Delaying Startup Under Fault Conditions
AssigneeiWatt Inc.
InventorsRichard M. Myers, Clarita C. Poon, Liang Yan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A LED lamp that includes a LED lamp controller with delayed startup after a fault condition is detected. The type of the fault condition is used in determining a length of the startup delay, such as a number of power cycles during which the LED lamp controller is prevented from completing its configuration. Examples of different types of fault conditions include faults in a supply voltage or faults in a feedback voltage to the LED lamp controller. Fault type information can also be stored in circuitry that retains data and is not reset across the power cycles.
Claims21
A light emitting diode (LED) lamp, comprising:
- one or more LEDs configured to emit light in accordance with current flowing through the LEDs;
- and
- a LED lamp controller configured to generate a control signal for regulating the current flowing through the LEDs, the LED lamp controller operating in power cycles according to a voltage level of the supply voltage, each power cycle including a configuration state during which one or more parameters affecting operation of the LED lamp controller are initialized,
- wherein the LED lamp controller is configured to detect a type of a fault condition of the LED lamp during a first power cycle of the power cycles, and
- wherein the LED lamp controller is configured to prevent completion of the configuration state in second power cycles of the power cycles that are subsequent to the first power cycle, the LED lamp controller configured to control a number of the second power cycles during which completion of the configuration state is prevented based on the type of the fault condition.
A method of operation in a light emitting diode (LED) lamp, the LED lamp comprising one or more LEDs configured to emit light in accordance with current flowing through the LEDs, the LED lamp further comprising a LED lamp controller configured to generate a control signal for regulating the current flowing through the LEDs, the LED lamp controller operating in power cycles according to a voltage level of the supply voltage, each power cycle including a configuration state during which one or more parameters affecting operation of the LED lamp controller are initialized, the method comprising:
- detecting a type of a fault condition of the LED lamp during a first power cycle of the power cycles, and
- preventing completion of the configuration state in second power cycles of the power cycles that are subsequent to the first power cycle, wherein a number of the second power cycles during which completion if the configuration state is prevented is controlled based on the type of the fault condition.
A light emitting diode (LED) lamp controller for an LED lamp, comprising:
- a control pin configured to generate a control signal for regulating current flowing through one or more LEDs of the LED lamp;
- and
- a power supply pin configured to receive a supply voltage, the LED lamp controller operating in power cycles according to a voltage level of the supply voltage, each power cycle including a configuration state during which one or more parameters affecting operation of the LED lamp controller are initialized,
- wherein the LED lamp controller is configured to detect a type of a fault condition of the LED lamp during a first power cycle of the power cycles, and
- wherein the LED lamp controller is configured to prevent completion of the configuration state in second power cycles of the power cycles that are subsequent to the first power cycle, the LED lamp controller configured to control a number of the second power cycles during which completion of the configuration state is prevented based on the type of the fault condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.