PoE Lighting Driver Circuitry for Gradual Power Adjustment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lighting devices using Power over Ethernet (PoE) standards require dedicated PD controllers, which increase cost, volume, and losses due to the need for additional circuitry and components that can cause undesired effects on light output, such as complete shutdown rather than gradual power adjustment.

Innovation Solution

A lighting device with internal PoE compliant driver circuitry that conducts predefined currents and power levels without the need for a dedicated PD controller, utilizing forward voltage characteristics and power converter properties to manage current and voltage, and includes a voltage dropping device, current drawing device, and energy storage to stabilize and control light source operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dedicated PD controller is used to manage Power over Ethernet (PoE) in lighting devices, then PoE compliance and power management are achieved, but cost, volume, and energy losses increase due to additional circuitry and components

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovePoE complianceVSAvoidcircuitry
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the PoE compliance functions and power management capabilities directly into the existing lighting driver circuitry, eliminating the need for a separate PD controller. The driver circuitry is designed to perform both light source driving and PoE power management, thereby reducing device complexity, cost, and volume while maintaining PoE compliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The lighting driver circuitry is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a light source driver and a PoE power management interface. This multi-functional design allows the same circuitry to handle classification, power consumption control, and light output regulation, removing the need for dedicated PD controller components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Use of energy by moving object

If a PD controller shuts down the lighting device to manage power, then power consumption control is achieved, but light output is completely interrupted instead of being gradually adjusted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidlight output control
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic power adjustment by controlling the duty cycle of the lighting driver circuitry. Instead of binary on/off shutdown, the driver modulates the power delivery to the light source in a gradual, controllable manner, enabling smooth transitions between different power consumption levels and corresponding light output intensities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The lighting driver uses periodic pulse-width modulation (PWM) to control power delivery to the light source. By varying the duty cycle of periodic pulses, the system achieves gradual power adjustment and smooth light output control, avoiding complete shutdown while maintaining precise power management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP2497339B1Lighting device
Publication Date: 2017.09.20 SIGNIFY HOLDING BV
  • EP2497339B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP2497339B1 patent drawingFigure 1b~2
  • EP2497339B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Information technology is becoming more and more present in illumination applications, such as lighting devices. To limit the installation effort and cost of such illumination applications lighting devices compliant with the Power over Ethernet can be used. There is provided a lighting device which is powered via Power over Ethernet and where the driver of the lighting device is directly compatible with the Power over Ethernet standard. With such an internal Power over Ethernet driver, the power delivered to the light source of the lighting device can be influence gradually, thereby allowing the light source to operate at a different power level instead of shutting the light source down completely.