TWI771692B - Methods of operating a dimmer switch interface - Google Patents

Abstract

The disclosed subject matter includes an apparatus including a dimmer switch interface. The switch interface includes a transformer having a first winding that is magnetically coupled to a second winding, the first winding being electrically coupled to a pair of terminals. The switch interface also includes a current source configured to supply the second winding with an intermittent alternating current, the intermittent alternating current having a cyclical waveform, each cycle of the waveform including a first portion during which the current is fixed at a predetermined fixed low value and a second portion during which the current alternates between a high value and a low value.

Description

Method for operating a dimmer switch interface

The present invention relates to a lighting system, in particular to a dimmer switch interface and an LED lighting system.

Light emitting diodes ("LEDs") are commonly used as light sources in various applications. For example, LEDs are more energy efficient than traditional light sources and offer much higher energy conversion efficiencies than incandescent and fluorescent lamps. Furthermore, LEDs radiate less heat into the illuminated area and provide greater control over brightness, emission color and spectrum than traditional light sources. These properties make LEDs an excellent choice for a variety of lighting applications ranging from interior lighting to automotive lighting. Therefore, there is a need for improved LED-based lighting systems that take advantage of LEDs to provide high quality lighting.

The present invention addresses this need. According to aspects of the present invention, a lighting system is disclosed that includes: a light fixture including a driver coupled to a light source; a dimmer switch; and a dimmer switch interface including: (i) a transformer , which has a first winding magnetically coupled to a second winding, the first winding electrically coupled to the dimmer switch, and the second winding electrically coupled to the driver of the lamp; and (ii) a current source , which is configured to supply the transformer with an intermittent alternating current when the current source is energized.

100: Lighting System

110: Dimmer switch

120: Lamps

122: Drive

124: light source

130: Dimmer switch interface

132: Converter circuit

134: Converter circuit

136: Transformer

138: Current source

201: LED Devices

201A: Pixels

201B: Pixels

201C: Pixels

202: Substrate

202B: Substrate

203: Space

204: Action Layer

204B: Action Layer

206: wavelength conversion layer

206B: wavelength conversion layer

207: Waveguide

208: Primary Optics

208B: Primary Optics

209: Lens

210: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Array

212: Secondary Optics

220: Lighting Systems

300: Lighting System

310: Dimmer switch

311: Electronic board

312: Power Module

314: Sensor Module

316: Connectivity and Control Modules

318: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Attachment Area

320: Lamps

321: Substrate

322: drive

324: light source

330: Dimmer switch interface

332: Converter circuit

334: Converter circuit

336: Transformer

338: Current Source

340: Control circuit

400A: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting System

400B: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting Systems

400C: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting Systems

400D: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting System

400E: LED Lighting System

410: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Array

411A: first channel

411B: Second channel

412: AC/DC Converter Circuit

413: Part

414: Sensor Module

415: Dimmer interface circuit

416: Connectivity and Control Modules

417: Part

418A: Trace

418B: Trace

418C: Trace

419: Cycle

431: Trace

432: Trace

433: Trace

434: Trace

435: Trace

440: DC/DC Converter

440A: DC-DC Converter Circuit

440B: DC-DC Converter Circuit

445A: First Surface

445B: Second Surface

452: Power Module

472: Microcontroller

483: Power conversion module

485: Light-emitting diode (LED) driver input signal

490: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Module

491: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Array

493: Embedded Light Emitting Diode (LED) Calibration and Setting Information

494: LED Array

494A: First Light Emitting Diode (LED) Group

494B: Second Light Emitting Diode (LED) Group

494C: Third Light Emitting Diode (LED) Group

497: Vin

510: Cycle

512: Part

514: Part

550: System

552: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting Systems

554: Secondary Optics

556: Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting Systems

558: Secondary Optics

560: Application Platform

561: Beam

561a: Arrow

561b: Arrow

562: Beam

562a: Arrow

562b: Arrow

565:Line

700: Procedure

710: Steps

720: Steps

730: Steps

740: Steps

810: Control signal

820: Continuous AC signal

910: Control signal

920: Intermittent AC signal

C4: Capacitor

CTRL: control signal

DIM: Voltage signal

N3: Node

PWR: Signal

Q1: NPN transistor

Q2: PNP transistor

Q3: Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET)

R4: Resistor

R5: Resistor

S0: continuous current signal

S1: Intermittent current signal

T1: Terminal

T2: Terminal

V1: DC voltage source

W1: Winding

W2: Winding

The drawings described below are for illustration purposes only. The drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The same reference numerals shown in the figures designate the same parts in the various embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example of a lighting system according to an aspect of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram of a transformer for driving a dimmer switch interface of the lighting system of FIG. 1 according to an aspect of the present invention. A graph of a current signal; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of another example of a lighting system according to an aspect of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a dimming for driving the lighting system of FIG. 3 according to an aspect of the present invention FIG. 5 is a control signal for controlling the operation of a current source in the dimmer switch interface of the lighting system of FIG. 3 according to an aspect of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of an example of a current source that can be used in the dimmer switch interface of the lighting system of FIG. 3 according to an aspect of the invention; FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram according to an aspect of the invention. A flow diagram of an example of a program executed by a controller that is part of the dimmer switch interface of the lighting system of FIG. 3; A current source in the dimmer switch interface of the system generates a control signal and a plot of a corresponding current signal; FIG. 9 illustrates a dimmer that can be utilized by the lighting system of FIG. 3 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention a plot of another control signal and another corresponding current signal generated by the current source in the switch interface; 10 is a top view of an electronic board for an integrated LED lighting system; FIG. 11A is a top view of an electronic board with LED arrays attached at LED device attachment areas in one embodiment, according to an embodiment connected to the substrate; FIG. 11B is a diagram of an embodiment of a two-channel integrated LED lighting system with electronic components mounted on both surfaces of a circuit board; FIG. 11C is an embodiment of an LED lighting system A drawing with the LED array on an electronic board separate from the driver and control circuits; Figure 11D is a block of an LED lighting system with the LED array on an electronic board separate from the driver circuit with some electronics Figures; Figure 11E is a schematic diagram of an exemplary LED lighting system showing a multi-channel LED driver circuit; Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary application system; Figure 13A is a schematic diagram showing an LED device; Line 13B shows a diagram of one of several LED devices.

Examples of different light illumination systems and/or light emitting diode ("LED") implementations will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These examples are not mutually exclusive, and features found in one example can be combined with features found in one or more other examples to achieve additional implementations. Accordingly, it will be understood that the examples shown in the accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. Throughout, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements.

It will be appreciated that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe Various elements are described, however, such elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element and a second element could be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the present invention. As used herein, the term "and/or" can include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

It will be understood that when an element such as a layer, region or substrate is referred to as being "on" or extending "on" another element, it can be directly on or extending directly on the other element To the other element, or intervening elements may also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or extending "directly on" another element, there may be no intervening elements present. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element and/or connected or coupled to the other element through one or more intervening elements a component. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another element, there are no intervening elements between the element and the other element. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the elements in addition to any orientation depicted in the figures.

Relative terms such as "below," "above," "above," "below," "horizontal," or "vertical" may be used herein to describe an element illustrated in a figure, A layer or region is in one relationship to another element, layer or region. It will be understood that these terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures.

Additionally, whether LEDs, LED arrays, electrical components, and/or electronic components are housed on one, two, or more electronic boards may also depend on design constraints and/or applications.

Semiconductor light emitting devices (LEDs) or optical power emitting devices, such as those emitting ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) optical power, are among the most efficient light sources currently available. such devices (hereinafter "LED") may comprise light emitting diodes, resonant cavity light emitting diodes, vertical cavity laser diodes, edge emitting lasers, or the like. Due to their equally compact size and lower power requirements, LEDs, for example, can be attractive candidates for many different applications. For example, they can be used as light sources (eg, torches and camera flashes) for hand-held battery-operated devices such as cameras and mobile phones. They may also be used in, for example, automotive lighting, head-up display (HUD) lighting, horticultural lighting, street lighting, flashlights for video, general lighting (eg, home, shop, office and studio lighting, theatre/stage lighting) lighting and architectural lighting), augmented reality (AR) lighting, virtual reality (VR) lighting, backlighting as displays, and IR spectroscopy. A single LED can provide less bright light than an incandescent light source, and thus multi-junction devices or LED arrays (such as monolithic LED arrays, micro LED arrays, etc.) can be used in applications where greater brightness is desired or required.

A dimmer switch is a device used to control the brightness of the light produced by a light fixture. Externally, a manually operated dimmer switch may appear as a knob that a user can turn to increase or decrease the brightness of a light fixture. Internally, the dimmer switch may include a variable resistor coupled to the knob. A variable resistor can be used to adjust the value of a voltage signal provided by the dimmer switch to the light fixture.

One of the dimming systems often used in fluorescent and LED lighting is called 0V to 10V dimming. According to this system, the voltage signal provided by a 0V to 10V dimmer switch to a lamp varies between 0V and 10V. When the value of the voltage signal falls below a certain threshold value close to 0V, the luminaire can operate at its lowest possible brightness or turn itself off completely. When the value of the voltage signal exceeds a certain threshold value close to 10V, the luminaire can operate at its maximum brightness.

When using a 0V to 10V system, the dimmer switch is usually connected to the light source via the dimmer switch interface. A dimmer switch interface is a device that can be inserted between a dimmer switch and a lamp to electrically isolate the dimmer switch and suppress noise. To achieve this function, the dimmer is turned on The gateway interface may include a transformer for driving the dimmer switch and connecting the dimmer switch to the light fixture.

One disadvantage of dimmer switch interfaces is that they tend to be inefficient. A typical dimmer switch interface may often consume 100 mW or more, which is mainly due to the transformers in the dimmer switch interface. This loss may be undesirable because it can increase the cost of operating the dimmer switch interface. In addition, power dissipation due to transformers in a dimmer switch interface can prevent a lighting system utilizing a dimmer switch interface from complying with various current and future environmental regulations that mandate limitations on the backup power of lighting systems.

According to aspects of the present invention, a dimmer switch interface with reduced power loss is disclosed. The dimmer switch interface can include a transformer for magnetically coupling a dimmer switch to a light fixture. The transformer may be driven by a current source configured to supply an intermittent current to the transformer. When the transformer is driven with intermittent current, the current supplied to the transformer is switched between a high current value (eg, 10 mA) and a low current value (eg, 0 A). During periods in which the intermittent current switches to a low value (eg, 0A), the transformer is turned off and does not consume any power. Therefore, when the transformer is driven with intermittent current, the power loss of the transformer can be significantly reduced.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a dimmer switch interface comprising: a pair of first terminals, etc. for connecting the dimmer switch interface to a dimmer switch; a pair of second terminals, etc. a driver for connecting a dimmer switch to a light fixture; a transformer having a first winding magnetically coupled to a second winding electrically coupled to the pair of first terminals, and the second winding windings are electrically coupled to the pair of second terminals; and a current source configured to power the transformer with an intermittent alternating current when the current source is energized.

According to an aspect of the present invention, an apparatus is disclosed that includes: a driver for a light fixture; and a dimmer switch interface for connecting the driver to a dimmer A switch, the dimmer switch interface comprising: (i) a transformer having a first winding magnetically coupled to a second winding, the first winding electrically coupled to a pair of terminals for the dimmer switch interface connected to the dimmer switch, and the second winding is electrically coupled to the driver; and (ii) a current source configured to power the transformer with an intermittent alternating current when the current source is energized.

1 is a diagram of an example of an illumination system 100 according to aspects of the present invention. The lighting system 100 can include a dimmer switch 110 , a light fixture 120 , and a dimmer switch interface 130 coupling the dimmer switch 110 to the light fixture 120 .

The dimmer switch 110 may be a 0V to 10V dimmer switch and/or any other suitable type of dimmer switch. The dimmer switch 110 may include a variable resistor (eg, a potentiometer) and/or any suitable type of device capable of placing a variable load between terminals T1 of the dimmer switch interface 130 . Additionally or alternatively, dimmer switch 110 may comprise any suitable type of semiconductor device capable of changing the voltage between terminals T1 of dimmer switch interface 130 . In short, according to aspects of the present invention, dimmer switch 110 may be any suitable type of device capable of generating a voltage signal indicative of a desired brightness level of light output from light fixture 120 .

In some implementations, the dimmer switch 110 can include a light sensor configured to measure the level of ambient light in the vicinity of the light fixture 120 and generate a light based on the measured ambient light level voltage signal. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the dimmer switch 110 can include a knob or a slider that can be used to actuate a potentiometer that is part of the dimmer switch 110 . Additionally or alternatively, the dimmer switch 110 may include a wireless receiver (eg, a ZigBee gateway, a WiFi receiver, a remote control receiver, etc.) capable of , a user's smart phone or remote control) receives an indication of a desired brightness level and generates a corresponding voltage signal based on the indication.

Luminaire 120 may comprise any suitable type of luminaire. Luminaire 120 may include a driver actuator 122 and a light source 124 powered using a signal PWR. Light source 124 may comprise any suitable type of light source, such as a fluorescent light source, an incandescent light source, and/or one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). In an example of the present invention, the light source 124 includes one or more LEDs and the signal PWR is a DC or a pulse width modulated ( PWM) signal. Driver 122 may include a DC/DC converter circuit, a tuning engine, or the like.

The signal DIM may be a voltage signal. The level of signal DIM may determine the DC magnitude and/or duty cycle of signal PWR. If the signal DIM has a first level (eg, 2V), the driver 122 may assign a first DC magnitude and/or a first duty cycle on the signal PWR. In contrast, if the signal DIM has a second level (eg, 5V), the driver 122 may assign a second DC magnitude and/or a second operation on the signal PWR that is different from the first DIM level cycle. As can be readily appreciated, the DC magnitude and/or duty cycle of the signal PWR determines the amount of current delivered to the light source 124 , which in turn may determine the brightness of the light output from the light source 124 .

The dimmer switch interface 130 may provide isolation between the light fixture 120 and the dimmer switch 110 to primarily protect the person operating the dimmer switch from electrical shock. The dimmer switch interface 130 may include a converter circuit 132 coupled to a converter circuit 134 via a transformer 136 . Transformer 136 may be driven by a continuous current signal S0 generated by a current source 138 . As illustrated in FIG. 2, the signal S0 may be an alternating current (AC) signal, and it may be shaped as a continuous square wave. However, in alternative implementations, the signal SO may be shaped as a sine wave and/or any other suitable type of wave. In some implementations, when a current signal has a constant current level, the current signal can be continuous.

Transformer 136 may include a winding W1 and a winding W2 magnetically coupled to winding W1. Winding W1 may be electrically coupled to light fixture 120 (eg, via converter circuit 132). Winding W2 May be electrically coupled to dimmer switch 110 (eg, via converter circuit 134). In some implementations, winding W2 may be electrically coupled to terminal T1 of dimmer switch interface 130 (eg, via converter circuit 134). In these instances, dimmer switch 110 may also be coupled to terminal T1 to complete the electrical connection between dimmer switch 110 and winding W2. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, winding W1 may be electrically coupled to terminal T2 of dimmer switch interface 130 (eg, via converter circuit 132 ). In these instances, the driver 122 may also be coupled to the terminal T2 of the dimmer switch interface 130 to receive the signal DIM for controlling the brightness of the light source 124 .

In operation, winding W2 carries dimming control information from dimmer switch 110 via converter circuit 134 , which also converts the voltage across winding W2 into a DC current to supply dimmer switch 110 . As described above, the voltage across winding W2 may be generated at least in part by dimmer switch 110 . In addition, the voltage across winding W2 can be transferred to winding W1 of transformer 136 through magnetic coupling and converted into a DC current by converter circuit 132 to generate voltage signal DIM. Then, the voltage signal DIM can be used by the driver 122 of the lamp 120 to adjust the brightness of the lamp 120 . According to aspects of the invention, converter circuit 132 may include any suitable electronic circuit configured to generate a DC signal based on an AC signal received from winding W1. Furthermore, in accordance with aspects of the present invention, converter circuit 134 may include any suitable electronic circuit configured to form a desired AC signal on winding W2.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an example of an illumination system 300 with improved power consumption. As discussed further below, improved power dissipation is achieved by using a current source that intermittently turns on and off the transformer in the system's dimmer switch interface in order to reduce the amount of power consumed by driving the transformer. According to the example of FIG. 3 , a lighting system 300 may include a dimmer switch 310 , a light fixture 320 , and a dimmer switch interface 330 coupling the dimmer switch 310 to the light fixture 320 .

Dimmer switch 310 may be a 0V to 10V dimmer switch and/or any other suitable type of dimmer switch. Dimmer switch 310 may include a variable resistor (eg, a potentiometer) and or any suitable type of device capable of placing a variable load between terminal T1 of dimmer switch interface 330 . Additionally or alternatively, dimmer switch 310 may comprise any suitable type of semiconductor device capable of changing the voltage between terminals T1 of dimmer switch interface 330 . In short, according to aspects of the present invention, dimmer switch 310 may be any suitable type of device capable of generating a voltage signal indicative of a desired brightness level of light output from light fixture 320 .

In some implementations, the dimmer switch 310 can include a light sensor configured to measure the level of ambient light in the vicinity of the light fixture 320, and based on the measured ambient light level A voltage signal is generated. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the dimmer switch 310 can include a knob or a slider that can be used to actuate a potentiometer that is part of the dimmer switch 310 . Additionally or alternatively, the dimmer switch 310 may include a wireless receiver (eg, a ZigBee gateway, a WiFi receiver, a remote control receiver, etc.) capable of , a user's smart phone or remote control) receives an indication of a desired brightness level, and generates a corresponding voltage signal based on the indication.

Luminaire 320 may comprise any suitable type of luminaire. Luminaire 320 may include a driver 322 and a light source 324 powered using a signal PWR. Light source 324 may comprise any suitable type of light source, such as a fluorescent light source, an incandescent light source, and/or one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). In the present example, the light source 324 includes one or more LEDs, and the signal PWR is a DC or a pulse width modulated signal generated by the driver 322 based on a signal DIM received by the driver 322 from the dimmer switch interface 330 .

The signal DIM may be a voltage signal. The level of signal DIM may determine the DC magnitude and/or duty cycle of signal PWR. If the signal DIM has a first level (eg, 2 V), the driver 322 may assign a first DC magnitude and/or a first duty cycle on the signal PWR. In contrast, if the signal DIM has a second level (eg, 5V), the driver 322 may assign a second DC magnitude and/or a second operation on the signal PWR that is different from the first DIM level cycle. As can be readily appreciated, the DC magnitude and/or duty cycle of signal PWR determines the amount of current delivered to light source 324 , which in turn may determine the brightness of the light output from light source 324 .

The dimmer switch interface 330 may provide isolation between the light fixture 320 and the dimmer switch 310 to primarily protect the person operating the dimmer switch from electrical shock. The dimmer switch interface 330 may include a converter circuit 332 coupled to a converter circuit 334 via a transformer 336 . Transformer 336 may be driven by an intermittent current signal S1 generated by a current source 338 . The operation of current source 338 and the waveform of intermittent current signal S1 are discussed in additional detail further below.

Transformer 336 may include a winding W1 and a winding W2 magnetically coupled to winding W1. Winding W1 may be electrically coupled to light fixture 320 (eg, via converter circuit 332). Winding W2 may be electrically coupled to dimmer switch 310 (eg, via converter circuit 334). In some implementations, winding W2 may be electrically coupled to terminal T1 of dimmer switch interface 330 (eg, via converter circuit 334). In these instances, dimmer switch 310 may also be coupled to terminal T1 to complete the electrical connection between dimmer switch 310 and winding W2. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, winding W1 may be electrically coupled to terminal T2 of dimmer switch interface 330 (eg, via converter circuit 332 ). In these instances, the driver 322 may also be coupled to the terminal T2 of the dimmer switch interface 330 to receive the signal DIM for controlling the brightness of the light source 324 .

In operation, winding W2 carries dimming control information from dimmer switch 310 via converter circuit 334 , which also converts the voltage across winding W2 into a DC current to supply dimmer switch 310 . As discussed above, the dimmer switch 310 may be at least partially A voltage across winding W2 is generated. In addition, the voltage across winding W2 can be transferred to winding W1 of transformer 336 through magnetic coupling and converted into voltage signal DIM by converter circuit 332 . Then, the voltage signal DIM can be used by the driver 322 of the lamp 320 to adjust the brightness of the lamp 320 . According to aspects of the invention, converter circuit 332 may include any suitable electronic circuit configured to generate a DC signal based on an AC signal received from winding W1. Furthermore, according to aspects of the present invention, converter circuit 334 may include any suitable electronic circuit configured to form a desired AC signal on winding W2.

As described above, the current source 338 may supply the transformer 336 with an intermittent current signal S1. Signal S1 may be an alternating current signal. As illustrated in Figure 4, the signal S1 may be periodic in nature. Each period 419 of signal S1 may include a portion 413 during which signal S1 has a first current level, and a portion 417 during which signal S1 has a second current level. The second current level may be higher than the first current level. For example, in some implementations, the first current level can be 0A and the second current level can have any value greater than 0A.

The frequency at which the signal S1 switches to the second current level may be referred to as the burst frequency. In some implementations, signal S1 may have a burst frequency of 1 Hz. However, alternative embodiments are possible in which signal S1 has any suitable frequency (eg, 5 Hz, 10 Hz, 0.5 Hz, etc.).

When the signal S1 is at the first current level, the transformer 336 may be turned off (or operated in a reduced power consumption mode). When the signal S1 is at the second current level, the transformer 336 may be turned on and/or operated in a normal power dissipation mode. In some implementations, the current source 338 can intermittently turn the transformer 336 on and off by driving the transformer 336 with an intermittent current signal. This, in turn, may cause the transformer 336 to supply power only a fraction of the time that the dimmer switch interface 330 is energized (or in use), resulting in a reduction in power dissipation.

In some implementations, signal S1 may be a PWM signal generated by intermittently changing its duty cycle. For example, during portion 413 of each period 419, current source 338 may switch the duty cycle of signal S1 to a first value (eg, 0%). As another example, during portion 417 of each period 419, current source 338 may switch the duty cycle of signal S1 to a second value (eg, 50%) that is greater than the first value.

The duration of each cycle 419 of the signal S1 can determine the response time of the dimmer switch 310 . As mentioned above, in some implementations, the duration of each period 419 may be 1 second. In these examples, the duration of each portion 413 of period 419 may be 900 ms, and the duration of each portion 417 of period 419 may be 100 ms. Alternatively, in some implementations, the duration of each portion 413 may be 980 ms and the duration of each portion 417 may be 20 ms. In short, the present invention is not limited to any particular duration of portions 413 and 417 and/or period 419 .

In some implementations, signal S1 may be generated based on a control signal CTRL supplied to current source 338 by a control circuit 340 . Control circuit 340 may comprise any suitable type of control circuit. For example, in some implementations, the control circuit may be a square wave generator and/or another type of signal generator. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the control circuit 340 may be a low-power processor and/or a general-purpose processor (eg, an ARM-based processor) capable of performing logical operations (such as compare and branch) . Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the control circuit 340 may comprise a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the control circuit 340 may be configured to execute one or more processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the control circuit 340, result in control Circuitry 340 executes routine 700, which is discussed further below with respect to FIG. 7 . Processor-executable instructions may be stored in the system dimmer Switch interface 330 and/or part of control circuit 340 are in a memory (not shown). Additionally or alternatively, the processor-executable instructions may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, such as a secure digital (SD) card. Although the control circuit 340 and the current source 338 are depicted as separate components, it will be appreciated that alternative implementations are possible in which the control circuit 340 and the current source 338 are integral with each other.

As illustrated in FIG. 5 , the control signal CTRL may be a DC square wave having a period 510 . Each cycle 510 may have a portion 512 where the signal CTRL has a first duty cycle, and a portion 514 where the signal CTRL has a second duty cycle that is greater than the first duty cycle. For example, in some implementations, the first duty cycle may be 0% and the second duty cycle may be 50%. In some implementations, portions 512 of control signal CTRL may have the same duration as portions 413 of current signal S1. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, portions 514 of control signal CTRL may have the same duration as portions 417 of current signal S1. The manner in which the control signal CTRL is used to generate the current signal S1 is discussed further below with respect to FIG. 6 .

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the internal structure of current source 338 in further detail according to an aspect of the present invention. As illustrated, the current source 338 may include a DC voltage source V1 and a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) Q3. The control signal CTRL generated by the control circuit 340 can be applied to the gate of the MOSFET Q3. The drain of MOSFET Q3 may be coupled to the respective bases of an NPN transistor Q1 and a PNP transistor Q2. Additionally, the collector of transistor Q1 may be coupled to the positive terminal (eg, +12V) of voltage source V1 , and the collector of transistor Q2 may be coupled to the negative terminal (eg, 0V) of voltage source V1 . The emitters of transistors Q1 and Q2 may be coupled to each other at node N3. A resistor R5 and a capacitor C4 may be coupled in series to node N3, as shown.

MOSFET Q3 can be turned on when signal CTRL is high and when signal CTRL is shutdown when low. When MOSFET Q3 is turned off, resistor R4 may forward bias NPN transistor Q1 and reverse bias PNP transistor Q2, thereby turning on NPN transistor Q1 and turning off PNP transistor Q2. When transistor Q1 is on and PNP transistor Q2 is off, a positive terminal voltage close to V1 may appear at node N3 ( For example, +12V) a high voltage. When MOSFET Q3 is turned on, the common base of transistors Q1 and Q2 is pulled down, turning off NPN transistor Q1 and turning on PNP transistor Q2. When transistor Q1 is off and PNP transistor Q2 is on, a negative terminal voltage close to V1 may appear at node N3 due to the electrical path across the negative terminal of voltage source V1 and node N3 becoming closed ( For example, 0V) a low voltage. In other words, by applying signal CTRL to the gate of MOSFET Q3 gate, control circuit 340 can cause a square wave DC voltage at the frequency of control signal CTRL to appear at node N3. Capacitor C4 blocks the DC component of the DC square wave, turning it into a square AC voltage wave.

According to the examples discussed with respect to FIGS. 3-6 , the current source 338 may be configured to supply the transformer 336 with intermittent current at all times. However, alternative implementations are possible in which the current source 338 is configured to supply intermittent current to the transformer 336 only when the dimmer switch 310 is in the standby mode. In these examples, current source 338 may be configured to supply continuous current to transformer 336 when dimmer switch 310 is not in standby mode.

According to aspects of the invention, when the dimmer switch 310 generates a voltage signal (eg, 0V, 10V, etc.) that causes the driver 322 to completely turn off the light source 324 (eg, by cutting off the supply of current to the light source 324 ), The dimmer switch 310 may be in a standby mode. Additionally or alternatively, the dimmer switch 310 may be considered to be in a standby mode when the dimmer switch 310 produces a voltage signal that is less than (or greater than) a predetermined threshold. For example, a manually operated dimmer switch can be in standby mode when the knob on the dimmer switch is always turned in one direction middle.

According to aspects of the present invention, being able to supply intermittent current to transformer 336 when dimmer switch 310 is in a standby mode may help improve the energy efficiency of lighting system 300 . For example, in some implementations, supplying switching transformer 336 with an intermittent current having a duty cycle of 10% can reduce power dissipation by up to 90%. This reduction may be significant in jurisdictions that require lighting system 300 to comply with laws and regulations that impose strict backup power limits on lighting systems.

7 is a flow diagram of an example of a procedure 700 for selectively switching transformers with an intermittent current supply when the dimmer switch 310 is placed in a standby mode, according to an aspect of the present invention.

In step 710, the control circuit 340 detects the voltage level of the signal DIM. In some implementations, the control circuit 340 can detect the voltage level of the signal DIM by sampling the signal DIM using an analog-to-digital converter.

At step 720, the control circuit 340 detects whether the dimmer switch 310 is in the standby mode based on the level of the signal DIM. In some implementations, the control circuit 340 may compare the level of the signal DIM to a predetermined threshold to detect whether the dimmer switch 310 is in the standby mode. According to a specific example, when the level of the signal DIM is below a threshold, the control circuit 340 may detect that the dimmer switch 310 is in the standby mode and proceed to step 740 . According to the same example, when the level of the signal DIM is higher than the threshold value, the control circuit 340 may detect that the dimmer switch 310 is not in the standby mode, and proceed to step 730 . Although in the present example the control circuit 340 detects that the dimmer switch 310 is in the standby mode when the level of the signal DIM is below a threshold, alternative implementations are possible in which the level of the signal DIM is Above a threshold value, the control circuit 340 detects that the dimmer switch 310 is in a standby mode.

At step 730, the control circuit 340 supplies a continuous current to the transformer 336. To supply intermittent current to transformer 336, control circuit 340 may provide a first control signal to current source 338, which causes current source 338 to output a continuous current. More specifically, the control circuit 340 may generate one of the control signals 810 shown in FIG. 8 . As illustrated, the control signal 810 may be a square wave having a constant duty cycle. When the control signal 810 is supplied to the current source 338 , the current source 338 can generate a continuous alternating current signal 820 . As illustrated in FIG. 8 , current signal 820 may be the same or similar to signal SO discussed above with respect to FIG. 2 .

At step 740 , the control circuit 340 supplies an intermittent current to the transformer 336 . To supply continuous current to transformer 336, control circuit 340 may provide a second control signal to current source 338, which causes the current source to output an intermittent current. More specifically, the control circuit 340 may supply one of the control signals 910 shown in FIG. 9 to the current source 338 . As illustrated, control signal 910 may be the same or similar to control signal CTRL discussed above with respect to FIGS. 3-6 . When supplying the control signal 910 to the current source 338 , the current source 338 may output an intermittent alternating current signal 920 to the transformer 336 , also shown in FIG. 9 . As illustrated, the alternating current signal 920 may be the same as or similar to signal S1 discussed above with respect to FIGS. 3-6 .

1 to 9 are provided as an example only. At least some of the elements discussed with respect to the figures may be configured in a different order, combined, and/or omitted together. For example, although in the example of FIG. 6 transistors Q1 and Q2 are switched by a MOSFET transistor, alternative implementations are possible in which any other suitable type of switching device is used instead, such as a solid state relay, A PMOS transistor, etc. Furthermore, although in the present examples, PNP transistors and NPN transistors are used to close different electrical paths between voltage source V1 and current source 338, alternative implementations are possible in which any other suitable type of Switching devices, such as a solid state relay, a PMOS transistor, etc. Voltage source V1 may contain any suitable type of voltage. For example, the voltage source can be a power connector. As another example, the voltage source may be configured to A power adapter that converts AC mains voltage to DC voltage. Although the dimmer switch interface 330 and the driver 322 are shown as separate components, it will be appreciated that in practice the dimmer switch interface 330 and the driver 322 may often be integrated with each other.

10 is a top view of an electronic board 311 for an integrated LED lighting system, according to one embodiment. In alternative embodiments, two or more electronic boards may be used for the LED lighting system. For example, the LED array can be on a separate electronic board, or the sensor module can be on a separate electronic board. In the illustrated example, electronic board 311 includes a power module 312 , a sensor module 314 , connectivity and control module 316 , and an LED attachment reserved for attaching an LED array to a substrate 321 Contact area 318. The dimmer switch interface 330 of FIG. 3 may be part of the power module 312 or may be external to the electronic board 318 and may provide input to the power module 312 .

Substrate 321 may be any board capable of mechanically supporting and providing electrical coupling to electrical components, electronic components and/or electronic modules using conductive connectors such as rails, traces, pads, vias and/or wires . Substrate 321 may include one or more metallization layers disposed between or on one or more layers of a non-conductive material, such as a dielectric composite material. Power module 312 may include electrical and/or electronic components. In an exemplary embodiment, the power module 312 includes an AC/DC conversion circuit, a DC/DC conversion circuit, a dimming circuit, and an LED driver circuit.

Sensor module 314 may include the sensors required for an application in which the LED array is to be implemented. Exemplary sensors may include optical sensors (eg, IR sensors and image sensors), motion sensors, thermal sensors, mechanical sensors, proximity sensors, or even timers. By way of example, it can be turned off/on based on several different sensor inputs (such as a detected presence of a user, detected ambient lighting conditions, detected weather conditions) or based on time of day/night and / or adjust LEDs in street lighting, general lighting and horticultural lighting applications. This package This includes, for example, adjusting the intensity of the light output, the shape of the light output, the color of the light output, and/or turning lights on or off to save energy. For AR/VR applications, motion sensors can be used to detect user movement. The motion sensor itself may be an LED, such as an IR detector LED. By way of another example, for camera flash applications, images and/or other optical sensors or pixels can be used to measure the lighting for a scene to be captured so that the flash lighting color, intensity lighting can be optimally calibrated shape and/or shape. In an alternative embodiment, the electronic board 311 does not include a sensor module.

Connectivity and control module 316 may include a system microcontroller and any type of wired or wireless module configured to receive a control input from an external device. By way of example, a wireless module may include Bluetooth, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Mesh, WiFi, Near Field Communication (NFC) and/or may use peer-to-peer modules. A microcontroller can be any type of special purpose computer or processor that can be embedded in an LED lighting system and configured or configurable to receive input (such as a sensor) from wired or wireless modules or other modules in the LED system. Detector data and data fed back from the LED modules) and provide control signals to other modules based on the input. The microcontroller may be part of the control circuit 340 of FIG. 3 or may include the control circuit 340 of FIG. 3, as disclosed herein. Algorithms implemented by a special purpose processor can be implemented in a computer program, software or firmware incorporated in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for execution by the special purpose processor. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include a read only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a register, cache, and semiconductor memory devices. The memory may be included as part of the microcontroller or may be implemented elsewhere on the electronic board 311 or externally.

The term module as used herein may refer to electrical and/or electronic components disposed on individual circuit boards that may be soldered to one or more electronic boards 311 . However, the term module may also refer to electrical and/or electronic components that provide similar functionality, but may be individually soldered to one or more circuit boards in the same area or in different areas.

FIG. 11A is a top view of electronic board 311 with an LED array 410 attached to substrate 321 at LED device attachment area 318 in one embodiment. The electronic board 311 together with the LED array 410 represents an LED lighting system 400A. In addition, power module 312 receives a voltage input at Vin 497 and control signals from connection capability and control module 316 via trace 418B and provides drive signals to LED array 410 via trace 418A. The LED array 410 is turned on and off via the drive signal from the power module 312 . In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11A, the connectivity and control module 316 receives sensor signals from the sensor module 314 via trace 418C.

11B illustrates one embodiment of a two-channel integrated LED lighting system with electronic components mounted on both surfaces of a circuit board. As shown in FIG. 11B, an LED lighting system 400B includes a first surface 445A having inputs for receiving dimmer signals and AC power signals, and an AC/DC converter mounted thereon circuit 412. LED system 400B includes a second surface 445B with dimmer interface circuit 415, DC-DC converter circuits 440A and 440B, a connection capability with a microcontroller 472 and control module 416 (in A wireless module in this example), and an LED array 410 mounted thereon. The LED array 410 is driven by two independent channels 411A and 411B. In alternate embodiments, a single channel may be used to provide drive signals to an LED array, or any number of multiple channels may be used to provide drive signals to an LED array. For example, FIG. 11E illustrates an LED lighting system 400E with 3 channels, and is described in further detail below. The dimmer switch interface 330 of FIG. 3 may be part of the dimmer interface circuit 415 and may provide input to the microcontroller 472 .

LED array 410 may include two groups of LED devices. In an exemplary embodiment, the LED devices of group A are electrically coupled to a first channel 411A, and the LED devices of group B are electrically coupled to a second channel 411B. Each of the two DC-DC converters 440A and 440B can be A respective drive current is provided for driving a respective LED group A and B in LED array 410 via a single channel 411A and 411B, respectively. The LEDs in one of the LED groups can be configured to emit light having a different color point than the LEDs in the second LED group. The composite color point of the light emitted by LED array 410 can be tuned over a range by controlling the current and/or duty cycle applied by individual DC/DC converter circuits 440A and 440B via a single channel 411A and 411B, respectively control. Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 11B does not include a sensor module (as described in FIGS. 10 and 11A ), an alternative embodiment may include a sensor module.

The illustrated LED lighting system 400B is an integrated system in which the LED array 410 and the circuitry for operating the LED array 410 are provided on a single electronic board. Connections between modules on the same surface of circuit board 499 may be electrically coupled to be made by surface or subsurface interconnects such as traces 431, 432, 433, 434, and 435 or metallization (not shown) Exchange, for example, voltage, current, and control signals between modules. Connections between modules on opposing surfaces of circuit board 499 may be electrically coupled by through-board interconnects such as vias and metallization (not shown).

Figure 11C illustrates one embodiment of an LED lighting system in which the LED array is mounted on an electronic board separate from the driver and control circuitry. The LED lighting system 400C includes a power module 452 attached to an electronic board separate from an LED module 490 . The power module 452 on a first electronic board may include an AC/DC converter circuit 412, a sensor module 414, a connection capability and control module 416, a dimmer interface circuit 415, and a DC /DC converter 440 . LED module 490 may include embedded LED calibration and setting data 493 and LED array 410 on a second electronic board. Data, control signals, and/or LED driver input signals 485 can be exchanged between the power module 452 and the LED module 490 via wires that can electrically and communicatively couple the two modules. Embedded LED calibration and setup data 493 may contain any information needed by other modules within a given LED lighting system to control how the LEDs in the LED array are driven. material. In one embodiment, the embedded calibration and setting data 493 may include the microcontroller generating or modifying instructing the driver to provide power to each LED group A and B using, for example, a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal. Data required for a control signal. In this example, the calibration and setting data 493 can inform the microcontroller 472 about, for example, the number of power channels to use, a desired color point of the composite light provided by the entire LED array 410, and/or the power generated by the AC/ The DC converter circuit 412 provides a percentage of the power to each channel. As disclosed herein, the dimmer switch interface 330 of FIG. 3 may be part of the dimmer interface circuit 415 .

Figure 1 ID illustrates a block diagram of an LED lighting system with an LED array on an electronic board separate from the driver circuit along with some electronics. An LED system 400D includes a power conversion module 483 and an LED module 481 positioned on a separate electronic board. Power conversion module 483 may include AC/DC converter circuit 412, dimmer interface circuit 415, and DC-DC converter circuit 440, and LED module 481 may include embedded LED calibration and setting data 493, LED array 410, Sensor module 414 and connection capability and control module 416 . The power conversion module 483 may provide the LED driver input signal 485 to the LED array 410 via a wired connection between the two electronic boards.

FIG. 11E is a diagram of an exemplary LED lighting system 400E showing a multi-channel LED driver circuit. In the illustrated example, system 400E includes a power module 452 and an LED module 491 including embedded LED calibration and setting data 493 and an LED array 494 including three LED groups 494A, 494B, and 494C. Although three groups of LEDs are shown in FIG. 11E, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any number of groups of LEDs may be used consistent with the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, although the individual LEDs within each group are arranged in series, in some embodiments they may be arranged in parallel.

LED array 494 may include groups of LEDs that provide light with different color points. For example, LED array 494 may include a warm white light source via a first LED group 494A, a cool white light source via a second LED group 494B, and a neutral white light source via a third LED group 494C light source. The warm white light source via the first LED group 494A may include one or more LEDs configured to provide white light with a correlated color temperature (CCT) of approximately 2700K. The cool white light source via the second LED group 494B may include one or more LEDs configured to provide white light with a CCT of approximately 6500K. The neutral white light source via the third LED group 494C may include one or more LEDs configured to provide light with a CCT of approximately 4000K. Although various white LEDs are described in this example, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other color combinations are possible, consistent with the embodiments described herein, to provide output from LED arrays 494 having various overall colors A composite light output.

Power module 452 can include a tunable light engine (not shown) that can be configured to supply power to the LED array via three separate channels (indicated as LED1+, LED2+, and LED3+ in FIG. 11E ) 494. More specifically, the tunable light engine can be configured to supply a first PWM signal to a first LED group 494A (such as a warm white light source) via a first channel, a second PWM signal via a second channel Signals are supplied to the second LED group 494B, and a third PWM signal is supplied to the third LED group 494C via a third channel. Each signal provided via a respective channel may be used to power the corresponding LED or group of LEDs, and the duty cycle of the signal may determine the overall duration of the on and off states of each respective LED. The duration of the on and off states can result in an overall light effect, which can have duration-based light properties (eg, correlated color temperature (CCT), color point, or brightness). In operation, the tunable light engine can vary the relative magnitudes of the duty cycles of the first, second, and third signals to adjust the respective light properties of each of the LED groups to provide a desired emission from the LED array 494 compound light. As mentioned above, the light output of LED array 491 may have a light output based on LED array 494A, A color point for a combination (eg, a mixture) of light emission from each of 494B and 494C.

In operation, power module 452 may receive a control input generated based on user and/or sensor input and provide signals through individual channels to control the composite color of light output by LED array 494 based on the control input. In some embodiments, a user may provide input to the LED system for control by turning a knob or moving a slider that may be, for example, part of a sensor module (not shown) DC/DC converter circuit. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, a user may use a smartphone and/or other electronic device to provide input to LED lighting system 400E to transmit an indication of a desired color to a wireless module ( not shown).

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary system 550 that includes an application platform 560 , LED lighting systems 552 and 556 , and secondary optics 554 and 558 . LED lighting system 552 produces light beam 561 shown between arrows 561a and 561b. LED lighting system 556 may generate light beam 562 between arrows 562a and 562b. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12 , light emitted from LED lighting system 552 passes through secondary optics 554 , and light emitted from LED lighting system 556 passes through secondary optics 558 . In an alternate embodiment, beams 561 and 562 do not pass through any secondary optics. Secondary optics may be or may include one or more light guides. One or more of the light guides may be edge lit or may have an interior opening that defines an interior edge of the light guide. LED lighting systems 552 and/or 556 may be inserted into the interior openings of one or more light guides such that they inject light into either the interior edge (interior opening light guide) or the exterior edge (edge lit light guide) of the one or more light guides . The LEDs in LED lighting system 552 and/or 556 can be arranged around the circumference of a substrate that is part of the light guide. According to one embodiment, the substrate may be thermally conductive. According to one embodiment, the substrate may be coupled to a heat dissipating element disposed over the light guide. The heat dissipation element can be configured to receive the heat generated by the LED via the thermally conductive substrate and dissipate the received heat. One or more light guides may allow illumination by LED lighting systems 552 and 556 The incident light is shaped in a desired manner (such as, for example, having a gradient, a chamfered distribution, a narrow distribution, a broad distribution, an angular distribution, or the like).

In exemplary embodiments, the system 550 may be a camera flash system, a mobile phone, indoor residential or commercial lighting, outdoor lighting (such as street lighting), an automobile, a medical device, AR/VR device, and robotic device. The integrated LED lighting system 400A shown in FIG. 11A , the integrated LED lighting system 400B shown in FIG. 11B , the LED lighting system 400C shown in FIG. 11C , and the LED lighting system 400D shown in FIG. 11D illustrate LEDs in an exemplary embodiment Lighting systems 552 and 556.

In exemplary embodiments, the system 550 may be a camera flash system, a mobile phone, indoor residential or commercial lighting, outdoor lighting (such as street lighting), an automobile, a medical device, AR/VR device, and robotic device. The integrated LED lighting system 400A shown in FIG. 11A , the integrated LED lighting system 400B shown in FIG. 11B , the LED lighting system 400C shown in FIG. 11C , and the LED lighting system 400D shown in FIG. 11D illustrate LEDs in an exemplary embodiment Lighting systems 552 and 556.

Application platform 560 may provide power to LED lighting systems 552 and/or 556 via line 565 or other suitable input via a power bus, as discussed herein. Additionally, application platform 560 may provide input signals via line 565 for operation of LED lighting system 552 and LED lighting system 556, which input may be based on a user input/preference, a sensory reading, a preprogrammed or autonomous determination output or similar. One or more sensors may be inside or outside the housing of application platform 560 .

In various embodiments, application platform 560 sensors and/or LED lighting system 552 and/or 556 sensors may collect data, such as visual data (eg, LIDAR data, IR data, data collected via a camera, etc. ), audio data, distance-based data, mobile data materials, environmental data, or the like or a combination of them. Data may relate to a physical item or entity (such as an object, person, vehicle, etc.). For example, a sensing device may collect object proximity data for an ADAS/AV based application, which may prioritize detection and subsequent actions based on the detection of a physical item or entity. Data may be collected based on emitting a light signal, such as an IR signal, by, for example, LED lighting systems 552 and/or 556 and collecting data based on the emitted light signal. Data can be collected by a different component than the component that emits the light signal used for data collection. Continuing with the example, the sensing device may be positioned on a car and a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) may be used to emit a beam. One or more sensors may sense a response to the emitted light beam or any other suitable input.

In an exemplary embodiment, application platform 560 may represent an automobile and LED lighting system 552 and LED lighting system 556 may represent automobile headlights. In various embodiments, system 550 may represent an automobile with a steerable light beam, where LEDs are selectively activatable to provide steerable light. For example, an array of LEDs can be used to define or project a shape or pattern or to illuminate only selected sections of a road. In an exemplary embodiment, infrared cameras or detector pixels within LED lighting systems 552 and/or 556 may be sensors that identify portions of a scene (roads, crosswalks, etc.) that need to be illuminated.

FIG. 13A is a diagram of an LED device 201 in an exemplary embodiment. The LED device 201 may include a substrate 202 , an active layer 204 , a wavelength conversion layer 206 , and a primary optical device 208 . In other embodiments, an LED device may not include a wavelength converter layer and/or primary optics. Individual LED devices 201 may be included in an LED array in an LED lighting system, such as any of the LED lighting systems described above.

As shown in Figure 13A, the active layer 204 can be adjacent to the substrate 202 and emit light when excited. Suitable materials for forming the substrate 202 and the active layer 204 include sapphire, SiC, GaN, polysilicon, and more specifically may be formed from: a III-V semiconductor including, but not limited to, AlN, AlP, AlAs, AlSb, GaN, GaP, GaAs, GaSb, InN, InP, InAs, InSb; II-VI semiconductors, including (but not limited to) ZnS, ZnSe, CdSe, CdTe; IV semiconductors, including but not limited to Ge, Si, SiC; and mixtures or alloys thereof.

The wavelength converting layer 206 may be remote from, adjacent to the active layer 204 or directly above the active layer 204 . Active layer 204 emits light into wavelength converting layer 206 . The wavelength converting layer 206 acts to further modify the wavelength of the light emitted by the active layer 204 . LED devices that include a wavelength converting layer are often referred to as phosphor converted LEDs ("PCLEDs"). The wavelength converting layer 206 may comprise any luminescent material, such as, for example, a transparent or translucent binder or phosphor particles in a matrix or a ceramic phosphor element that absorbs light at one wavelength and emits light at a different wavelength .

Primary optics 208 may be on or over one or more layers of LED devices 200 and allow light to pass through primary optics 208 from active region 204 and/or wavelength converting layer 206 . Primary optics 208 may be a lens or package configured to protect one or more layers and at least partially shape the output of LED device 200 . Primary optics 208 may comprise transparent and/or translucent materials. In an exemplary embodiment, light through the primary optics may be emitted based on a Lambertian profile. It will be appreciated that one or more properties of primary optics 208 may be modified to produce a light distribution profile other than a Lambertian profile.

13B shows a cross-sectional view of an illumination system 220 including an LED array 210 having pixels 201A, 201B, and 201C and a secondary optics 212 in an exemplary embodiment. LED array 210 includes pixels 201A, 201B, and 201C, each of which includes a respective wavelength conversion layer 206B, active layer 204B, and a substrate 202B. LED array 210 may be a monolithic LED array fabricated using wafer level processing techniques, a micro LED having sub-500 micron dimensions or similar. Pixels 201A, 201B and 201C in LED array 210 may be formed using array segmentation or alternatively using pick-and-place techniques.

The space 203 shown between the one or more pixels 201A, 201B, and 201C may include an air gap or may be filled with a material such as a metallic material that may be a contact (eg, n-contact).

Secondary optics 212 may include one or both of lens 209 and waveguide 207 . It will be appreciated that although secondary optics are discussed in accordance with the examples shown, in an exemplary embodiment, secondary optics 212 may be used to diffuse incoming light (diverging optics), or to concentrate incoming light into a collimated beam of light (collimating optics). In an exemplary embodiment, the waveguide 207 may be a light concentrator and may have any suitable shape for concentrating light, such as a parabolic shape, conical shape, beveled shape, or the like. The waveguide 207 may be coated with a dielectric material, a metallization layer, or the like for reflecting or redirecting incident light. In alternate embodiments, an illumination system may not include one or more of the following: conversion layer 206B; primary optics 208B; waveguide 207; and lens 209.

Lens 209 may be formed of any suitable transparent material, such as, but not limited to, SiC, alumina, diamond, or the like, or a combination of one or the like. Lens 209 can be used to modify a beam of light input into lens 209 such that an output beam from lens 209 will efficiently meet a desired photometric specification. Furthermore, the lens 209 may be used for one or more aesthetic purposes, such as by determining an illuminated and/or unilluminated appearance of one of the LED devices 201A, 201B, and/or 201C of the LED array 210 .

Having described the embodiments in detail, those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in light of this description, modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the inventive concepts. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments illustrated and described.

300: Lighting System

310: Dimmer switch

320: Lamps

322: drive

324: light source

330: Dimmer switch interface

332: Converter circuit

334: Converter circuit

336: Transformer

338: Current Source

340: Control circuit

CTRL: control signal

DIM: Voltage signal

PWR: Signal

S1: Intermittent current signal

T1: Terminal

T2: Terminal

W1: Winding

W2: Winding

Claims (20)

A method for operating a dimmer switch interface, the method comprising: detecting a voltage level of a dimmer signal; comparing the voltage level of the dimmer signal by a threshold and in response to determining that the voltage level of the dimmer signal is lower than the threshold value, providing an intermittent current signal to a transformer, the intermittent current signal having a period including a first period A portion and a second portion, wherein the intermittent current signal has zero current during the first portion, and the intermittent current signal has an alternating current during the second portion. The method of claim 1, further comprising: maintaining the transformer in a startup state when the voltage level of the dimmer signal is higher than the threshold. The method of claim 2, wherein maintaining the transformer in the activated state includes providing a continuous current to the transformer. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the intermittent current signal to the transformer includes intermittently shutting down the transformer during the first portion of the intermittent current signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the intermittent current signal is greater than the second portion of the intermittent current signal. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermittent current signal is a pulse width modulation (PWM, pulse width modulation) signal, the method further comprising generating the pulse by intermittently changing a duty cycle of the PWM signal Width modulated signal. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the PWM signal further comprises: switching the duty cycle of the PWM signal to a first value during the first portion, and switching during the second portion The duty cycle of the PWM signal is modulated to a second value. The method of claim 1, further comprising: when the voltage level of the dimmer signal is lower than the threshold value, determining that the dimmer switch interface is in a standby mode. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing the dimmer signal to a light emitting diode (LED) device driver. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimmer signal is an output of the dimmer switch interface, the method further comprising: generating, by a control circuit, a control signal for a current source; and using the current The source generates the intermittent current signal based on the control signal. The method of claim 10, wherein the control signal includes a first part and a second part divided, wherein the control signal has a first duty cycle in the first part, and the control signal has a second duty cycle in the second part, and the second duty cycle is greater than the first duty cycle. A method for operating a dimmer switch interface, the method comprising: detecting a voltage level of a dimmer signal to control a light emitting diode (LED) device; comparing the voltage level of the dimmer signal with a value; in response to determining that the voltage level of the dimmer signal is lower than the threshold value, providing an intermittent current to a transformer, the intermittent current having a a period including a first part and a second part, wherein the intermittent current has zero current during the first part and the intermittent current has an alternating current during the second part; and in response to determining the dimmer signal When the voltage level is higher than the threshold value, a continuous current is provided to the transformer. The method of claim 12, wherein the first portion of the intermittent current is greater than the second portion of the intermittent current. The method of claim 12, further comprising: when the voltage level of the dimmer signal is lower than the threshold value, determining that the dimmer switch interface is in a standby mode. The method of claim 12, wherein a duty cycle of the second portion is greater than a duty cycle of the first portion. The method of claim 15, wherein the first duty cycle is 0%. The method of claim 12, wherein when the voltage level of the dimmer signal is below the threshold, the transformer is in one of a switched off mode or operates in a low power dissipation mode. The method of claim 12, wherein the dimmer signal is an output of the dimmer switch interface, the method further comprising: generating, by a control circuit, a control signal for a current source; and using the current The source generates the intermittent current based on the control signal. The method of claim 18, wherein the control signal includes a first portion and a second portion, wherein the control signal has a first duty cycle during the first portion, and the control signal has a second duty cycle during the second portion A duty cycle, the second duty cycle is greater than the first duty cycle. The method of claim 12, wherein the intermittent current is a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal, the method further comprising generating the pulse width by intermittently changing a duty cycle of the PWM signal Modulate the signal.

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