公开(公告)号：US06445142B1

公开(公告)日：2002-09-03

申请号：US09850984

申请日：2001-05-08

申请人： Yongping Xia ,  Yin Zhang

发明人： Yongping Xia ,  Yin Zhang

IPC分类号： G05F100

CPC分类号： H05B41/36

摘要： A portable, electronic device for remotely detecting and indicating whether a ballast driving a fluorescent lamp is of the magnetic type. The device comprises a power supply, a light sensor that receives emitted light from the fluorescent lamp and, in response, produces an output signal having a frequency proportional to the flicker frequency of the emitted light, a voltage detector that converts the output signal into a digital signal stream having a pulse frequency proportional to the frequency of the output signal, a microcontroller that determines whether the pulse frequency of the digital signal stream is between predetermined high and low threshold levels, wherein a first indicator signal indicating the presence of a magnetic ballast is produced as an output of the microcontroller when the pulse frequency of the digital signal stream is determined to be between the threshold levels. Until activated by a user, the microcontroller remains in a “sleep” mode, thus conserving the power supply.

摘要翻译： 用于远程检测和指示驱动荧光灯的镇流器是否为磁性的便携式电子设备。 该装置包括电源，光传感器，其接收来自荧光灯的发射光，并且响应地产生具有与发射光的闪烁频率成比例的频率的输出信号;电压检测器，其将输出信号转换为 数字信号流具有与输出信号的频率成比例的脉冲频率;微控制器，其确定数字信号流的脉冲频率是否在预定的高阈值和低阈值之间，其中指示存在磁性镇流器的第一指示符信号 当数字信号流的脉冲频率被确定在阈值电平之间时，作为微控制器的输出产生。 直到用户激活，微控制器保持“睡眠”模式，从而节省电源。

公开(公告)号：US5691605A

公开(公告)日：1997-11-25

申请号：US512868

申请日：1995-08-09

申请人： Yongping Xia ,  Joshua Zhu ,  Sreeraman Venkitasubrahmanian ,  Raj Jayaraman ,  Thomas Farkas

发明人： Yongping Xia ,  Joshua Zhu ,  Sreeraman Venkitasubrahmanian ,  Raj Jayaraman ,  Thomas Farkas

IPC分类号： H05B41/38 ,  H05B37/02 ,  H05B41/285 ,  H05B41/36 ,  H05B41/392 ,  H02B37/02

CPC分类号： H05B41/2855 ,  H05B37/0263 ,  H05B41/2985 ,  H05B41/36 ,  H05B41/3921 ,  H05B41/3924 ,  Y10S315/04

摘要： A lamp controller includes an interface circuit, or receiver, which receives an input signal and decodes control signals supplied from a transmitting device, such as a power line wall controller, according to at least two of the following communication techniques: phase angle control, step control, and coded control. The receiver tests the input signal and identifies which type of control technique is employed by the wall controller connected to the lamp controller. The receiver then decodes the control command from the input signal. In a disclosed embodiment, the lamp controller is gas discharge lamp dimming ballast having a two wire input for connection to the hot dimmed and neutral leads of the power line controller. The ballast has an improved topology in which a pre-conditioner supplies a substantially constant DC voltage to a ballast stage including an inverter, a resonant tank output and a control circuit. The dim signal output by the receiver is independent of the DC rail voltage and, in combination with the maintenance of a substantially constant DC rail voltage, permits of improved dimming control while providing the ease of installation of a two wire ballast.

摘要翻译： 灯控制器包括接口电路或接收器，接口电路或接收器根据以下通信技术中的至少两个接收输入信号和解码从诸如电力线壁控制器的发送设备提供的控制信号：相位角控制，步骤 控制和编码控制。 接收机测试输入信号，并识别连接到灯控制器的墙壁控制器采用哪种类型的控制技术。 然后，接收器从输入信号解码控制命令。 在公开的实施例中，灯控制器是具有两线输入的气体放电灯调光镇流器，用于连接到电力线控制器的热调光和中性线。 镇流器具有改进的拓扑结构，其中预调节器向包括逆变器，谐振回路输出和控制电路的镇流器提供基本上恒定的DC电压。 由接收器输出的暗信号与直流轨道电压无关，并且与基本上恒定的直流轨电压的维持相结合，允许改进的调光控制，同时提供双线镇流器的易于安装。

公开(公告)号：US06487282B1

公开(公告)日：2002-11-26

申请号：US09628849

申请日：2000-07-31

申请人： Yongping Xia ,  Joshua S. Zhu

发明人： Yongping Xia ,  Joshua S. Zhu

IPC分类号： H04M1100

CPC分类号： H04M11/064 ,  H04M11/002

摘要： A telephone-based automatic meter reading (AMR) system includes a telemetry device through which a host computer can collect meter readings remotely. So that the telemetry device does not interfere with customer usage of other telephone devices on the telephone line, an apparatus and method is provided which enables the telemetry device to sense both the static off-hook status and the dynamic off-hook status of the telephone line. Numerous circuit components in the telemetry device are shared in sensing both the static and the dynamic off-hook status. Whenever it is determined that a telephone device is, or has become, off-hook, the telemetry device is prevented from using the telephone line. Isolation between the telephone line and the meters is ensured using a transformer and optocouplers.

摘要翻译： 基于电话的自动抄表系统（AMR）系统包括一个遥测装置，主计算机可以远程收集仪表读数。 因此，遥测装置不会干扰电话线上的其他电话设备的客户使用，提供了使得遥测装置能够感测电话的静态摘机状态和动态摘机状态的装置和方法 线。 在遥测装置中的许多电路部件被共享以感测静态和动态摘机状态。 每当确定电话设备已经或已经变得摘机时，就不能使用遥测设备来使用电话线路。 使用变压器和光耦合器确保电话线和仪表之间的隔离。

公开(公告)号：US5872429A

公开(公告)日：1999-02-16

申请号：US824024

申请日：1997-03-25

申请人： Yongping Xia ,  Sreeraman Venkitasubrahmanian ,  Raj Jayaraman ,  Thomas Farkas

发明人： Yongping Xia ,  Sreeraman Venkitasubrahmanian ,  Raj Jayaraman ,  Thomas Farkas

IPC分类号： H05B37/02 ,  H05B41/282 ,  H05B41/298 ,  H05B41/392

CPC分类号： H05B41/2828 ,  H05B37/0263 ,  H05B41/2981 ,  H05B41/3921 ,  Y10S315/04

摘要： A communication method particularly suited for lighting control employs encoding of perturbations in a voltage signal having a fundamental period with a nominal waveform. A control period includes a pre-selected number of fundamental periods of the voltage signal. Different control commands are indicated by imposing a selected perturbation, such as a phase cut, on the nominal waveform with a respective occurrence signature within the control period. The control commands are decoded from the voltage signal by detecting the occurrence signature of the perturbations within each control period. Decoding is accomplished by differentiating the nominal waveform to detect encoded perturbations. The technique is particularly suited for two-wire dimming applications for gas discharge lamps, in which the voltage signal carrying the encoded commands is the sinusoidal mains voltage powering the ballast, since the encoded perturbations may be small enough so that lamp flicker is avoided even with encoded signals on the line voltage. In a favorable embodiment for dimming, no perturbations are introduced on the line voltage unless a change in the operating characteristic, for example the light level, of the electric lamp is desired. This has the advantage that when lamp operation is to be kept constant, no distortions are imposed on the mains voltage, so that flicker of the lamp(s) is completely avoided and there are no adverse effects to the power factor, THD or component stress.

摘要翻译： 特别适用于照明控制的通信方法使用具有标称波形的基本周期的电压信号中的扰动编码。 控制周期包括电压信号的预选数量的基本周期。 通过在控制周期内具有相应的发生签名在标称波形上施加选择的扰动（例如相位切除）来指示不同的控制命令。 通过检测每个控制周期内扰动的发生特征，从电压信号对控制命令进行解码。 通过区分标称波形来检测编码的扰动来完成解码。 该技术特别适用于气体放电灯的双线调光应用，其中携带编码命令的电压信号是为镇流器供电的正弦电源电压，因为编码的扰动可能足够小，以便避免灯闪烁，即使使用 编码信号的线路电压。 在用于调光的有利实施例中，除非需要电灯的工作特性（例如光级）的改变，否则不会在线路电压上引入扰动。 这样做的优点在于，当灯管运行保持恒定时，不会对电源电压造成失真，从而完全避免了灯的闪烁，并且对功率因数，THD或分量应力没有不利影响 。

公开(公告)号：US5808423A

公开(公告)日：1998-09-15

申请号：US762621

申请日：1996-12-09

申请人： Richard Qun Li ,  John Wei-Fan Chou ,  Yongping Xia ,  Ronald Siepkes

发明人： Richard Qun Li ,  John Wei-Fan Chou ,  Yongping Xia ,  Ronald Siepkes

IPC分类号： H05B41/24 ,  H05B37/02 ,  H05B41/36 ,  H05B41/392 ,  H05B41/42 ,  H05B37/00

CPC分类号： H05B37/0263 ,  H05B37/02 ,  H05B41/36 ,  H05B41/3924 ,  Y10T307/461 ,  Y10T307/76 ,  Y10T307/944

摘要： A lighting control circuit that controls the lighting of particular lamps in response to the toggling of the power switch. The circuit a) connects only with the high (output) side of a lighting system's ballast, b) is completely contained on the high side, and c) with regard to toggling, is dependent upon only a single time period. The circuit can be used with any ballast which makes use of an output transformer and no change need be made to the original ballast circuitry. Users will find operation of the circuit to be straightforward. A triac driven by a flip-flop via a driver transistor is used to control the high frequency AC power that is used to drive the lamps. A Schmitt trigger sharpens the signal generated by the ballast output transformer in response to the toggling of the light switch which is employed to change the output state of the flip-flop. Operationally, all the lamps driven by the ballast are lit when the power switch is initially turned on. Toggling the power switch once while all of the lamps are lit causes only a predetermined number of the lamps to remain lit. Toggling the power switch while only a portion of the lamps are lit causes all of the lamps to light again. Leaving the power switch off causes all of the lamps to be turned off. The toggling may be performed quickly or leisurely, so long as the entire toggle cycle is completed within a predetermined amount of time.

摘要翻译： 照明控制电路，其响应于电源开关的切换来控制特定灯的点亮。 电路a）仅与照明系统镇流器的高（输出）侧连接，b）完全包含在高侧，c）关于切换，仅依赖于单个时间段。 该电路可用于使用输出变压器的任何镇流器，并且不需要对原始镇流器电路进行更改。 用户会发现电路的操作是直接的。 由触发器通过驱动晶体管驱动的三端双向可控硅开关元件用于控制用于驱动灯的高频交流电。 响应于用于改变触发器的输出状态的光开关的切换，施密特触发器对由镇流器输出变压器产生的信号进行锐化。 操作上，当电源开关最初打开时，由镇流器驱动的所有灯都亮起。 所有指示灯亮起时切换电源开关一次，只会使预定数量的灯保持点亮。 切换电源开关，同时只有一部分灯亮，导致所有灯再次点亮。 关闭电源开关将导致所有灯关闭。 只要整个切换循环在预定时间内完成，可以快速或悠闲地执行切换。

公开(公告)号：US5808422A

公开(公告)日：1998-09-15

申请号：US645545

申请日：1996-05-10

申请人： Sreeraman Venkitasubrahmanian ,  Clint Mason ,  Yongping Xia ,  Feng-Kang Hu ,  Jaap Schlejen

发明人： Sreeraman Venkitasubrahmanian ,  Clint Mason ,  Yongping Xia ,  Feng-Kang Hu ,  Jaap Schlejen

IPC分类号： H05B41/24 ,  H05B41/298 ,  H05B37/02

CPC分类号： H05B41/2985

摘要： A ballast for a gas discharge lamp includes a detection circuit which detects an operating state of the lamp in which the lamp current for the column discharge of one polarity is different from the lamp current for the column discharge of the other polarity by detecting the DC component of the voltage across the discharge lamp. The detection circuit includes (i) a device coupled such that a DC voltage is imposed there across when the lamp current is different for the column discharge according to one polarity verses the other polarity, and (ii) a sensing circuit for sensing the DC voltage across the device. The device may be a capacitive device, and in a particularly inexpensive implementation, is a DC blocking capacitor or a ballast capacitor. The sense circuit senses when the DC voltage across the device exceeds a threshold value, which may corresponds to fully-rectified state of the lamp or more favorably, to a lesser state of imbalance. In another embodiment, the variance in the DC voltage across the lamp is detected at the midpoint of a bridge inverter. A control circuit changes the output of the ballasting circuit when the DC voltage exceeds the threshold value to turn off the lamp or to recurrently cycle the lamp on and off to signal the user that the lamp needs to be changed.

摘要翻译： 用于气体放电灯的镇流器包括检测电路，该检测电路通过检测DC分量来检测一极性的列排出的灯电流与用于另一极性的列放电的灯电流不同的灯的工作状态 的放电灯两端的电压。 检测电路包括（i）耦合的器件，使得当灯电流根据一种极性与另一极性相反的列电压不同时，直流电压被施加到该电极上，以及（ii）用于感测直流电压的感测电路 跨设备。 该装置可以是电容性装置，并且在特别廉价的实施方式中，是直流阻塞电容器或镇流电容器。 感测电路感测器件上的直流电压何时超过阈值，其可以对应于灯的完全整流状态或更有利地达到较小的不平衡状态。 在另一个实施例中，在桥式逆变器的中点处检测灯两端的直流电压的变化。 当直流电压超过阈值时，控制电路改变镇流电路的输出，以关闭灯泡或打开或关闭灯泡，以便向用户发出指示灯需要改变的信号。

公开(公告)号：US5489827A

公开(公告)日：1996-02-06

申请号：US239174

申请日：1994-05-06

申请人： Yongping Xia

发明人： Yongping Xia

IPC分类号： H05B37/02 ,  H05B41/36

CPC分类号： H05B37/0227 ,  Y02B20/44

摘要： A system for controlling the intensity of a lamp including a remote sensing device for detecting the presence of an occupant within an area. The device also transmits a signal based on the currently sensed presence of the occupant. After each transmission of an occupancy signal, the device is inhibited from further transmission for a first predetermined period of time to limit power consumption requirements by the battery powered device. The system also includes a light controller responsive to the transmitted occupancy signal for controlling the level of illumination by the lamp. In the absence of a transmitted occupancy signal within a second predetermined period of time, the light controller will instruct the ballast to reduce the level of illumination by the lamp. In the absence of an occupancy signal being transmitted within a third predetermined time period, the light controller will instruct the ballast to turn off the lamp.

摘要翻译： 一种用于控制灯的强度的系统，包括用于检测区域内乘客的存在的遥感装置。 该装置还基于当前感测到的乘员的存在来发送信号。 在占用信号的每次发送之后，禁止设备进一步传输第一预定时间段以限制电池供电设备的功耗要求。 该系统还包括响应于所发送的占用信号的光控制器，用于控制灯的照明水平。 在第二预定时间段内没有发送占用信号的情况下，光控制器将指示镇流器降低灯的照明水平。 在没有在第三预定时间段内发送占用信号的情况下，光控制器将指示镇流器关闭灯。

公开(公告)号：US06347135B1

公开(公告)日：2002-02-12

申请号：US09563023

申请日：2000-05-02

申请人： Yongping Xia ,  Joshua S. Zhu

发明人： Yongping Xia ,  Joshua S. Zhu

IPC分类号： H04M1100

CPC分类号： H04L12/10 ,  H04M11/002 ,  H04M19/08

摘要： A telephone-based automatic meter reading (AMR) system includes a telemetry device through which a host computer can collect meter readings remotely. The telemetry device has one or more ports to read one or more meters at pre-scheduled time intervals. All data read from the meter(s) is stored in a non-volatile memory in the device, and the collected data is transferred back to the host computer according to a predetermined schedule (with a call back interval that can be hourly, daily, weekly or monthly). An apparatus and method is provided which enables the host computer to initiate a special data stream to invoke a powerless circuit portion of the telemetry device—specifically, a telephone-side portion which is electrically isolated from the meter-side circuitry (such as by an optocoupler). The ringing signal on the phone line powers the circuitry in this telephone-side portion of the device such that no AC connection or separate battery power is required. Once the telemetry device receives the special data stream, it ignores the regular call back schedule and calls back to the host computer immediately when the shared telephone line is available.

摘要翻译： 基于电话的自动抄表系统（AMR）系统包括一个遥测装置，主计算机可以远程收集仪表读数。 遥测装置具有一个或多个端口，以预定的时间间隔读取一个或多个仪表。 从仪表读取的所有数据被存储在设备中的非易失性存储器中，并且收集的数据根据​​预定的调度被传送回主计算机（具有每小时，每天， 每周或每月）。 提供了一种装置和方法，其使得主机能够启动特殊数据流以调用遥测装置的无功电路部分 - 具体地，电话侧部分与电表侧电路（例如， 光电耦合器）。 电话线上的振铃信号为设备的电话侧部分的电路供电，因此不需要AC连接或单独的电池电源。 一旦遥测设备接收到特殊数据流，它将忽略常规的回叫时间表，并在共享电话线路可用时立即呼叫主机。

公开(公告)号：US5739645A

公开(公告)日：1998-04-14

申请号：US645546

申请日：1996-05-10

申请人： Yongping Xia ,  Xing-Xing Lu ,  John Chou

发明人： Yongping Xia ,  Xing-Xing Lu ,  John Chou

IPC分类号： H05B41/24 ,  H05B41/285 ,  H05B41/298 ,  G05F1/00

CPC分类号： H05B41/2853 ,  H05B41/2981

摘要： A programmed electronic ballast circuit including a voltage maintenance circuit to ensure that the integrated circuit continues to oscillate and drive the half-bridge inverter until the DC bus voltage falls to a level insufficient to permit the fluorescent bulbs at the output to ignite. Additionally, the voltage maintenance circuit drives the voltage of the integrated circuit down to a level whereby proper resetting of the integrated circuit and proper preheating of the florescent bulb filaments is assured.

摘要翻译： 一种编程的电子镇流器电路，包括电压维持电路，以确保集成电路继续振荡并驱动半桥逆变器，直到DC总线电压下降到不足以允许输出端的荧光灯点燃的水平。 此外，电压维持电路将集成电路的电压驱动到一个水平，由此可以确保集成电路的正确复位和荧光灯泡灯丝的适当预热。

公开(公告)号：US5726644A

公开(公告)日：1998-03-10

申请号：US498715

申请日：1995-06-30

申请人： Thomas E. Jednacz ,  Yongping Xia ,  Srinagesh Satyanarayana

发明人： Thomas E. Jednacz ,  Yongping Xia ,  Srinagesh Satyanarayana

IPC分类号： H04L12/28 ,  H04L12/56 ,  H04Q7/00

CPC分类号： H04L12/282 ,  H04L1/1867 ,  H04W52/283 ,  H05B37/0245 ,  H05B37/0272 ,  H04L12/2803 ,  H04L12/2836 ,  H04L2012/2841 ,  H04L2012/285 ,  H04L45/32 ,  H04W28/18 ,  H04W52/48 ,  H04W8/26 ,  H04W88/04 ,  Y02B60/50

摘要： Building lights are master controlled to reduce power consumption under building master control, or in response to electric utility commands to the building computer. Each lighting wall control unit includes a transceiver which can communicate to at least one neighbor transceiver, thereby forming a distributed communication network extending back to the building computer. The transceivers operate asynchronously with low data rate FSK signals, using carrier frequencies between 900 and 950 MHz. Different communications protocols control packet forwarding and acknowledgement so that messages reach their destination but are not forwarded in endless circles, and so that collisions are minimized.

摘要翻译： 建筑灯具由主控制，以降低建筑物主控制下的功耗，或响应于建筑计算机的电力用途指令。 每个照明墙控制单元包括可以与至少一个相邻收发器进行通信的收发器，从而形成延伸回建筑计算机的分布式通信网络。 收发器与低数据速率FSK信号异步运行，使用900和950 MHz之间的载波频率。 不同的通信协议控制分组转发和确认，使得消息到达其目的地，但不被转发到无限循环，并且使得冲突被最小化。