# US 2019/0380183 A1 · Systems and methods for stage-based control related to triac dimmers

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- Number: US 2019/0380183 A1
- Document ID: US20190380183A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/385,309
- Filed: 2019-04-16
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-30
- Assignees: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: On-Bright Electronics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: ZHUOYAN LI; LIQIANG ZHU; XUEYOU LING; JUN ZHOU; LIEYI FANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190380183A1

## CPC

- H05B 45/10: Controlling the intensity of the light
- H05B 45/3575: by means of dummy loads or bleeder circuits, e.g. for dimmers
- H05B 45/37: Converter circuits
- H05B 45/3725: Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
- H05B 47/16: by timing means
- Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
- 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

System controller and method for a lighting system according to certain embodiments. For example, the system controller includes a first controller terminal configured to receive a first signal, and a second controller terminal coupled to a first transistor terminal of a transistor. The transistor further includes a second transistor terminal and a third transistor terminal. The second transistor terminal is coupled to a first winding terminal of a winding, and the winding further includes a second winding terminal coupled to a capacitor. Additionally, the system controller includes a third controller terminal coupled to the third transistor terminal of the transistor, and a fourth controller terminal coupled to a resistor and configured to receive a second signal. The second signal represents a magnitude of a current flowing through at least the winding, the third controller terminal, the fourth controller terminal, and the resistor.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-73. (canceled)

### Claim 74

A system controller for a lighting system, the system controller comprising:
a first controller terminal configured to receive a first signal;
a second controller terminal coupled to a first transistor terminal of a transistor, the transistor further including a second transistor terminal and a third transistor terminal, the second transistor terminal being coupled to a first winding terminal of a winding, the winding further including a second winding terminal coupled to a capacitor; and
a third controller terminal coupled to the third transistor terminal of the transistor:
wherein the system controller is configured to:
in response to the first signal becoming larger than a first threshold in magnitude at a first time, cause a second signal, the second signal representing a magnitude of a current, to ramp up and down during a first duration of time, the first duration of time starting at the first time and ending at a second time; and
in response to the first signal becoming smaller than a second threshold in magnitude at a third time, cause the second signal to ramp up and down during a second duration of time, the second duration of time starting at the third time and ending at a fourth time;
wherein the system controller is further configured to cause the second signal to remain equal to a constant magnitude from the second time to the third time;
wherein:
the first time is earlier than the second time;
the second time is earlier than the third time; and
the third time is earlier than the fourth time.

### Claim 75 (depends on 74)

The system controller of claim 74 is further configured to:
in response to the first signal becoming smaller than the second threshold in magnitude at a previous time earlier than the first time, determine the second time to be a predetermined time duration after the previous time.

### Claim 76 (depends on 74)

The system controller of claim 74 wherein the fourth time is a time when the capacitor becomes completely discharged.

### Claim 77 (depends on 74)

The system controller of claim 74 wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are equal.

### Claim 78 (depends on 74)

The system controller of claim 74 wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are not equal.

### Claim 79 (depends on 74)

The system controller of claim 74 wherein the constant magnitude is equal to zero.

### Claim 80 (depends on 74)

The system controller of claim 74 wherein each of the first controller terminal, the second controller terminal, and the third controller terminal is a pin.

### Claim 81

A system controller for a lighting system, the system controller comprising:
a first controller terminal configured to receive a first signal;
a second controller terminal coupled to a first transistor terminal of a transistor, the transistor further including a second transistor terminal and a third transistor terminal, the second transistor terminal being coupled to a winding; and
a third controller terminal coupled to the third transistor terminal of the transistor;
wherein the system controller is configured to:
in response to the first signal becoming larger than a first threshold in magnitude at a first time, cause a second signal, the second signal representing a magnitude of a current, to ramp up and down during a duration of time, the duration of time starting at a second time and ending at a third time, the third time being a time when the first signal becomes smaller than a second threshold in magnitude;
wherein the system controller is further configured to cause the second signal to remain equal to a constant magnitude from the first time to the second time;
wherein:
the first time is earlier than the second time; and
the second time is earlier than the third time.

### Claim 82 (depends on 81)

The system controller of claim 81 is further configured to:
in response to the first signal becoming larger than the first threshold in magnitude at the first time, determine the second time to be a predetermined time duration after the first time.

### Claim 83 (depends on 81)

The system controller of claim 81 wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are equal.

### Claim 84 (depends on 81)

The system controller of claim 81 wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are not equal.

### Claim 85 (depends on 81)

The system controller of claim 81 wherein the constant magnitude is equal to zero.

### Claim 86 (depends on 81)

The system controller of claim 81 wherein each of the first controller terminal, the second controller terminal, and the third controller terminal is a pin.

### Claim 87

A system controller for a lighting system, the system controller comprising:
a first controller terminal configured to receive a first signal;
a second controller terminal coupled to a first transistor terminal of a transistor, the transistor further including a second transistor terminal and a third transistor terminal, the second transistor terminal being coupled to a first winding terminal of a winding, the winding further including a second winding terminal coupled to a capacitor; and
a third controller terminal coupled to the third transistor terminal of the transistor;
wherein the system controller is configured to determine whether or not a TRIAC dimmer is detected to be included in the lighting system and if the TRIAC dimmer is detected to be included in the lighting system, whether the TRIAC dimmer is a leading-edge TRIAC dimmer or a trailing-edge TRIAC dimmer;
wherein the system controller is further configured to, if the TRIAC dimmer is detected to be included in the lighting system and the TRIAC dimmer is the leading-edge TRIAC dimmer:
in response to the first signal becoming larger than a first threshold in magnitude at a first time, cause a second signal, the second signal representing a magnitude of a current, to ramp up and down during a first duration of time, the first duration of time starting at the first time and ending at a second time; and
in response to the first signal becoming smaller than a second threshold in magnitude at a third time, cause the second signal to ramp up and down during a second duration of time, the second duration of time starting at the third time and ending at a fourth time;
wherein the system controller is further configured to, if the TRIAC dimmer is detected to be included in the lighting system and the TRIAC dimmer is the trailing-edge TRIAC dimmer:
in response to the first signal becoming larger than the first threshold in magnitude at a fifth time, cause the second signal to ramp up and down during a duration of time, the duration of time starting at a sixth time and ending at a seventh time, the seventh time being a time when the first signal becomes smaller than the second threshold in magnitude.

### Claim 88 (depends on 87)

The system controller of claim 87 is further configured to, if the TRIAC dimmer is detected to be included in the lighting system and the TRIAC dimmer is the leading-edge TRIAC dimmer, cause the second signal to remain equal to a constant magnitude from the second time to the third time.

### Claim 89 (depends on 87)

The system controller of claim 87 is further configured to, if the TRIAC dimmer is detected to be included in the lighting system and the TRIAC dimmer is the trailing-edge TRIAC dimmer, cause the second signal to remain equal to a constant magnitude from the fifth time to the sixth time.
