LED converter with improved environmental balance and system comprising such an LED converter

Abstract

The invention relates to an LED converter (10). Said converter has output terminals (11) for supplying an LED-based load, a control unit (12) designed to support communication of the LED converter (10) and / or the corresponding provision of a voltage at the output terminals (11), a nonvolatile memory (13), to which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) and / or items of information relating to the LED-based load can be written, preferably once, and / or to which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) and / or items of information relating to the LED-based load are written, and a wired and / or wireless interface (14), via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) can be written, preferably once, to the nonvolatile memory (13) and / or via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) can be read out from the nonvolatile memory (13).

Description

[0001] LED converter with improved environmental footprint and system with such an LED converter

[0002] Description:

[0003] AREA OF INVENTION

[0004] The invention relates to an LED converter with an improved environmental footprint and a system comprising such an LED converter and an LED-based load supplied by this LED converter.

[0005] BACKGROUND

[0006] Especially for lighting purposes, LEDs are predominantly used today in conjunction with at least one LED driver to power them. Furthermore, more and more conventional lighting sources, such as those based on incandescent lamps, are being replaced by LED-based light sources. Due to the corresponding increase in the number of LED drivers used and the fundamental need to protect the environment, the demand for LED drivers with an improved environmental footprint is growing.

[0007] Typically, LED converters are disassembled into their individual components, and then the recyclable materials are filtered out in a complex process. In particular, since no device-specific recycling method is used, valuable materials are lost, resulting in a worse overall environmental impact than it could be.

[0008] TASK AND SOLUTION

[0009] Accordingly, the object of the invention is to provide an LED converter with an improved environmental footprint as well as a system with such an LED converter and an LED-based load that is supplied by this LED converter.

[0010] The problem is solved with respect to the LED converter by the features of claim 1. The problem is solved with respect to the system by the features of claim 11. The dependent claims contain advantageous embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] According to a first aspect of the invention, an LED converter is provided. This LED converter has output terminals for supplying an LED-based load, a control unit configured to support communication between the LED converter and / or the corresponding provision of a voltage at the output terminals, a non-volatile memory in which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter and / or information relating to the LED-based load are written, preferably once, and / or in which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter and / or information relating to the LED-based load are written, and a wired and / or wireless interface via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter can be written to the non-volatile memory, preferably once, and / or via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter can be read from the non-volatile memory.This can advantageously lead to a significant improvement in the corresponding environmental balance, especially in recycling.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the control unit comprises or is a microcontroller. Advantageously, this enables cost-effective manufacturing.

[0013] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter represent the materials used for the respective manufacture of at least the LED converter and / or environmental influences during the respective manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED converter. Advantageously, for example, the method to be selected for the respective recycling can be represented.

[0014] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data. Advantageously, for example, comparability of corresponding sustainability assessments can be ensured.

[0015] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the non-volatile memory is writable only once. Additionally or alternatively, the non-volatile memory comprises or is a WORM (Write Once Read Many) storage medium. Advantageously, this effectively prevents subsequent manipulation of the corresponding data. According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the wired and / or wireless interface comprises or is a DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface). Advantageously, a lighting management system or a building management system can be used to query the environmentally relevant data.

[0016] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the wired and / or wireless interface has or is an NFC (Near Field Communication) interface. Advantageously, the environmentally relevant data can be retrieved contactlessly.

[0017] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the information relating to the LED-based load includes or is environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load. Advantageously, the environmentally relevant data of a luminaire can be reproduced.

[0018] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load represent the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED-based load and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED-based load. Advantageously, for example, the method to be selected for the corresponding recycling can be represented.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the first aspect of the invention, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data. Advantageously, for example, comparability of corresponding sustainability assessments can be ensured.

[0020] According to a second aspect of the invention, a system is created. This system comprises an LED converter according to the first aspect of the invention or one of its embodiments, and an LED-based load that is supplied by the LED converter. Advantageously, this significantly improves the corresponding environmental footprint, in particular the recycling.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter and environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load can be written to the non-volatile memory, preferably once. Additionally or alternatively, environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter and environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load are written to the non-volatile memory. Advantageously, environmentally relevant data of a luminaire can be written to and / or be written to the non-volatile memory.

[0022] According to a further embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter represent the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED converter and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture, use, and / or recycling of the LED converter. Furthermore, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load represent the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED-based load and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture, use, and / or recycling of the LED-based load. Advantageously, for example, the method to be selected for the corresponding recycling of a (complete) luminaire can be represented.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the second aspect of the invention, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data. Furthermore, the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data. Advantageously, the complete EPD data of a luminaire can be reproduced.

[0024] DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED FORMS

[0025] The following is a detailed exemplary description of some embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures in the drawing. This shows:

[0026] Fig. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an inventive LED converter; and

[0027] Fig. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a system according to the invention with the

[0028] LED converter as shown in Fig. 1.

[0029] According to Fig. 1, the LED converter 10 has output terminals n for supplying an LED-based load, a control unit 12 configured to support communication of the LED converter 10 and / or the corresponding provision of a voltage at the output terminals 11, a non-volatile memory 13 in which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter 10 and / or information relating to the LED-based load are written, preferably once, and / or in which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter 10 and / or information relating to the LED-based load are written, and a wired and / or wireless interface 14 via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter 10 can be written into the non-volatile memory 13, preferably once, and / or via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter 10 can be read from the non-volatile memory 13.

[0030] Thus, the LED converter 10 enables information describing its sustainability to be read from the LED converter 10 via the wired and / or wireless interface 14. Furthermore, information concerning the LED-based load or luminaire information, which has been stored accordingly, particularly beforehand, in the non-volatile memory 13, can also be read.

[0031] Furthermore, it is possible, for example, to query the sustainability of the corresponding lighting via a lighting management system or a building management system, particularly in the form of environmentally relevant data regarding the LED converter 10 and / or regarding the LED-based load or luminaire.

[0032] It should be noted that it may be particularly advantageous if environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter 10 and / or the LED-based load or luminaire include or are such recycling instructions.

[0033] These environmentally relevant data, recycling instructions, or recycling information are of particular interest because they allow for the highly efficient determination of how to recycle the corresponding LED converter and / or LED-based load or luminaire in order to achieve the best possible environmental, economic, and ecological balance.

[0034] Furthermore, this data or information can be used as early as the planning stage of a corresponding dismantling, since it can be accessed or read out in advance, especially digitally, and can be used for the organization of the dismantling.

[0035] With regard to the control unit 12, it should be noted that it may be particularly advantageous if the control unit 12 has a microcontroller or is one.

[0036] Furthermore, with regard to the aforementioned environmentally relevant data concerning the LED converter 10, it may be particularly advantageous if the environmentally relevant data concerning the LED converter 10 reflect the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED converter 10 and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED converter 10.

[0037] It should be noted that the environmental data relating to the LED converter 10 may also include materials required and / or consumed in the production of the LED converter 10. Furthermore, the environmental data relating to the LED converter 10 may also include the amount of energy required for its manufacture.

[0038] It can be particularly advantageous if the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED converter 10 includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD data (Environmental Product Declaration).

[0039] With regard to the non-volatile memory 13, it should be mentioned that it can be particularly advantageous if the non-volatile memory 13 is writable only once.

[0040] Additionally or alternatively, the non-volatile memory 13 can be a WORM (Write Once Read Many) storage medium. Such a WORM storage medium can only be written to once, but can be read many times.

[0041] With regard to the wired and / or wireless interface 14, it should be noted that it may be particularly advantageous if the wired and / or wireless interface 14 has or is a DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface).

[0042] In this context, it should be mentioned that, particularly in the case that the wired and / or wireless interface 14 is a DALI interface, the corresponding interface is specifically wired.

[0043] Furthermore, it can be particularly advantageous if the wired and / or wireless interface 14 has or is an NFC (Near Field Communication) interface.

[0044] In this context, it should be mentioned that, particularly in the case that the wired and / or wireless interface 14 is an NFC interface, the corresponding interface is specifically wireless.

[0045] For example, environmentally relevant data concerning the LED converter 10 or recycling instructions or recycling information can be read out via the wired and / or wireless interface 14, in particular via the NFC interface, e.g. which materials are contained in the LED converter 10 and how they can possibly be separated and identified, and / or which processes are necessary for the corresponding recycling.

[0046] One advantage of using the information stored accordingly in the non-volatile memory 13 is that it can be read out individually and / or in a hardware version-specific manner and would also work without the corresponding housing of the LED converter 10, which may have already been removed or recycled in a previous step.

[0047] Furthermore, especially if the interface 14 is a wireless interface, it can be particularly advantageous if the non-volatile memory 13 and the interface 14 are designed as an optical pattern.

[0048] This optical pattern can be applied to the LED converter 10, for example, by printing or laser engraving. Alternatively, the optical pattern can first be applied to a substrate, which is then attached to the LED converter 10, for example, by gluing.

[0049] It can be particularly advantageous if the optical pattern has or is a QR code (Quick Response).

[0050] With regard to the environmental data concerning the LED converter 10, it should be mentioned again that it may be particularly advantageous if the environmental data concerning the LED converter 10 additionally or alternatively includes one or any combination of the following bullet points:

[0051] - Corresponding percentage and / or absolute content of which materials are contained in the LED converter 10;

[0052] - additional recycling information, e.g. whether it contains toxic substances that require special recycling;

[0053] - the exact composition of the materials used accordingly, e.g. what exactly is contained in the corresponding housing, in particular polycarbonate housing, of the LED converter 10;

[0054] - Information and accurate labeling of toxic materials, e.g. GaAs - after removal of these components, recycling is more environmentally friendly;

[0055] - Information on how the LED converter 10 can be repaired, disassembled, or reordered, e.g., a corresponding parts list of the components of the LED converter 10. This can also apply analogously to information regarding the LED-based load or environmentally relevant data concerning the LED-based load.

[0056] As already indicated above, it can be particularly advantageous if the information regarding the LED-based load contains or is environmentally relevant data regarding the LED-based load.

[0057] In this context, it may also be particularly advantageous if the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED-based load reflect the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED-based load and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED-based load.

[0058] It should be noted that all the above statements concerning the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED converter 10 can apply analogously to the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED-based load.

[0059] Thus, it can be mentioned again, for example, that the environmentally relevant data regarding LED-based loads can also reflect materials that are required and / or consumed in the production of the LED-based load. Furthermore, the environmentally relevant data regarding LED-based loads can also reflect the amount of energy required to manufacture the LED-based load.

[0060] It can also be particularly advantageous if the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED-based load includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data.

[0061] Furthermore, it should be noted that the wired and / or wireless interface 14 may be directly connected to the non-volatile memory 13. In this case, the corresponding data and / or information, particularly without the support of the control unit 12, could be written to the non-volatile memory 13 via the wired and / or wireless interface 14, or written to and / or read from the non-volatile memory 13.

[0062] Fig. 2 illustrates a system 20 comprising the LED converter 10 described above in Fig. 1 and an LED-based load 21 supplied by the LED converter 10. It can be particularly advantageous if environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter 10 and environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load 21 can be written to the non-volatile memory 13, preferably once, and / or if environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter 10 and environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load 21 are written to the non-volatile memory 13.

[0063] The above statements can apply analogously to these environmentally relevant data regarding the LED converter 10 and the LED-based load 21.

[0064] Furthermore, it can be particularly advantageous if the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED converter 10 reflect the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED converter 10 and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED converter 10, and if the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED-based load 21 reflect the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED-based load 21 and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED-based load 21.

[0065] Furthermore, it can be particularly advantageous if the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED converter 10 includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data, and if the environmentally relevant data regarding the LED-based load 21 includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data.

[0066] Therefore, the total EPD data of a luminaire can advantageously be written into the non-volatile memory 13.

[0067] The invention is not limited to the embodiments discussed above. All features described in the description, claimed in the claims, or shown in the drawing can be combined with one another in any way within the scope of this invention.

Claims

Claims:

1. An LED converter (io), comprising: - Output terminals (ii) for supplying an LED-based load, - a control unit (12) configured to support communication between the LED converter (10) and / or the corresponding provision of a voltage at the output terminals (11), - a non-volatile memory (13) into which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) and / or information relating to the LED-based load can be written, preferably once, and / or in which environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) and / or information relating to the LED-based load are written, and - a wired and / or wireless interface (14) via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) can be written into the non-volatile memory (13), preferably once, and / or via which the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) can be read out of the non-volatile memory (13).

2. The LED converter (10) according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (12) comprises or is a microcontroller.

3. The LED converter (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) reflect the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED converter (10) and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED converter (10).

4. The LED converter (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) includes or is equivalent to EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data.

5. The LED converter (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the non-volatile memory (13) is writable once, and / or wherein the non-volatile memory (13) comprises or is a WORM (Write Once Read Many) storage medium.

6. The LED converter (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the wired and / or wireless interface (14) has or is a DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface). 7- The LED converter (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the wired and / or wireless interface (14) has or is an NFC (Near Field Communication) interface.

8. The LED converter (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the information relating to the LED-based load includes or is environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load.

9. The LED converter (10) according to claim 8, wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load represent the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED-based load and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED-based load.

10. The LED converter (10) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load includes or is corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data.

11. A system (20) comprising: - an LED converter (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, and - an LED-based load (21) which is supplied by the LED converter (10).

12. The system (20) according to claim 11, wherein environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) and environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load (21) are writeable to the non-volatile memory (13), preferably once, and / or wherein environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) and environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load (21) are written to the non-volatile memory (13).

13. The system (20) according to claim 12, wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (io) represent the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED converter (10) and / or environmental influences during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED converter (10), and wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load (21) represent the materials used for the corresponding manufacture of at least the LED-based load (21) and / or Environmental impacts during the corresponding manufacture and / or use and / or recycling of the LED-based load (21). 14- The system (20) according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED converter (10) includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data, and wherein the environmentally relevant data relating to the LED-based load (21) includes or is equivalent to corresponding EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) data.

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