Microcontroller-based multifunctional electronic switch and lighting apparatus having the same

A microcontroller based electronic switch for controlling lighting performance of an LED lamp comprising:

• a first controllable switching element, electrically connected between a first LED lighting load for emitting light with a first color temperature and a power source;
• a second controllable switching element, electrically connected between a second LED lighting load for emitting light with a second color temperature and the power source;
• wherein the first LED lighting load and the second LED lighting load form said LED lamp;
• a first detection device for detecting a first external control signal and converting said first external control signal into a first message carrying sensing signal;
• a second detection device for detecting a second external control signal and converting said second external control signal into a second message carrying sensing signal;
• and
• a microcontroller through a first control pin receives said first message carrying sensing signal generated by said first detection device, said microcontroller through a second control pin receives said second message carrying sensing signal generated by said second detection device, wherein said microcontroller through a third control pin is electrically coupled to said first controllable switching element, wherein said microcontroller through a fourth control pin is electrically coupled to said second controllable switching element;
• wherein the first color temperature is higher than the second color temperature;
• wherein said first detection device is a wireless remote control device to receive and convert a wireless external control signal into said first message carrying sensing signal readable and interpretable to said microcontroller;
• wherein said first message carrying sensing signal and said second message carrying sensing signal are characterized with a signal format of a short voltage signal, a long voltage signal or a plurality of voltage signals generated in a preset time interval;
• wherein when said microcontroller receives said first message carrying sensing signal or said second message carrying sensing signal, said microcontroller manages to activate a corresponding subroutine according to said signal format of said first message carrying sensing signal or said second message carrying sensing signal to perform one of various working modes including an on/off switch control mode, a dimming and color temperature tuning mode and a delay shutoff mode;
• wherein when said first controllable switching element and said second controllable switching element are in the conduction state, said microcontroller further controls electric power transmission levels from the power source respectively to said first LED lighting load and to said second LED lighting load according to a time length of said first message carrying sensing signal or said second message carrying sensing signal received, wherein said microcontroller through said third control pin outputs a first control signal to change conduction rate of said first controllable switching element, said microcontroller through said fourth control pin outputs a second control signal to control conduction rate of said second controllable switching element, wherein said first control signal and said second control signal are programmed to operate with an arrangement that said first LED lighting load is dimmed in such a way that said first LED lighting load leads said second LED lighting load in both reducing respective light intensity and reaching a cutoff state during a dimming and color temperature tuning cycle to create a dim to warm effect.

A lighting apparatus comprising:

• a first LED lighting load for emitting light with a first color temperature;
• a second LED lighting load for emitting light with a second color temperature;
• a diffuser, covering said first LED lighting load and said second LED lighting load to create a diffused light with a mingled color temperature;
• and
• a microcontroller based electronic switch electrically connected to said first LED lighting load and said second LED lighting load, said microcontroller based electronic switch further comprising:
• a first controllable switching element, electrically connected between said first LED lighting load and a power source;
• a second controllable switching element, electrically connected between said second LED lighting load and the power source;
• a detection device for detecting an external control signal and converting said external control signal into a message carrying sensing signal;
• and
• a microcontroller with program codes to read and interpret said message carrying sensing signal generated by said detection device;
• wherein said microcontroller through a first control pin is electrically coupled to said first controllable switching element, and through a second control pin is electrically coupled to said second controllable switching element, wherein said microcontroller through a third control pin receives said message carrying sensing signal from a detection device, wherein said microcontroller with program codes controls a conduction state or cutoff state of said first controllable switching element through said first control pin, and said microcontroller controls a conduction state or cutoff state of said second controllable switching element through said second control pin according to said message carrying sensing signal generated by said detection device;
• wherein the first color temperature is higher than the second color temperature;
• wherein said message carrying sensing signal is characterized with a signal format of a short voltage signal, a long voltage signal or a plurality of voltage signals generated in a preset time interval;
• wherein when the microcontroller receives said message carrying sensing signal, said microcontroller manages to activate a corresponding subroutine according to said signal format of said message carrying sensing signal to perform one of various working modes including an on/off switch control mode, a dimming and color temperature tuning mode and a delay shutoff mode;
• wherein when said first controllable switching element and said second controllable switching element are in the conduction state, said microcontroller further controls electric power transmission levels from the power source respectively to said first LED lighting load and to said second LED lighting load according to said signal format of said message carrying sensing signal received, wherein said microcontroller through said first control pin outputs a first control signal to change conduction rate of said first controllable switching element, said microcontroller through said second control pin outputs a second control signal to change conduction rate of said second controllable switching element, wherein said first control signal and said second control signal are programmed to operate with an arrangement that said first LED lighting load is dimmed in such a way that said first LED lighting load leads said second LED lighting load in both reducing respective light intensity and reaching a cutoff state during a dimming and color temperature tuning cycle such that said mingled color temperature of said lighting apparatus continues to change to a warmer illumination along with a continuous reduction of light intensity till said first LED lighting load with said first color temperature is switched off during said dimming and color temperature tuning cycle to create a dim to warm effect.

A lighting apparatus comprising:

• a first LED lighting load for emitting light with a first color temperature;
• a second LED lighting load for emitting light with a second color temperature;
• a diffuser, covering said first LED lighting load and said second LED lighting load to create a diffused light with a mingled color temperature;
• and
• a microcontroller based electronic switch electrically connected to said first LED lighting load and to said second LED lighting load, said microcontroller based electronic switch further comprising:
• a first switching element, electrically connected between said first LED lighting load and a power source;
• a second switching element, electrically connected between said second LED lighting load and the power source;
• a detection device, for detecting an external control signal and converting said external control signal into a message carrying sensing signal;
• and
• a microcontroller with program codes to read and interpret said message carrying sensing signal generated by said detection device, wherein said microcontroller through a first control pin is electrically coupled to said first switching element, and through a second control pin is electrically coupled to said second switching element, wherein said microcontroller through a third control pin receives said message carrying sensing signal from said detection device, wherein said microcontroller with program codes controls a conduction state or cutoff state of said first switching element through said first control pin and said microcontroller controls a conduction state or cutoff state of said second switching element through said second control pin according to said message carrying sensing signal generated by said detection device;
• wherein the first color temperature is higher than the second color temperature;
• wherein said message carrying sensing signal is characterized with a signal format of a short voltage signal, a long voltage signal or a plurality of voltage signals generated in a short preset time interval;
• wherein when the microcontroller receives said message carrying sensing signal, said microcontroller operates to activate a corresponding subroutine according to said signal format of said message carrying sensing signal to perform one of various working modes including an on/off switch control mode, a dimming and color temperature tuning mode and a delay shutoff mode;
• wherein when said microcontroller receives said message carrying sensing signal with said signal format for performing said dimming and color temperature tuning mode, said microcontroller manages to successively output different control signals respectively to said first switching element and said second switching element with an arrangement that said first LED lighting load with said first color temperature is dimmed in such a way that said first LED lighting load leads said second LED lighting load in both reducing respective light intensity and in reaching a cutoff state during a dimming and color temperature tuning cycle such that said mingled color temperature of said lighting apparatus continues to change to a warmer illumination along with a continuous reduction of light intensity till said first LED lighting load with said first color temperature is switched off during said dimming and color temperature tuning cycle.

A lighting apparatus comprising:

• a first LED lighting load for emitting light with a first color temperature;
• a second LED lighting load for emitting light with a second color temperature;
• a third LED lighting load for emitting light with a third color temperature;
• a diffuser, covering said first LED lighting load, said second LED lighting load and said third LED lighting load to create a diffused light with a mingled color temperature;
• and
• a microcontroller based electronic switch electrically connected to said first LED lighting load, said second LED lighting load and said third LED lighting load, said microcontroller based electronic switch further comprising:
• a first controllable switching element, electrically connected between said first LED lighting load and a power source;
• a second controllable switching element, electrically connected between said second LED lighting load and the power source;
• a third controllable switching element, electrically connected between said third LED lighting load and the power source;
• a detection device, for detecting an external control signal and converting said external control signal into a message carrying sensing signal;
• and
• a microcontroller with program codes to read and interpret said message carrying sensing signal generated by said detection device, wherein said microcontroller through a first control pin is electrically coupled to said first controllable switching element, said microcontroller through a second control pin is electrically coupled to said second controllable switching element, and said microcontroller through a third control pin is electrically coupled to said third controllable switching element;
• wherein said microcontroller through a fourth control pin receives said message carrying sensing signal from said detection device, wherein said microcontroller with program codes controls a conduction state or cutoff state of said first controllable switching element through said first control pin, said microcontroller controls a conduction state or cutoff state of said second controllable switching element through said second control pin, and said microcontroller controls a conduction state or cutoff state of said third controllable switching element through said third control pin according to said message carrying sensing signal generated by said detection device;
• wherein the first color temperature is higher than the second color temperature and the second color temperature is higher than the third color temperature;
• wherein said message carrying sensing signal is characterized with a signal format of a short voltage signal, a long voltage signal or a plurality of voltage signals generated in a short preset time interval;
• wherein when the microcontroller receives said message carrying sensing signal, said microcontroller operates to activate a corresponding subroutine according to said signal format of said message carrying sensing signal to perform one of various working modes including an on/off switch control mode, a dimming and color temperature tuning mode and a delay shutoff mode;
• wherein when said microcontroller receives said message carrying sensing signal with said signal format for performing said dimming and color temperature tuning mode, said microcontroller manages to successively output different control signals to said first controllable switching element, to said second controllable switching element and to said third controllable switching element with an arrangement that said first LED lighting load leads said second LED lighting load and said second LED lighting load leads said third LED lighting load in both reducing respective light intensity and reaching a cutoff state during said dimming and color temperature tuning cycle such that said mingled color temperature of said lighting apparatus continues to change to a warmer illumination along with a continuous reduction of light intensity till said first LED lighting load with said first color temperature is switched off during said dimming and color temperature tuning cycle to create a dim to warm effect.

A method of creating a dim to warm effect for controlling lighting performance of an LED lamp comprising:

• using at least two LED lighting loads with different color temperatures to form a lighting unit of said LED lamp to create a mingled color temperature;
• wherein said at least two LED lighting loads comprises an LED lighting load with a high color temperature and an LED lighting load with a low color temperature;
• electrically connecting at least a controllable switching element to said LED lighting load with the high color temperature to control average electric power transmitted to said LED lighting load with the high color temperature;
• using a microcontroller with program codes to output at least a control signal to change conduction rate of said controllable switching element electrically connected to said LED lighting load with the high color temperature;
• and
• using a diffuser to cover said at least two LED lighting loads with different color temperatures to create a diffused light with a mingled color temperature;
• wherein when a dimming is performed, said microcontroller receives a message carrying sensing signal with a signal format of a long voltage signal, said microcontroller responsively and successively outputs at least a varying control signal to gradually change at least said conduction rate of said controllable switching element connected to said LED lighting load with the high color temperature with an arrangement that said LED lighting load with the high color temperature leads said LED lighting load with the low color temperature in both reducing light intensity and reaching a cutoff state during said dimming and color temperature tuning cycle such that said mingled color temperature of said LED lamp continues to change to a warmer illumination along with a continuous reduction of light intensity till said LED lighting load with the high color temperature is switched off to create a dim to warm effect;
• at any time point during said dimming and color temperature tuning cycle when said message carrying sensing signal ceases, said microcontroller manages to stop changing said conduction rate of said controllable switching element connected to said LED lighting load with the high color temperature, the mingled color temperature and illumination level of said LED lamp are thereby locked in and determined.