Osram Sylvania Inc.

Osram Syvlania Inc.

Nitin Kumar

Shashank Bakre

Markus Ziegler

Thomas Schalton

Barry Baxter Stout

Andrew Johnsen

Ayan Choudhury

Robert Martin

Driss Baba

Ranjit Jayabalan

Naveen Tumula

Jinsheng Wei

Christian Breuer

Reiner Windisch

Henry Feil

Claus Diener

Klaus Ziemssen

The systems and method disclosed herein include a LCom-enabled luminaire configured to transmit a maintenance trigger encoded in an LCom signal in response to detecting an error or maintenance condition in the LCom-enabled luminaire, receive an access request, transmit maintenance information in response to the access request, and receive correction information to correct the error or maintenance condition. The systems and methods further include a receiver device configured to receive the maintenance trigger, generate the access request based on the maintenance trigger, transmit the access request to the LCom-enabled luminaire, receive maintenance information in response to the access request, and transmit control commands based on the maintenance information.

Transmission of luminaire maintenance information

A no load detection and shutdown circuit in an isolated driver is provided. A no load condition is detected by primary side evaluation of a reflected voltage. If a determination is made that a no load condition is present, the no load detection circuit signals a half bridge driver of the driver to cease oscillations, shutting down the driver.

Primary side no load detection and shutdown circuit in an isolated driver

A driver port that provides selectable output currents based on connections thereto, and a driver including the same, is provided. A plurality of shunt resistors are connected in series between a negative output of a driver and a ground. A driver port having a plurality of connection points is provided, each respective connection point connected to a different connection between two of the plurality of shunt resistors. A load including one or more solid state light sources is capable of being connected between one of the connection points of the driver port and a positive output of the driver.

Output current configuration based on load connection

An active damping circuit is disclosed, which includes a peak current limiter, a drain source voltage limiter, a turn-on driver, a resistor shunt circuit, and a peak current sensor. The peak current sensor detects a rising edge of an input voltage from a phase cut dimmer by detecting a higher peak current. This drives a collector voltage of a second transistor of the peak current limiter low, which lowers a gate voltage of a first transistor of the peak current sensor, and forces it into a linear operating region, so it functions as a damping resistor. When the peak current sensor detects a decreased peak current, such that the turn-on edge of the input voltage is passed, the second transistor turns off, and the turn-on driver turns the first transistor on, such that the active damping circuit is waiting for a next edge of the input voltage.

Active damping circuit

Various embodiments disclosed herein include a light-based communication system. The system includes a plurality of luminaires, in which each of the plurality of luminaires is configured to transmit light-based communication (LCom) signals, and a server communicatively coupled to the plurality of luminaires. The server is configured to assign an identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, transmit the assigned identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, in which each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the assigned identifier via LCom signals, rotate, in response to receiving a trigger signal, the assigned identifier for each of the plurality of luminaires, and transmit the rotated identifier to each of the plurality of luminaires, in which each of the plurality of luminaires transmits the rotated identifier via LCom signals.

Rotating identifications in light-based positioning systems

An active damping circuit and system including the same are disclosed. The active damping circuit includes a first resistor, a second resistor, a third resistor, a first transistor, a second transistor, a capacitor, and a microcontroller. The first resistor is connected to a base of the first transistor, and to the microcontroller output. The second resistor is connected to a positive voltage, and to a collector of the first transistor and a gate of the second transistor. The third resistor is connected to a logic ground, and to a source of the second transistor. The capacitor is connected to the collector of the first transistor, the second resistor, and the gate of the second transistor. A drain of the second transistor, and the first capacitor, and the second capacitor, and the microcontroller output, are also connected to the logic ground. An emitter of the first transistor is connected to ground.

A multi-strike ballast to ignite an electrodeless lamp is disclosed, and includes an inverter circuit, a protection circuit, and a controller. The inverter circuit, upon activation, sends an ignition pulse to the lamp. The inverter circuit shuts down upon receiving a deactivation signal, and activates upon receiving an activation signal, triggering another ignition pulse. The protection circuit senses a change in a voltage associated with the lamp. The sensed changed may indicate that the lamp has not yet ignited or that the lamp is broken. The controller receives the sensed change in voltage and, in response, sends a deactivation signal to the inverter circuit. The controller waits a predetermined time and then sends an activation signal to the inverter circuit. The controller repeats until a change in voltage associated with the lamp is not sensed, or until a predefined number of repeats occur, providing multiple ignition pulses to the lamp.

Multiple strike ballast with lamp protection for electrodeless lamp

A bi-level current configurable driver is provided. The driver includes a feedback circuit, a driver circuit providing a driver signal to a half bridge inverter, and a step-dim interface coupled to a first alternating current input line, a second alternating current input line, and a neutral line, providing voltage to the driver circuit. The driver also includes a first feedforward circuit coupled to the step-dim interface, where the first feedforward circuit receives a first signal from the step-dim interface based on the states of the first alternating current input line, the second alternating current input line, and the neutral line. In a first state, the driver provides full current to a load, and in a second state, the driver provides less than full current to the load.

Bi-level current configurable driver

A ballast configured to connect to a set of lamps to energize the set of lamps is provided. The ballast comprises an inverter circuit for generating an oscillating power signal, wherein the oscillating power signal has a frequency, and a resonant tank circuit electrically connected to the inverter circuit for receiving the oscillating power signal and therefrom providing a lamp current to the set of lamps. A resistance circuit is connected to the inverter circuit. The resistance circuit has a resistance that defines the frequency of the oscillating power signal generated by the inverter circuit. A current control circuit is connected to the resistance circuit for adjusting the resistance of the resistance circuit as a function of a number of lamps that are connected to the ballast.

Ballast with current control circuit

A ballast comprises an inverter circuit for providing an oscillating current signal for energizing the at least one lamp. The inverter circuit comprises a first switching component and a second switching component each having a collector terminal, a base terminal, and an emitter terminal. And, each switching component is configured for alternately operating between a conductive state and a non-conductive state. A first collector-emitter circuit is connected between the collector terminal and the emitter terminal of the first switching component, wherein the first collector-emitter circuit has a first resistance of zero or more Ohms. A second collector-emitter circuit is connected between the collector terminal and the emitter terminal of the second switching component, wherein the second collector-emitter circuit has a second resistance of zero or more Ohms and the first resistance and the second resistance are unequal.

Ballast with anti-striation circuit

A ballast for energizing a lamp at a lighting level selected from a plurality of lamp lighting levels. The ballast includes a buck converter circuit configured to receive a DC voltage signal having a substantially constant magnitude. The buck converter circuit has a duty cycle for generating a lamp voltage output signal from the DC voltage signal. The lamp voltage output signal has a magnitude that is varied by the duty cycle to energize the lamp at the plurality of lamp lighting levels. A controller is configured to receive a dim input signal indicative of the selected lamp lighting level and to provide a control signal to the buck converter circuit as a function of the dim input signal. The control signal indicates a particular duty cycle corresponding to a lamp voltage output signal having a magnitude for energizing the lamp at the selected lamp lighting level.

Dim mode start for electrodeless lamp ballast

A two level lighting ballast is provided, which includes a self-oscillating inverter circuit and a control circuit. The inverter includes an input; an output to selectively provide current to energize a lamp; a switching circuit operating at a switching frequency; a feedback transformer; and an impedance component. The feedback transformer is connected to the output, and drives the switching circuit based on the lamp current. The impedance component is connected in parallel with the feedback transformer, and is operated by the control circuit. When the control circuit enables the impedance component, the switching circuit operates in a first frequency range, and a first lamp current is provided. When the control circuit disables the impedance component, the switching circuit operates in a second frequency range, and a second lamp current is provided. The first frequency range is lower than the second, and the first lamp current is greater than the second.

Two level lighting ballast

A three light level electronic ballast, and methods of operating lamps at three light levels, are provided. The ballast includes a rectifier, a power factor correction circuit, an inverter circuit, a first circuit, a second circuit, and a control circuit. The rectifier receives an AC voltage signal and produces a rectified voltage signal, which the power factor correction circuit receives and uses to provide a corrected voltage signal. The inverter circuit receives the corrected voltage signal and provides an energizing signal to power at least two lamps. The first circuit selectively reduces the current applied to the lamps by the energizing signal. The second circuit selectively prevents the second lamp from being energized by the energizing signal. The control circuit controls the first circuit and the second circuit.

Three light level electronic ballast

A ballast that selectively operates multiple lamps is provided. The ballast includes a switching network, capable of operating in a number of switching configurations. The ballast also includes a control circuit, and two lamp control switches. The control circuit is connected to the switching network, and provides respective control signals via respective output terminals as a function of the switching configuration of the switching network. Each lamp control switch is in parallel with its lamp and is connected to a respective output terminal. The first lamp control switch is connected to a ballast power supply, and either provides power to the first lamp or does not, depending on the first control signal. The second lamp control switch is connected to the first lamp control switch and to ground, and either provides power to the second lamp or does not, depending on the second control signal.

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Burlington, MA, United States of America

Nitin Kumar