The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 01, 2015
Filed:
Mar. 04, 2014
Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., Madison, AL (US);
Henry Jacobs, Austin, TX (US);
Michael Diaz-Tello, Madison, AL (US);
Universal Lighting Technologies, Inc., Madison, AL (US);
Abstract
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.