Method and system for supporting maintainability of lighting fixtures

Abstract

The present invention relates to the integration into a lighting fixture of a programmable memory device for storing maintenance-related information such as operating parameters, repair history information, etc. The memory device can be read by the same connectivity used to drive the lighting fixture, so that the driver can be informed of required operating conditions. The driver can thus learn about the maintenance-related information before starting to drive the lighting fixture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to, but is not limited to, the field of lighting systems, such as solid state lighting systems for use in a variety of different applications for home, office, retail, hospitality and industrial use.

Background Art

[0002] Throughout the following disclosure, a lighting fixture is understood to be any type of lighting unit or luminaire having one or more light sources (including visible or non-visible (infrared (IR) or ultraviolet (UV) light sources) for lighting and / or communication purposes and optionally other internal components and / or external mounting components necessary for proper operation of the lighting, e.g., for distributing light, for positioning and protecting the light source and ballast (if applicable), and for connecting the luminaire to a power source. The lighting fixture can be of a conventional type such as an incandescent lighting fixture, a fluorescent lighting fixture or other discharge lighting fixture, which can be recessed or surface-mounted. The lighting fixture can also be of a type different from the conventional ones, such as an optical fiber comprising a light source and a fiber core or "light pipe" for guiding the light generated by the light source.

[0003] During maintenance or upgrade actions, often, a lighting fixture driver (e.g., a current driver for a light emitting diode (LED)) or a lighting fixture module (e.g., an LED module, also called "L2 (level 2) substrate" etc.) may need to be replaced. Such a lighting fixture module may be used as a carrier for a light source (e.g., an LED) and may be manufactured as a printed circuit board (PCB) from common PCB materials such as an FR4 carrier, a flex-on-rigid carrier or a metal clad PCB (MCPCB) carrier for enhanced cooling.

[0004] Regarding the replacement of a lighting fixture driver or module, one of the main problems is that the new combination must function properly. This requires either maintaining an inventory of obsolete components over the service life, or selecting an appropriate source for old components and / or modules.

[0005] In general, the light output of a lighting fixture module depends on the drive current (set by the driver) and the efficiency level of the lighting fixture module. When replacing an existing lighting fixture module with an improved one (e.g., higher efficiency), the drive current needs to be adjusted to ensure that the same light output as that of the original module is generated. In a conventional lighting system, the lighting fixture driver does not change the drive current when the lighting fixture module is replaced, and it would be too laborious for the user to modify the program of the lighting fixture driver. As a result, the introduction of a lighting fixture module with higher efficiency would result in a light output that may be too high.

[0006] Furthermore, in many cases, the repair of a lighting fixture is hindered by unknown drive parameters when the driver needs to be replaced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide improved maintainability of a lighting system when a driver and / or module is replaced. MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0008] This object is achieved by the lighting fixture module according to claim 1, the device according to claim 9, the driver according to claim 12, the lighting system according to claim 13, the method according to claim 14, and the computer program product according to claim 15.

[0009] According to a first aspect, the lighting fixture module is a memory element for storing lighting system-related information, and an interface circuit for providing access to the memory element to a driver of the lighting fixture module, wherein the interface circuit is configured to provide access to the memory element by coupling the memory element to at least one connection line connectable to the driver, and the driver is for driving at least one light source of the lighting fixture module via the at least one connection line.

[0010] A single connection line can be used to provide an interconnection between the driver, the memory element, and the at least one light source. The driver can be used to supply power for driving the at least one light source. In the same wiring, the driver can also implement a read mode for reading the memory element.

[0011] Furthermore, according to a second aspect, a method for controlling a driver in a lighting system is provided, the method comprising: checking at least one connection line connecting the driver to the lighting fixture module for the presence of an active memory element; and setting the driver to a memory access mode for reading lighting system-related information from the memory element via the at least one connection line according to the check result.

[0012] As a result, without the need for a new connection line or connector between the driver and the lighting fixture module, lighting system-related information (such as maintenance information (e.g., drive parameters), commissioning information, product number information (e.g., EAN), lamp identifier, node name, or IP address for a network-connected lighting system, etc.) is read from the memory element provided in the lighting fixture module, whereby the maintainability of the lighting fixture module can be improved. The lighting system-related information stored in the memory element can be transferred (e.g., read) to a new driver after replacement of the driver or to the existing driver after replacement of the lighting fixture module (which may be a replaceable spare part including the lighting fixture substrate). The availability and automatic reading of the lighting system-related information enable replacement of the lighting fixture module on-site by a user who is not an expert.

[0013] According to a first option of the first or second aspect, the lighting system-related information may have drive parameters for at least one of the lighting fixture module and the at least one light source. Thereby, after replacement of the entire module or after arrangement of one or more light sources, the drive parameters can be read by the driver.

[0014] According to a second option of the first aspect, which can be combined with the first option, the memory element, the interface circuit, and the at least one light source may be connected in parallel. Thereby, the lighting fixture module can be improved simply by connecting the interface circuit and the memory element in parallel to the connection line between the driver and the lighting fixture module.

[0015] According to a third option of the first aspect, which can be combined with the first or second option, the interface circuit may have an insulating element configured to insulate the memory element from the at least one light source during a driving mode for driving the at least one light source. Thus, while the driving mode and the memory access mode of the driver can be implemented via the same connection line, the insulating element ensures that the memory element is protected from higher driving power.

[0016] According to a fourth option, the insulating element may have at least one of a fuse (e.g., a one-time, or electronically or mechanically resettable fuse), a voltage-controlled switch, and a coupling capacitor. Thereby, insulation can be achieved by simple circuit elements, thereby providing an improved lighting fixture module with low circuit complexity.

[0017] According to a fifth option of the first aspect, which can be combined with any one of the first to fourth options, the interface circuit may have a voltage limiting element (e.g., a Zener diode) connected in parallel with the memory element. This measure ensures that the memory element is protected from high voltage during the driving mode of the driver.

[0018] According to a sixth option of the first aspect, which can be combined with any one of the first to fifth options, the lighting fixture module may further have a wireless communication unit for writing wirelessly received information to the memory element or for wirelessly transmitting information read from the memory element. Thereby, the memory element can be accessed wirelessly to enable remote programming or reading without mechanical access to the lighting fixture module. As an example, such wireless access can be performed by a mobile user device during the commissioning phase of the lighting fixture module.

[0019] According to a seventh option of the first or second aspect, which can be combined with any one of the first to sixth options, the memory element may be a low-voltage device having a voltage range lower than the driving voltage of the driver, particularly a 1-Wire device. Therefore, the memory access mode can be distinguished from the driving mode by a lower voltage range. Further, when the memory element is a 1-Wire device, only one connection line is required for memory access.

[0020] (For the driver side) According to a third aspect, an apparatus for controlling a driver of a lighting fixture module in a lighting system is provided. The apparatus checks at least one connection line connecting the driver to the lighting fixture module for the presence or absence of an active memory element, and configures the driver to a memory access mode for reading lighting system related information from the memory element via the at least one connection line according to the check result.

[0021] Thereby, in addition to the above advantages, the lighting module can be checked by the driver, and the driver can automatically derive driving parameters for appropriate driving performance from the read lighting system related information.

[0022] According to a first option of the third aspect, which can be combined with any one of the first to seventh options of the first or second aspect, the apparatus may be configured to set the driver to the memory access mode during a startup phase of the driver. Therefore, when power is supplied to the driver and the startup process is started, the memory element of the lighting fixture device is automatically read by the driver.

[0023] According to a fourth aspect, a driver having the apparatus according to the third aspect is provided.

[0024] According to a fifth aspect, there is provided a lighting system having at least one driver according to the fourth aspect and at least one lighting fixture module according to the first aspect.

[0025] According to a sixth aspect, there is provided a computer program product having code means for generating the steps of the method according to the second aspect when executed on a computer device.

[0026] It should be noted that the above device may be implemented based on an individual hardware circuit comprising individual hardware components, integrated chips, or an array of chip modules, or based on a signal processing device or chip controlled by software routines or programs stored in a memory, written to a computer-readable medium, or downloaded from a network such as the Internet.

[0027] It should be understood that the lighting fixture module according to claim 1, the device according to claim 9, the driver according to claim 12, the lighting system according to claim 13, the method according to claim 14, and the computer program product according to claim 15 may have similar and / or identical preferred embodiments, especially as defined in the dependent claims.

[0028] It should be understood that the preferred embodiments of the present invention may also be any combination of the dependent claims or the above embodiments and their respective independent claims.

[0029] These and other aspects of the present invention will be described and clarified with reference to the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0030]

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0031] Here, various embodiments of the present invention will be described based on a lighting fixture of a solid-state lighting system. Solid-state lighting (SSL) is a type of lighting that uses a semiconductor light-emitting diode (LED), semiconductor laser, vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or polymer light-emitting diode (PLED) as a source or light source of illumination, rather than an electric filament, plasma (used in arc lamps such as fluorescent lamps), or gas. Further, in SSL, solid-state electroluminescence can be used as opposed to an incandescent bulb or fluorescent lamp (which uses thermal radiation). SSL generates visible light with less heat generation and less energy dissipation compared to incandescent lighting. Further, white LEDs can convert blue light from a solid-state device into an (approximate) white light spectrum using photoluminescence, which is the same principle used in conventional fluorescent tubes.

[0032] The following embodiments are directed to LED lighting fixtures. However, it is noted that the present invention can be used for all kinds of lighting fixtures to improve their maintainability.

[0033] A driver is an electrical device that regulates the power to an LED or an LED string. Since the electrical characteristics of an LED change with temperature, the driver can supply a certain amount of power to the LED to meet the changing needs of the LED. The driver is important because LEDs require very specific power to operate properly. If the voltage supplied to the LED is lower than the required voltage, there is little current flowing through the junction, resulting in little light and poor performance. On the other hand, if the voltage is too high, excessive current flows into the LED, and the LED may overheat, suffer serious damage, or completely fail (thermal runaway). This is surely also applicable to other types of lighting fixtures.

[0034] According to various embodiments, a programmable memory device is incorporated into a lighting fixture module, and the lighting fixture module may be a circuit board (e.g., an L2 board) or an integrated circuit, etc., and at least one light source of the lighting fixture is disposed in or on the lighting fixture module. The memory cells of the programmable memory can be used, among other things, to store drive parameters, repair history information, or other lighting system-related information so as to improve the maintainability of the lighting fixture. The programmable memory device may be a random access memory (RAM), a non-volatile RAM (NVRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a flash EPROM, etc.

[0035] In an example, the lighting fixture module can be configured to enable the use of connection lines (e.g., two wires) that are also used to drive the lighting fixture module.

[0036] In the following, various embodiments of a driver and a lighting fixture module each having a respective communication interface circuit are presented, in which the lighting fixture module can notify the driver of various maintenance parameters, such as required operating conditions. Thus, the driver can learn about these maintenance parameters before starting to drive a new or replaced lighting fixture module that may be accessible, for example, via a conventional two-pin connection to the driver.

[0037] FIG. 1 schematically shows a block diagram of a lighting fixture system including an improved lighting fixture module 120 (e.g., a Level 2 (L2) substrate, etc.) and a driver 110 according to various embodiments.

[0038] Note that (throughout this disclosure) the structure and / or function of blocks or circuit components with the same reference numerals as previously described will not be described again unless additional specific functions are included. Further, only the structural elements and functions useful for understanding the embodiments are shown. Other structural elements and functions are omitted for reasons of brevity.

[0039] In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, the driver 110 is connected to the lighting fixture module 120 via two connection lines or wires 112. The lighting fixture module holds a plurality of solid-state light sources (e.g., LEDs) 121 and, in addition, a programmable memory element 132 and an interface circuit 131 for addressing individual memory cells or groups of memory cells to write to or read from the memory element 132 and to drive the light sources 121.

[0040] Furthermore, the driver 110 may have a user interface and / or input port 111 for setting driver parameters and / or for supplying power to the driver 110.

[0041] In the example, the connection technology between the driver 110 and the lighting fixture module 120 for accessing additional components (e.g., programmable memory element 132 and interface circuit 131) attached to the lighting fixture module 120 may be 1-Wire technology, and the 1-Wire technology enables the use of the drive wire 112 for memory operations (e.g., reading, writing, etc.) of the programmable memory element 132. 1-Wire is a device communication bus system that provides low-speed transmission of data and signaling (e.g., 16.3 kbit / s) and power through a single conductor. 1-Wire is 2 conceptually similar to I2C, but has a lower data speed and a longer range. One of the prominent features of the bus is that only two wires 112, i.e., data and ground, can be used. 1-Wire communication can be initiated by a master (e.g., driver 110), and the 1-Wire protocol uses voltages between 0V and 5V. The logical high level (5V) can be applied on the master side (e.g., driver 110) by a pull-up resistor connected between the data wire of the drive wire 112 and a reference voltage (e.g., supply voltage). The master device (e.g., driver 110) and the slave device (e.g., lighting fixture module 120) may utilize open-drain or open-collector switches to pull down the data wire of the drive wire 112. All information can be carried in a fixed timing manner.

[0042] To provide connectivity between the driver 110 and the lighting fixture module 120 comprising the interface circuit 131 and the programmable memory element 132, other serial or parallel communication bus technologies can surely be used. These are Inter-Integrated Circuit (I 2C), Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI), HyperTransport, Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI), UNI / O, SMBus, Controller Area Network (CAN), ExpressCard, Fieldbus, FireWire, RS-232, RS-485, Thunderbolt, Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI), Industry Standard Architecture (ISA), Low Pin Count (LPC), MicroChannel (MCA), Multibus, SBus, VMEbus, and the like.

[0043] FIG. 2 schematically shows a timing diagram with waveforms of driver output signals according to various embodiments as an example of 1-Wire memory access before driving the light source 121 of the lighting fixture module 120.

[0044] The 1-Wire memory access operation 401 is started each time the driver 110 obtains power supply. During the memory access operation 401, the signal voltage on the drive wire 112 changes from a low voltage (e.g., 0V) to a high voltage U 1W-HIt is restricted to the 1-Wire operating range up to (for example, 5V). When the 1-Wire component (i.e., the lighting fixture module 120) is active, its information can be transferred to the driver memory (not shown). After the driver 110 is notified of the required driving conditions, the driver 110 can automatically select the appropriate nominal voltage and driving current for driving the light source 121. Then, the driver 110 begins to increase the voltage at time point 402. Thereafter, at time point 403, the voltage exceeds the 1-Wire voltage range (i.e., 5V), and a trigger circuit (for example, a fuse, a switch, etc. as described later) insulates the 1-Wire circuit (for example, the interface circuit 131 and the memory element 132) from the light source 121 (for example, an LED string) of the lighting fixture module 120. Therefore, the driver 110 can enter the driving mode at a general forward voltage U higher than the 1-Wire voltage range at time point 404 F and can enter the driving mode.

[0045] The advantage of using the 1-Wire technology in the lighting fixture module 120 is the unique unique serial number assigned to all 1-Wire components. This serial number can be used to detect changes (for example, replacements) in the lighting fixture module 120 and to report the serial number after the completion of maintenance work.

[0046] Another advantage of using 1-Wire technology is that the lighting fixture modules 120 connected in parallel can be individually addressed (e.g., the 1-Wire lighting fixture modules 120 can be read like a DALI bus). Thereby, different drive parameters or other parameters of the lighting fixture modules 120 connected in parallel can be read independently. Accordingly, the driver 110 can determine how many lighting fixture modules 120 are connected in parallel and whether the forward voltage is compliant. If the forward voltage is not compliant, a maintenance message can be issued so that the maintenance personnel can confirm that the problem still exists, or only the compliant (e.g., lower voltage) lighting fixture modules can be operated.

[0047] FIG. 3 schematically shows a block diagram of the driver 110 according to various embodiments.

[0048] The driver 110 has a driver circuit (D) 31 for generating a drive output to be supplied to the lighting fixture module 120 in order to operate and drive the light source 121 according to the drive parameters of the light source 121 stored in the memory element 132. The driver circuit 31 is configured as a controllable current source to supply sufficient current to turn on the light source 121 of the lighting fixture module 120 at the required brightness, but to limit the current to prevent damage to the light source 121. To drive a high-power light source for lighting, a more complex current source circuit may be required to achieve appropriate current regulation.

[0049] Furthermore, the driver 110 is configured (e.g., programmed) to access the memory element 132 via the interface circuit 131 by, for example, providing a 1-Wire master function and controlling the driver circuit 31 to supply the required 1-Wire signal in the required voltage range (e.g., 0 to 5V). The interface control circuit (I-CTRL) 32 has an interface control circuit 32 which is connected to the drive wire 112, accesses the memory element 132 of the lighting fixture module 120, and is configured to read data received from the memory element 132 of the lighting fixture module 120 via the interface circuit 131 and the drive wire 112 (e.g., including drive parameters and other maintenance parameters of the lighting fixture device 120). The interface control circuit 32 may store the received drive parameters in the memory (not shown) of the driver 110 and supply the drive parameters to the driver circuit 31 (if the driver circuit 31 has its own control circuit). In other examples, the interface control circuit 32 may be configured to control the driver circuit 31 to supply the required drive output to the lighting fixture module 120 via the drive wire 112 according to the received drive parameters.

[0050] Both the driver circuit 31 and the interface control circuit 32 receive their power P from a power supply circuit (not shown) inside or outside the driver 110.

[0051] The interface control circuit 32 may be implemented as a programmable processor controlled by software routines stored in a program memory.

[0052] FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of an improved lighting fixture driving procedure according to various embodiments. This procedure can be implemented in the driver 110, for example, by a software routine that controls the interface control circuit 32.

[0053] In step S401, for example, the bus connection line (e.g., drive wire 112) is accessed by sending its own request and waiting for a response, or by waiting for an advertisement or other signal from the lighting fixture module 120.

[0054] Next, in step S402, it is checked whether the lighting fixture device (e.g., lighting fixture module 120) has an active low-voltage device (e.g., 1-Wire device) connected to the bus connection line, or whether the active low-voltage device responds with a "factory-new" response.

[0055] If so ("Y"), the procedure branches to step S403, the memory of the low-voltage device (e.g., memory element 132) is accessed, and the stored drive parameters and / or other maintenance parameters are read. In subsequent step S404, the read parameters are used to select appropriate settings for driving the lighting fixture device. Then, the procedure proceeds to step S405, the output voltage applied to the bus connection line is increased to the drive voltage required for the lighting fixture device, and the drive mode is entered in step S406.

[0056] Otherwise, if no active low-voltage device is detected in step S402, or if the active low-voltage device does not respond with a "factory-new" response, the procedure proceeds directly to steps S405 and S406, the output voltage is increased, and the drive mode for the lighting fixture device is entered.

[0057] In the following, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, an example for implementing an improved lighting fixture module 120 equipped with a low-voltage device (e.g., 1-Wire device) will be described. FIG. 5 schematically shows a block diagram of a first example of an improved lighting fixture module according to an embodiment.

[0058] Similar to FIG. 1, the programmable memory element 132 is a 1-Wire low voltage device and is added to the light source 121 (e.g., series connection of LEDs) 221 of the lighting fixture module 120 (e.g., L2 substrate).

[0059] In the first example, the interface circuit 131 of FIG. 1 is implemented by a replaceable or resettable fuse 231 and a Zener diode 232 or other voltage limiting element connected in parallel to the memory element 132 (e.g., having a 5V Zener voltage).

[0060] Before the driver 110 drives the light source 121 with a general forward voltage U F a low voltage device protocol signal (e.g., a 1-Wire protocol signal) is executed by the driver 120 based on an initial setting received, for example, via the user input 111. Here, the voltage of the protocol signal is much lower than the general forward voltage U F as shown in FIG. 2. The startup procedure of the driver 110 can always start with a period of checking the available 1-Wire components connected in parallel to the string of the light source 121. Such an access procedure before the normal driving operation is illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0061] Due to the fact that the normal driving operation cuts the fuse 231, the 1-Wire interface circuit needs to be revived, for example, by replacing or resetting the fuse 231. Therefore, when the lighting fixture module 120 is maintained and inspected after the driver 110 is replaced, the fuse 231 can be replaced with a new fuse and the new driver can access all the important information regarding the driving requirements of the lighting fixture module 120 again.

[0062] In the modification of the first example, a breakable or non-resettable disposable fuse 231 can be beneficially replaced with an automatically resettable type of fuse that opens the circuit when an overcurrent is detected but reconnects the circuit after cooling. This may be, for example, a polymeric positive temperature coefficient (PTC) overcurrent protection device arranged in series with the circuit or assembly to be protected. The PTC element protects the circuit by changing from a low resistance state to a high resistance state in response to an overcurrent. This function is called "tripping" of the overcurrent protection device.

[0063] Thus, both a conventional fuse and a resettable PTC function by reacting to heat generated by an excessive current flow in the circuit. The fuse element melts and opens to cut off the current flow, and the resettable PTC changes from a low resistance to a high resistance to limit the current flow.

[0064] In this way, the memory element 132 can always be accessed before entering the driving mode of the lighting fixture, and there is no longer a need to replace a broken fuse.

[0065] In a further modification of the first example, the separation of the low voltage section (e.g., the memory element 132) from the light source of the high voltage lighting fixture may be achieved by a manual switch or a removable jumper instead of the fuse 231. This maintains the driver 110 in the read mode until the switch or jumper is actuated (e.g., switched or pressed). Thus, a maintenance person can easily manually set the lighting fixture module 120 to the maintenance mode.

[0066] FIG. 6 schematically shows a block diagram of a second example of an improved lighting fixture module according to an embodiment.

[0067] In the second example, the fuse 231 of the interface circuit is replaced by a voltage-dependent insulation circuit, and the voltage-dependent insulation circuit has, for example, a voltage-dependent control element 535 and an insulation switch 534 controlled by the voltage-dependent control element 535. The control element 535 closes the insulation switch 534 at a low voltage (i.e., during access to the memory element 132), and the 1-Wire high voltage U 1W-H (e.g., 5V) and is configured to open the insulation switch 534 at a voltage higher than that.

[0068] The voltage-dependent insulation circuit may be implemented as an integrated circuit (e.g., eFuse) with an integrated insulation switch, control circuit, and power management.

[0069] The advantage of the second example is that the memory element 132 of such an improved lighting fixture module 120 can be accessed at any time simply by switching to a lower voltage less than the 1-Wire high voltage U 1W-H (e.g., 5V). Thereafter, the driver 110 completely controls access to the memory element 132.

[0070] As an additional use, the memory element 132 can be used to periodically record the drive diagnosis and drive history of the lighting fixture module 120.

[0071] FIG. 7 schematically shows a block diagram of a third example of an improved lighting fixture module according to an embodiment.

[0072] In the third example, the fuse 231 of the first example is replaced by a coupling capacitor 331. Thereby, the memory element 132 of the lighting fixture module 120 is capacitively coupled to the output of the driver 110. This is a simple and inexpensive solution and is resettable. The capacitor 331 blocks the high DC drive voltage and protects the memory element 132 in the normal operating mode. During maintenance or access mode, a low voltage AC protocol signal for accessing the memory element 132 can be communicated via the capacitor 331 as an interface circuit. The memory element 132 consumes little current and in some cases can be supplied by a voltage transition in the communication bus of the drive wire 112.

[0073] In a modified example of the third example, communication for extracting lighting system related information (for example, drive parameters, etc.) from the memory element 132 may be achieved during the normal operating mode (lighting fixture drive mode) by superimposing a protocol signal on the DC drive voltage.

[0074] FIG. 8 schematically shows a block diagram of a fourth example of an improved lighting fixture module according to an embodiment.

[0075] In the fourth example which is an improved example of the second example, an auxiliary power supply 550 powers the memory element 132 and a further circuit 551 when the voltage control isolation switch 534 is open. The further circuit 551 may be a memory controller that can write to and / or read from the memory element 132.

[0076] According to the fourth example, the further circuit 551 may have a wireless communication unit, such as an infrared (IR) unit, a Bluetooth (BT) unit, or a near field communication (NFC) unit. The wireless communication unit may be configured to write (i.e., program) information that can be read by the driver 110 during the next startup process into the memory element 132. Further, during the startup process, the driver 110 can write into the memory element 132 information that can be later communicated externally to the lighting fixture module 120 by the wireless communication unit of the further circuit 551.

[0077] The lighting fixture module (e.g., L2 substrate), unlike the driver for example, is not substantially shielded from the environment by a housing or the like, and is thus well suited for placing a wireless communication unit thereon. Further, the wireless communication unit of the further circuit 551 can be upgraded when the lighting fixture module 120 is upgraded (e.g., replaced).

[0078] In other embodiments that can be based on the above first to fourth examples, the memory element 132 may store other lighting system-related information in addition to the drive parameters (e.g., drive current and forward voltage). Such other lighting system-related information may be lighting fixture module information such as spectral details like color temperature, manufacturing date, color rendering index, expected life, optical detail information like beam size, etc.

[0079] In a further developed embodiment that can be based on the above first to fourth examples, the memory element 132 or the lighting fixture module 120 may also have a life counter, and the life counter may count, for example, the expired operating time (e.g., in time units) or the number of on / off cycles.

[0080] In a further development embodiment obtainable based on the first to fourth examples above, the memory element 132 may also store lighting system related information such as a spare part code (for example, 12NC code), a global trade item number (GTIN), a unique instance code, a service tag, or a link to a specific website of the manufacturing company (OEM) of the partner's branded product for designating the lighting fixture module 120 and / or its components as spare parts.

[0081] In a further development embodiment obtainable based on the first to fourth examples above, the driver 110 may write a copy of the commissioning or setup information to the memory element 132. In case of any malfunction of any driver, a newly installed driver can then automatically call this commissioning or setup information and seamlessly take over the role of the broken driver. In this way, the repair by replacing the driver 110 does not require any new commissioning or adjustment at all. Such information may further have a lamp identifier, a node name or an IP address for a network-connected lighting system.

[0082] In a further development embodiment obtainable based on the first to fourth examples above, the same interface and memory mechanism can be used for other modules within the lighting fixture. These can be sensors, communication modules, etc.

[0083] In summary, the integration of a programmable memory device into a lighting fixture has been described. The memory device can be used to store maintenance-related information such as driving parameters, repair history information, etc. The memory device can be read out by the same connectivity used to drive the lighting fixture, so the driver can be informed of the required operating conditions. Therefore, the driver can learn about the maintenance-related information before starting to drive the lighting fixture.

[0084] Although the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such drawings and description should be regarded as illustrative or exemplary and not as restrictive. The present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The proposed separation of the programmable memory element 132 and access to the programmable memory element 132 can be applied to any type of module provided in a lighting device driven by a driver and, in some cases, can be standardized.

[0085] Those skilled in the art can understand and achieve other modifications to the disclosed embodiments from the study of the drawings, the description, and the appended claims in the practice of the invention claimed. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the singular form does not exclude the plural. A single processor or other unit may perform the functions of a plurality of items recited in the claims. Merely the fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that these means cannot be used advantageously in combination. The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the present invention. However, no matter how detailed the foregoing may be written in the text, it will be understood that the present invention can be practiced in many ways and, therefore, is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. It should be noted that the use of specific terms in describing a particular feature or aspect of the present invention should not be considered as redefining the terms in the specification to be limited to including any particular characteristics of the feature or aspect of the invention to which the terms relate.

[0086] A single unit or device may perform the functions of a plurality of items recited in the claims. Merely the fact that certain means are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that these means cannot be used advantageously in combination.

[0087] The described procedures, such as the procedure shown in FIG. 4, can each be implemented as program code means of a computer program and / or as dedicated hardware of a receiving device or a transceiver device. The computer program may be stored and / or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid state medium, supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunications systems.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture module, a memory element for storing lighting system related information, and an interface circuit for providing access to the memory element to a driver of the lighting fixture module, the lighting fixture module comprising: the interface circuit being configured to provide access to the memory element by coupling the memory element to at least one connection line connectable to the driver, the driver being for driving at least one light source of the lighting fixture module via the at least one connection line; the interface circuit having an insulating element configured to insulate the memory element from the at least one light source during a driving mode for driving the at least one light source; the lighting system related information including driving parameters for at least one of the lighting fixture module and the at least one light source.

2. The lighting fixture module according to claim 1, wherein the memory element, the interface circuit, and the at least one light source are connected in parallel.

3. The lighting fixture module according to claim 2, wherein the insulating element includes at least one of a fuse, a voltage controlled switch, and a coupling capacitor.

4. The lighting fixture module according to claim 1, wherein the interface circuit has a voltage limiting element connected in parallel to the memory element.

5. The lighting fixture module according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication unit for writing information received wirelessly into the memory element or for wirelessly transmitting information read from the memory element.

6. The lighting fixture module according to claim 1, wherein the memory element is a low voltage device having a voltage range less than a driving voltage of the driver, particularly a 1-Wire device.

7. An apparatus for controlling a driver of the lighting fixture module according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in a lighting system, wherein the apparatus checks at least one connection line connecting the driver to the lighting fixture module for the presence or absence of an active memory element, and according to the check result, configures the driver to a memory access mode for reading lighting system related information from the memory element via the at least one connection line.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the memory access mode is a low voltage mode including a voltage range lower than the driving voltage of the driver, particularly a 1-Wire mode.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the apparatus is configured to set the driver to the memory access mode during a startup phase of the driver.

10. A driver having the apparatus according to claim 7.

11. A lighting system having at least one driver according to claim 10 and at least one lighting fixture module according to claim 1.

12. A method for controlling a driver in a lighting system, comprising: checking at least one connection line connecting the driver to the lighting fixture module according to any one of claims 1 to 6 for the presence or absence of an active memory element; and setting the driver to a memory access mode for reading lighting system related information from the memory element via the at least one connection line according to the check result.

13. A computer program having code means for generating the steps according to claim 12 when executed on a computer device.

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