Control apparatus and lighting apparatus incorporating control apparatus

A lighting apparatus for use with a TRIAC dimmer, the TRIAC dimmer comprising a variable impedance and an interface operable to change the variable impedance, the variable impedance in series with a capacitor coupled between a connection node and a reference ground and the variable impedance in parallel with integrated TRIAC circuitry that is activated at a trigger voltage, the lighting apparatus comprising:

• a light radiating element;
• a signal generation circuit coupled to the TRIAC dimmer at the connection node and operable to generate an output signal whose period is dictated at least in part by the impedance of the variable impedance, wherein the voltage at the connection node is maintained below the trigger voltage for the TRIAC circuitry such that the TRIAC circuitry never activates;
• and
• a lighting controller operable to receive the output signal and control an aspect of light output from the light radiating element based at least partially on the period of the output signal.

A control apparatus adapted for use with a plurality of dimmers, each dimmer comprising a variable impedance and an interface operable to change the variable impedance, the variable impedance in series with a capacitor coupled between a connection node and a reference ground, the control apparatus comprising:

• a first signal generation circuit operable to be coupled to a first of the plurality of dimmers at the connection node of the first dimmer and operable to generate a first output signal whose period is dictated at least in part by the impedance of the variable impedance of the first dimmer;
• a second signal generation circuit operable to be coupled to a second of the plurality of dimmers at the connection node of the second dimmer and operable to generate a second output signal whose period is dictated at least in part by the impedance of the variable impedance of the second dimmer;
• and
• a lighting controller operable to receive the first output signal and control an intensity of light output from a lighting apparatus based at least partially on the period of the first output signal;
• and receive the second output signal and control a color or color temperature of light output from the lighting apparatus based at least partially on the period of the second output signal.