# US 2019/0174593 A1 · Solid-state light source dimming system and techniques

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- Number: US 2019/0174593 A1
- Document ID: US20190174593A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/267,528
- Filed: 2019-02-05
- Published: 2019-06-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-04
- Assignees: Ledvance GmbH
- Inventors: Shiyong Zhang; Aaron Ganick
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174593A1

## CPC

- H05B 39/044: {continuously (H05B39/042 takes precedence)}
- H05B 45/10: Controlling the intensity of the light
- H05B 45/37: Converter circuits
- H05B 47/16: by timing means
- H05B 47/19: via wireless transmission
- Y02B 20/00: Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
- Y02B 20/30: Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
- H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
- Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS

## Abstract

A device controls the dimming of a solid-state light source. The device includes a microcontroller configured to receive a rectified phase-cut signal. The microcontroller is configured to measure, within a given period, a duration of a low state of the rectified phase-cut signal and output a low value based thereon. The microcontroller is also configured to measure, within the given period, a duration of a high state of the rectified phase-cut signal and output a high value based thereon. The microcontroller generates an output signal based on at least one of the low value and the high value.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for controlling the dimming of a solid-state light source, the device comprising:
a microcontroller configured to receive a rectified phase-cut signal, wherein the microcontroller is configured to:
measure, within a given period, a duration of a low state of the rectified phase-cut signal and output a low value based thereon;
measure, within the given period, a duration of a high state of the rectified phase-cut signal and output a high value based thereon; and
generate an output signal based on at least one of the low value and the high value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the output signal is a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the rectified signal is received from an input circuit and AC rectifier configured to receive the phase-cut AC signal from a phase-cut dimmer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, further comprising:
an isolation element electrically coupled in series with the input circuit and AC rectifier;
a conditioning diode electrically coupled in series with the isolation element; and
an isolation diode electrically coupled in series with the input circuit and AC rectifier and in parallel with the isolation element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to utilize zero-crossing detection in measuring each of the duration of the low state and the duration of the high state of the rectified phase-cut signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
the duration of the low state is measured starting at a falling edge of the rectified phase-cut signal; and
the duration of the high state is measured starting at a rising edge of the rectified phase-cut signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:
compare the low value and the high value against an accepted low value and an accepted high value, respectively; and
generate the PWM signal based on at least one of the low value, the high value, the accepted low value, and the accepted high value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:
store the accepted low value and the accepted high value of the rectified phase-cut signal;
compare the low value against a half-cycle period of the rectified phase-cut signal;
compare the high value against the half-cycle period of the rectified phase-cut signal;
reset the low value with the accepted low value if the low value exceeds the accepted low value; and
reset the high value with the accepted high value if the high value exceeds the accepted high value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor is further configured to communicate with a remote external device, wherein the microcontroller is further configured to generate the PWM signal based on input received via the remote external device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising a DC-to-DC converter configured to:
receive a rectified DC power;
receive the signal from the microcontroller; and
generate at least one DC power based on the rectified DC power and the signal and supply the at least one DC power to the solid-state light source.

### Claim 11

A method of controlling light output of a solid-state light source, the method comprising:
measuring a duration of each of a low state and a high state of a rectified phase-cut signal and outputting a corresponding low value and high value, respectively;
generating a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal based on each of the low value and the high value of the rectified phase-cut signal; and
generating at least one direct current (DC) power based on the PWM signal and supplying the at least one DC power to the solid-state light source.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, further comprising an input circuit and AC rectifier configured to receive a phase-cut AC signal from a phase-cut dimmer and output the rectified phase-cut signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising:
an isolation element electrically coupled in series with the input circuit and AC rectifier;
a conditioning diode electrically coupled in series with the isolation element; and
an isolation diode electrically coupled in series with the input circuit and AC rectifier and in parallel with the isolation element.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein measuring the duration of each of the low state and the high state of the rectified phase-cut signal and outputting the corresponding low value and high value are performed via a microcontroller configured to receive the rectified phase-cut signal, wherein the microcontroller comprises:
a timer module configured to:
measure, within a given period, the duration of the low state and output the low value based thereon; and
measure, within the given period, the duration of the high state and output the high value based thereon; and
a half-cycle checking module configured to compare the low value and the high value against an accepted low value and an accepted high value, respectively.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein generating the PWM signal based on each of the low value and the high value of the rectified phase-cut signal is performed via the microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller further comprises:
a PWM module configured to generate the PWM signal based on at least one of the low value, the high value, the accepted low value, and the accepted high value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the timer module is configured to utilize zero-crossing detection in measuring each of the duration of the low state and the duration of the high state of the rectified phase-cut signal.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein:
the duration of the low state is measured starting at a falling edge of the rectified phase-cut signal; and
the duration of the high state is measured starting at a rising edge of the rectified phase-cut signal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the half-cycle checking module comprises:
a storage module configured to store the accepted low value and the accepted high value of the rectified phase-cut signal;
a comparing module configured to:
compare the low value against a half-cycle period of the rectified phase-cut signal; and
compare the high value against the half-cycle period of the rectified phase-cut signal; and
a resetting module configured to:
reset the low value with the accepted low value if the low value exceeds the accepted low value; and
reset the high value with the accepted high value if the high value exceeds the accepted high value.