Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.

Keith Davis

Wei Xiong

Travis L Berry

Stephen D Mays, Ii

John Jay Dernovsek

Christopher Radzinski

Candice Ungacta

Scott Price

Dane Sutherland

Theodore E Kluska

Haiqing (Paul) Yang

Haiqing Yang

John J Dernovsek, Ii

A surge protection device for an LED lighting system provides a failure detection circuit which shuts off an indicator lamp when upon failure of surge protection components. Surge suppression circuits are coupled between respective first and second, and second and third lines for receiving an AC mains input. The surge suppression circuits include a thermal cutoff device and a clamping device, with a fault detection circuit coupled between each respective series circuit. The fault detection circuit activates an indicator lamp when the surge protection device is in a normal operation mode. The fault detection circuit shuts off the indicator lamp when the surge protection device is in a short circuit fault mode, corresponding to failure of at least one component from a surge suppression circuit. Detection of an unlit indicator lamp may serve as a warning to an operator that the associated surge protection device should be replaced.

Failure detection and alerting circuit for a common mode surge protection device in an LED driver

An LED driver is provided having a gate drive integrated circuit with an adaptive operating mode which operates between a first operating mode and a second operating mode. The gate drive integrated circuit is designed to primarily operate in the first operating mode which includes a predetermined minimum on-time and a predetermined maximum off-time for enabling and disabling gate drive signals to a switch, respectively. The second operating mode begins at the minimum on-time and the maximum off-time. The LED driver further includes a controller configured to monitor an on-time and an off-time of the gate drive signals. The controller is further configured responsive to the second operating mode to fix the on-time equal to the predetermined minimum on-time and to continually adjust the off-time greater than or equal to the maximum off-time.

Gate drive IC with adaptive operating mode

A system for a linear isolated power supply circuit may include a boost converter having a boost inductor winding and an auxiliary side winding, the auxiliary side winding configured to be magnetically coupled to the boost inductor winding. The linear isolated power supply circuit includes a voltage sensing circuit coupled to the auxiliary side winding, the voltage sensing circuit configured to measure an input voltage at an isolated circuit associated with the auxiliary winding. The linear isolated power supply circuit includes a processor configured to receive the measured input voltage from the voltage sensing circuit and to cause at least one operation to be performed by the processor based at least in part upon the measured input voltage. Methods and apparatuses corresponding to the system are provided.

Input voltage sense circuit for boost power factor correction in isolated power supplies

An apparatus and a method monitor the status of a thermal protection device within a surge protection device (SPD). A monitoring circuit connected to a monitor output signal of the SPD is responsive to the presence of a time-varying voltage on the monitor output signal. The time-varying voltage is present during a selected half of each AC cycle when the thermal protection device is intact such that the SPD is no longer providing surge protection. The time-varying voltage is not present when the thermal protection device is no longer intact. When the time-varying voltage is not present for a selected duration, the monitoring circuit illuminates a light-emitting diode (LED) to indicate that the thermal protection device has failed.

Failure detection and alerting circuit for a differential mode surge protection device in an LED driver

A light fixture is provided or retrofitted with wireless LED lighting system requiring no additional wireless devices. An LED driver housing has power output terminals and control input terminals for an LED driver disposed therein. An LED lighting device includes driver input terminals to receive the output power from the LED driver, and to which an LED array and a wireless communication module are coupled to receive power therefrom. The wireless communication module comprises a transceiver configured to send and receive wireless communication signals with respect to an external device, and a controller linked to the transceiver and configured to generate lighting output control signals. Dimming control signals received via the transceiver may be processed by the controller and transmitted to the driver without requiring additional hardware or wiring within or attached to the driver. The lighting device also can wirelessly receive occupancy sensor data or LED configuration information.

Integrated LED driver for wireless communication

An LED driver circuit controls the currents through a plurality of strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), which are connected in series. Each LED string has an associated current regulator. The LED strings are connected between the voltage rail and a reference rail on the output of an AC-to-DC rectifier to receive an unfiltered rectified DC voltage. A first current regulator is active during a first voltage range of the DC voltage to provide a current of a first magnitude to a first LED string only. A second current regulator is active during a second voltage range to provide a current of a second magnitude to the first LED string and to a second LED string. A third current regulator is active during a third voltage range to provide a current of a third magnitude to the first LED string, to the second LED string and to a third LED string.

AC LED driver circuit

An LED driver tuning system includes an LED driver configured to receive a tuning interface device at line and neutral mains inputs. During online operation, a power converter generates output power to LED arrays based on dimming control signals and programmed operating parameters. The tuning interface device provides predetermined sequences of digital pulses to a controller during offline mode of operation, wherein the controller modifies programmed operating parameters upon decoding the predetermined sequence of digital pulses and determining a corresponding target value for the parameter(s). Upon reinitiating online operation, the output power generated by the power converter is regulated based on the dimming control signal, a sensed output from the power converter, and the modified programmed operating parameters. A tuning confirmation circuit is configured to generate an inverse of the predetermined sequence of digital pulses so the tuning device can confirm proper receipt of the signals.

LED driver with offline tuning interface using hot and neutral inputs

An LED driver circuit is provided with a dynamic operating range which can be set using an offline tuning interface. During an online mode of operation, a controller for a power converter is configured to regulate the output voltage and the output current generated by the power converter based on a dimming control signal from a dimming control interface, a sensed output from the power converter, and programmed maximum output voltage and maximum output current values. During an offline mode of operation, the tuning interface may be coupled to the dimming control interface and provides a sequence of digital pulses corresponding to a desired maximum output voltage, maximum output current, or operating parameter. The controller then modifies the programmed maximum output voltage and the maximum output current values based on the predetermined sequence of digital pulses received via the tuning interface circuit.

LED driver configuration and dimming interface for dynamic adjustment of driver operating parameters

A control system for a light emitting diode (LED) driver is provided. The control system includes a control module, a command interface, and a combined signal interface. The control module includes a microcontroller configured to receive at least one signal and to determine an LED driver command signal and a command module connected to the microcontroller and capable of communicating with both the lighting dimmer and the wireless control module. The control system includes a command interface which communicatively couples the control module to the LED driver. A combined signal interface communicatively couples the command module and at least one of the lighting dimmer and the wireless control module. The combined signal interface conveys one or more signals between the control module and at least one of the lighting dimmer and the wireless control module. Associated methods and modules are also provided.

Combined wireless voltage controlled dimming interface for an LED driver

An LED driver circuit is provided with a dynamic operating range which can be set using an offline tuning interface. During an online mode of operation, a controller for a power converter is configured to regulate the output voltage and the output current generated by the power converter based on a dimming control signal from a dimming control interface, a sensed output from the power converter, and programmed maximum output voltage and maximum output current values. During an offline mode of operation, the tuning interface may be coupled to the dimming control interface and provides a sequence of digital pulses corresponding to a desired maximum output voltage and/or maximum output current. The controller then modifies the programmed maximum output voltage and the maximum output current values based on the predetermined sequence of digital pulses received via the tuning interface circuit.

Offline tuning interface for LED drivers

An adapter is provided for retrofitting a lighting fixture with a light emitting diode (LED) lamp. The adapter includes a pin plate and a retaining ring. The pin plate includes at least one pin extending outward from a distal side of the pin plate. The retaining ring includes a base, at least one arm, and at least one projecting member, each having inward and outward surfaces. The at least one pin restricts movement of the adapter when the adapter is rotated to a restraining position. The at least one projecting member causes the inward surface of the at least one projecting member to face the inward surface of the base. The at least one projecting member restricts movement of the adapter in a direction corresponding to an axis of rotation of the adapter using the at least one projecting member.

Adapter for retrofitting LED lamps, method of use, and lighting fixture with retrofit adapter

A constant current LED driver with adaptive startup voltage control is generally configured to provide output current to an LED load. A controller is configured to sense the output current, and to provide driving control signals as a function thereof to maintain the sensed current at a target current. During startup operation, the controller provides driving control signals further as a function of a first defined maximum output voltage value. During steady state operation, the driving control signals are provided as a function of a second defined maximum output voltage value. The maximum values may be set according to forward voltage drop values for the LED load in association with first and second temperatures, respectively. During transition operations, the maximum output voltage value is continuously adjusted between the first and second maximum output voltage values, such that the LED load exceeds its warm up time prior to steady state operation.

Adaptive startup method for constant current LED drivers

A surge protection device provides a dimming control signal to an LED driving system upon failure of surge protection components. Impedance networks are coupled between respective first, second and third input lines for an AC mains. The impedance networks include thermal fuses and metal oxide varistors, with a dimming control circuit having a resistive network coupled between each respective series circuit of fuses and MOV's. The resistive network generates a 0-10V analog dimming signal to an LED device controller, wherein a lighting device operates in full lighting mode while the surge protection device is in normal, high impedance mode, but operates in a dimming mode when one or more of the impedance network devices fail and cause the 0-10V signal to drop below 10 volts. Detection of a dimmed but operable lighting device may serve as warning to an operator that the associated surge protection device component should be replaced.

Circuit and method for monitoring functionality of an electronic surge suppressor

An LED driver circuit includes circuitry for indirect sensing of an isolated output current. A rectifier circuit produces DC power to a power factor correction circuit including a switch and a primary transformer winding. An LED array is coupled to a secondary winding of the transformer. An auxiliary transformer winding is coupled to a feedback circuit which generates a feedback signal that is representative of the output current without receiving any direct feedback from the secondary side of the transformer. A capacitor may be coupled across the auxiliary winding, which charges and discharges energy as the switch is driven on and off. A controller further drives the switch based on comparison of an average voltage across the capacitor with respect to a reference value corresponding to desired output current through the load. The reference value may be provided to the controller from an external dimming control circuit.

Indirect current sensing method for a constant current flyback converter

A lighting system includes circuitry to provide wireless LED driver or fluorescent ballast control without requiring changes to existing wiring setups. A power stage includes a power converter coupled across a first set of power terminals. The first power terminals are coupled to a second set of terminals via the wiring. A load stage is coupled to the second power terminals, wherein power provided across the first set of terminals is received by the load stage and deliverable to lighting devices. The load stage further includes a dimming control signal receiver coupled across the second set of power terminals and configured to receive an encoded dimming control signal. The encoded signal is transmitted across the wiring setup, wherein the power stage further includes a dimming control signal decoder coupled across the first set of power terminals and effective to deliver a decoded dimming control signal to the controller.

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Madison, AL, United States of America

Keith Davis