JP5847711B2 - Intelligent lighting device - Google Patents

Description

This application claims the priority of the following co-pending US patent applications, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety:
No. 61 / 224,904, filed July 12, 2009 entitled "Intelligent Illumination Device")

  The present invention relates to a lighting device and control of the lighting device.

  In conventional lighting, incandescent lamps and fluorescent lamps have been used historically, but in recent years, LED lights have begun to be used together with the invention of blue LEDs. Although the initial cost of the LED light is high, since the power consumption is suppressed in the long term, the overall lighting cost can be greatly reduced. One of the reasons for the high initial cost of power efficient LED lights is that special electronic equipment is required to keep the current from the power source to the LEDs constant. However, with such special electronic equipment, functions such as remote control of light, dimming, light detection, timing, and toning can be performed with very little additional cost. These functions for conventional lighting are performed in a separate electronic device that turns the power to the lights on and off, which makes it more expensive and complicated.

  Most LED lights today are composed of a plurality of LEDs connected in series and / or in parallel to each other and are driven by a switching power supply. The commercial AC power supply connected to the light converts the power supply voltage, 85-240 V, into LED current, while the battery-powered light power supply converts the battery voltage into LED current. Such circuits are provided by OnSemi and Supertex for commercial power supply voltage connection and Maxim for battery power supply.

  Less efficient LED lights simply connect the LED to a power source through a series resistor. In this case, the cost is low, but the resistor consumes a considerable amount of power, and when connected to an AC power source, the power factor of the light is low. Since the LED conducts only at the peak of the AC waveform, the power factor is poor.

  The LEDs in the light can be any color or combination of colors including white. White LEDs are usually made using blue LEDs coated with a kind of yellow phosphor. Most of the blue light from the LED is absorbed by the phosphor and re-emitted at low frequencies corresponding to green, yellow and some red. Some advantages of this approach include low cost and a more natural continuous spectrum light. Disadvantages include that efficiency is reduced due to loss in the phosphor, a bluish color appears from the LED, and reliability is lowered due to degradation of the phosphor. Companies such as Free Lighting and Nichia Corporation sell such high brightness LEDs.

  In the spectrum of a specific Cree product, a sharp peak is seen around 450 nm, which is blue light generated by an LED, and a broad peak is seen around 550-600 nm, which is yellow from the phosphor. At 500 nm and 700 nm, the output power is only 20% of the peak power. In contrast, the spectrum of sunlight is substantially flat from just below 500 nm to just above 700 nm.

  To eliminate the energy deficit at the red end of the spectrum, Cree Lighting manufactures a two-color LED lamp for overhead that includes a red LED array and a blue LED array coated with a phosphor. Comparing the spectrum generated by the RGB light source, the solution that combines the white LED and the red LED of Cree, and the standard output of the incandescent lamp, the spectrum of both RGB and white + red light is Although not comparable to incandescent and solar spectrum, white + red light can be a cost / performance compromise for many applications.

  An ideal LED light from a color spectrum perspective would consist of a number of differently colored LEDs operating at various power levels to produce light that is nearly incandescent or sunlight. The combination of red, yellow, green and blue is probably the minimum number of colors. While this approach should yield a good spectrum, be energy efficient and reliable, control of the relative power levels of each color is today difficult and expensive in practice.

  There are challenges in building even just three color (RGB) LED lights that control color against process variations, temperature, aging, and the like. Technology includes feedback to the RGB drive circuit through three optically filtered photodiodes. Each photodiode is adjusted to the color of each LED and connected to the signal detection and signal processing functions of the IC. Next, the signal processing device controls the red, green, and blue drive currents accordingly. Such a color filter photodiode is provided by Hamamatsu Photonics Co., Ltd., but is relatively expensive and consumes a substrate space that would otherwise be dedicated to light generation rather than light reception.

  National Semiconductor Co., Ltd. provides RGB LED drivers for backlights of liquid crystal displays. The company's product LP5520 calibrates the initial variation of the light output of the LED and can be adjusted according to temperature. However, this also does not compensate for aging. Since some LEDs increase or decrease in output power over time, the only effective compensation is through actual measurement of the optical power of each lighting component. It is.

  The Cree white + red LED lamp includes a total of 36 LEDs, 6 white LEDs in 2 chains and 1 set of 30 red LEDs in parallel / series. The lamp also includes a photodetector and a temperature sensor to maintain color, as described in US Patent Publication No. 2008-0309255. A light detector with wavelength selectivity monitors a short emission wavelength (green or less) and adjusts the brightness of the red LED accordingly. Similarly, the temperature is monitored by the temperature measuring element, and the temperature is used to adjust the drive current for the red LED to compensate for the luminance deterioration due to the temperature rise. Neither the optical power generated by the red LED nor the optical power generated by the white LED having a wavelength longer than green is measured. There is no compensation for changes in the brightness of the red LED over its service life. It would be beneficial if there was a cost-effective solution that could identify colors well and drive and control different color LEDs without the need for additional photodetectors and temperature sensors or board space Will.

  Conventional dimming switches use a triac circuit that allows commercial AC voltage to be applied to the incandescent lamp only during a portion of its cycle. For example, if set to half power, the voltage signal passing to the light will be zero for the first 90 degrees of the sinusoidal voltage, jump to the peak amplitude and zero for the second 90 degrees. Follow the sine wave until it remains zero for the next 90 degrees, finally jump to the negative peak voltage and return to zero according to the sine wave. This is an inexpensive and effective way for consumers to dim incandescent bulbs that are resistant.

  Triac dimmers reduce the power consumption of light bulbs, but do not reduce the amount of power that power companies must generate. Electric power companies generate current that is in phase with the voltage. As the voltage increases, the current increases. If the full load of the power plant consists of a 50% dimmed light with a TRIAC circuit, the current generated in the first half of the positive / negative cycle will not go to the bulb, but will go somewhere. The utility company must generate the same amount of power regardless of whether the lights are fully lit or dimmed, and must deal with potentially dangerous transients in the transmission system. Don't be.

  The light from the LED can be dimmed by using so-called pulse width modulation (PWM) to reduce the drive current or reduce the time for applying the current. The current is turned on / off at a rate that is not perceptible to the human eye, with a duty cycle proportional to the desired light output. Since the wavelength of light generated by the LED changes according to the drive current, dimming by PWM may be preferable. Even if the incandescent lamp is replaced with an LED light, the power supply to the light can be continuously adjusted with the existing triac dimmer. To enable PWM dimming, the LED light circuit must filter the power supply, detect the duty cycle of the power supply, and adjust the PWM duty cycle accordingly, which is more expensive It gets complicated.

  Photosensors are commonly used to measure indoor ambient light or outdoor sunlight and adjust the lamp brightness accordingly. The outdoor light may be turned on at dusk and turned off at dawn, and the indoor light may be dimmed so that the sum of the light from the window and the light from the lamp is constant. In existing technology, such a light sensor needs to be placed away from the lamp so that light from the lamp does not interfere with the light sensor. Usually, the optical sensor is an electronic device that needs to be installed separately. A lamp having a built-in light sensor that is not affected by the light output from the lamp and does not require any change in wiring would be beneficial. Furthermore, a lamp that can provide such functionality without a light sensor would still be beneficial.

  A timer for turning on / off the light is usually plugged into a wall outlet and connects / disconnects power to the attached light based on the time of day. Such devices are generally bulky. The built-in light socket cannot be used for timers without significant wiring changes. A replacement bulb with a built-in timer function that does not require additional cost or wiring changes would be beneficial.

  Electrical wiring and lighting switches in new homes and commercial buildings account for a significant portion of the construction costs. In addition, light switches with dimmers are much more expensive than simple toggle switches and are therefore rarely used. For example, a light that can be remotely controlled by a device such as a television remote control would be beneficial because it can significantly reduce wiring costs and provide additional functionality.

  Developing countries are leapfrogging the technology of developed countries beyond the development stage. For example, houses with solar power are widely used in developing countries (eg Kenya, India, etc.). Lighting has traditionally been firewood, and recently has been done with kerosene, but these are very inefficient. Combining solar panels, car batteries, and LED lights can provide a much better solution. A battery is charged with a solar panel during the day, and power is consumed with an LED light at night. The effectiveness of the recharging system affects the usefulness of the system. Therefore, any solar energy efficiency is important. The LED is photosensitive and can generate electricity when exposed to light. It would be beneficial to use such energy.

  The invention described herein, in various embodiments, provides a solution to the problems described above.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the improved lighting device uses LED lamp components to perform some or all of the above functions at a very low cost. The LED that generates the light can be turned off periodically to receive commands optically by the lamp, for example during periods that are not perceptible to the human eye. An optically transmitted command can be sent to the lamp, for example using a remote control. The illuminator uses the LED in the off state to receive the data and then set the light or measure the light accordingly. Such light can be ambient light with respect to the optical sensor function, and can be light from other LEDs in the lighting device to adjust color mixing.

  In an exemplary embodiment, the lighting device provides bi-directional communication with a controller that uses LEDs to generate light and perform power saving functions that are not possible with conventional lighting. For example, the lighting device can be turned on / off by programming with modulated light from a remote controller, brightness or color can be adjusted, or turned on / off in response to changes in ambient light or timer count values. During normal operation, the LED that produces the illumination is periodically turned off to receive the modulated light from the controller during short intervals that are not perceptible to the human eye. In response to a command from the remote controller, the lighting device can generate light modulated according to the data. Further, when the remote control is turned off and exposed to sunlight, trickle charging current is supplied by the LED of the control device, and the remaining battery level can be kept full.

  In one aspect, the present invention provides an intelligent lighting device system and possibly a remote control. A lighting device that is normally connected to a commercial AC power source can receive commands from a normal battery-powered remote controller via light. Next, the remote control programs a timer or a lamp that performs light detection operation. For example, when the sun goes down, the lamp will turn on and then turn off, when you turn on the power switch, the light will come on, it will turn off after a certain time, the light will turn on and off at a certain time, and the light will turn at dusk You can arrive and disappear at dawn. Also, dimming can be enabled or disabled, or can be automatically adjusted based on ambient light.

  When turned on, the lighting device periodically turns off the LED to determine whether a command is being sent or to measure ambient light. The remote control synchronizes with such temporary light off and sends a command if the user instructs. The command can be on / off, dimming, timer, photocell (phototube / photocell), color, etc. Even if the light is turned off with the remote control, the AC power supply is still effective. The device is in a low power mode. When the light is turned on with the remote control, the incident light can drive the LED and turn on the light. Also, the light can be turned off by removing the AC power supply and can be turned on by turning on the AC power supply. Light can be reset to the default state by cycling power in a sequence.

  In some embodiments, the lighting device uses a photosensitive LED (ie, a red LED) to detect received data or direct current light during intervals that temporarily turn off the light output. For multicolor lights, the lighting device can detect the output power of other colors using the longest wavelength LED (ie, red LED) chain. In the two longest wavelength LED chains, each chain can measure the output power of the other series, which allows the feedback loop to control the output power of each color or blended color.

  If the lighting device (ie, “lamp”) is installed in an existing socket that may or may not be connected to the dimming switch, the lighting device can be dimmed with a remote control. The remote control sends commands to increase or decrease the output light level during a short “off” period. The dimming function can be performed preferably by modulating the pulse width of the LED drive current at a switching frequency locked to the switching regulator frequency, or simply adjusting the LED drive current.

  When light detection is enabled, ambient light can be measured using the longest wavelength LED chain during a short light off period. To do this, the LED may be set in the photovoltaic mode to generate a voltage proportional to the incident light. If the voltage exceeds the level specified in the command, the lamp can be turned off accordingly. If the voltage drops below the specified level, the lamp can be turned on. This mechanism allows the light to turn on at night and off during the day. In combination with a timer, the light can be turned on at dusk and turned off after a specified time.

  When the timer is enabled, the lamp can be turned on / off at various times, or turned off after a specified time after being turned on. The lamp can be turned on remotely, powered by a switch, or with a light sensor function. In a commercial power supply connected to the application, the timer is synchronized with the AC frequency with respect to an accurate frequency reference.

  When driven by a battery, the photosensitive LED chain can supply a trickle current to recharge the battery. A chain of 30 red LEDs (for example, in a lamp manufactured by CREE) can generate approximately 1 mW of power that can maintain a rechargeable battery in a charged state for applications such as emergency lights that are less frequently used. For applications such as solar cell systems and off-grid systems that are common in developing countries, the charging capacity of the solar panel can be increased by the charging capacity of the lamp.

  The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings, and numerous objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It is an example systematic diagram of an illuminating device and a remote control. 2 is an exemplary list of functions that can be performed by an exemplary lighting device. FIG. 6 is an exemplary timing diagram regarding data communication between a lighting device and a remote controller. It is an example timing diagram of the bit timing and code structure which exchange data between an illuminating device and a remote control. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary lighting device.

  The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings shall mean equivalent or identical items. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but are instead intended to cover all modifications that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. , Equivalents and modifications.

  Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 is an example of an intelligent lighting device system 10 that includes a lighting device 11 and a remote control 12. Preferably, the remote controller 12 is a battery type such as a flashlight or a television remote controller, and the illumination device 11 is programmed with modulated light using the remote controller 12. When the lighting device 11 is preferably driven by a commercial AC power source of an electric socket (for example, Edison type socket), the lighting device 11 can be controlled by the remote controller 12. When the lighting device 11 is capable of generating light (ie, “turned on” or “generates light”), the lighting device 11 detects a command from the remote controller 12 or ambient light from the environment, or multicolor. In order to calibrate the color of the illumination device 11, light emission is temporarily and periodically stopped. If the lighting device 11 is driven by a commercial AC power source, but the light cannot be generated (ie, “turned off”), the lighting device is in a low power state. In this state, the command from the remote controller 12 can be continuously detected by the lighting device 11. The illumination device 11 immediately generates light modulated according to the data and responds to the remote controller 12. To reset the lighting device 11 to the default state, the power to the lighting device 11 is circulated in a specific sequence.

  FIG. 1 is just one example of many possible intelligent lighting system. For example, the illumination device 11 can be driven by a battery, or the remote controller 12 can be driven by a commercial AC power source. In another embodiment, the remote control 12 is completely unnecessary if programmed when designing or manufacturing the lighting device 11. Examples of preprogrammed devices include a preset nightlight or a light that automatically turns off after one hour (or other delay time) after being turned on. In such a case, the function of the lighting device may be reduced.

  In another embodiment, the powerless lighting device 11 can be driven by light from the remote control 12 during programming. For example, a consumer can purchase a bulb replacement that includes such a remote control. The consumer can then hold the bulb over the remote control and set it to turn off 35 minutes after turning on the bulb, then take the programmed bulb to a socket somewhere and screw it on. Without such a built-in power supply variant, in order to program the bulb, it would need to be screwed into a live socket, which could be a little inconvenient, although possible.

  In a further embodiment, the remote control battery can be charged by sunlight or ambient light when not in use. Moreover, the some illuminating device 11 can mutually communicate. For example, various governments have recently introduced an obligation to provide certain buildings with intelligent lights that automatically turn on and off based on the presence or absence of people. Some major lighting companies offer systems consisting of lamps with motion detectors and 900 MHz RF transceivers. When one lamp in the room detects movement, it tells the remaining lights to turn on. Two issues with this approach are: (1) the light is expensive and (2) the RF signal passes through the wall and reaches other rooms where no one is present. The devices described herein can communicate with each other via light that (1) does not require RF circuitry and (2) does not pass through walls. Also, functions such as dimming and color control can benefit from lamps communicating with each other. For example, a user can program one lamp and then reset another lamp with that lamp. A further application is security that allows two lamps to constantly communicate with each other. When an intruder passes between the lamps and interrupts the light for a moment, the lamp detects this and sends information to other lamps in the building in a manner like a daisy chain to the central security system.

  Table 2 is an example list of commands 14 for the lighting device 11 that allows the remote control 12 to turn the lighting device 11 on / off, adjust the output, and change the color to one of three different settings. is there. The lighting device 11 is automatically turned on according to a time counter when a specific count is reached or when ambient light falls below a specific level, and the timer counts a specific number after the lighting device 11 is turned on. It can be set to turn off automatically after reaching or when ambient light rises above a certain level. In this embodiment, the color mixture is always automatically measured and adjusted to a specific setting. In the set example of the command 14, the hexadecimal code 13 can be generated using 4 bits.

  Preferably, a synchronization pattern is added before the hexadecimal code 13, and a parity is added after that to create an 8-bit transfer sequence. Also, the command for setting the time must follow the actual time. Since there are 1440 minutes in a day, 11 bits are required for the time taken to have a resolution of 1 minute, and these 11 bits can be transmitted in two consecutive transfers after the command.

  Table 2 is just an example of the many possible command 14 and hexadecimal code 13 sets. For example, in a multicolor light, individual components can be dimmed or color calibration can be enabled / disabled. As another embodiment, the day of the week can be counted with a time counter. The lighting device 11 can have a subset of these functions, or can have various other functions such as strobes and continuously changing colors. Further, the state of the illumination device 11 and the contents of the register can be read out. Furthermore, the assignment of the hexadecimal code 13 to the command 14 may be completely different and may include more or fewer bits depending on the number of commands 14.

  FIG. 3 is an example of a timing diagram in which a command 14 is communicated between the lighting device 11 and the remote controller 12 when the lighting device 11 is generating light. If light is not generated, the pulse width modulated light PWM 20 from the illumination device 11 is periodically blocked by the gap 21. In this embodiment, the gap period 22 is 1 second. The gap time 23 is made equal to half of the commercial power cycle, ie, 8.33 milliseconds at 60 Hz. The remote controller 12 can transmit a command CMD 24 in the gap 21 in synchronization with the gap 21 of the PWM 20 light from the lighting device 11. When the CMD24 is transmitted from the remote controller 12 and the lighting apparatus 11 receives the CMD24 correctly, the lighting apparatus 11 provides a response RSP 25 immediately after the CMD24. Preferably, the remote control 12 is focused on a small area (such as a flashlight) and a user sends a remote control command to a specific lighting device in a room with a plurality of such lighting devices. You may help. The user can visually recognize the light beam and directly illuminate one light with the light beam. In this way, the light from the remote controller is condensed on the illumination device, or the light from the illumination device is condensed on the detector of the remote controller.

  In this embodiment, the light from the lighting device 11 is pulse-width modulated to 960 Hz with a commercial power frequency of 16 times, that is, 60 Hz alternating current, so that light can be dimmed without changing the LED wavelength. At maximum brightness, the off time is very short or absent, and at low light levels, the on time is short. Keep the pulse frequency fixed. In order not to lose the synchronization of the remote control 12 with the lighting device 11, the pulse from the lighting device 11 immediately before the gap 21 is preferably not made narrower than the minimum width that the remote control 12 can detect.

  In another embodiment, the gap period 22 of 1 second may be reduced to, for example, 200 milliseconds after the lighting device 11 and the remote controller 12 communicate with the first CMD 24 so that successive commands can be communicated faster. it can. This can be important for dimming since there can be multiple power level steps between low and high power. If the remote control 12 stops command transmission, the gap period 22 is widened to the original one-second interval.

  When the lighting device 11 is not generating light, the remote controller 12 can transmit the command CMD 24 at any time without detecting the gap 21. The protocol shown in FIG. 3 does not change except that the lighting device 11 does not output PWM 20 light before and after the transaction.

  When the command CMD 24 is not transmitted, or when the lighting device 11 is not generating light, the lighting device 11 can measure ambient light in the gap 21. When the command CMD24 is transmitted, the ambient light level is subtracted from the received light, and the result is used to determine the timing for turning on / off the lighting device 11 when enabling the function of the light sensor. . More specifically, when the lighting device receives a command, a DC offset is generated in the photo-induced voltage of the entire LED (or photodiode) due to background light or ambient light. This DC offset can be removed by measuring the photoinduced voltage in the gap 21 when no command is transmitted and subtracting the measured voltage from the induced voltage when receiving the command. Alternatively, the DC offset can be removed by high-pass filtering the induced voltage by a receiver in the lighting device. Since the data transfer rate is slow, the receiver may use a digital filter for DC blocking (and equalization). If the DC offset is known before receiving the command, the initial state of the digital filter can be set accordingly and the settling time can be shortened. When the function of the optical sensor is enabled, the ambient light is measured in the gap 21 when the lighting device is generating light, and is always measured when the light is not generated.

  Further, in the multicolor illumination device 11, the intensity of each color can be measured in the gap 21 or when the illumination device 11 is not generating light. For example, when the lighting device 11 is turned on, the lighting device 11 can easily measure the intensity of each color and then generate desired light. Thereafter, for example, when the lighting device is warmed, the color component can be measured in the gap 21 periodically.

  FIG. 3 is just one example of many possible timing diagrams. The gap period 22 and gap time 23 can be significantly different depending on the application. The response RSP 25 can be sent at different times or not sent at all. The command CMD24 can be transmitted even while the PWM cycle is off, and the response RSP 25 may vary during the PWM duty cycle. To provide additional error protection, the command CMD24 can be validated after one or more iterations. Various timing diagrams and communication protocols can be implemented. For the lighting device 11 that is driven by light from the remote control 12 instead of a battery or a commercial AC power source, the protocol stores enough charge for driving the lighting device 11, for example, to communicate data in a capacitor, Sufficient lighting duration can be included.

  FIG. 4 is an example of a timing diagram illustrating bit-level communication between the lighting device 11 and the remote controller 12 when the lighting device 11 is generating light. The communication starts when the lighting device 11 stops the output of the PWM 20. The synchronized IDSYNC 30 pulse of the lighting device is the last PWM pulse generated by the lighting device 11 before the gap 21. The width of the IDSYNC 30 is made larger than the minimum pulse width that can be detected by the remote controller 12. Other synchronization sequences such as a short series of pulses may also be generated before each gap 21. The CMD 24 from the remote controller 12 includes three 1's of the synchronization pattern SYNC 31, a hexadecimal code 13, and an even parity bit P32, and these are bi-phase encoded. In this embodiment, the command 14 is “turn off the light”. When the CMD 24 is properly received by the lighting device 11, the response RSP 25 includes the same biphase-encoded SYNC 31, hexadecimal code 13, and parity P 32 as those constituting the CMD 24.

  When the lighting device 11 is not generating light, the protocol shown in FIG. 4 does not change except that the lighting device does not output PWM 20 light (or IDSYNC 30) before and after the transaction.

  FIG. 4 is just one example of many possible bit timing diagrams. This protocol can use any of a number of known encoding schemes such as 4b5b, 8b10b, NRZ, etc. instead of biphase encoding. The SYNC 31 can have various lengths and sequences, including nothing at all. Hexadecimal code 13 may have more or fewer bits, and parity P32 may be even or odd, more than two bits, or none at all. CRC code can be used for error detection. For the lighting device 11 driven by light from the remote control 12, the protocol can be significantly different. In particular, it is necessary to transmit data from the lighting device 11 to the remote control 12 one bit at a time while recharging the capacitor of the lighting device 11 between, for example, bits transmitted from the lighting device 11 by light emitted from the remote control 12. There may be. A useful transceiver technology for doing this is US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 360,467 (January 27, 2009, David J. Knapp), “Bidirectional Point Between Nodes. A fault tolerant network using a two-point communication link (filed under “Fault Tolerant Network Customizing Bi-Directional Point-to-Point Communications Links Links Between Nodes”) and US Provisional Application No. 61/94 On September 5, 2007, David J. Knapp said, “Optical Communication Devices, Methods, and Systems (Optical Communication Device, Method a nd System) and US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 584,143 (September 1, 2009, by David J. Knapp, “Optical Communication Device, Method and System”). , Methods and Systems) ”, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

  FIG. 5 is an example block diagram for an exemplary lighting device 11 that includes an EMI filter and rectifier 41, an AC / DC converter, a voltage divider, an integrated circuit IC 54, and an LED chain 53. The EMI filter and rectifier 41 constitute a full-wave rectified version of the commercial AC power supply VAC 40. A transient failure with respect to the commercial power supply affects the rectified power, and the switching noise of the lighting device 11 affects the commercial power supply. Suppress. The voltage divider includes resistors R42 and R43, and generates a signal S57, which is a reduced voltage version of the rectified commercial power signal for IC 54. AC / DC exchangers include inductors 44 and 45 (also referred to herein as inductors L44 and L45), capacitors 46 and 47 (also “capacitors C46 and C47”), diodes (also “diode D48”), N-channel Switch transistor 49 (also “switch N49”), and power controller 62 on integrated circuit 54 (IC 54). In this embodiment, an LED chain 53 is shown. The chain is composed of LED 50, LED 51, and LED 52, and the LED chain 53 includes a large number of LEDs with a dotted line between the LEDs 52 and 53. . This structure is typical for a monochromatic light or a white light produced by applying a phosphor coating to a blue LED. A multicolor lighting device usually has an LED chain for each color.

  The IC 54 includes a memory and control device 60, a PLL and timing 61, a power supply control device 62, a receiver 63, and an output driver 64. The memory and control device 60 includes a non-volatile memory that stores setting information such as enabling a timer and an optical sensor, and a volatile (or non-volatile) memory for setting such as dimming. The memory and control device 60 also manages data transfer with the remote control 12, generates a pulse width modulation (PWM) LED drive signal S59, a timer, and a state machine that controls all functions of the IC 54 and the lighting device 11. Contains logic to perform

  The PLL and timing 61 include a phase locked loop that generates a high frequency clock that is phase locked to S57 when driving the lighting device. The voltage divider consisting of R42 and R43 provides a low voltage version of the rectified commercial power supply voltage S57 that does not exceed the voltage rating of the IC 54 and that the PLL locks against. All other circuits on the IC 54 are synchronized to the PLL and timing 61 output (not shown).

  The PLL and timing 61 locks to the frequency of the commercial power supply, allowing the lighting device 11 to maintain an accurate time reference with respect to the time timer function. Similarly, the gap period 22 and the gap time 23 can be exactly matched to the timing of the VAC 40. With such timing, the plurality of lighting devices 11 can be synchronized with each other using light and can communicate directly. For example, multiple lighting devices (ie, “ID”) can synchronize with each other by first looking for a GAP (eg, gap 21) immediately before generating light. If it finds suitable GAPs, the lighting device will synchronize with them. If no gap is found, there is nothing to synchronize and the lighting device becomes a timing master that is to be locked when other lighting devices are turned on. Preferably, such a lighting device should be detectable and relockable even if synchronization is lost. Further embodiments relating to lighting devices and systems and to visible light communication systems and methods are described in US Provisional Application No. 61 / 336,242 (David J. Knapp, Jan. 19, 2010). ) Filed under the title “Illumination Devices and Related Systems and Methods” and US Provisional Application No. 61 / 339,273 (March 2, 2010, David Jay Nap et al., Filed under “Systems and Methods for Visible Light Communication”, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. To the point, which is incorporated, it should be further noted. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 273,518 (as of August 5, 2009, David Jay Nap, "Display related systems and methods, display calibration systems and methods, LED calibration systems and methods" Display and optical pointer system, and related methods (filed under Display and Optical Pointer Systems and Related Methods), and US Provisional Application No. 61 / 273,536 (August 5, 2009, David Jay・ Applied by Mr. Nap, entitled “Display Calibration Systems and Related Methods”) , US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 277,871 (filed on Sep. 30, 2009 by David J. Knap, "LED Calibration Systems and Related Methods") ) And US Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 281,046 (November 12, 2009, by David J. Knapp, "LED Calibration Systems and Related Methods"). It is further noted that each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

  Even if the VAC 40 is turned off, the power supply to the IC 54 can be maintained for a period of time by the capacitor C47. If the VAC 40 is turned off / on within this period, the IC 54 is kept in a power supply state. To reset the lighting device 11 to the default state, the VAC 40 can be turned on / off many times during a specified period. For example, the reset sequence is repeated on and off three times at short intervals, then on and off three times at longer intervals, and finally on and off at short intervals three more times. The signal S57 and the signal IC54 are monitored at the PLL and timing 61. If the signal S57 is low, the low power state is entered and the time of the short VAC 40 on / off cycle is measured. When an appropriate on / off sequence of the VAC 40 is detected by the PLL and timing 61, the IC 54 is reset to a default state.

  The power supply control device 62 performs the function of an AC / DC exchanger together with inductors L44 and L45 of external components, capacitors C46 and C47, a diode D48, a switch N49, and current detection feedback from the output driver 64. The configuration executed in this way is a well-known SEPIC (Single Ended Primary Inductor Converter). The switch N49 is turned on / off by the power supply control device 62 while changing the duty cycle at a relatively high frequency such as 1 MHz, and a desired current to be passed through the LED chain 53 is generated. When the switch N49 is closed, currents from L44 and L45 are drawn through the switch N49, and current is supplied to the LED chain 53 with the electric charge accumulated in the capacitor C46. When switch N49 is opened, the current through inductors L44 and L45 flows through diode D48 and to LED chains 53 and C47.

  The power supply controller 62 compares the voltage feedback signal Vfb65 from the output driver 64 with the internal reference voltage, and generates an error signal that adjusts the duty cycle of the control signal S58 connected to the switch N49. The current of the LED chain 53 flows through a small resistor (not shown) of the output driver 64 to generate a signal Vfb65. When the LED chain 53 is turned off, the Vfb 65 becomes a divided version of V + 55, which occurs when data is received and during the time when PWM dimming is turned off. The control loop adjusts the feedback divider to maintain V + 55 at the same voltage as when the LED chain 53 is on.

  When the current to the LED chain 53 is turned on or off by the output driver 64, a large amount of transient voltage may occur at V + 55 before the power supply controller 62 can adjust to the new signal S58 duty cycle. Turning off the LED chain 53 current increases V + 55 until the duty cycle of S58 decreases, and turning off the LED chain 53 current decreases V + 55 until the duty cycle of S58 increases. In order to suppress such a transient phenomenon, before such a change occurs, the power supply control device 62 receives information from the memory and the control device 60, and adjusts the duty cycle of S58 when such a change is required. Immediately before the output driver 64 turns off the current of the LED chain 53, the power control device 62 measures the duty cycle of S58 and stores the result. In order to prevent V + 55 from rising rapidly, the duty cycle is restored as soon as the current of the LED chain 53 is turned off the next time. Similarly, when the LED current is turned on, the duty cycle of S58 is measured, the result is saved, and then returned to that duty cycle to prevent V + 55 from dropping rapidly.

  With the switch grounded (not shown), the output driver 64 turns on / off the current of the LED chain 53. When the switch is turned on, current flows from V + 55 through the LED chain 53 and the switch to the ground terminal, and when the switch is turned off, no current flows. When the switch is turned on, a small resistor in series with the switch generates Vfb65. When the switch is turned on, the control loop compares the variable voltage divider output from V + 55 with Vfb65 and adjusts the voltage divider until the output is equal to Vfb65. Also, when the LED chain 53 current is turned off, the V + 55 voltage divider loop is also turned off and the voltage divider remains constant. While the current of the LED chain 53 is off, this divided version of V + 55 is sent to the power supply controller 62 through Vfb 65.

  When the output driver 64 turns off the current of the LED chain 53, the receiver 63 receives data from the remote controller 12. The modulated light from the remote controller 12 is converted into a voltage signal S59 by the LED chain 53. The LED chain 53 operates in a photovoltaic mode as in a solar panel. The receiver 63 performs high-pass filtering on S59 to block the direct current component from the ambient light and cancel the low bandwidth of the photovoltaic LED chain 53. Such bandwidth typically supports up to 1 Kbit / s (1 Kbps), but the data transfer rate can be increased by a factor of 10 or more using a suitable equalization filter. 2 Kbps is required to support the protocols of FIGS. The receiver 63 includes an AC / DC converter and a digital filter, and equalizes the signal S59. Since the data is transmitted from the remote controller 12 in synchronization with the frequency of the commercial AC power supply to which the IC 54 is locked, timing recovery is not necessary. The digital filter output is simply sampled at the appropriate time.

  When the lighting device 11 is not generating light, the remote controller 12 detects the presence or absence of the gap 21. Since the remote control 12 is not synchronized with the gap 21 from the lighting device, and the remote control 12 is battery-powered, the data from the remote control 12 is not synchronized with the timing of the lighting device 11. Assuming that the remote controller 12 has an accurate oscillator such as a crystal resonator, the reference clocks of the remote controller 12 and the illumination device 11 are normally 200 to 300 ppm each other. The illuminator 11 resets the timer to clock at the falling edge of the third pulse of SYNC 31 at a high frequency, and uses this timer to sample the received data and generate transmission data. There is little drift between two reference clocks in 16 milliseconds spent on one transfer.

  The lighting device 11 measures the ambient light by measuring the average voltage of the signal S59 in the gap 21 and when the lighting device 11 is not producing light, with the AC / DC converter of the receiver 63. The AC / DC converter should be designed to reduce DC errors, such as the well-known chopper stabilization structure, so that extremely low light levels can be measured.

  FIG. 5 is just one example of a block diagram of many possible lighting devices 11. For example, the structure of the illuminating device 11 for a multicolor light includes an LED chain 53 and an output driver 64 for each constituent color. Exemplary color combinations can consist of red, green, blue, or red, yellow, green, blue, or red and white. The light intensity of each other and the high light frequency LED can be measured by the low light frequency LED during the gap 21 and when the lighting device 11 is not generating light. For example, in a red and white lighting device, for example, in the gap 21, a white LED chain can generate light, and a red LED chain can be connected to a receiver to measure light power. If the red LEDs are built in two separate chains with separate output drivers, the optical power of the other can be measured with one red LED chain in the gap 21, for example. By measuring the light power from each LED chain, the lighting device adjusts the current to the different LED chains to maintain a specific color point, for example, LED changes, temperature changes, LED lifetime can do. A single receiver 63 can be shared and connected to different LED chains at different times, or multiple receivers 63 can be implemented.

  In a block diagram of another example lighting device 11 relating to a lighting device that can be driven by the remote control 12 during setup, a second very low power receiver can be included. The second receiver can be driven by an LED chain that receives the modulated light, and can store setting information in a non-volatile memory. Usually, the average voltage induced across the LED chain by light is much lower than the voltage required to generate light from the same LED chain. The induced voltage is stored in the entire capacitor C47, and a segment of the LED chain 53 can be connected to the output driver 64 to send a response to the remote controller 12. The communication protocol for setting the illuminating device 11 when it is not driven is different from that shown in FIG. 3 and allows the capacitor C47 to be recharged after each emitting a light pulse. Techniques useful for doing so are described in the aforementioned US patent application Ser. No. 12 / 360,467 and the aforementioned provisional US patent application Ser. No. 61 / 094,595.

  In the block diagram of the lighting device 11 driven by a battery instead of a commercial AC power supply, various types of switching power supplies such as a battery and a known buck, boost, boost boost or flyback are known. And will be provided. Using a rechargeable battery, the battery can be recharged by generating power with ambient light or sunlight incident on the LED. In the block diagram of such an illuminating device 11, it can have the 2nd power supply control apparatus 62 which manages a charging device. In addition, a lighting device driven by a commercial AC power supply can have a variety of different AC / DC converters such as buck boost and flyback. Such a lighting device may also have a backup rechargeable battery that can maintain a time counter even when the power is cut off. Moreover, the timing of the illuminating device 11 can also be measured based on, for example, a local crystal oscillator instead of the commercial power supply frequency.

  As a further example, in a block diagram of a lighting device that uses, for example, a silicon photodiode instead of an LED to receive data, the receiver 63 is connected to the photodiode instead of the LED chain 53. Such a structure would be particularly useful for lighting devices that use only phosphor-coated white LEDs that do not work well in the photovoltaic mode. The silicon photodiode can receive the command 24 from the remote controller 12, measure the ambient light, and measure the light emitted from the LED chain.

  The plurality of lighting devices can also communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the lighting device 11 can execute a protocol to synchronize with other lighting devices and arbitrate for transmission bandwidth. When turned on, the illuminator 11 can monitor ambient light and look for a gap 21 with the appropriate gap period 22 and gap time 23 and synchronize with the gap 21 if found. When all lighting devices are connected to a commercial AC power source, very accurate synchronization is possible. The lighting device can arbitrate bandwidth according to any of a number of well-known arbitration protocols. For example, when two lighting devices transmit at the same time, both lighting devices detect a collision, wait for an arbitrary period, and then try to communicate again. As another possibility, the CMD 24 may include a priority code that indicates which lighting device stops transmitting in the event of a collision.

  As used herein, a lighting device is typically a type of general light that can be perceived by humans, but in some cases is considered to generate light of infrared or other wavelengths. As described above, a lighting device capable of generating light (that is, “on”) means that the light source is temporarily turned off and is not actually emitting light, such as during the gap or during the OFF time of the PWM signal. Even if there is a very short period, it may be considered to be set to the “on state” (that is, the lighting state is set to the on state). The lighting device on and off states are apparent in the above context and should not be confused with the actual light source on / off state.

  The lighting device can be supplied / removed power to the lighting device, etc. (such as by energizing the light socket with the lighting device inserted), by several events, by timer events, by ambient light control, and by remote commands , It may be set to an on state or an off state.

  Although an exemplary block diagram is presented herein, other block divisions for the lighting device may be provided. As used herein, the attribute of the lighting device may represent an operation state or a setting parameter related to the lighting device. Examples include lighting state, timer setting, delay setting, color setting, light detection mode setting, dimming setting, time, etc., for each of one or more light sources in the lighting device.

  While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown and described by way of example. However, it should be understood that the drawings and detailed description thereof are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed.

Claims (15)

A light source configured to provide illumination when the lighting device is set to an on state;
A light control circuit configured to control the light source in response to incident light from outside the illumination device;
Including
The light control circuit is configured to periodically and temporarily turn off the light source to create a periodic gap in illumination when the lighting device is set to an on state, and the light source such gaps in and the lighting device is configured to detect the incident light beam when it is set to the oFF state, the periodic gap is synchronized with the frequency of the AC voltage source for supplying power to the lighting device, the lighting apparatus.   The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the light control circuit is responsive to an optically modulated command carried by the incident light beam.   The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the light control circuit is responsive to the incident light beam in the gap with the light source turned off. The light control circuit includes a receiver block configured to demodulate incident light from outside the illumination device and detect an optically modulated command carried by the incident light;
The illuminator of claim 1, wherein the receiver block is responsive to the incident light during the periodic gap with the light source turned off. The light control circuit, setting the previous SL lighting device in the ON state, in addition in the gap, the light source configured to pulse width modulate the illumination device according to claim 1.   The lighting device according to claim 5, wherein the light control circuit obtains a dimming capability by changing the pulse width modulation of the light source in accordance with a received data command.   The lighting device according to claim 1, further comprising a power supply block that is operatively driven by the AC voltage source and configured to supply power to the light control circuit and the light source.   The lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the light control circuit is configured to control the light source to communicate with an external device such as a second lighting device or a remote controller. A method of operating a lighting device powered by an alternating voltage source,
When the lighting device is set to an on state, the method includes:
Operating a light source to provide illumination at a first time;
Periodically and temporarily turning off the light source to generate a periodic gap in illumination at a second time, wherein the periodic gap supplies the AC voltage source to the lighting device; Synchronized to the frequency of the step, and
Detecting incident light rays from outside the illumination device during the periodic gap and when the illumination device is set to an off state ;
Controlling the illumination device in response to the incident light beam;
A method comprising the steps of: The controlling step includes
Demodulating the incident beam to decode optically modulated data commands carried by the incident beam;
Changing the attribute of the illumination device in response to the data command decoded from the incident ray;
The method of claim 9, comprising:   The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute includes a toning setting for one or more light sources in the lighting device. Incident light from outside the lighting device includes ambient light,
The method according to claim 9, wherein the controlling step includes adjusting the brightness of the lighting device according to a detected amount of ambient light. A lighting device,
A first LED and a second LE D that are configured to provide illumination by setting the lighting device in the ON state,
A light control circuit configured to periodically and temporarily turn off the first LED to create a periodic gap in illumination provided by the first LED, the light control circuit comprising: a gap is synchronized with the frequency of the AC voltage source to power the lighting device, a light control circuit, only including,
The first LED is configured as a photodetector that detects light emitted from the second LED during the periodic gap and detects ambient light when the lighting device is set to an off state. The lighting device.   The lighting device of claim 13, wherein the light control circuit is configured to adjust a color of light generated by the lighting device.   The lighting device of claim 14, wherein light generated by the first LED or the second LED or both LEDs is adjusted to adjust the color.

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