Lamp with battery backup capability
AssigneeEnergy Focus, Inc.
InventorsTodd Arthur Cannon, Dmitri Dmitrievich Kourennyi, Jeremiah A. Heilman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A lamp includes a first pair of primary electrical contacts configured to be electrically connected to a AC mains, a second pair of primary electrical contacts configured to be electrically connected to a non-switched emergency mains, and a battery charge controller in electrical communication with the second pair of electrical contacts. The lamp also includes a battery pack in electrical communication with the battery charge controller, an AC mains driver electrically connected to the first pair of primary electrical contacts, an emergency driver electrically connected to the battery pack, and an LED array in electrical communication with the AC mains driver and the emergency driver.
Claims20
A lamp, comprising:
- a first pair of primary electrical contacts to be electrically connected to a AC mains;
- a second pair of primary electrical contacts to be electrically connected to a non switched emergency mains;
- a battery charge controller in electrical communication with the second pair of primary electrical contacts;
- a battery pack in electrical communication with the battery charge controller;
- an AC mains driver electrically connected to the first pair of primary electrical contacts;
- an emergency driver electrically connected to the battery pack;
- an LED array in electrical communication with the AC mains driver and the emergency driver;
- and
- a microcontroller that is electrically connected to the AC mains driver, the emergency driver, and the battery charge controller, wherein an electrical connection between the microcontroller and the battery charge controller allows a presence and an absence of electrical power from the second pair of primary electrical contacts to be sensed by the microcontroller, and wherein the microcontroller instructs only the AC mains driver to supply electrical power to the LED array when power is present at the second pair of primary electrical contacts and instructs only the emergency driver to supply power to the LED array when power is absent from the second pair of primary electrical contacts.
A method of operating a TLED lamp, comprising the steps of:
- positioning the TLED lamp such that a first base of the TLED lamp is electrically and mechanically connected to a first lampholder and a second base of the TLED lamp is electrically and mechanically connected to a second lampholder, wherein the first lampholder is electrically connected to a switched electrical mains and the second lampholder is electrically connected to a non-switched electrical mains;
- sensing a presence and an absence of electrical power supplied to the second base;
- charging a battery pack of the TLED lamp with the electrical power supplied to the second base;
- illuminating an LED array of the TLED lamp with electrical power supplied to the first base when the presence of the electrical power at the second base is sensed;
- illuminating the LED array of the TLED lamp with electrical power from the battery pack when the absence of the electrical power at the second base is sensed;
- and
- isolating the electrical power supplied to the first base from the second base, wherein the electrical power that is supplied to the first base is isolated from the second base before the TLED lamp is positioned and the isolation occurs during the sensing, the charging, and both of the illuminating steps.
The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:
- installing a battery-connect element onto the TLED lamp to electrically connect the battery pack to the LED array, wherein the battery-connect element is installed before the step of sensing the presence and the absence of the electrical power supplied to the second base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.