# US 12,120,797 B2 · Power supply device, a power receiving device and power supply and receipt methods

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- Number: US 12,120,797 B2
- Document ID: US12120797B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/638,485
- Filed: 2020-08-21
- Published: 2022-11-10
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-06
- Assignees: Signify Holding B.V.
- Applicants: Signify Holding B.V.
- Inventors: Anteneh Alemu Abbo; Frits Tobi De Jongh; Marcel Beij; Johannes Petrus Wernars
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120797B2

## CPC

- H05B 47/185: via power line carrier transmission
- H05B 47/183: {using digital addressable lighting interface [DALI] communication protocols}
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

In one aspect, a device is adapted to transmitting power to, or receive power from, a remote device over first and second communication lines (DALI+, DALI−) and to communicate with the remote device over the first and second communication lines. A first driver implements a first communications protocol which comprises coupling the first and second communication lines together to encode a first signal level and isolating the first and second communication lines from each other to encode a second signal level. This may be a DALI protocol. A second driver implements a second communications protocol which comprises modulating the first communication line with a signal having a low modulation depth. The second communications protocol means there is always a voltage difference between the two communication lines to enable continuous power harvesting. A second aspect relates to efficient power transfer by disabling a current limiter function, when possible.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for transmitting power to a remote device over first and second communication lines and for communication with the remote device over the first and second communication lines, comprising:
a power source for providing power to the first and/or second communication lines;
a first driver for implementing a first communications protocol which comprises coupling the first and second communication lines together to encode a first signal level and isolating the first and second communication lines from each other to encode a second signal level;
a second driver for implementing a second communications protocol which is configured for modulating the first communication line with a signal having a modulation depth below 100%, such that a voltage difference between the first communication line and the second communication line is never zero during the modulating of the first communication line;
wherein the second driver comprises a current limiter circuit between a power terminal and the first communication line and a shorting circuit for bypassing the current limiter circuit to thereby enable modulating voltage on the first communication line to occur while permitting continuous current supply to the remote device.

### Claim 2

A device for receiving power from a remote device over first and second communication lines and for communication with the remote device over the first and second communication lines, comprising:
a power harvesting circuit for harvesting power from the first and/or second communication lines;
a first driver for implementing a first communications protocol which comprises coupling the first and second communication lines together to encode a first signal level and isolating the first and second communication lines from each other to encode a second signal level;
a second driver for implementing a second communications protocol which comprises modulating the first communication line with a signal having a modulation depth below 100%, such that a voltage difference between the first communication line and the second communication line is never zero;
wherein the second driver comprises a current limiter circuit between power supplied over the first communication line and a shorting circuit for bypassing the current limiter circuit to thereby enable modulating voltage on the first communication line to occur while permitting continuous current supply to the remote device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a controller, wherein the controller is adapted to:
send a request to the remote device using the first communications protocol to determine if the remote device has the capability to use the second communications protocol; and
request a switch of the remote device to the second communications protocol, if it is determined that the remote device has the capability.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising a controller, wherein the controller is adapted to:
indicate using the first communications protocol, in response to a request from the remote device using the first communications protocol, that the device has the capability to use the second communications protocol; and
switch to the second communications protocol, in response to an activation request from the remote device.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising:
a first receiver for receiving data encoded by the first communications protocol; and
a second receiver for receiving data encoded by the second communications protocol.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A device as claimed in claim 5, wherein:
the first receiver comprises a voltage supply and a pull down circuit for selectively coupling the voltage supply to the output or pulling the output to ground, in dependence on the voltage on the first communication line; and
the second receiver comprises a high-pass filter for receiving the voltage on the first communication line, a voltage clamp, and a comparator with hysteresis which receives the clamped filtered voltage, and generates the output of the second receiver.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first communications protocol is the DALI protocol.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

A lighting system comprising a device as claimed in claim 1 comprising a lighting controller, and a device comprising a luminaire.

### Claim 9

A method of transmitting power to a remote device over first and second communication lines and for communication with the remote device over the first and second communication lines, comprising:
providing power to the first and/or second communication lines; and
selecting between:
a first communications protocol which comprises coupling the first and second communication lines together to encode a first signal level and isolating the first and second communication lines from each other to encode a second signal level; and
a second communications protocol which comprises modulating the first communication line with a signal having a modulation depth below 100%, such that a voltage difference between the first communication line and the second communication line is never zero; thereby enable modulating voltage on the first communication line to occur while permitting continuous current supply to the remote device.

### Claim 10

A method for receiving power from a remote device over first and second communication lines and for communication with the remote device over the first and second communication lines, comprising:
harvesting power from the first and/or second communication lines; and
selecting between:
a first communications protocol which comprises coupling the first and second communication lines together to encode a first signal level and isolating the first and second communication lines from each other to encode a second signal level; and
a second communications protocol which comprises modulating the first communication line with a signal having a modulation depth below 100%, such that a voltage difference between the first communication line and the second communication line is never zero; thereby enable modulating voltage on the first communication line to occur while permitting continuous current supply to the remote device.