetermined duty cycle to operate the first driving circuit while disabling the second driving circuit to eliminate operational ambiguity during the rechargeable battery test. The self-diagnostic circuit is configured to provide multiple sequences and to auto-evaluate battery performance by sending the pulse train to operate the first driving circuit according to the multiple sequences.

Linear solid-state lighting with a pulse train control

A light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire dimming driver comprises a power supply circuit, a dimming interface circuit, an optocoupler circuit, an LED luminaire driving circuit, and a supplied voltage control circuit. The LED luminaire driving circuit is configured to automatically convert a constant voltage from the power supply circuit into an output DC voltage to dim an external LED luminaire in response to a dimming signal no matter whether the external LED luminaire is originally dimmable or not. The LED luminaire driving circuit is further configured to receive a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal and to control a magnitude of the output DC voltage in response to the PWM signal. The supplied voltage control circuit comprises a relay switch configured to sense the dimming signal, to control switching between a line voltage from AC mains and the output DC voltage to operate the external LED luminaire without operational ambiguity.

Solid-state lighting with a luminaire dimming driver

An LED luminaire comprising LED arrays, a buck circuit with a switching portion comprising a transformer, and an LED driving circuit comprising a feedback control circuit is used to replace a conventional luminaire with a severe temporal light artifact. The buck circuit with the switching portion is configured to generate a variable DC voltage with a low-frequency ripple associated with AC mains. The feedback control circuit is configured to feedback a mixed voltage and current control signal to the buck circuit with the switching portion to compensate the low-frequency ripple so as to regulate an LED driving voltage with a ripple-reduced LED current to drive the LED arrays with a flicker-reduced light emission that may protect users of the LED luminaire from possible health hazards such as seizures, headaches, eyestrain, reduced visual performance, migraines, etc.

Solid-state lighting with reduced light flickering

A light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire comprises an emergency-operated portion comprising a rechargeable battery with a terminal voltage, a self-diagnostic circuit, and a node modulator-demodulator (MODEM). The LED luminaire can auto-switch from a normal power to an emergency power according to availability of the normal power and whether a rechargeable battery test is initiated. The self-diagnostic circuit comprises a data memory and is configured to initiate self-diagnostic tests and to auto-evaluate battery performance according to test schedules with the terminal voltage examined and test results stored and integrated in the data memory. The LED luminaire further comprises a remote controller configured to initiate control signals with phase-shift keying (PSK) signals transmitted and to collect test data to and from the node MODEM. The node MODEM is configured to demodulate the PSK signals and to send commands to the self-diagnostic circuit to request responses accordingly.

Solid-state lighting with integrated test data

A light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire emergency driver comprises a rechargeable battery, a power supply unit, an LED driving circuit, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit. The LED driving circuit and the power supply unit each comprises a scalable power control scheme respectively configured to drive external LED arrays with different power levels when the alternate-current (AC) mains are unavailable and to power the first control circuit and to charge the rechargeable battery with different capacity when the AC mains are available. The second control circuit comprises two switches configured to control discharging and charging of the rechargeable battery. The second control circuit further comprises a relay switch circuit configured to control either a first LED driving current from the LED driving circuit or a second LED driving current from an external power supply unit to drive the external LED arrays without crosstalk.

Solid-state lighting with adaptive emergency power

An emergency lighting and power system comprises a rechargeable battery, an LED driving circuit, and a charging and discharging control circuit. The emergency lighting and power system is intended to automatically supply illumination or power or both in an event of failure of normal power supply. The LED driving circuit is configured to convert a terminal voltage from the rechargeable battery into an AC voltage to operate a luminaire when a line voltage from AC mains is unavailable. The charging and discharging control circuit comprises at least two relay switches configured to sense a loss of normal power supply, to switch between normal power and an emergency power to operate the luminaire in proper situations, and to meet regulatory requirements without operational ambiguity and safety issues.

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Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Chungho Hsia