Lutron Electronics Company, Inc.

Richard Leo Black

Benjamin Aaron Johnson

Brian Raymond Valenta

Robert Charles Newman

Jamie Steffie

Neil R Orchowski

Joel Hnatow

Shawn L Leichliter

Jason P Petrella

Stephen Spencer Thompson

Chenming Wu

Graham L Christensen

Daniel Curtis Raneri

Donald R Mosebrook

Brian Michael Courtney

Stuart William Dejonge

Glen Andrew Kruse

William Harlan Howe

Robert Francis Walko, Jr

Jason Douglass Craze

Timothy Russell Roper

Chris Mark Rogan

Gnanagiri Balasubramaniam

Steven Spencer Thompson

Siddarth P Sinha

A power supply with a capacitor providing an output voltage. A switch is connected between a voltage source and the capacitor. A control terminal of the switch has a switching threshold. The switch conducts a charging current from the voltage source into the capacitor. A control circuit controls the switch on when the voltage source is below a predetermined level and off when the voltage source is above the level. A control voltage supply circuit provides a control supply voltage. A control terminal voltage for the switch derived from the control supply voltage with a magnitude in excess of the switching threshold drives the switch on in a saturated region of operation.

High efficiency off-line linear power supply

An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. Two separate zero cross detectors are used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors are monitored and are used to automatically configure the electronic control. Over voltage circuitry senses an over voltage condition across a MOSFET which is in the off state and turns the MOSFET on so that it desirably will not reach the avalanche region. Over current circuitry senses when the current through the MOSFETs has exceeded a predetermined current threshold and then turns the MOSFETs off so they do not exceed the MOSFETs' safe operating area (SOA) curve. Latching circuitry is employed to keep the protection circuitry in effect even after a fault condition has cleared. Lockout circuitry is used to prevent one protection circuit from tripping after the other circuit has already tripped from a fault condition. The protection circuitry output is desirably configured such that it can bypass and override the normal turn on and turn off impedance and act virtually directly on the gates of the MOSFETs. Preferably, the system has a high efficiency switching type power supply in parallel with a low frequency controllably conductive device.

Electronic control systems and methods

Power distribution systems that have a limited peak power capability or a high source impedance, such as site supply generators, are often susceptible to abnormal operation in response to the current drawn at power up from the loads connected to the power distribution system. The present invention provides a load control module for a lighting control system operable to start up a plurality of the lighting loads in sequence to reduce stress on the power distribution system. The lighting loads are each turned on as part of a startup sequence at predetermined times after an output voltage of the power distribution system has stabilized. The lighting control module is operable to wait for a predetermined amount of time for the startup sequence to begin before turning on the lighting loads.

Method of controlling a load control module as part of a startup sequence

Power distribution systems that have a limited peak power capability or a high source impedance, such as site supply generators, are often susceptible to abnormal operation in response to the current drawn at power up from the loads connected to the power distribution system. The present invention provides a method of configuring a lighting control system to power up a plurality of the lighting loads in sequence to reduce stress on the power distribution system. The lighting control system includes a plurality of load control devices for controlling the electrical loads. The method comprising the steps of enabling a startup-delay mode in the load control devices, and determining a startup sequence having a plurality of event times for the electrical loads to turn on after the power distribution system has stabilized. A graphical user interface may be used to create a database defining the operation of the startup sequence.

Method of configuring a startup sequence of a load control system

Power distribution systems that have a limited peak power capability or a high source impedance, such as site supply generators, are often susceptible to abnormal operation in response to the current drawn at power up from the loads connected to the power distribution system. The present invention provides a lighting control system operable to power up a plurality of the lighting loads in sequence to reduce stress on the power distribution system. The lighting loads are each turned on as part of a startup sequence at predetermined times after an output voltage of the power distribution system has stabilized. The lighting control system is operable to begin the startup sequence in response to receiving a control signal representative that the power distribution system has stabilized. The lighting loads are each controlled by a lighting control module, which is operable to wait for a predetermined amount of time for the startup sequence to begin before turning on the lighting loads.

Method of powering up a plurality of loads in sequence

An overcurrent protection circuit for a power switching transistor wherein the power switching transistor has a control electrode and two main electrodes, the circuit comprising a circuit including a protection switch for sensing the rate of change of voltage with respect to time at one of the main electrodes of the power switching transistor and for controlling the protection switch to remove a control signal to the control electrode of the power switching transistor to turn off the power switching transistor if the rate of change exceeds a predefined value.

DV/dt-detecting overcurrent protection circuit for power supply

An apparatus in an electronic control system allows two or three wire operation. A power supply can supply power to the enclosed circuitry in both two and three wire installations. The system may have a high efficiency switching type power supply in parallel with a low frequency controllably conductive device. A control circuit may control the controllably conductive device. The control circuit may switch from the two wire mode of operation to the three wire mode of operation upon the detection of a zero cross detection signal. A detector circuit may be used to detect the presence of an output signal from a zero cross detector. Two separate zero cross detectors may be used such that timing information can be collected in both two and three wire installations. Both zero cross detectors may be monitored and used to automatically configure the electronic control.

A method of providing power to an electronic circuit in a two wire dimmer connecting a hot line of an AC network to a lamp load, the method comprising obtaining power from the two wire dimmer during regions of an AC waveform formed across a portion of a circuit of the dimmer when a phase cut switching device of the dimmer providing power to the lamp load is substantially off; driving a switching device providing charging current to a charge storage capacitor on in a saturated region of operation of the switching device when a voltage from a voltage source developed in the dimmer from the AC waveform is less than a predetermined level, and turning the switching device off when the voltage is above the predetermined level; and providing a voltage across the charge storage device as an output voltage.

A power supply circuit comprising a first switching transistor having a control terminal and a control terminal switching threshold and that charges current from a voltage source into a charge storage capacitor, a control circuit controlling the on/off operation of the switching transistor whereby the switching transistor is turned on when the voltage of the voltage source is below a predetermined level and turned off when the voltage of the voltage source is above the predetermined level, a control voltage supply circuit providing a control voltage to the control terminal of the switching transistor substantially in excess of the switching threshold when the voltage of the voltage source is below the predetermined voltage thereby to drive the switching transistor on in a saturated region of operation; and a charge storage capacitor for providing an output voltage of the power supply.

A wireless control system for lighting or the like has a central processor that receives commands from keypads and other control devices, and sends commands to dimmers and other controlled devices. The central processor also receives status reports from the dimmers and sends updates to the keypads, in order to ensure that displays on the keypads are up to date.

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Gilbertsville, PA, United States of America

Richard Leo Black