Patent Application
20230217567
The present disclosure relates generally to ultraviolet (UV) light emitting diode (LED) technology and, more specifically, to an apparatus and method for increasing the lifespan of UV LED emitters used in UV LED devices.
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength between 100 nm and 400 nm, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation—which is divided into three bands: UVA (315-400 nm), UVB (280-315 nm), and UVC (100-280 nm)—is present in sunlight, and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the Sun. UV light interacts with matter in a variety of ways. For example, short-wave UV light (e.g., UVC light) deactivates the DNA and RNA of microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens, and disrupts their ability to multiply and cause diseases. Due to this effect, UVC light can be used to quickly (e.g., within minutes) sterilize objects, large surfaces, or even the air in hospitals, medical centers, food plants, office spaces, etc. Advantageously, the UVC treatment leaves no residue, and thus, the treated object or area can be immediately used after sterilization. The UVC light used in sterilization applications has a wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers, and more preferably a wavelength of 253.7 nm.
In recent years, LEDs have paved the way in the lighting market because they exhibit better energy efficiency and improved lifetime compared to fluorescent lamps. For at least these reasons, it is highly desirable to generate UV light using LEDs rather than fluorescent lamps. However, currently, the LEDs producing UV light exhibit a low power output and have a lifespan that is only comparable to that of UV fluorescent lamps. Further, the manufacturing cost of the LED UV chips is elevated compared to that of fluorescent lamps.
To make LED UV technology competitive, one of two things need to occur: (i) either their manufacturing cost becomes comparable to that of the UV fluorescent lamps or (ii) their lifespan is sufficiently long so that the accumulated energy savings for the duration of their lifetime offsets their purchasing cost.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and are not admitted to be “prior art.” Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.
Apparatus and methods for increasing the lifetime of UV LED devices is disclosed herein. According to some embodiments, the apparatus and methods described herein can n-tuple the lifetime of UV LED devices. By way of example and not limitation, the apparatus and method described herein can double, triple, quadruple, or quintuple the lifetime of the UV LED devices. In some embodiments, this is accomplished without limiting the current passing through each emitter, which is the conventional way to extend the lifetime of the UV LED devices, and without extending the life of each individual emitter.
In some embodiments, increasing the lifespan or lifetime of a UV LED device is achieved by first calculating the UV power required during the operation of the UV LED device, and determining the number of UV emitters required within a first circuit to meet that UV power level. Subsequently, one or more emitter circuits identical to the first circuit are paralleled with the first circuit to increase the total number of UV emitters in the UV LED device. This configuration forms an n-way circuit system (with n being an integer equal to or greater than two) on which only a single circuit is activated during operation to extend the lifetime of the entire UV LED device. For example, if 20,000 hours lifetime is required for a LED UV product having LED emitters rated for 10,000 hours, two sets of UV LED emitters can be paralleled together to form a two-circuit system that has an automatic A/B circuit alternating switching relay which switches between the two circuits (e.g., circuits A and B) to yield a 20,000 hours lifetime. This approach provides a manufacturer with flexibility to choose between a large number of circuits having low-lifetime UV emitters and a few number of circuits having high-lifetime UV emitters based on cost and the application requirements.
In some embodiments, the switching relay is used to switch between the LED circuits in the UV LED device. By way of example and not limitation, the relay may be actuated when the UV LED device is switched ON and OFF, when a pressure change or air flow change is detected in the surrounding air, when a predetermined time interval has elapsed, or any combination thereof.
The above and other preferred features, including various novel details of implementation and combination of events, will now be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying figures and pointed out in the claims. It will be understood that the particular systems and methods described herein are shown by way of illustration only and not as limitations. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the principles and features described herein may be employed in various and numerous embodiments without departing from the scope of any of the present inventions. As can be appreciated from the foregoing and the following description, each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more such features, is included within the scope of the present disclosure provided that the features included in such a combination are not mutually inconsistent. In addition, any feature or combination of features may be specifically excluded from any embodiment of any of the present inventions.
The foregoing Summary, including the description of some embodiments, motivations therefor, and/or advantages thereof, is intended to assist the reader in understanding the present disclosure, and does not in any way limit the scope of any of the claims.
The accompanying figures, which are included as part of the present specification, illustrate the presently preferred embodiments and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below serve to explain and teach the principles described herein.
While the present disclosure is subject to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. The present disclosure should not be understood to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.
Apparatus and methods for extending the lifetime of UV LED devices is presented. It will be appreciated that, for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details.
For example purposes, the UV LEDs will be described in the context of LEDs emitting in the UVB and UVC spectrum. However, this is not limiting, and the configurations presented herein are applicable to other types of LEDs, including LEDs emitting in the UVA or visible spectrum. By way of example and not limitation, the UV LED devices will be described in the context of a system used in Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC) units or split-air air-conditioning systems for sterilization purposes—e.g., for removing pathogens from the air circulated within a room or within an enclosure. However, this is not limiting, and the configurations of the UV LED devices described herein can be standalone air sanitizing/purifying units or units integrated to other types of ventilation systems such as in locomotives, airplanes, cars, ships, and the like. Further, the configurations of the LED devices described herein can be non-sterilizing devices, such as devices generating visible light.
According to some embodiments, the total number of LED emitters 110 selected for each of the circuits A and B is determined based on the power output of each emitter and the desired total power output of UV LED device 100. In other words, fewer or more LED emitters 110 may be used in each circuit depending on the power output of each LED emitter and the desired total output of the UV LED device 100.
As depicted in
UV LED board 105 is electrically coupled, via connection 135, to a safety occupancy motion sensor 115 configured to interrupt the operation of UV LED device 100 when the device is accidentally accessed to protect the user from the emitted UV light. By way of example and not limitation, safety occupancy motion sensor 115 may be a passive infrared sensor (PIR sensor), a microwave occupancy sensor, a motion sensor, or any suitable sensor configured to detect the presence of a person in the path of the emitted UV light.
Safety occupancy motion sensor 115 is electrically coupled to an automatic alternating circuit module 120 configured to activate circuits A and B in UV LED board 105 via a selector 125. According to some embodiments, when selector 125 is at position A′, circuit A in UV LED board 105 is activated and, respectively, when selector 125 is at position B′, circuit B is activated. In some embodiments, selector 125 toggles with the help of a relay (not shown in
Advantageously, by performing the operation described above, the UV LED emitters 110 in each circuit A and B are alternating during each power OFF/ON cycle. Thus, UV LED emitters 110 in circuits A and B operate half of the total operating time, which means that the lifetime of the entire UV LED device 100 doubles.
By way of example and not limitation, selector 125 is electrically coupled, via the relay, to the positive connection 150 of the power supply 130 while safety occupancy motion sensor 115 is electrically coupled to power supply 130 via a common or negative connection 145. According to some embodiments, power supply 130 is also coupled to external power distributor and control equipment via connections 155. It is noted that UV LED board 105 may be electrically coupled to other boards or systems via optional connection 140.
It is to be appreciated that UV LED device 100 may include additional electrical or electronic components necessary for its function. However, these additional electrical and electronic components are not shown in
Further, and as discussed above, UV LED device 100 may be an integral part of a higher level system that controls the operation of UV LED device 100. By way of example and not limitation, UV LED device 100 may be electrically coupled to a fan motor so that when the PTAC or split-air system is not operating, the power of UV LED device 100 is turned OFF to reduce the operational cost. Alternatively, the automatic alternating circuit module 120 may be connected to a compressor of the PTAC or the split-air system so that every time the compressor cycles, the selector 125 may switch to the next circuit of emitters. In some embodiments, UV LED device 100 may be controlled independently of the PTAC or the split-air system—e.g., via a separate local or remote control unit or system.
According to some embodiments,
In yet another embodiment,
According to some embodiments,
Similarly to the UV LED devices discussed above in
As discussed above, the UV LED devices presented herein may include a greater number of LED circuits with UV LED emitters 110 on their UV LED board 105 to further increase the lifetime of the UV LED device. For example,
According to some embodiments, automatic alternating circuit module 710 may include a relay 720 that controls the position of connector 125. In some embodiments, relay 720 may incorporate a pressure switch or a flow sensor, like pressure switch or flow sensor 320 discussed above in connection to UV LED devices 300 and 400. In some embodiments, relay 720 may incorporate a timer, like timer 520 discussed above in connection to UV LED devices 500 and 600. In yet another embodiment, relay 720 may detect whether power is provided by power supply 130 and accordingly changing the position of connector 125 as discussed above in connection to the operation of UV LED devices 100 and 200. In some embodiments, relay 720 may incorporate any combination of the aforementioned components (e.g., timers, pressure switches, or a flow sensors). In some embodiments, power supply 130 may be optional if the power provided by the PTAC unit or split-air air-conditioning system does not require conversion or transformation.
In some embodiments, instead of forming n circuits on a single UV LED board 105, the n circuits may be distributed among respective LED boards that are electrically connected to the safety occupancy motion sensor 115 via multiple connections 135. By way of example and not limitation,
Memory 820 stores information within system 800. In some implementations, memory 820 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium. In some implementations, memory 820 is a volatile memory unit. In some implementations, memory 820 is a non-volatile memory unit.
Storage device 830 is capable of providing mass storage for system 800. In some implementations, storage device 830 is a non-transitory computer-readable medium. In various different implementations, storage device 830 may include, for example, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a solid-date drive, a flash drive, or some other large capacity storage device. For example, the storage device may store long-term data (e.g., database data, file system data, etc.). The input/output device 840 provides input/output operations for the system 800. In some implementations, the input/output device 840 may include one or more of a network interface device, e.g., an Ethernet card, a serial communication device, e.g., an RS-232 port, and/or a wireless interface device, e.g., an 802.11 card, a 3G wireless modem, or a 4G wireless modem. In some implementations, the input/output device may include driver devices configured to receive input data and send output data to other input/output devices, e.g., keyboard, printer and display devices 860. In some examples, mobile computing devices, mobile communication devices, and other devices may be used.
In some implementations, at least a portion of the approaches described above may be realized by instructions that upon execution cause one or more processing devices to carry out the processes and functions described above. Such instructions may include, for example, interpreted instructions such as script instructions, or executable code, or other instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium. Storage device 830 may be implemented in a distributed way over a network, for example as a server farm or a set of widely distributed servers, or may be implemented in a single computing device.
Although an example processing system has been described in
The term “system” may encompass all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. A processing system may include special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), or a programmable general purpose microprocessor or microcontroller. A processing system may include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them.
A computer program (which may also be referred to or described as a program, software, a software application, a module, a software module, a script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a standalone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.
The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable computers executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), or a programmable general purpose microprocessor or microcontroller.
Computers suitable for the execution of a computer program can include, by way of example, general or special purpose microprocessors or both, or any other kind of central processing unit. Generally, a central processing unit will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. A computer generally includes a central processing unit for performing or executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Generally, a computer will also include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic disks, magneto optical disks, or optical disks. However, a computer need not have such devices. Moreover, a computer can be embedded in another device, e.g., a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile audio or video player, a game console, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, or a portable storage device (e.g., a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive), to name just a few.
Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of nonvolatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.
To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented on a computer having a display device, e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor, for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device, e.g., a mouse or a trackball, by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. In addition, a computer can interact with a user by sending documents to and receiving documents from a device that is used by the user; for example, by sending web pages to a web browser on a user's user device in response to requests received from the web browser.
Embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component, e.g., a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described in this specification, or any combination of one or more such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.
The computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.
While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.
The phrasing and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Measurements, sizes, amounts, and the like may be presented herein in a range format. The description in range format is provided merely for convenience and brevity and should not be construed as an inflexible limitation on the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the description of a range should be considered to have specifically disclosed all the possible subranges as well as individual numerical values within that range. For example, description of a range such as 1-20 meters should be considered to have specifically disclosed subranges such as 1 meter, 2 meters, 1-2 meters, less than 2 meters, 10-11 meters, 10-12 meters, 10-13 meters, 10-14 meters, 11-12 meters, 11-13 meters, etc.
Furthermore, connections between components or systems within the figures are not intended to be limited to direct connections. Rather, data or signals between these components may be modified, re-formatted, or otherwise changed by intermediary components. Also, additional or fewer connections may be used. The terms “coupled,” “connected,” or “communicatively coupled” shall be understood to include direct connections, indirect connections through one or more intermediary devices, wireless connections, and so forth.
Reference in the specification to “one embodiment,” “preferred embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “some embodiments,” or “embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, characteristic, or function described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention and may be in more than one embodiment. Also, the appearance of the above-noted phrases in various places in the specification is not necessarily referring to the same embodiment or embodiments.
The use of certain terms in various places in the specification is for illustration purposes only and should not be construed as limiting. A service, function, or resource is not limited to a single service, function, or resource; usage of these terms may refer to a grouping of related services, functions, or resources, which may be distributed or aggregated.
Furthermore, one skilled in the art shall recognize that: (1) certain steps may optionally be performed; (2) steps may not be limited to the specific order set forth herein; (3) certain steps may be performed in different orders; and (4) certain steps may be performed simultaneously or concurrently.
The term “approximately”, the phrase “approximately equal to”, and other similar phrases, as used in the specification and the claims (e.g., “X has a value of approximately Y” or “X is approximately equal to Y”), should be understood to mean that one value (X) is within a predetermined range of another value (Y). The predetermined range may be plus or minus 20%, 10%, 5%, 3%, 1%, 0.1%, or less than 0.1%, unless otherwise indicated.
The indefinite articles “a” and “an,” as used in the specification and in the claims, unless clearly indicated to the contrary, should be understood to mean “at least one.” The phrase “and/or,” as used in the specification and in the claims, should be understood to mean “either or both” of the elements so conjoined, i.e., elements that are conjunctively present in some cases and disjunctively present in other cases. Multiple elements listed with “and/or” should be construed in the same fashion, i.e., “one or more” of the elements so conjoined. Other elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified by the “and/or” clause, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a reference to “A and/or B”, when used in conjunction with open-ended language such as “comprising” can refer, in one embodiment, to A only (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to B only (optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to both A and B (optionally including other elements).
As used in the specification and in the claims, “or” should be understood to have the same meaning as “and/or” as defined above. For example, when separating items in a list, “or” or “and/or” shall be interpreted as being inclusive, i.e., the inclusion of at least one, but also including more than one, of a number or list of elements, and, optionally, additional unlisted items. Only terms clearly indicated to the contrary, such as “only one of” or “exactly one of,” or, when used in the claims, “consisting of,” will refer to the inclusion of exactly one element of a number or list of elements. In general, the term “or” as used shall only be interpreted as indicating exclusive alternatives (i.e. “one or the other but not both”) when preceded by terms of exclusivity, such as “either,” “one of,” “only one of,” or “exactly one of.” “Consisting essentially of,” when used in the claims, shall have its ordinary meaning as used in the field of patent law.
As used in the specification and in the claims, the phrase “at least one,” in reference to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each and every element specifically listed within the list of elements and not excluding any combinations of elements in the list of elements. This definition also allows that elements may optionally be present other than the elements specifically identified within the list of elements to which the phrase “at least one” refers, whether related or unrelated to those elements specifically identified. Thus, as a non-limiting example, “at least one of A and B” (or, equivalently, “at least one of A or B,” or, equivalently “at least one of A and/or B”) can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, with no B present (and optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, B, with no A present (and optionally including elements other than A); in yet another embodiment, to at least one, optionally including more than one, A, and at least one, optionally including more than one, B (and optionally including other elements).
The use of “including,” “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and additional items.
Use of ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., in the claims to modify a claim element does not by itself connote any priority, precedence, or order of one claim element over another or the temporal order in which acts of a method are performed. Ordinal terms are used merely as labels to distinguish one claim element having a certain name from another element having a same name (but for use of the ordinal term), to distinguish the claim elements.
Particular embodiments of the subject matter have been described. Other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims. For example, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve desirable results. As one example, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures do not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Other steps or stages may be provided, or steps or stages may be eliminated, from the described processes. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that the preceding examples and embodiments are exemplary and not limiting to the scope of the present disclosure. It is intended that all permutations, enhancements, equivalents, combinations, and improvements thereto that are apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings are included within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It shall also be noted that elements of any claims may be arranged differently including having multiple dependencies, configurations, and combinations.
Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated that various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/297,047, titled “UV LED Product Automatic Lifespan Increaser,” which was filed on Jan. 6, 2022 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63297047 | Jan 2022 | US |
