Semiconductor component for outputting a control parameter

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a semiconductor component for outputting a signal. Ceiling-mounted luminaires often differ in their power output and thus in the luminous intensity they emit. Other parameters, such as the color temperature, can also vary from luminaire to luminaire. For this purpose, control units are attached to the luminaires, allowing adjustment of, for example, the luminous intensity and color temperature. This adjustment can be achieved, for example, by an installer either connecting certain terminals of the control units with jumper wires or leaving these terminals unconnected. It is desirable that this adjustment be performed with less effort, without reducing the number and quality of the adjustable options.

[0002] US 2011 / 0254554 A1 describes an LED module designed to determine the operating time of a connected LED and to control the LED, for example, to blink when the operating time reaches a predetermined maximum duration. The LED module is also designed to dim the LED upon receiving a corresponding signal.

[0003] US 2018 / 0160513 A1 describes an emergency lighting system with a wireless communication module and a controller. The controller is designed to set a system parameter based on a signal received via the communication module and to adjust the brightness of a light source in the emergency lighting system according to the set parameter.

[0004] The object of this invention is to provide a semiconductor component with which control parameters, such as those for lights, can be set. This object is achieved by the subject matter of the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

[0005] It goes without saying that operating hours do not need to be stored in units corresponding to whole hours. It is sufficient to store them in a format from which multiples or fractions of operating hours can be calculated.

[0006] The device shown allows for wireless programming of the semiconductor component, thus reducing installation time. For example, an installer who wants to adjust a light fixture no longer needs to wire cables but can simply move their mobile phone over the semiconductor component and program it. The programmed settings, received wirelessly via the antenna from the receiver unit, are stored as data in the memory, making them available for operation. These settings include, for example, the desired brightness or color temperature for lights, or the rotational speed of motors—in other words, controllable properties of a device being driven.

[0007] At the same time, consideration is given to the fact that the characteristics of the device being controlled can change with increasing operating hours. For example, the emitted light intensity decreases as the light source ages. This can be counteracted by increasing the current flowing through the light source as the lamp ages. The output signal changes accordingly, for example, indicating that a higher current should be applied as the lamp gets older.

[0008] In one embodiment, the calculation unit includes a counter that counts the operating hours. This counter is always activated when voltage is supplied by the lamp. In this case, it is assumed that the lamp is operating when voltage is present. The operating time of the lamp corresponds to the time during which the semiconductor component is supplied with voltage via the supply terminals. In another embodiment, the counter is not activated if no supply voltage is provided via the supply terminals. If the semiconductor component is only supplied with voltage via the antenna terminals, it is assumed that the lamp is not on.

[0009] In one embodiment, the output signal is an analog voltage. Such an analog voltage can be received by the circuit that operates the lamp as a control parameter, for example to adjust the current that should flow through the lamp.

[0010] In another embodiment, the output signal is implemented using a pulse-width modulated signal. By using a pulse-width modulated signal, the signals can be transmitted with relatively high resolution.

[0011] In another embodiment, the semiconductor component is powered in a first mode by the two supply terminals and in a second mode by energy derived from the signals at the antenna terminals. This allows the semiconductor component to be programmed even when the light is not supplied with an external voltage, which is generally preferred by installers when mounting lamps.

[0012] In another embodiment, the meter reading is stored in the memory unit, and the meter reads the reading from the memory unit before each counting cycle begins. This ensures that the operating hours are retained even when no external power supply is available.

[0013] If the meter reading can be programmed using signals received from the antenna, replacing the light bulbs without replacing the semiconductor component is easily possible.

[0014] Because in one embodiment the storage unit provides storage space for characteristic values ​​that describe the dependence of the output signal on the operating hours, and because the characteristic values ​​can be changed by the receiving unit, light sources can also be easily replaced by light sources of a different type.

[0015] The invention also relates to a luminaire with a semiconductor component, wherein the semiconductor component is connected to a control input terminal of a luminaire driver.

[0016] It should be noted that the term "connection" refers not only to a direct connection, but also to an indirect one, where further elements are provided between the units to be connected. However, a signal or energy flow must exist between the two elements.

[0017] Exemplary embodiments of the inventions are explained below with reference to the figures. Figure 1 a light fixture with a semiconductor component that can be used to output a control parameter for the light fixture; Figure 2 a basic circuit diagram of the semiconductor component Figure 1 ; Figure 3 the course of the luminous intensity emitted by an LED at constant current over time; Figure 4 the semiconductor component Figure 2 Control parameters submitted over time.

[0018] Figure 1 Figure 1 shows a light 1 and a mobile phone 2, which can be used to set a control parameter for the light 1. The light 1 contains an AC-DC converter 3, a semiconductor component 4, an antenna 9, an LED driver 5, a capacitor 6, a capacitor 10, a first LED 7, and a second LED 8.

[0019] The luminaire 1 receives an alternating voltage at its AC-DC converter 3, which this AC-DC converter 3 converts into a direct voltage between node KVDD and node KGND. This direct voltage is, for example, 3 V. A capacitor 10 is provided between these two nodes, which can store electrical energy. The semiconductor component 4 is made of Figure 1It has five connections. A first connection A1 and a second connection 2 are connected to the two ends of the antenna 9. The semiconductor component 4 is also connected to the power supply nodes KVDD and KGND at two supply connections. The fifth connection OUT is an output connection that provides a signal for a control parameter. In this case, the control parameter is a measure of the light intensity.

[0020] The output terminal OUT is connected via a resistor 11 to node KSET, which is also connected to the first terminal of capacitor 6, the second terminal of which is connected to the supply node KGND. The voltage VSET - VGND is therefore present across the capacitor. The LED driver 5 also has two supply terminals, connected to node KVDD and node KGND, respectively. The LED driver is connected to node KSET via an input ISET. An output terminal POUT is connected to the anode of the first LED 7, whose cathode is connected to the anode of the second LED 8. The cathode of the second LED 8 is then connected to node KGND. It should be noted that the number and arrangement of the LEDs are purely illustrative.

[0021] The LED driver 5 generates a current at its output terminal POUT, the magnitude of which depends on the input signal received at input ISET. The LEDs 7 and 8 illuminate when the current flowing through them exceeds a predefined value. The brightness of the LEDs, and thus their luminous intensity, depends on the current level and the age of the LEDs. Depending on their location in the room, more or less luminous intensity is required. For example, if other light sources are nearby, an installer can set a lower luminous intensity than for luminaires located far away from other light sources. The installer programs the luminaires 1 accordingly using their mobile phone 2.

[0022] In one embodiment, the semiconductor component 4 outputs a pulse-width modulated signal at its output terminal OUT. This pulse-width modulated signal is low-pass filtered by resistor 11 and capacitor 6 such that an analog potential VSET is generated at node KSET. This potential remains constant at the output terminal OUT, relative to ground potential VGND, when the pulse-width ratio of the output signal is constant. The magnitude of this analog potential VSET is proportional to the duty cycle of the pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal.

[0023] The LED driver 5 receives the analog signal VSET generated in this way at its input ISET and adjusts the output current IOUT according to the magnitude of this analog signal.

[0024] The light 1 can be adjusted using mobile phone 2. A user holds mobile phone 2 near antenna 9 in such a way that, for example, an NFC (Near-Field Communication) connection is established between mobile phone 2 and semiconductor component 4 via antenna 9. High-frequency signals can then be transmitted via antenna 9. These high-frequency signals contain modulated signals that can be decoded by semiconductor component 4. The modulated signals encode, for example, data specifying the desired brightness level.

[0025] The semiconductor component can also harvest energy from the high-frequency signals (energy harvesting), so that the power supply is provided, at least in one operating mode of the semiconductor component 4, via the transmission of the high-frequency signals.

[0026] Figure 2 shows a basic circuit diagram of the semiconductor component Figure 1The semiconductor component 4 contains a voltage generator 41, a receiver 42, a demultiplexer 43, an oscillator 44, a counter 45, an arithmetic unit 46, a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal generator 47, a control logic 48, a memory unit 49, an antenna driver 55, and a start-stop automatic circuit 50. As described above, the semiconductor component 4 is connected to the ends of the antenna 9 at antenna terminals A1 and A2. These terminals are connected to the voltage generator 41 and the receiver 42, respectively.

[0027] The voltage generator 41 serves to harvest energy from the high-frequency signal at terminals A1 and A2. This energy is converted so that a potential of, for example, 3 V relative to ground potential VSS is output at the voltage generator 41. The mobile phone had modulated data for transmission to the semiconductor component 4 onto the high-frequency signal, which is delivered to terminals A1 and A2 via the antenna. This modulated data is demodulated by the receiver unit 42 and stored in the memory unit 49. This memory unit 49 is designed as a non-volatile memory that retains its data even when the semiconductor component is no longer supplied with power.

[0028] The demultiplexer 43 receives as input signals the voltage EXT provided by the voltage generator 41 and the voltage VDD provided by the power supply terminals. Both voltages are referenced to the ground potential VSS at the supply terminal VSS. The demultiplexer 43 outputs a voltage Vin. As long as voltage is present at the VDD terminal, the voltage VIN is generated from VDD. If no voltage is present, the voltage Vin is generated from the EXT voltage, if present. This means that most components of the semiconductor device 4 operate both in the mode where a power supply is present at the supply terminals and in the mode where energy is generated only from the high-frequency signal. However, the oscillator 44, the arithmetic unit 46, the pulse-width modulation generator 47, and the start-stop circuit 50 are powered only by the externally supplied voltage VDD.

[0029] The oscillator 44 generates a clock signal with a frequency of several megahertz. This signal is output to the clock input of the counter 45. The counter 45 also receives as an input signal the STST signal, which signals the start and stop of counting. This STST signal is generated by the start-stop circuit 50. This circuit generates a start signal when the voltage VDD, after having been at a very low level, exceeds a certain threshold, for example, 2.6 V. In this case, it is assumed that the external light is also supplied with voltage, so that its operating time continues. The counter 45 counts the clock events generated by the oscillator 44. For this purpose, the counter 45 contains several dividers, so that it first counts the seconds. These are divided by 3600, so that the counter can ultimately output the hours. The counted hours are stored in a section of the memory unit 49.The counter saves the reading after four hours of counting. Additionally, outside of this four-hour cycle, the counter saves the current reading when the STST signal indicates a stop signal. This stop signal is generated by the start-stop automatic circuit 50 when the voltage VDD falls below a certain threshold. If this threshold is underlined, it can be assumed that the voltage will drop further, thus cutting off the power supply to the light.

[0030] The external capacitor 10, see Figure 1This ensures that the voltage VDD does not drop too quickly, allowing sufficient time to store the current counter reading in memory unit 49. The next time counter 45 starts counting again due to a new start signal, it loads the last recorded counter reading into memory unit 49 and resumes counting from that point.

[0031] The receiver unit 42 receives data via the high-frequency signal, which it stores in the memory unit 49. This data includes, for example, information on the desired brightness level for LEDs 7 and 8. When power is applied to the supply terminals VDD and VSS, a corresponding value is output as a control parameter for the LEDs at the OUT terminal. For example, the memory unit 49 stores the setting that LEDs 7 and 8 should illuminate at 70% of their maximum brightness. This value is read from the memory unit 49 by the logic unit 48 and output to the arithmetic unit 46. The arithmetic unit 46 multiplies this value by a factor that depends on the target operating hours.

[0032] The counter 45 and the arithmetic unit 46 form a calculation unit that determines the operating hours and makes the output signal dependent on both the operating hours and the data stored in the memory unit for the parameter of the controlled device.

[0033] If LEDs 7 and 8 are still relatively new, this factor is, for example, 78%. This value is multiplied by the output value of logic unit 48. The result is output to pulse-width signal generator 49, which outputs a pulse-width-modeled signal whose clock rate is a measure of the result value of arithmetic unit 46.

[0034] In an alternative embodiment, not shown here, a DA converter is provided instead of a pulse width signal generator 47, which outputs an analog DC voltage that is a measure of the output signal of the arithmetic unit 46.

[0035] In one embodiment, the counter reading in the storage unit 49 can also be changed via the high-frequency signal and the receiving unit 42. For example, LEDs 7 and 8 are replaced with new light sources, e.g., new LEDs. Accordingly, the installer can use his mobile phone 2 to save a counter reading in the storage unit 49 indicating that the operating hours are now 0 again. The counter 45 will then subsequently count the operating hours accumulated for the new LEDs 7 and 8.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the semiconductor component 4 also includes an antenna driver 55, which is connected to the antenna terminals and can drive the antenna. This allows data to be transmitted from the semiconductor component to the mobile phone 2 via the antenna. In one embodiment, the meter reading stored in the memory unit 49 is read by the antenna driver 55 and transmitted to the mobile phone 2 via the antenna terminals A1 and A2 and the antenna 9. This allows the installer or another user to read the meter reading and thus know the elapsed operating hours. Furthermore, in other embodiments, it is possible to read additional parts of the memory contents, for example, to check whether parts of the memory unit are defective. Typically, the antenna driver will produce a high-frequency signal, modulate the data to be transmitted onto this high-frequency signal, and thus drive the antenna terminals.

[0037] Figure 3This shows the progression of the luminous intensity of a typical LED over operating hours. For example, it decreases from 100% to 80% after 100,000 operating hours.

[0038] Figure 4 Figure 4 shows the progression of the factor output by counter 45 over the operating hours. This factor is approximately 75% at the beginning and approximately 128% at 120,000 operating hours. The function shown is a continuously increasing step function with four support points. At each of these support points, the height of the steps changes. In one embodiment, the support points of this function can also be stored in the memory unit 49. In other embodiments, this function can be modified by reprogramming using mobile phone 2. This is useful, for example, if a different light source is used whose aging processes differ from those of the previously used light sources.

[0039] The description of the figures explains the invention by means of examples and should not be used to unduly reduce the scope of protection. REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0040] 1 Device 2 Mobile phone 3 AC / DC converter 4 Semiconductor component 5 LED driver 6 Capacitor 7 Light-emitting diode 8 Light-emitting diode 10 Capacitor 11 Resistor 41 Generator 42 Receiver unit 43 Demultiplexer 44 Oscillator 45 Counter 46 Arithmetic unit 47 Pulse width signal generator 48 Control logic 49 Memory unit 50 Start-stop system 55 Antenna driver

Claims

1. A semiconductor device (4) for outputting an output signal, comprising a memory unit (49), an output unit (47), a calculation unit (45, 46), a receiving unit (42) and at least five terminals, wherein the at least five terminals comprise two antenna terminals (A1, A2) for connecting to an antenna (9), two supply terminals (VDD, VSS) for supplying the semiconductor device (4) with electrical energy and an output terminal (OUT), wherein the receiving unit (42) is connected to the antenna terminals (A1, A2) and is configured to receive signals from the antenna terminals, to convert the signals into data and to store the data in the memory unit (49), wherein the output unit (47) is configured to output the output signal at the output terminal (OUT) based on data stored in the memory unit (49), wherein the calculation unit (45, 46) is configured to determine operating hours of the semiconductor device (4), wherein the output signal depends on the data stored in the memory unit (49) and on the determined operating hours, wherein the data stored in the memory unit (49) specify a desired luminous intensity of an LED connectable to the output terminal (OUT), wherein the memory unit (49) further comprises memory space for characteristic values which are configured to describe a dependence of the output signal on the operating hours, wherein the characteristic values are changeable via the receiving unit (42).

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the calculation unit comprises a counter (45) for counting the operating hours.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output signal is an analog voltage.

4. The semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the output signal is a pulse-width modulated signal.

5. The semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the voltage supply of the semiconductor device (4) is effected in a first mode by the two supply terminals (VDD, VSS) and in a second mode by energy obtained from the signals at the antenna terminals (A1, A2).

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 or according to any one of claims 3 to 5 dependent on claim 2, wherein a counter reading of the counter (45) is stored in the memory unit (49) and the counter (45) reads the counter reading from the memory unit before the respective start of the counting.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the counter reading is programmable by signals received at the antenna terminals (A1, A2).

8. The semiconductor device according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising: an antenna driver (55) configured to read data from the memory unit (49) and to drive the antenna terminals for transmitting said data.

9. A luminaire comprising a semiconductor device (4) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the semiconductor device (4) is connected to a control input terminal of a luminaire driver (5).