LED Luminaire Auto-Testing and Data Communications
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing LED luminaires face challenges in compatibility with different ballasts, leading to high maintenance costs and inefficiencies, and require reliable emergency lighting systems that can auto-test battery health and communicate diagnostic data effectively.
Innovation Solution
An LED luminaire with an emergency-operated portion that includes a rechargeable battery, self-diagnostic circuit, and RF transceiver for auto-testing and data communication, allowing for periodic battery testing and remote data transmission to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If ballast-compatible LED luminaires are used to replace fluorescent luminaires, then initial replacement cost is reduced, but maintenance costs and complexity increase due to ballast compatibility issues and operational limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the ballast component entirely from the lighting system by using AC mains-operable LED luminaires that can be directly wired to the power supply. This extraction eliminates ballast compatibility issues, reduces maintenance complexity, and prevents the scenario where ballasts continue to consume power after LED modules fail.
Solution Approach 2:
The LED luminaire is designed with universal AC mains operation capability, allowing it to function independently without requiring specific ballast types. This multi-functionality enables direct replacement of fluorescent luminaires and eliminates the need for ballast compatibility matching, thereby reducing both initial complexity and long-term maintenance burden.
2Ease of manufacture
If ballast-compatible LED luminaires are deployed throughout a facility, then initial conversion cost is lowered, but long-term ownership cost increases due to extensive labor for identifying and replacing incompatible ballasts
Solution Approach 1:
By extracting the ballast from the system entirely and using AC mains-operable LED luminaires, the patent eliminates the source of compatibility problems. This prevents the need for extensive labor to identify and replace incompatible ballasts, thereby reducing long-term ownership costs while maintaining low initial conversion costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by designing LED luminaires that are pre-configured for direct AC mains operation, eliminating the need for future ballast replacements. This upfront design decision prevents long-term maintenance issues and reduces ownership costs without significantly increasing initial conversion costs.
3Reliability
If self-diagnostic testing and data communication systems are added to LED luminaires, then reliability and compliance are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the self-diagnostic testing circuitry, real-time clock, and RF data communication functions into an integrated control system within the LED luminaire. This consolidation improves reliability by ensuring all functions work together seamlessly while managing complexity through unified design rather than separate independent systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements self-service through automatic self-diagnostic testing that occurs without external intervention. The real-time clock schedules periodic tests of the emergency battery and lighting functions, and the RF transceiver automatically communicates test results and diagnostic data, reducing the need for manual testing and complex external monitoring systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A light-emitting diode (LED) luminaire comprises an emergency-operated portion comprising a battery, a self-diagnostic circuit comprising a test portion configured to auto-evaluate battery performance, a first controller, and a node modulator-demodulator (MODEM). The LED luminaire can auto-switch from a normal power to an emergency power according to availability of the normal power and whether a battery test is initiated. The first controller is configured to communicate between the test portion and the node MODEM, ensuring command data and test data respectively to be transferred to the self-diagnostic circuit and to a remote control unit that comprises a data-centric circuitry comprising a variety of data communication devices configured to initiate the command data with phase-shift keying (PSK) signals transmitted via a principal MODEM and to periodically collect the test data to and from the node MODEM. The test data assembled are ultimately transferred to a root server for further reviews.