FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a system including a device having an operating unit to be controlled, to such a device, to an external unit to be coupled with the device and to a method of controlling power provided to an operating unit of such system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

US 2015/0195880 Al discloses a lighting system with built-in intelligence wherein the lighting system comprises an LED lamp with a plurality of LEDs arranged in multiple rows with each row having a series of LED arrays. The lighting system further comprises a plurality of monitoring sensors that monitor ambient lighting conditions, that are in communication with a controlling unit, and that transmit instructions to the controlling unit. The controlling unit has a microcontroller that receives instructions from the plurality of monitoring sensors and controls the forward voltage to the LED lamp on receiving the instructions. The microcontroller harvests power from the circuit of the LED lamp, wherein the controlling unit can be connected to a plurality of the LED lamps through a cable.

A lighting apparatus of WO 2014/073913 Al includes a lighting module to receive therein a lighting part that emits light to the outside and a power control part having a connector. The lighting apparatus further comprises a communication module which extends through the lighting module and which is detachably coupled to the connector to transfer a control signal received through a wireless network to the power control part.

In a arrangement like a lighting arrangement, where a plurality of elements like luminaires are to be installed, it is conventionally to be decided upon installing the elements what functionality the elements should exhibit. Deciding the functionality requirements can be a difficult and complex process, as additional functions normally increase the initial costs, while it is not always clear which of such additional functions may be needed later on during the service life of the system. Upgrading a system later on may cause additional costs or may even be impossible or at least impracticable.

A conceivable approach on this might include equipping the elements such that the elements can be remotely controlled. However, providing the additional equipment for remote controllability also imposes additional costs, possibly even beyond the additional costs for certain optional functions.

Another conceivable approach might include providing the elements with an interface like an USB (host) port, so an additional piece of equipment may be plugged into the USB port if needed.

Typical USB host ports would require substantial hardware and firmware foot prints to integrate them into an element like a luminaire. For instance, the lamp driver would need to have a micro controller being capable to do the full uPnP protocol as being required by the USB standard. The USB standard introduced this as it allows automatically detecting new devices connected to the USB port and automatically select/download the appropriate driver software. However, circuitry of low-cost elements (e.g. lamp drivers) would typically use low profile micro controllers which cannot execute such functions, or would even lack a microcontroller entirely. Thus, a default availability of an USB port in an element like a luminaire would economically not be practical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide invention relates to a system including a device having an operating unit to be controlled, to such a device, to an external unit to be coupled with the device and to a method of controlling power provided to an operating unit of such system, which allow for a possibility for upgrading the system with further functionality during its service life at low initial costs or efforts on the side of the device including the operating unit to be controlled.

In a first aspect of the present invention a system is presented, including a device and an external unit, the system comprising an interface of the device providing a releasable coupling of the device with the external unit, a power source unit of the device arranged to provide, based on an input power of the device, external unit power, via the interface, to the external unit, a driver, and an operating unit of the device arranged to receive power from the power source unit under control of the driver, wherein the driver is formed by a cooperating combination of a first drive circuitry portion and a second drive circuitry portion, the first drive circuitry portion being provided in the device and including a current source with an enable input, the second drive circuitry portion being provided in the external unit and including a PWM generator, the first drive circuitry portion and the second drive circuitry portion being coupled via the interface to form the driver, wherein the external device comprises a controller for controlling the driver by controlling the second drive circuitry portion, wherein the controller is arranged for being powered by the external unit power.

In a second aspect of the present invention, a device for use in a system according to the invention is presented, comprising an interface for providing a releasable coupling of the device with an external unit, a power source unit arranged to provide, based on an input power of the device, external unit power to the interface for forwarding to the external unit, a first drive circuitry portion, wherein the first drive circuitry portion is arranged to be coupled, via the interface, with a second drive circuitry portion including a PWM generator provided in the external unit, wherein the first drive circuitry portion includes a current source with an enable input, an operating unit arranged to receive adjustable power from the power source unit under control of a cooperating combination of the first drive circuitry portion and the second drive circuitry portion.

In a third aspect of the present invention, an external unit for use in a system according to the invention, i.e. for use together with the above device, is presented, comprising a plug for allowing a releasable coupling of the external unit with a device having an interface, a second drive circuitry portion including a PWM generator, wherein the second drive circuitry portion is arranged to be coupled, via the plug and the interface, with a first drive circuitry portion provided in the device, the first drive circuitry portion including a current source with an enable input, wherein the second drive circuitry portion is arranged for controlling, in a cooperating combination with the first drive circuitry portion a provision of power to an operating unit of the device, wherein second drive circuitry portion includes at least one controllable circuit element, wherein controlling the controllable circuit element allows for controlling the power provided to the operating unit, wherein the external unit further comprises a controller controlling the controllable circuit element, the controller being arranged for being powered by an external unit power received by the external unit via the plug.

In a fourth aspect of the invention, a method of controlling power provided to an operating unit of a system is presented, the system including a device and an external unit, the method comprising a coupling step of providing a releasable coupling of the device with the external unit by means of an interface of the device, a driver forming step of forming a driver by a cooperating combination of a first drive circuitry portion including a current source with an enable input provided in the device and a second drive circuitry portion including a PWM generator provided in the external unit, the first drive circuitry portion and the second drive circuitry portion being coupled via the interface, an external unit power provision step of providing external unit power, via the interface, from a power source unit of the device to the external unit, based on an input power of the device, and a controlling step of controlling, by the driver, the power provided to the operating unit of the device.

The present invention gives the opportunity to delay the timing of investments: at installation of, for example, a lighting system according to the invention, there is no need to decide on the control functionality (thus maintaining full flexibility in system

functionality), and there is also no cost penalty for a control function which at the time of installation possibly may still lack a business case. At the moment where such business case emerges, the system can be easily reconfigured into the desired control functionality

(connectivity, sensing, advanced algorithms), and the resulting costs are then covered by the specific business case.

In this way, even upgrades of the lighting driver functionality are possible: assume a low-cost, simple analogue fixed-output LED driver as an example of a first drive circuitry portion, which is connected in such manner to the interface that in absence of the external unit just the fixed output is provided, while with an external unit coupled to the inter-face, the circuitry of the first drive circuitry portion is supplemented by the second drive circuitry portion, allowing the luminaire including this arrangement to be controlled by means of the external unit. For example, the luminaire may be made dimmable in response to a local sensor signal (with the sensor embedded in the external unit) or according to remote control commands received by a connectivity module as e.g. a ZigBee radio (also embedded in the external unit).

The external unit may be considered as a plug-in unit, which receives power from the device and influences the first drive circuitry portion due to the coupling thereof with the second drive circuitry portion of the external unit, which is controllable by the controller of the external unit. In such way, there is no need at all for a communication capability of the device in the sense of receiving (or sending) data signals for controlling the device.

It may be noted that the power source unit and the first drive circuitry portion need not to be separate items as they may be implemented in a common design. Similarly, the controller and the second drive circuitry portion need not to be separate items as well.

The control of the controller over the second drive circuitry portion allows, due to the combination of the first and second drive circuitry portions for forming the adjustable driver, the control of the operating unit (or rather the power provided thereto). The flow of "information" from the external unit to the device is not provided in the form of a data signal, as the drive circuitry portions directly interact with each other in providing a common electric or electronic arrangement.

In a preferred embodiment, the second drive circuitry portion includes at least one controllable circuit element of the driver, wherein controlling the controllable circuit element allows for controlling the power received by the operating unit, wherein the controller is arranged for controlling the controllable circuit element.

The controllable circuit element may be a switch, e.g. in form of a diode, an adjustable resistance, inductance or capacitance, as well as a combination thereof.

In an example in the context of a luminaire, the first circuit portion includes a current source that has an enable input. The second portion includes a PWM generator that uses a light sensor as input in a way that PWM duty cycle gets minimal if external light is detected and gets maximal when darkness is detected. In this way the luminaire automatically adjusts the LED flux dependent on the light conditions in the room. As long as the external unit is not plugged, the luminaire (as the example of the device) will simply run at maximum flux level.

In a preferred embodiment, the external unit further comprises a sensor, in particular a light sensor, a human sensor and/or a proximity sensor, and/or a communication unit, the communication unit being arranged, preferably, for a wireless communication according to WiFi, Bluetooth and/or ZigBee, coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is arranged to control the driver based on input from the sensor and/or the communication unit.

The provision of a sensor and the communication unit give the device further functionalities, while the device itself, in comparison, for example, to a device providing only a simple fixed output LED driving, does not need any further modifications beyond the modifications needed for allowing the coupling of the external unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the interface includes a socket in form of an USB socket and the external unit is provided with a plug in form an USB plug.

Combinations of USB plugs and sockets are easily available and widely spread. A further benefit of using an USB for the external unit may be realized when the external unit is additionally equipped for communication via the plug using an USB protocol. In such way, the external unit may be connected to an USB host, e.g. a personal computer or the like, for configuration and other options. In a preferred embodiment, the system is a luminaire and the operating unit is or includes a light emitting element, in particular a light emitting diode.

In particular in the area of luminaires including light emitting diodes the invention may be used with good benefits.

In a preferred embodiment, the first drive circuitry portion is arranged to provide power from the power source unit to the operating unit in a predetermined fixed manner when no second drive circuitry portion is coupled to the interface.

The device may, in other words, be designed such that it may function (in a simple and uncontrolled way, for example) without any external unit connected thereto.

However, the present invention may also provide for different external units, where for a very simple and low-cost arrangement the external unit may just include a circuitry for closing an open loop in the first drive circuitry portion.

It shall be understood that the system of claim 1, the device of claim 9, the external unit of claim 11 and method of claim 12 have similar and/or identical preferred embodiments, in particular, as defined in the dependent claims.

It shall be understood that a preferred embodiment of the invention can also be any combination of the dependent claims or above embodiments with the respective independent claim.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a conventional arrangement for a control of a luminaire,

Fig. 2 shows a system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 3 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Fig. 1 shows a conventional arrangement for a control of a luminaire.

A conventional luminaire arrangement with a driver 32 and a control means 42 is depicted in Figure 1. The arrangement includes an optical part with light generation means 30 which is operated by the lamp driver 32 which is, in turn, powered from mains 10. The control means 42 (e.g. a processor) gets powered via line 51 and controls e.g. a dim level of the driver 32 via signal 52.

Fig. 2 shows a system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

The system 1 includes a device 20 and an external unit 40.

The device 20 includes a power source unit 21 connected to mains 10. The device 20 further includes a first drive circuitry portion 22 and a LED 30 as an example of an operating unit. The device 20 further includes an interface 23 with terminals 24.

The external unit 40 includes a second drive circuitry portion 41, a controller 42, a WiFi communication unit 44 and a light sensor 45. The external unit 40 further includes a plug 46 with terminals 47.

With the device 20 and the external unit 40 being combined or coupled, the terminals 24 and 47 of the device 20 and the external unit 40 are connected and thus the power source unit 21 provides power to the controller 42.

The first drive circuitry portion 22 and the second drive circuitry portion 41 are also connected together due to the coupling of the device 20 and the external unit 40. The drive circuitry portions 22, 41 thus form together a driver 60.

The driver 60, specifically the second drive circuitry portion 41 of the external unit 40, includes a controllable circuit element 43, which is controlled by the controller 42.

The controller 42 is provided with some appropriate programming allowing for determining the proper control based on input from the sensor 45 and communication input (e.g. commands from a control center) via the communication unit 44.

The driver 60 controlled by the controller 42 provides thus power for driving the LED 30.

Fig. 3 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method of controlling power provided to an operating unit of a system according to an embodiment of the invention, the system including a device and an external unit.

In the diagram of Fig. 3, the process starts with a coupling step 101 of providing a releasable coupling of the device with the external unit by means of an interface of the device.

Once the device and the external unit are coupled, this leads to a driver forming step 102 of forming a driver by a cooperating combination of a first drive circuitry portion provided in the device and a second drive circuitry portion provided in the external unit, the first drive circuitry portion and the second drive circuitry portion being coupled via the interface. It is not necessarily the case that the driver is already formed (in functional form) by just the coupling of step 101, as there might be further checks or other steps, before such combination becomes functional.

Additionally, an external unit power provision step 103 is provided, of providing external unit power, via the interface, from a power source unit of the device to the external unit, based on an input power of the device.

The order of the external power provision step 103 and the driver forming step 102 may be different, while both steps may also be provided in parallel.

With power provided to the controller and the driver being formed by combining the drive circuitry portions, it follows a controlling step 104 of controlling, by the driver, the power provided to the operating unit of the device. This step may be repeated.

Rather than repeating the controlling step 104, at some time, there might be provided a separation step 105, which may possibly lead to a further coupling step 101 (which may also involve a new combination of external unit and device).

The invention allows, for example, for an alternative use of a USB-port (i.e. the physical configuration of the socket) which allows putting most of the cost side of the external unit and not on the side of the controlled device. In this way it is possible having the USB ports as nearly cost-neutral addition to lamp arrangements. Proper definition of the use of the pins of the USB port guarantees that "normal" USB hosts will not get harmed if the external unit might get connected (e.g. if not arranged for USB protocol). Without an USB- mode of the external device, a USB host will typically not be able to identify the external device. Vice versa, USB modules will not get harmed when plugged into a luminaire (as an example of a device of the system) with reversed USB architecture, but (except possibly for supply of USB power, if the interface is arranged in such way) there will be no functionality accessible to such USB module.

The benefit is in a much simpler interface on the luminaire side. The external unit may get power from the USB connector like known from state of the art USB (even though this specific feature is not necessary).

In comparison to the arrangement of Fig. 1, the present invention provides for an exchangeability of the control means. Such exchangeability allows for easy upgrades of a luminaire (or other system in which the invention is employed) and easy configuration of the platform with an application dependant control means. This is accomplished by putting the control means into a module which is mechanically and electrically connected by means of a socket/plug means. However, the invention not only provides for the exchangeability, as the external unit may use the same physical features of the plug for communication with a host. Such host, e.g. a computer, may such configure the external unit based on such communication according to, for example, the USB standard.

It is further foreseen that managed "USB" Power Delivery may used to guarantee that not compatible USB devices will not get power from the controlled device.

The simple interface is used to verify if the plug-in device (possible external unit) is allowed to communicate to the device according to the present invention and power is interrupted if the external unit is not a compatible one.

In one implementation, the verification process starts by checking if a device is connected to the "USB" port by sensing the current that is drawn. Following this, the power source unit of the device may check for a special signature from the external unit that should come within a predefined interval from the moment port connection is detected.

Another way of verification is by checking if the reply for an interrogation results in the correct response.

Power disconnection may be realized by disabling the power regulator or disconnecting the "USB" power line using a power switch. Power re-connection may be achieved by checking if the current drawn from the port has decreased below a certain threshold.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments.

Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims.

In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality.

A single processor, device or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Operations like controlling, sensing and communicating can be implemented as program code means of a computer program and/or as dedicated hardware.

Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.