Digital dimming fluorescent ballast
AssigneeInternational Rectifier Corporation
InventorsThomas J. Ribarich, Cecelia Contenti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic ballast circuit for powering a gas discharge lamp is networked with other ballast circuits to provide large scale lighting control on a local or remote basis. The ballast has an interface connectable to a standard PC for receiving commands and obtaining query information. The ballasts can be controlled individually or in groups. The ballast control also can download lighting profiles to a microcontroller in the ballast, and can support lighting control protocols including the DALI standard.
Claims16
A digitally controlled lamp ballast, comprising:
- a power inverter output stage with an input connectable to a power line input and an output connectable to a lamp for powering the lamp;
- a lighting controller coupled to the power inverter and operable to drive the power inverter;
- a digital microcontroller coupled to the lighting controller and operable to provide commands to the lighting controller for driving the power inverter;
- and
- a communication interface coupled to the micro controller and operable to facilitate communication between the microcontroller and a numerical computation machine, whereby the microcontroller and the numerical computation machine can exchange information.
A digitally controlled lamp ballast, comprising:
- a power inverter output stage with an input connectable to a power line input and an output connectable to a lamp for powering the lamp;
- a lighting controller coupled to the power inverter and operable to drive the power inverter;
- a digital microcontroller coupled to the lighting controller and operable to provide commands to the lighting controller for driving the power inverter;
- a status feedback between the lighting controller and the microcontroller;
- and
- the microcontroller being operable to provide a standby command to the lighting controller based on a value of the status feedback, whereby the lighting controller is placed in a power standby condition.
A digitally controlled lighting ballast, comprising:
- a combination lighting control and power converter for controlling and powering a lamp;
- a microprocessor coupled to the combination for providing lighting operation commands;
- a networkable computer inter face coupled to the microprocessor for interfacing with a network including a computer;
- and
- the interface has a high voltage electrical isolation between the lighting ballast and the network.
A control system for controlling a digital lighting ballast, comprising:
- a user interface for receiving user commands and presenting ballast information;
- an addressable network of lighting ballasts coupled to the user interface for exchanging information between the lighting ballasts and the user interface;
- the user interface being responsive to user commands to provide operational commands to selected lighting ballasts and receive status information from the selected lighting ballasts;
- the user interface and the lighting ballasts have a high voltage electrical isolation therebetween;
- and
- the lighting ballasts and the user interface exchange information according to a established communication protocol.
A method of controlling a lamp ballast, comprising:
- receiving from a lighting controller a status signal at a microprocessor for determining a lamp status;
- providing a command signal from the microprocessor to the lighting controller to place the lighting controller in a power standby mode according to a value of the status signal;
- and
- providing another command signal from the microprocessor to the lighting controller to remove the lighting controller from the power standby mode according to another value of the status signal.
A method of operating a lamp ballast, comprising:
- exchange information between a computer and a microprocessor in the lamp ballast through a high voltage electrically isolated interface;
- using information received by the microprocessor to control the lamp ballast;
- receiving at the microprocessor feedback status information related to an operating condition of the lamp ballast;
- and
- transferring the feedback status information to the computer for at least one of storage and display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.