General Electric Company

Ge Lighting Solutions LLC

Gang Yao

Nina Rose Scheidegger

Bo Zhang

Xuefei Xie

Ramanujam Ramabhadran

Ting Ting Zhang

Carre Denise Scheidegger

Benoit Essiambre

Chenghua Zhu

Bruce Richard Roberts

Fanbin Wang

Cong Li

Peng Sun

Jeffrey Joseph Nasadoski

James Domenic Mieskoski

Hongbin Wei

David Zhang

Jessica Lynn Burk

James Dominic Mieskoski

Anthony Steven White

A power system is provided. The power system includes a multi-level DC/DC converter electrically coupled with a terminal of a voltage source, such as a battery. The power system includes an EMI filter network having EMI shunt filters electrically coupled between the terminals of the battery and a reference frame or grounding system. The EMI shunt filters each include at least one of a first order filter and a second order filter. The elements of these ordered filters can be used to shunt common mode electric current to less-resistive paths, limit voltage, and reduce common mode voltage noise to ultimately reduce the common mode effects in the power system.

EMI noise reduction circuit for DC/DC converter

Provided is a system for reducing power consumption in digitally addressable lighting interfaces (DALI), the system including a processor having at least one pin, a transistor coupled to the processor and a resistive network coupled to the processor and the resistive network.

Method and system for lighting interface messaging with reduced power consumption

A power supply includes a first component arrangement providing a first current output for initializing control circuitry, and a second component arrangement providing a second current output to the control circuitry when the control circuitry initialization is complete, and a method of operating a power supply includes connecting a first component arrangement of the power supply to provide control circuitry with a first current for initializing operations within a predetermined time period, and connecting a second component arrangement of the supply to provide the control circuitry with a second current when initializing operations are complete.

Start up circuit for digital addressable lighting interface stand by compatible driver

A power factor controller (PFC) for an electrical load such as LED lighting includes a power factor correcting converter for generating a sinusoidal input current. The PFC further includes a programmable controller for estimating a phase shifted multiplier. A current regulator generates a desired PFC current in response to an input voltage, an output load and the phase shifted and subsequently blanked multiplier. The electrical load operates in response to the sinusoidal input current based at least partially on the desired PFC current.

System and method of compensating power factor for electrical loads

A timing circuit may be enabled when a static signal disables communication through a communications bus, the timing circuit producing a threshold level after being enabled for a predetermined time period, and a switch controlled by the timing circuit is configured to disconnect the static signal when the timing circuit produces the threshold level. A static signal may be used to enable a timing circuit upon the static signal disabling communication through a communications bus, and communication may be allowed through the communication bus by disconnecting the static signal using a switch controlled by the timing circuit, after the timing circuit has been enabled for a predetermined period of time.

Digital addressable lighting interface short protection circuit

A light emitting diode (LED) driver includes an inverter for converting a DC input signal to a pulsating signal. A multiple output multi-resonant converter generates a first LED string current in response to the pulsating signal, and also generates a second LED string current in response to the pulsating signal. A transistor that may be a FET or BJT operating in its linear region regulates the second LED string current independent of the first LED string current without sacrificing efficiency of the overall power train.

System and method for achieving precise regulation of multiple outputs in a multi-resonant LED driver stage

Provided is a lighting system that includes a plurality of lighting elements to emit light, a power supply to supply power, a lighting driver including a microcontroller and to output power to the plurality of lighting elements for operation thereof, a control system to transmit a control signal to the microcontroller to initiate a standby mode of the plurality of lighting elements, and a semiconductor device configured to receive voltage from the microcontroller, and selectively enable and disable a low power consumption mode of the lighting driver, to thereby maintain voltage for communication between the microcontroller and the control system during the standby mode.

Gate voltage threshold turn off for maintaining voltage supply during standby mode of a lighting system

A method for mitigating visual fluctuation of light output at low pulse width modulation levels is disclosed. The method comprises at least the step of comparing the percent change of a previously applied input voltage value to the pulse width modulation output.

Digital control method for low output dimming of light emitting diode (LED) drivers

Provided is a lighting system that includes a plurality of lighting elements which emit light, a power supply which supplies power, a lighting driver comprising a microcontroller and which outputs power to the plurality of lighting elements for operation thereof; and a control system which transmits a control signal to the microcontroller to initiate a standby mode of the plurality of lighting elements. The microcontroller receives the control signal and decreases output power supplied to the plurality of lighting elements, while remaining in a low power consumption mode for communicating with the control system during standby mode.

Microcontroller burst mode to maintain voltage supply during standby mode of a lighting system

Provided is a light emitting diode (LED) driver. The LED driver includes a microcontroller for setting a level of an output current of the driver. The driver is configured to receive a prefix as an input, the prefix instructing the microcontroller to enter a programming mode. The microcontroller is responsive to a level signal representative of the level of the output current during the programming mode.

Programmable light emitting diode (LED) driver technique based upon a prefix signal

Provided is an LED driver including an amplifier configured to receive a negative voltage input signal and produce a positive voltage output signal in response thereto. Also included is a microcontroller configured for sensing a value of the positive voltage output signal. The microcontroller (i) enters a programming mode when the value exceeds a threshold and (ii) produces an output current responsive to the value.

Programmable light emitting diode (LED) driver technique based upon an input voltage signal

A ballast for driving a gas discharge lamp includes an inverter configured to generate a lamp supply voltage signal, and a voltage regulator coupled to the inverter and configured to generate a regulation signal. The regulation signal is used by the inverter to maintain the lamp voltage signal at a substantially constant voltage. A thermistor circuit is coupled between the lamp supply voltage signal and the voltage regulator and configured to detect a temperature of the ballast. The lamp supply voltage signal is varied by the regulation signal in accordance with the detected temperature of the ballast.

Ballast with temperature compensation

Provided is a lighting ballast system and method for fluorescent lamps. The system and method utilize a lamp current control loop to control the light level of a fluorescent lamp. The ballast includes an open loop detector that recognizes an open current control loop as an indication of a fault or hazard condition, and causes the ballast to output a safe lamp voltage or no voltage. The fault or hazard condition may be, for example, a very high voltage at the lamp or very low current across the lamp. The ballast also includes a disable circuit that prevents the open loop detector from triggering at times when the loop is expected to be open such as during ignition and maintenance restarting of the lamp.

Fault protection system and method for fluorescent lamp ballasts

A programmed start ballast circuit is presented having a mode control circuit to selectively switch an inverter output load to control operation for cathode preheating, step dimming and/or anti-arcing operation.

Programmed start circuit for ballast

A system and method of controlling a lighting system having a ballast is provided. The ballast may be used in a lamp system that utilizes different types of lamps. The ballast may detect a lamp signal that indicates a change in state of at least one of the lamps in the lighting system. A voltage regulator signal can be modified based on the detected lamp signal and the light system controlled based on the modified voltage regulator signal.

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Mayfield Heights, OH, United States of America

Gang Yao