Lighting System Power Modulation for Feedback Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting systems require complex hardware for bidirectional communication between master and slave units, leading to high manufacturing costs, and existing solutions that use power modulation for feedback do not significantly reduce hardware complexity.
Innovation Solution
A lighting system where slave units modulate their power consumption according to commands from a master unit, allowing for unidirectional communication and feedback without additional hardware, using a common power supply and control units that adjust power consumption based on defined protocols, enabling the master unit to detect and recreate signals from measured power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If full bidirectional communication is implemented between master unit and slave units, then feedback capability is improved, but hardware complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply circuit is designed to serve dual purposes: providing electrical power to slave units and simultaneously functioning as a communication channel for feedback signals. By making the power supply circuit universal, the patent eliminates the need for separate communication hardware while maintaining bidirectional communication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the power transmission function and communication function into a single circuit infrastructure. The power supply circuit that delivers electrical energy also carries feedback information through controlled power consumption patterns, combining two functions that would traditionally require separate dedicated channels.
2Device complexity
If unidirectional communication is used from master unit to slave units, then hardware complexity is reduced, but feedback capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where slave units modulate their power consumption patterns to transmit status information back to the master unit. This feedback is achieved through controlled variations in power draw, allowing the master unit to detect and interpret slave unit states without requiring dedicated feedback hardware.
Solution Approach 2:
Slave units utilize their own power consumption characteristics as the communication medium. By deliberately varying their power draw patterns, slave units encode information about their operational state, effectively using their own operational parameters as the communication channel rather than requiring external communication hardware.
3Loss of information
If additional communication hardware is added to enable feedback, then feedback capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power supply circuit is designed to serve dual purposes: providing electrical power to slave units and simultaneously functioning as a communication channel for feedback signals. By making the power supply circuit universal, the patent eliminates the need for separate communication hardware while maintaining bidirectional communication capability.
Solution Approach 2:
Slave units utilize their own power consumption characteristics as the communication medium. By deliberately varying their power draw patterns, slave units encode information about their operational state, effectively using their own operational parameters as the communication channel rather than requiring external communication hardware.
Data Source
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AI summary
A lighting control system (1) comprises a master unit (10) and a plurality of slave units (15). The slave units (15) are respectively designed to consume power by operating lighting means (19), are supplied by a common power supply unit (13), can be provided with commands from the master unit (10), and are respectively provided with a control unit (17) which modulates the power consumption of the associated slave unit (15) according to a defined protocol. The master unit is designed to measure the power consumed by all slave units (15).