Dimmer identification circuit, dimmer identification method and intelligent lamp control method

Abstract

The present invention provides a dimmer identification circuit, a dimmer identification method, and an intelligent lamp control method. The dimmer identification circuit includes a controller and an identification interface circuit. The controller sends a control signal to the identification interface circuit and receives an identification signal sent by the identification interface circuit. The identification interface circuit includes a first switching device and a voltage follower. The voltage follower receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified and outputs an identification signal to the controller. The first switching device receives the control signal output by the controller, controls a DC power supply to load a DC voltage to the dimmer port, and the dimmer port outputs a voltage to the input end of the voltage follower. The present invention also provides a dimmer identification method and an intelligent lamp control method. The present invention can improve the compatibility of a dimmer power supply or controller and reduce the production cost of intelligent lamps.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of intelligent lamp control, and in particular to a dimmer identification circuit, and also to a dimmer identification method implemented by the dimmer identification circuit and an intelligent lamp control method. Background Art

[0002] Smart lighting has become increasingly popular in recent years, with many now using LED chips as their light-emitting devices. Most current smart lighting features a dimming function, allowing users to adjust the brightness of the light. Typically, these smart lighting fixtures are equipped with a dimmer, which allows users to adjust the brightness of the smart lighting fixture. For example, the dimmer outputs a voltage signal that can vary between 0 and 10V or 1 and 10V. A higher output voltage indicates a brighter smart lighting fixture, while a lower output voltage indicates a lower brightness. Upon receiving the dimming signal, the smart lighting fixture's controller adjusts the LED brightness accordingly.

[0003] The dimming signals output by common dimmers or smart lighting controllers are mainly divided into two types: 0 to 10V or 1 to 10V. Since the voltage ranges of the dimming signals output by these two dimmers or controllers are different, you need to match them with the corresponding controller or dimming power supply to obtain the best experience.

[0004] However, if matching controllers or dimming power supplies are separately set for two different dimmers or main controllers, the compatibility of the controllers or dimming power supplies will be poor, causing smart lamp manufacturers to need to set up a large number of controllers or dimming power supplies for specific types of dimmers, increasing the production cost of smart lamps.

[0005] In addition, during the production process of smart lamps, the two types of dimmers need to be marked, and corresponding controllers or dimming power supplies need to be installed for each type of dimmer. If installed incorrectly, the dimming of the smart lamp will be affected, and thus the use of the smart lamp will be affected. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A first object of the present invention is to provide a dimmer identification circuit that is beneficial to reducing the production cost of smart lamps and improving the compatibility of dimming power supplies.

[0007] A second object of the present invention is to provide a dimmer identification method using the above-mentioned dimmer identification circuit.

[0008] A third object of the present invention is to provide an intelligent lamp control method using the above-mentioned dimmer identification circuit.

[0009] To achieve the first purpose of the present invention, the dimmer identification circuit provided by the present invention includes a controller and an identification interface circuit, the controller sends a control signal to the identification interface circuit and receives an identification signal sent by the identification interface circuit; the identification interface circuit has a first switching device and a voltage follower, the voltage follower receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified, and the voltage follower outputs an identification signal to the controller; the first switching device receives the control signal output by the controller, the first switching device controls the DC power supply to load a DC voltage to the dimmer port, and the dimmer port outputs a voltage to the input end of the voltage follower.

[0010] Since one of the two existing dimmers is passive and the other is active, the DC power supply is controlled by the first switch to load the DC power supply to the dimmer port, and the voltage output by the voltage follower is detected to see whether it remains constant, thereby determining whether the dimmer to be detected is an active dimmer or a passive dimmer.

[0011] By applying the above circuit, the dimmer type can be identified through a simple circuit, and the controller can be automatically matched to the corresponding dimmer. There is no need to set up a corresponding controller or dimming power supply for a specific type of dimmer, thereby reducing the production cost of smart lamps and avoiding the problem of installing the wrong type of controller or dimming power supply during the production process, which affects the use of smart lamps.

[0012] A preferred solution is that the identification interface circuit further includes a second switching device, a control terminal of the second switching device is connected to a current signal terminal of the first switching device, and one terminal of the second switching device is connected to a DC power supply.

[0013] It can be seen that the first switching device controls the on and off of the second switching device, and then uses the second switching device to control the DC power supply to supply power to the dimmer port, which can achieve isolation between the controller signal and the power supply signal, and avoid the high-voltage signal of the DC power supply affecting the controller pin.

[0014] A further solution is that the identification interface circuit further includes a diode, wherein the anode terminal of the diode is connected to the second switch device, and the cathode terminal of the diode is connected to the dimmer port.

[0015] In this way, the diode can ensure that the current of the DC power supply flows unidirectionally to the dimmer port, thereby preventing the current from flowing reversely from the dimmer port to the second switching device and affecting the operation of the second switching device.

[0016] A further solution is that a voltage stabilizing diode is connected between the dimmer port and the ground terminal.

[0017] It can be seen that the voltage at the dimmer port can be stabilized by the voltage regulator diode, thus avoiding the accuracy of rigid dimmer type identification caused by unstable voltage at the dimmer port.

[0018] To achieve the above-mentioned second purpose, the dimmer identification method provided by the present invention applies the above-mentioned dimmer identification circuit, and the method includes: a controller controls the first switching device to turn off, so that the DC power supply stops loading the DC voltage to the dimmer port; the dimmer port receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified, and the output end of the voltage follower outputs an identification signal to the controller; the controller determines whether the voltage value of the identification signal remains constant. If so, it confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a first-class dimmer; otherwise, it confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a second-class dimmer.

[0019] Since one of the two existing dimmers is passive and the other is active, the first switch device controls the DC power supply to load the DC power supply to the dimmer port, and thereby detects whether the voltage output by the voltage follower remains constant. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the dimmer to be detected is an active dimmer or a passive dimmer by a simple method.

[0020] A preferred solution is that the minimum voltage value of the first type of dimmer is smaller than the minimum voltage value of the second type of dimmer; before confirming that the dimmer to be identified is the first type of dimmer, further performing: confirming that the minimum voltage during the dimming process is smaller than the minimum voltage value of the second type of dimmer.

[0021] This shows that the type of the dimmer can be more accurately identified by combining the minimum voltage value of the dimmer during the dimming process, thereby improving the accuracy of dimmer type identification.

[0022] A further solution is that before confirming that the dimmer to be identified is a first type dimmer, further performing: confirming that the minimum voltage during the dimming process can reach the minimum voltage value of the first type dimmer.

[0023] In this way, the two types of dimmers can be further identified, and the accuracy of dimmer type identification can be improved to the greatest extent possible.

[0024] To achieve the third purpose mentioned above, the smart lamp control method provided by the present invention applies the above-mentioned dimmer identification circuit, and the method includes: the controller controls the first switching device to turn off, so that the DC power supply stops loading DC voltage to the dimmer port; the dimmer port receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified, and the output end of the voltage follower outputs an identification signal to the controller; the controller determines whether the voltage value of the identification signal remains constant, and if so, confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a first type of dimmer, otherwise, confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a second type of dimmer; and adjusts the dimming start-up voltage range and / or the dimming turn-off voltage range of the smart lamp according to the type of the confirmed dimmer.

[0025] Since one of the two existing dimmers is passive and the other is active, the above method is used to control the DC power supply to load the DC power supply to the dimmer port, and thereby detect whether the voltage output by the voltage follower remains constant. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the dimmer to be detected is an active dimmer or a passive dimmer by a simple method.

[0026] After identifying the two types of dimmers, the dimming voltage of the controller can be adjusted according to the corresponding type of dimmer, so that the controller can automatically adapt to the two dimmers. The controller has good compatibility and reduces the production cost of smart lamps.

[0027] A preferred solution is that the minimum voltage value of the first type of dimmer is less than the minimum voltage value of the second type of dimmer; after confirming that the dimmer to be identified is the first type of dimmer, the minimum value of the dimming start-up voltage range of the smart lamp and / or the dimming turn-off voltage range of the smart lamp is set to the minimum voltage value of the first type of dimmer during the dimming process.

[0028] It can be seen that the corresponding minimum values ​​of the dimming start voltage of the smart lamp and / or the dimming turn-off voltage of the smart lamp are automatically adjusted according to the identified dimmer type, so as to achieve the best dimming experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is a structural block diagram of an embodiment of a dimmer identification circuit and a dimmer of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 1 is an electrical schematic diagram of a controller according to an embodiment of a dimmer identification circuit of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3 1 is an electrical schematic diagram of an identification interface circuit of an embodiment of a dimmer identification circuit of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4 It is a flow chart of an embodiment of the intelligent lamp control method of the present invention.

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The smart lamp of the present invention is an LED lamp equipped with an LED chip and equipped with a dimmer, which is used to adjust the brightness of the smart lamp. Since the dimming signals output by common dimmers or the main controller of smart lamps are mainly 0 to 10V or 1 to 10V, the concept of the present invention is to automatically identify the dimmer type through a dimmer recognition circuit and automatically configure it accordingly, thereby improving the compatibility of the controller or dimming power supply.

[0035] See also Figure 1 The dimmer identification circuit 10 of this embodiment has a controller 11 and an identification interface circuit 12. The dimmer identification circuit 10 can be connected to a dimmer 20. Preferably, one dimmer 20 can be connected to multiple dimmer identification circuits 10. The dimmer identification circuit 10 receives a voltage signal from the dimmer 20 and determines the type of the dimmer based on the voltage signal of the dimmer 20.

[0036] Currently, the dimming signals output by common dimmers or main controllers of smart lamps are mainly divided into two types: 0 to 10V or 1 to 10V. Among them, dimmers with an output voltage range of 0V to 10V are generally active dimmers, that is, the dimmers have their own power supply and do not require the dimmer power supply to provide the power they need to operate. Dimmers with an output voltage range of 1V to 10V are generally passive dimmers, that is, the dimmers have no power supply of their own and require the dimmer power supply to provide the power they need to operate. Typically, they require the controller or dimmer power supply to provide a pull-up voltage of approximately 10V to meet their operating requirements. This embodiment uses this characteristic to identify the two types of dimmers.

[0037] See also Figure 2 and Figure 3 Two pins of the controller U2 are connected to the identification interface circuit 12. For example, pin PD3 is used to output a control signal to the identification interface circuit 12, and pin PD2 receives the identification signal output by the interface circuit 12. The identification interface circuit 12 is provided with a voltage follower U1A. The output end of the voltage follower U1A is connected to pin PD2 of the controller U2 through a resistor R3. Therefore, the controller U2 can receive the voltage signal output by the voltage follower U1A, that is, the identification signal.

[0038] The input end of the voltage follower U1A is connected to the dimmer port TD1 through the resistor R1, and the dimmer port TD1 is connected to the dimmer 20. The signal output by the dimmer 20 is received by the dimmer port TD1 and input to the input end of the voltage follower U1A. In this way, the voltage follower U1A receives the voltage signal input by the dimmer 20, and its output voltage follows the input voltage change. The controller U2 can determine the change in the voltage output by the dimmer 20 based on the received identification signal.

[0039] A Zener diode D1 is connected between the dimmer port TD1 and the ground terminal. When the dimmer 20 outputs a DC voltage to the dimmer port TD1, the Zener diode D1 can keep the voltage of the dimmer port TD1 stable, so that the voltage output by the voltage follower U1A also remains stable, thereby stabilizing the voltage of the identification signal received by the controller U2, thereby improving the accuracy of the controller U2 in identifying the type of dimmer 20.

[0040] In addition, the input end of the voltage follower U1A is also connected to a filter capacitor C1. The voltage output from the dimmer port TD1 is input to the voltage follower U1A after passing through the filter capacitor C1, making the voltage signal input to the voltage follower U1A more stable, thereby improving the accuracy of the controller U2 in identifying the type of dimmer 20.

[0041] Voltage follower U1A has voltage divider resistors R3 and R4 at its output. The voltage signal from voltage follower U1A is divided by resistors R3 and R4 before being output to controller U2. Furthermore, resistor R4 is connected in parallel with filter capacitor C2 to improve the stability of the identification signal input to controller U2.

[0042] The identification interface circuit 12 is further provided with a first switching device Q1 and a second switching device Q2. The first switching device Q1 is a field-effect transistor (FET), and the second switching device Q2 is a triode (BJT). The control terminal, i.e., the gate, of the first switching device Q1 is connected to pin PD3 of the controller U2 and receives a control signal output by the controller U2. Therefore, the first switching device Q1 is turned on and off by the controller U2. The first switching device Q1 is a high-level conductive device, with its drain connected to ground.

[0043] The second switching device Q2 is a low-level conductive device. Its base is connected to the source of the first switching device Q1 via a resistor R2. Furthermore, its base is connected to a DC power supply via a resistor R6. The emitter of the second switching device Q2 is connected to the DC power supply. In this embodiment, the DC power supply voltage is 12V. The collector of the second switching device Q2 is connected to the anode terminal of a diode D2 via a resistor R5. The cathode terminal of the diode D2 is connected to the dimmer port TD1.

[0044] When the dimmer 20 is connected to the dimmer port TD1, the PD3 pin of the controller U2 outputs a low-level signal. At this point, the first switch Q1 is in the off state, and a high-level signal is generated at the base of the second switch Q2, which is also in the off state. At this point, the DC power supply cannot supply power to the dimmer port TD1 through the second switch Q2.

[0045] If dimmer 20 has a dimming range of 0 to 10V, meaning it is an active dimmer, then even if the DC power supply is not supplying power to dimmer port TD1, dimmer 20 can still be powered by its own power supply. As long as the voltage signal output by dimmer 20 remains constant, the voltage received by dimmer port TD1 remains constant. Consequently, the voltage value of the identification signal received by controller U2 via voltage follower U1A remains constant.

[0046] If the dimming range of dimmer 20 is 1V to 10V, meaning it is a passive dimmer, then if the DC power supply is not supplying power to dimmer port TD1, dimmer 20 will not receive power. While the voltage signal output by dimmer 20 remains unchanged, the voltage received by dimmer port TD1 will continue to decrease. Consequently, the voltage of the identification signal received by controller U2 via voltage follower U1A will also decrease. This indicates that the type of dimmer 20 can be determined using the identification signal output by identification interface circuit 12.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bias current of the voltage follower U1A is a maximum of 30 nanoamperes. Therefore, for each dimmer identification circuit, the input current at dimmer port TD1 is only a maximum of 30 nanoamperes relative to the voltage follower U1A. The remaining power required for the operation of the dimmer identification circuit is provided by the dimming power supply itself, which reduces the input current at dimmer port TD1 and, in turn, the power of the dimmer 20 at dimmer port TD1. It can be understood that the voltage generated by each dimmer power supply at the interface of the dimmer 20 is significantly reduced compared to traditional dimming circuits. Thus, when the total power of the dimmer 20 is limited, a single dimmer 20 can be connected to more dimmer power supplies.

[0048] The following combination Figure 4 This article describes a method for using a dimmer identification circuit to identify a dimmer, and a method for automatically configuring a smart lamp using this identification method. First, step S1 is executed. The dimmer 20 is connected to the dimmer identification circuit 10, and the dimmer port TD1 of the identification interface circuit 12 receives a voltage signal from the dimmer 20. At this point, the controller U2 outputs a low-level signal to the first switch Q1, turning off both the first and second switches Q2. Consequently, the 12V DC power supply cannot be supplied to the dimmer port TD1 via the second switch Q2.

[0049] Next, step S2 is executed. Dimmer port TD1 receives the voltage from dimmer 20. After passing through voltage follower U1A, the voltage of dimmer 20 is converted into an identification signal and output to controller U2. Controller U2 then executes step S3 to determine whether the voltage of dimmer 20 remains constant. If dimmer 20's dimming range is 0 to 10V, meaning it is an active dimmer, then even if the DC power supply is not supplying power to dimmer port TD1, dimmer 20 can still be powered by its own power supply. If the voltage signal output by dimmer 20 remains unchanged, the voltage value received by dimmer port TD1 remains constant. Thus, the voltage value of the identification signal received by controller U2 via voltage follower U1A remains unchanged.

[0050] Therefore, if the judgment result of step S3 is yes, it means that the dimmer 20 is an active dimmer, its dimming range is 0 to 10V, and the dimmer is a first-class dimmer; if the judgment result of step S3 is no, it means that the dimmer 20 is a passive dimmer, its dimming range is 1V to 10V, and the dimmer is a second-class dimmer.

[0051] If only the above conditions are used to determine the dimmer type, misjudgment may occur. To improve detection accuracy, this embodiment introduces a second judgment condition, which uses the minimum voltage value read during the dimming process as the second judgment condition. Specifically, if the dimming range of the dimmer 20 is 0 to 10V, the minimum voltage value during the dimming process can obviously be adjusted to below 1V. If the dimming range of the dimmer 20 is 1V to 10V, the minimum voltage value during the dimming process cannot be adjusted below 1V.

[0052] Therefore, if the result of step S3 is yes, step S4 is executed to confirm that the dimmer 20 is an active dimmer. Then, a determination is made as to whether the minimum voltage value of the dimmer 20 during the dimming process is lower than the minimum voltage value of the second-type dimmer, for example, whether it can reach below 1V. Furthermore, a determination can be made as to whether the minimum voltage value during the dimming process can reach the minimum voltage value of the first-type dimmer, i.e., 0V. If these conditions are met, step S5 is executed to confirm that the currently connected dimmer is a first-type dimmer.

[0053] If the judgment result of step S3 is no, it is confirmed that the currently connected dimmer is a passive dimmer, and step S7 is executed to determine whether the minimum voltage value of the dimmer 20 during the dimming process cannot reach the minimum voltage value of the first type of dimmer. If so, step S8 is executed to confirm that the currently connected dimmer is a second type of dimmer.

[0054] In this way, by combining the two judgment conditions, the type of the currently connected dimmer can be accurately confirmed. Finally, step S6 is executed to adjust the dimming voltage range of the smart lamp according to the dimmer type confirmed in step S5 or step S8. Specifically, the dimming start voltage range of the smart lamp and / or the dimming off voltage range of the smart lamp are adjusted according to the confirmed dimmer type. For example, after confirming that the dimmer to be identified is a first-class dimmer, the minimum value of the dimming start voltage range of the smart lamp and / or the dimming off voltage range of the smart lamp is set to the minimum voltage value of the first-class dimmer during the dimming process. If it is confirmed that the dimmer to be identified is a first-class dimmer, the minimum value of the dimming start voltage range of the smart lamp and / or the dimming off voltage range of the smart lamp is set to the minimum voltage value of the first-class dimmer during the dimming process, that is, the minimum value of the dimming start voltage range and / or the dimming off voltage range of the smart lamp is set to 0V. If it is confirmed that the dimmer to be identified is a second-class dimmer, the minimum value of the dimming start-up voltage range and / or the dimming off voltage range of the smart lamp is set to the minimum voltage value of the second-class dimmer during the dimming process, that is, the minimum value of the dimming start-up voltage range and / or the dimming off voltage range of the smart lamp is set to 1V.

[0055] It can be seen that through the method of the present invention, the type of dimmer can be simply identified, and the minimum values ​​of the dimming start-up voltage and the dimming off voltage can be automatically set to match the type of dimmer, so that the dimming voltage output by the controller matches the type of dimmer. The controller can be compatible with two types of dimmers, thereby improving the compatibility of the controller and reducing the production cost of smart lamps.

[0056] Finally, it should be emphasized that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. For example, changes in the minimum voltage during the dimming process of the two dimmers, or changes in the types of the two switching devices, etc., should also be included in the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A dimmer identification method is implemented using a dimmer identification circuit, characterized in that: The dimmer identification circuit includes: A controller and an identification interface circuit, wherein the controller sends a control signal to the identification interface circuit and receives an identification signal sent by the identification interface circuit; The identification interface circuit comprises a first switch device and a voltage follower, wherein the voltage follower receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified and outputs the identification signal to the controller; The first switching device receives the control signal output by the controller, and the first switching device controls the DC power supply to load a DC voltage to the dimmer port, and the dimmer port outputs a voltage to the input end of the voltage follower; The method includes: The controller controls the first switch device to turn off, so that the DC power supply stops applying the DC voltage to the dimmer port; The dimmer port receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified, and the output end of the voltage follower outputs an identification signal to the controller; The controller determines whether the voltage value of the identification signal remains constant, and if so, confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a first-type dimmer; otherwise, confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a second-type dimmer; The first type of dimmer is an active dimmer, and the second type of dimmer is a passive dimmer.

2. The dimmer identification method according to claim 1, wherein: The minimum voltage value of the first type of dimmer is less than the minimum voltage value of the second type of dimmer; Before confirming that the dimmer to be identified is the first type dimmer, further executing: confirming that the minimum voltage during the dimming process is less than the minimum voltage value of the second type dimmer.

3. The dimmer identification method according to claim 2, wherein: Before confirming that the dimmer to be identified is a first type dimmer, further performing: confirming that the minimum voltage during the dimming process can reach the minimum voltage value of the first type dimmer.

4. The dimmer identification method according to claim 1, wherein: The identification interface circuit further includes a second switching device, a control terminal of the second switching device is connected to a current signal terminal of the first switching device, and one terminal of the second switching device is connected to the DC power supply.

5. The dimmer identification method according to claim 4, wherein: The identification interface circuit further includes a diode, wherein an anode terminal of the diode is connected to the second switching device, and a cathode terminal of the diode is connected to the dimmer port.

6. The dimmer identification method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: A voltage stabilizing diode is connected between the dimmer port and the ground terminal.

7. An intelligent lighting control method, implemented using a dimmer recognition circuit, is characterized by: The dimmer identification circuit includes: A controller and an identification interface circuit, wherein the controller sends a control signal to the identification interface circuit and receives an identification signal sent by the identification interface circuit; The identification interface circuit comprises a first switch device and a voltage follower, wherein the voltage follower receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified and outputs the identification signal to the controller; The first switching device receives the control signal output by the controller, and the first switching device controls the DC power supply to load a DC voltage to the dimmer port, and the dimmer port outputs a voltage to the input end of the voltage follower; The method includes: The controller controls the first switch device to turn off, so that the DC power supply stops applying the DC voltage to the dimmer port; The dimmer port receives the voltage of the dimmer to be identified, and the output end of the voltage follower outputs an identification signal to the controller; The controller determines whether the voltage value of the identification signal remains constant, and if so, confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a first-type dimmer; otherwise, confirms that the dimmer to be identified is a second-type dimmer; The dimming start voltage range of the smart lamp and / or the dimming turn-off voltage range of the smart lamp are adjusted according to the confirmed dimmer type.

8. The intelligent lighting control method according to claim 7, wherein: The minimum voltage value of the first type of dimmer is less than the minimum voltage value of the second type of dimmer; After confirming that the dimmer to be identified is a first type dimmer, the minimum value of the dimming start voltage range of the smart lamp and / or the dimming turn-off voltage range of the smart lamp is set as the minimum voltage value of the first type dimmer during the dimming process.

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