Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc.

Michael Diaz-Tello

John Jay Dernovsek

Stephen D Mays, Ii

Henry Jacobs

Bobby Srisan

A light fixture includes a light source driver circuit and a light engine. The light engine includes a light source and a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of the light source. The driver circuit includes a temperatures sensing circuit operable to connect to the temperature sensor and provide a temperature signal indicative of the temperature of the light source. The driver circuit monitors the temperature signal and shuts down an output current provided to the light source when the temperature is outside of a predetermined operating range. The driver circuit is configured to interface with a thermistor or normally bi-metal switch temperature sensor without alteration.

Driver circuit with a common interface for negative temperature coefficient resistor and bi-metallic strip temperature sensing

A power line communication system and signaling protocol is usable for quick dimming of an electronic ballast. An encoding circuit transmits message frames having encoded control signals across a AC power line. Each of a first set of frames includes a bit pattern corresponding to a lighting zone, and a second set of frames includes hamming-encoded bit patterns corresponding to respective hexadecimal digits of a dimming level for the lighting zone. A ballast in a first (quick-dim) configuration detects the second set of frames, decodes the hamming-encoded digits and immediately adjusts the ballast output to the desired power level. The ballast in a second (normal) configuration determines the desired power level based on a pattern density in the first set of frames, and adjusts the output current of the ballast accordingly. If the ballast of the first configuration fails to detect the second set of frames, it defaults to pattern density recognition.

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Madison, AL, United States of America

Michael Diaz-Tello