US6388396B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electronic ballast with embedded network micro-controller
Assignee: Technical Consumer Products Inc
•
Filing: 2000-10-02
•
Granted: 2002-05-14
•
Expires: 2020-10-02
Abstract
Abstract The present invention features an electronic ballast for use with gas discharge lamps incorporating a microprocessor-based network controller which facilitates the direct attachment of the ballast to a local or building-wide energy management systems. The use of the inventive ballast allows the production of a lighting luminaire whose light output, power consumption, and other operational or environmental parameters can be monitored and controlled as part of the distributed building control network. A building control computer network can control lighting functions, such as power on/off and dimming. The ballast of the present invention includes provision allowing connection to a local utility so that lighting in large buildings can be cut back in times of high power demand to help balance system loading.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert H. Katyl
- 👤 Robert M. Murcko
- 👤 David W. Dranchak
- 👤 James R. Petrozello
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 05:13
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05B; H05B41/00; H05B41/14; H05B41/36; H05B41/38; H05B41/39; H05B41/392; H05B41/3921; H05B47/00; H05B47/10; H05B47/175; H05B47/18; H05B47/198; G; G05; G05B; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/20; G05B2219/25; G05B2219/25022; G05B2219/25257; G05B2219/26; G05B2219/2639; G05B2219/2642; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S315/00; Y10S315/07
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
An electronic ballast assembly comprising command generation means responsive to a sensed condition external to said electronic ballast assembly, and a micro-controller system operatively connected to an electronic ballast circuit and housed in the same housing that houses said micro-controller, said micro-controller system being adapted to perform at least one control function in response to a command, said micro-controller system further comprising connection and interface means to facilitate two-way communication with at least one external control network.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
77 words
An electronic ballast assembly comprising command generation means responsive to a sensed condition external to said electronic ballast assembly, and a micro-controller system operatively connected to an electronic ballast circuit and housed in the same housing that houses said micro-controller, said micro-controller system being adapted to perform at least one control function in response to a command, said micro-controller system further comprising connection and interface means to facilitate two-way communication with at least one external control network.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The electronic ballast assembly as recited in claim 2 , further comprising sensing means operatively connected to said micro-controller system for sensing said sensed condition.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
The electronic ballast assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein said sensing means is external to said ballast assembly and said sensed condition is at least one condition from the group of: luminaire light level, room light level, ambient light level, ballast temperature, room temperature, room humidity and room occupancy.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The electronic ballast assembly as recited in claim 1 , wherein said command generation means is external to said electronic ballast assembly.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
46 words
The electronic ballast assembly as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an external control network and wherein said command originates outside of said electronic ballast, said command being applied by said external control network to said built-in micro-controller system via said connection and interface means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
54 words
The electronic ballast assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein said two-way communication with said at least one external control network is accomplished by an external connection comprising at least one from the group of: electrical signal cable, coaxial cable, infrared link radio-frequency communication link, fibre optic link, and carrier-current power line link.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The electronic ballast assembly as recited in claim 6 , further comprising a unique network address and wherein said control function comprises transmitting said unique network address to said external control network.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The electronic ballast assembly as recited in claim 2 , wherein said sensing means comprises at least one from the group of: light sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, electric power sensors and room occupancy sensors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
124 words
An electronic ballast system comprising: a) a micro-controller system operatively connected to and proximate an electronic ballast circuit, said micro-controller system being adapted to perform at least one control function in response to a command; b) sensing means for sensing a condition external to said electronic ballast system and generating a sensing signal representative thereof; c) command-generation means operatively connected to said micro-controller system and to said sensing means, said command-generation means being adapted to generate a command in response to said sensing signal; d) at least one external control network to facilitate two-way communication with ballast and non-lighting assemblies; and e) connection and interface means operatively connected to said micro-controller system to facilitate two-way communication with said at least one external control network.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
124 words
An electronic ballast system comprising: a) a micro-controller system operatively connected to and proximate an electronic ballast circuit, said micro-controller system being adapted to perform at least one control function in response to a command; b) sensing means for sensing a condition external to said electronic ballast system and generating a sensing signal representative thereof; c) command-generation means operatively connected to said micro-controller system and to said sensing means, said command-generation means being adapted to generate a command in response to said sensing signal; d) at least one external control network to facilitate two-way communication with ballast and non-lighting assemblies; and e) connection and interface means operatively connected to said micro-controller system to facilitate two-way communication with said at least one external control network.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said sensed condition comprises an environmental condition external to said electronic ballast system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 10 , wherein said environmental condition comprises at least one from the group of: luminaire light level, room light level, ambient light level, ballast temperature, room temperature, room humidity and room occupancy.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said ballast is adapted to provide power to a gas-discharge lamp capable of providing illumination, and wherein said control function comprises controlling the level of said illumination.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 12 , wherein said controlling of the level of said illumination comprises dimming said gas-discharge lamp.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said two-way communication with said at least one external control network is accomplished by an external connection comprising at least one from the group of: electrical signal cable, coaxial cable, infrared link, radio-frequency communication link, fibre optic link, and carrier-current power line link.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 9 , further comprising a local control bus for controlling an external device operatively attached to said local control bus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 15 , wherein said external device comprises a second electronic ballast and wherein commands internally generated in said electronic ballast may be transmitted to said second electronic ballast.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 16 , wherein commands received from said at least one external control network may be re-transmitted to said external device operatively connected to said local control bus.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
35 words
The electronic ballast system as recited in claim 9 , wherein said sensing means comprises at least one from the group of: light sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, electric power sensors and room occupancy sensors.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
100 words
An electronic ballast system for gas-discharge lamps, comprising: a) a high-frequency, electronic ballast circuit for selectively powering one or more fluorescent lamps; b) control means operatively connected to said ballast circuit for controlling said selective powering of said one or more fluorescent lamps; c) an external control network to facilitate two-way communication with ballast and non-lighting assemblies; d) means operatively connected to said control means for facilitating two-way communications with said external control network; and e) command generation means operatively connected to said control means for generating a control command responsive to a sensed condition external to said ballast assembly.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
100 words
An electronic ballast system for gas-discharge lamps, comprising: a) a high-frequency, electronic ballast circuit for selectively powering one or more fluorescent lamps; b) control means operatively connected to said ballast circuit for controlling said selective powering of said one or more fluorescent lamps; c) an external control network to facilitate two-way communication with ballast and non-lighting assemblies; d) means operatively connected to said control means for facilitating two-way communications with said external control network; and e) command generation means operatively connected to said control means for generating a control command responsive to a sensed condition external to said ballast assembly.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
35 words
The electronic ballast system for gas-discharge lamps as recited in claim 19 , wherein said ballast circuit controls the light output of said fluorescent lamps in response to a signal from an external control network.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
36 words
The electronic ballast system for gas-discharge lamps as recited in claim 20 , wherein said signal from said external control network further comprises data, and wherein said light output is modulated in response to said data.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2005-05-13 | 2005-11-12 | 2006-05-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2009-05-13 | 2009-11-12 | 2010-05-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2013-05-13 | 2013-11-12 | 2014-05-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |