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US 2014/0312869 A1Published application
Universal Phase Dimming Module
AssigneeABL IP Holding LLC
InventorsDalibor Zulim, Richard L. Westrick, Jr., Leslie Mullins, Audwin W. Cash
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A universal load control module may include a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range, a microcontroller, and one or more functional control blocks. A functional control block may include a dimmer circuit for controlling a lighting load that provides reverse phase cut mode dimming, forward phase cut mode dimming, and hybrid phase cut mode dimming, as well as thermal protection. One or more universal control modules may be housed in a cabinet that include a cabinet control module. The cabinet may include additional thermal protection measures.
Claims20
A dimmer circuit, comprising:
- a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;
- a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;
- an ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit that provides gate drive control for a plurality of power switching devices in a dimmer output circuit and transition time control, wherein the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit using the PWM control signal;
- a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming;
- and
- the dimmer output circuit that powers a load based on the PWM control signal, the transition time control provided by the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit, and the additional transition time control provided by the wave shaping circuit,
- wherein the dimmer output circuit includes MOSFET or IGBT power switching devices.
4 more elements
A dimmer circuit, comprising:
- a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;
- a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;
- a first transition circuit that provides a first transition time;
- a second transition circuit that provides a second transition time;
- wherein the microcontroller selects either the first transition circuit or the second transition circuit as a selected transition stage circuit to control a transition time;
- and
- a dimmer output circuit that provides an output to a load based on the PWM control signal and the selected transition circuit,
- wherein the dimmer output circuit includes a plurality of power switching devices operable over the wide voltage range.
5 more elements
A dimmer circuit, comprising:
- a power supply that operates over a wide voltage range by detecting an input voltage and adjusting its operation based on the input voltage to provide at least one output voltage for components of the dimmer circuit, wherein the output voltage is independent of the input voltage;
- a microcontroller that is powered by the power supply and that supports reverse phase cut, forward phase cut, and hybrid phase cut dimming modes, wherein the microcontroller outputs a PWM (pulse width modulation) control signal;
- an ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit that provides gate drive control for a plurality of power switching devices in a dimmer output circuit and transition time control, wherein the microcontroller controls the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit using the PWM control signal;
- a wave shaping circuit, wherein the wave shaping circuit provides additional transition time control when the dimmer circuit provides reverse phase cut dimming or hybrid phase cut dimming;
- and
- the dimmer output circuit that powers a load based on the PWM control signal, the transition time control provided by the ON/OFF and slew rate control circuit, and the additional transition time control provided by the wave shaping circuit,
- wherein the dimmer output circuit includes the plurality of power switching devices, which are operable over the wide voltage range.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.