Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Philips Lighting Holding B.v.

Signify Holding B.v.

Nicholaos Hillas

Yimin Chen

Ajay Tripathi

Raman Nair Harish Gopala Pillai

Kaustuva Acharya

Ameya Dilip Shrotriya

A system includes a lighting unit, and a primary processor. The lighting unit includes a lighting module, and a lighting driver supplying power to the lighting module. The lighting module includes: one or more light sources, one or more sensors for sensing data indicating one or more operating parameters of the lighting module, and a secondary processor receiving the sensed data. The primary processor and the secondary processor communicate with each other according to a message-based communication protocol wherein each message communicated between the primary processor and the secondary processor has an identical message format and includes a command field and a response field wherein the response field is provided for indicating a response to a command.

Communication protocol for lighting system with embedded processors and system operating with the protocol

A controller connected to a line voltage, includes an auto-transformer that provides a nominal line voltage at a first end terminal and a signaling voltage at a transformer tap. A first switch has a first switch terminal connected to the first end terminal of the auto-transformer, and a second switch terminal connected to an output node of the controller. A second switch has a first switch terminal connected to the transformer tap of the auto-transformer, and a second switch terminal connected to the output node. A switch controller is configured to output first and second switch signals responsive to a control signal, to control the first and second switches to insert signaling transitions onto the line voltage by selectively connecting the nominal line voltage at the first end terminal and the signaling voltage at the transformer tap to the output node.

Controller for inserting signaling transitions onto a line voltage

A light driver having a primary side driver configured to convert an input from a mains power supply to a primary side output, and a secondary side driver coupled to the primary side driver and configured to rectify and filter the primary side output to provide a driver output current for driving a light load. A microcontroller controls the light driver at start-up so that the secondary side driver is powered-on and the primary side driver is in a non-powered state during a soft-start period, and subsequent to the soft-start period the secondary side driver is set to be in a low output state when powered-on and thereafter set to a state so that driver output current of the secondary side driver increases the light output from the light load from an initial dim level to a nominal dim level without flicker.

Method and apparatus to limit current overshoot and undershoot in light driver

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Willowbrook, IL, United States of America

Nicholaos Hillas