Patent Grant
9237625
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the reproduction of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates generally to light source driver circuits operable to interface with external temperature sensors. More particularly, this invention pertains to driver circuits supporting both negative temperature coefficient resistor temperature sensing and normally closed bi-metal switch (i.e., bi-metallic strip switch) temperature sensing.
Referring to
Referring to
Conventional driver circuits are designed to interface with either an NTC resistor as in
Aspects of the present invention provide a light source driver circuit operable to interface with external temperature sensors. More particularly, this invention pertains to constant current driver circuits configured to interface with negative temperature coefficient thermistors, positive temperature coefficient thermistors, and normally closed bi-metallic strip temperature sensors.
In one aspect, a constant current driver circuit includes a current source tank circuit, a temperature sensing circuit, and a controller. The current source tank circuit is configured to receive power from a power source and provide an output current to a light source of a light engine as a function of a control signal. The temperature sensing circuit connects to a temperature sensor of the light engine. The temperature sensor is either a thermistor or a bi-metal switch. The temperature sensing circuit further provides a temperature signal indicative of a resistance of the temperature sensor to the controller. The controller is connected to the current source tank circuit, the temperature sensing circuit, and a ground. The controller provides the control signal to the current source tank circuit. The controller further receives the temperature signal from the temperature sensing circuit at a temperature signal input of the controller and adjusts the provided control signal as a function of the received temperature signal.
In another aspect, a light fixture includes a light engine and a constant current driver circuit. The light engine includes a light source and a temperature sensor. The light source provides light in response to receiving power. The temperature sensor is configured to sense temperature of the light source. A resistance of the temperature sensor varies as a function of the sense temperature of the light source. The temperature sensor is either a thermistor or a bi-metal switch. The constant current driver circuit connects to the light source. The constant current driver circuit includes a current source tank circuit configured to receive power from a power source and provide an output current to the light source of the light engine as a function of a control signal. The temperature sensing circuit connects to the temperature sensor of the light engine and provides a temperature signal indicative of a resistance of the temperature sensor to the controller. The controller is connected to the current source tank circuit, the temperature sensing circuit, and a ground. The controller provides the control signal the current source tank circuit. The controller further receives the temperature signal from the temperature sensing circuit at a temperature signal input of the controller and adjusts the provided control signal as a function of the received temperature signal.
Reference will now be made in detail to optional embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in accompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawing and in the description referring to the same or like parts.
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention and do not delimit the scope of the invention.
To facilitate the understanding of the embodiments described herein, a number of terms are defined below. The terms defined herein have meanings as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the areas relevant to the present invention. Terms such as “a,” “an,” and “the” are not intended to refer to only a singular entity, but rather include the general class of which a specific example may be used for illustration. The terminology herein is used to describe specific embodiments of the invention, but their usage does not delimit the invention, except as set forth in the claims.
As described herein, an upright position is considered to be the position of apparatus components while in proper operation or in a natural resting position as described herein. Vertical, horizontal, above, below, side, top, bottom and other orientation terms are described with respect to this upright position during operation unless otherwise specified. The term “when” is used to specify orientation for relative positions of components, not as a temporal limitation of the claims or apparatus described and claimed herein unless otherwise specified.
As used herein, “ballast” and “driver circuit” refer to any circuit for providing power (e.g., current) from a power source to a light source. Additionally, “light source” refers to one or more light emitting devices such as fluorescent lamps, high intensity discharge lamps, incandescent bulbs, and solid state light-emitting elements such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), and plasmaloids. Further, “connected between” or “connected to” means electrically connected when referring to electrical devices in circuit schematics or diagrams.
Referring to
The light engine 302 includes a light source 308 and a temperature sensor 310. The light source 308 provides light in response to receiving power. The temperature sensor 310 is configured to sense temperature of the light source 308. The resistance of the temperature sensor 310 varies as a function of the sensed temperature of the light source 308. Temperature sensor 310 is one of a thermistor or a bi-metal switch located in close proximity to the light source 308. In one embodiment, a thermistor and bi-metal switch may be interchanged without affecting operational configuration of the temperature sensing circuit 314. In another embodiment, the thermistor and bi-metal switch may be interchanged without affecting operational configuration of the controller 318. This is possible, for example, when the bi-metal switch is a normally closed bi-metal switch and the thermistor is a positive temperature coefficient thermistor.
The constant current driver circuit 304 connects to the light engine 302. The constant current driver circuit 304 includes a constant current source 312 and a temperature sensing circuit 314. The constant current source 312 includes a current source tank circuit 316 and the controller 318. The current source tank circuit 316 is configured to receive power from a power source 320 and provide an output current to the light source 308 of the light engine 302 is a function of a control signal provided by the controller 318.
The temperature sensing circuit 314 connects to the temperature sensor 310 of the light engine 302. The temperature sensing circuit 314 provides a temperature signal indicative of a resistance of the temperature sensor 310 to the controller 318. In one embodiment, the temperature signal is a voltage proportional to a resistance of the temperature sensor 310.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring again to
In one embodiment, the temperature sensor 310 is interchangeable between a positive temperature coefficient resistor (i.e., a thermistor) and a bi-metal switch that is normally closed. The thermistor 310 is a positive temperature coefficient resistor having a resistance that increases as the temperature of the light source 308 increases. The bi-metal switch is a normally closed switch having a resistance of approximately zero ohms when a temperature of the light source 308 is within a predetermined operating temperature range, and an open circuit resistance (i.e., a resistance of a quantity of air or other substantially nonconductive material) when the temperature of the light source is above the predetermined operating temperature range. The controller 318 adjusts the provided control signal as a function of the received temperature signal by increasing the frequency or reducing the duty cycle of the control signal to cease the output current from the current source tank circuit when the received temperature signal exceeds a second predetermined limit. That is, the controller 318 shuts down the current source tank circuit 316 when the controller 318 determines that the light source 308 exceeded a safe operating temperature.
In another embodiment, the temperature sensor 310 is interchangeable between a negative temperature coefficient resistor (i.e., thermistor) and a normally open bi-metal switch. The negative temperature coefficient resistor has a resistance that decreases as the temperature of the light source 308 increases. The bi-metal switch is a normally open switch having an open circuit resistance when the temperature of the light source 308 is within the predetermined operating temperature range and a resistance of approximately zero ohms when the temperature of the light source 308 is above the predetermined operating range. The controller 318 adjusts the provided control signal as a function of the received temperature signal by increasing a frequency or reducing a duty cycle of the control signal when the received temperature signal falls below a first predetermined limit.
In one embodiment, the controller 318 has a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation. In the first mode of operation, the controller 318 adjusts the provided control signal as a function of the received temperature signal by increasing the frequency or reducing the duty cycle of the control signal to cease the output current from the current source tank circuit when the received temperature signal exceeds a second predetermined limit. In the second mode, the controller 318 adjusts the provided control signal as a function of the received temperature signal by increasing a frequency or reducing a duty cycle of the control signal when the received temperature signal falls below a first predetermined limit.
In one embodiment, the constant current driver circuit 304 further includes a mode selector 340 that receives an input from a user selecting the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation and provides the selected mode of operation to the controller 318. The controller 318 receives the selected mode of operation from the mode selector 340 and operates in the selected mode of operation (i.e., the first mode of operation with the second mode of operation). In one embodiment, the mode selector 340 is a single bit, two-position DIP switch. In another embodiment, the controller 318 includes a programming port 342. The programming port 342 is configured to receive computer executable instructions for performing a method of adjusting the control signal. The method corresponds to or is representative of one of the first mode of operation or the second mode of operation. In one embodiment, the programming port 342 is a jumper pin interface to receive data in a serial arrangement (e.g., RS232).
Because the predetermined operating temperature range and corresponding resistance of the temperature sensor 310 is known, the resistor R1 may be selected such that the first predetermined limit and second predetermined limit correspond to voltages between a voltage of the ground 322 and the reference voltage VREF. This ensures proper operation of the thermal protection provided by the temperature sensor 310, temperature sensing circuit 314, and controller 318.
It will be understood by those of skill in the art that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques (e.g., data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof). Likewise, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both, depending on the application and functionality. Moreover, the various logical blocks, modules, and circuits described herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor (e.g., microprocessor, conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, state machine or combination of computing devices), a digital signal processor (“DSP”), an application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”), a field programmable gate array (“FPGA”) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. Similarly, steps of a method or process described herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
A controller, processor, computing device, client computing device or computer, such as described herein, includes at least one or more processors or processing units and a system memory. The controller may also include at least some form of computer readable media. By way of example and not limitation, computer readable media may include computer storage media and communication media. Computer readable storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology that enables storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media may embody computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism and include any information delivery media. Those skilled in the art should be familiar with the modulated data signal, which has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. Combinations of any of the above are also included within the scope of computer readable media. As used herein, server is not intended to refer to a single computer or computing device. In implementation, a server will generally include an edge server, a plurality of data servers, a storage database (e.g., a large scale RAID array), and various networking components. It is contemplated that these devices or functions may also be implemented in virtual machines and spread across multiple physical computing devices.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.
It will be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are shown by way of illustration and not as limitations of the invention. The principal features of this invention may be employed in various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize numerous equivalents to the specific procedures described herein. Such equivalents are considered to be within the scope of this invention and are covered by the claims.
All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein may be made and/or executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention have been described in terms of the embodiments included herein, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be applied to the compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the invention. All such similar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Thus, although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful DRIVER CIRCUIT WITH A COMMON INTERFACE FOR NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT RESISTOR AND BI-METALLIC STRIP TEMPERATURE SENSING it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims.
This application claims priority to and hereby incorporates by reference in its entirety U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/738,866 entitled “LED DRIVER CIRCUIT WITH A COMMON INTERFACE FOR NEGATIVE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT RESISTOR AND BI-METALLIC STRIP TEMPERATURE SENSING” filed on Dec. 18, 2012.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 61738866 | Dec 2012 | US |
