Modular Light Driver Controller for Wired Sensor Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting systems with wireless sensors face high costs, complex circuitry, and increased communication traffic due to embedded processing and wireless communication modules, limiting the number of nodes and causing multi-master control issues.
Innovation Solution
A lighting system with a modular controller and wired sensor board, where sensors are powered from an additional secondary winding of the light driver's main windings and communicate via a wired connection, eliminating the need for secondary power circuitry and wireless communication modules, thus reducing installation costs and communication traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If wireless sensors with embedded processing and communication modules are used, then sensor functionality is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the processing and communication functions from the sensor nodes and relocates them to a central gateway or controller. This allows simple sensor nodes to communicate basic data while complex processing occurs centrally, reducing device complexity at the sensor level while maintaining full functionality through the distributed architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The central gateway or controller serves multiple functions: it processes data from multiple sensor types, provides wireless communication infrastructure, performs analytics, and coordinates system-wide operations. This multi-functional approach consolidates complexity into a single component that serves the entire sensor network.
2Ease of operation
If wireless communication modules are embedded in each sensor, then wireless connectivity is enabled, but communication traffic and system noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges all wireless communication functions into a single central gateway rather than distributing them across multiple sensor nodes. This consolidation reduces the total number of wireless transmissions in the environment, lowering communication traffic and electromagnetic noise while maintaining wireless connectivity through the gateway's infrastructure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If external sensors with dedicated power circuitry are used, then sensor operation is enabled, but manufacturing cost and installation complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The central gateway provides universal power distribution to multiple sensor nodes through a single power infrastructure. This eliminates the need for each sensor to have dedicated power circuitry, reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability to power and operate multiple sensors through the shared gateway infrastructure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system minimizes financial and operational costs, reduces wireless communication traffic, and eliminates multi-master control issues by using a wired connection for sensor communication, resulting in a simpler and more efficient lighting solution.
Implementation Method 1
the converter includes: a transformer including a primary winding, a first secondary winding electrically coupled to the light source, and a second secondary winding electrically coupled to the sensor board
Data Source
AI summary
A light driver includes a converter configured to generate a drive signal for powering a light source based on a control signal, a modular controller board electrically coupled to a sensor board and configured to receive sensor data from the sensor board and to generate a first sensor control signal corresponding to the sensor data, and a primary controller configured to control the converter by generating the control signal based on the first sensor control signal.