Communication adaptor for converter for driving lighting means

Abstract

The invention proposes a communication adaptor, comprising within one casing: a transmission antenna, a wired control interface connected to wired control interface terminals, a control circuitry for converting wirelessly received wireless communication signals into wired control interface signals and vice versa, wherein the adaptor is designed such that it can be brought in close contact with a reception antenna of a converter for lighting mean, such as e.g. LEDs, in order to establish a wireless communication, wherein the control circuitry and the wired control interface are powered by means of the wired control interface terminals.

Claims

1. A communication adaptor, comprising within a casing (1): an adaptor antenna (2) for wireless communication; a wired control interface (3) connected to wired control interface terminals (4); the wired control interface terminals (4) forming a part of the communication adaptor; a control circuitry (5) for converting wireless signals received at the adaptor antenna (2) for wireless communication into wired control interface signals to be supplied to the wired control interface terminals (4); wherein the adaptor (10) is designed such that it can be brought in close contact with a converter antenna (11) for wireless communication of a converter (12) for lighting means (13) in order to establish a wireless communication; wherein the control circuitry (5) and the wired control interface (3) are powered by means of a DC voltage at the wired control interface terminals (4); and wherein the adaptor (10) is designed to be mechanically engaged with engagement means (30) of the converter (12) designed for mechanically attaching a strain relief module to the converter (12).

2. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the casing (1) of the adaptor (10) is provided with means (20) for mechanically fixing the communication adaptor (1) to a casing (21) of a converter (12) for lighting means, such that the maximum height of the casing (21) of the converter (12) is not increased.

3. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the casing (1) of the adaptor (12) is provided with means for a snap-on connection to a casing of a converter for lighting means.

4. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the wired control interface (3) comprises switching means (25) for selectively short-circuiting the wired control interface terminals in order to send data onto a connected wired control interface.

5. The communication adaptor according to claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is designed to convert received wired control interface signal blocks into near field communication bursts having a time duration of a wired control interface signal block.

6. The communication adaptor according to claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is designed to convert received near field wireless communication bursts into a short circuiting of the wired control interface terminals, the short circuiting having a time duration of the received near field wireless communication bursts.

7. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the casing (1) of the adaptor (10) is at least partially made from metal and the converter antenna (2) is arranged such that it is not shielded by the casing.

8. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, further comprising input and output terminals for a looping through of a mains power supply to a converter for lighting means.

9. A kit comprising a wireless communication enabled converter for lighting means and a communication adaptor according to claim 1.

10. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the wired control interface is a DALI interface.

11. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the adaptor antenna is a near field communication antenna.

12. The communication adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the control circuitry (5) also converts wired control interface signals into wireless signals.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows schematically the circuitry of a wireless communication enabled converter for lighting means and a communication adaptor according to the present invention,

(2) FIG. 2 shows the mechanical arrangement, especially the housing of a communication adaptor according to the present invention, wherein the communication adaptor is connected at engagement means of the converter which are designed for alternatively connect a strain relief module.

(3) FIG. 3 shows the casing of a communication adaptor according to the present invention, having a snap-on connection for engagement with a casing of a converter in a manner such that the maximum height of the converter is not increased when attaching the communication adaptor according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIG. 1 shows schematically a converter 12 enabled for wireless communication, preferably radio frequency communication, e.g. a near field communication (NFC) enabled converter 12, according to the present invention. The converter 12 is provided with mains input terminals 6. As schematically shown, the converter 12 is designed for driving lighting means 13, such that as for example a LED load.

(5) The circuitry of a LED driver/converter 12 required for driving the lighting means (e.g. LED) 13 is well known to the skilled person and is not illustrated in FIG. 1. The circuitry of a LED driver/converter 12 required for driving the lighting means (LED) 13 may comprise for instance a power factor correction circuit (PFC) followed by a switched converter designed to control the current through the lighting means (LED) 13.

(6) On the other hand, FIG. 1 shows a wireless communication reception unit 28 comprising a microcontroller 29 which is functionally connected with a reception antenna 11 for wireless communication, e.g. near field communication (NFC). The microcontroller 29 is designed to monitor and evaluate whether and which signals are received by the reception antenna 11. For instance, the microcontroller 29 may be designed to monitor and evaluate the voltage induced into the reception antenna. The wireless communication reception unit 28 may be for instance be similar to a typical architecture of conventional passive near field communication (NFC) tag interface. The reception antenna 11 may comprise of one or many loops of conductive wires, which are designed to receive energy and modulated information carried by an oscillating magnetic field applied from wireless communication sending unit as it may be formed by a near field communication (NFC) programmer or the wireless communication transmission antenna 2 of the communication adaptor 10. The reception antenna 11 may be connected to a reception match circuit (not shown here) which transforms the impedance of reception antenna 11 to a suitable value. The diode 15 and capacitor 14 form a demodulator circuit which demodulates the received signal and recovers the original information. Further, there is a switch 7 which may form a load modulator designed to modulate the impedance of the load connecting to the reception antenna 11 to transmit information.

(7) Further the may be a rectifier and regulator circuit (not shown here) which is connected to the reception antenna 11 and is designed to convert the received radio frequency energy to regulated direct current energy that could be used for powering system components as for example the microcontroller 29.

(8) Furthermore, the wireless communication enabled converter 12 according to the present invention has the characteristics that the microcontroller 29 can control the emitting high frequency (HF) operation of the reception antenna 11 in a burst mode, as schematically shown by means of a control path to a switch 7.

(9) The wireless communication enabled converter 12 with the microcontroller 29 and the reception antenna 11 may be designed to be programmed or to be configured by the wireless communication reception unit 28. For instance the wireless communication enabled converter 12 can be designed that the nominal current through the lighting means 13 may be programmed via the wireless communication reception unit 28.

(10) According to the invention also a communication adaptor 10 is shown, which has terminals 4 for connecting for example a wired control interface 3, e.g. DALI or any other bus which has a non-voltage level in the quiescent state of the bus protocol.

(11) The communication adaptor 10 comprises a wireless communication transmission unit 5 which may be similar to a typical architecture of near field communication (NFC) reader interface. Wireless communication transmission antenna 2 may comprise one or many loops of conductive wires, which may be designed to generate an oscillating magnetic field and thereby may be designed to transmit and receive wireless communication signals. There may be a transmission antenna match circuit (not shown) designed to transform the impedance of wireless communication transmission antenna 2 to a suitable value for improving efficiency. Modulator 8 may be designed to modulate the signal used for generating oscillating magnetic field according to the data received from the wired control interface and which are to be transmitted. There may be an antenna driver (not shown) which amplifies the signal generated by modulator 8, and drives wireless communication transmission antenna 2 via transmission antenna match circuit. To improve power efficiency, antenna driver may have a low output impedance. A transmission demodulator (not shown) may measure and track the strength of the current flowing through wireless communication transmission antenna 2, and demodulate the superimposed signal. There may be a control unit managing the operation of the communication adaptor 10. The wireless communication may use a carrier frequency of 13.56 MHz.

(12) Thus, the communication adaptor 10 according to the present invention is preferably powered only by the wired control interface terminals 4, and is preferably void of any other power supply. The communication adaptor 10 as schematically illustrated has its own wireless communication transmission antenna 2 and a modulator 8. Upon receipt of wireless communication bursts by an electromagnetic wireless communication from between the antenna 11 of the converter 12 and the transmission antenna 2 of the communication adaptor 10, the modulator 8 receives such wireless communication signals and is designed to selectively short-circuit the wired control interface terminals 4, using a switch 25. In more detail, preferably the bus terminals 4 of the wired control interface 3 are short-circuited during the time period during which a wireless communication burst is received by the communication adaptor 10. In other words, the detection of a received wireless communication high frequency (HF) burst is translated, by the modulator 8 of the communication adaptor 10 into a corresponding time duration of a short-circuiting of the wired control interface 3.

(13) On the other hand, when the communication adaptor 10 receives wired control interface signals, the modulator 8 is designed to modulate the emission mode of the transmission antenna 2 of the connection adaptor 10. Again, during the quiescent or high level state of the wired control interface 3, the modulator 8 will not cause any high frequency (HF) burst mode activity of the transmission antenna of the communication adaptor. On the other hand, during the time periods in which the communication adaptor 10 receives, at its wired control interface terminals 4, a physical wired control interface low state, the modulator 8 controls the emission mode of the transmission antenna 2 of the communication adaptor 10 to the emission of a high frequency (HF) burst.

(14) Thereby the communication adaptor 10 may transfer the wired control interface signals via the transmission antenna 2 to the wireless communication reception unit 28 of the converter 12. This invention enables an extension of a wireless communication enabled converter 12 designed to be programmed by a wireless communication interface to be enhanced by the communication adaptor 10 to a dimmable and fully controllable converter for lighting means.

(15) The converter 12 may change its operation depending of the signals received by the wired control interface 3 and transmitted by the communication adaptor 10. For instance the switched converter designed may control the current through the lighting means (LED) 13 depending on the signals of the wired control interface 3.

(16) FIG. 2 shows schematically the casing/housing of a converter 12 for lighting means, which is known as such. The converter 12 for lighting means is provided with connection terminals for the power supply (mains connection) of the converter 12. Furthermore, the converter 12 is known, in a manner known as such, with engagement means in order to connect a strain relief module having a strain relief function as to power supply wiring for the converter 12.

(17) As shown in FIG. 2, the casing 1 of the communication adaptor 10 according to the present invention can be attached (instead or as part of a strain relief module) onto the engagement means of the converter 12 (designed for attaching a strain relief module). This advantageously only leads to a longitudinal increase of the size of the converter 12, but does not increase the maximum height of the converter housing 21. The casing 1 of the communication adaptor 10 may further comprise cable holding means in order to provide a strain relief function.

(18) FIG. 3 shows another example of the casing 1 of a communication adaptor 10 according to the present invention. The casing 1 is having a snap-on (or also snap-fit) connection for engagement with a casing of a converter 12 (not shown here) in a manner such that the maximum height of the converter 12 is not increased when attaching the communication adaptor 10 according to the present invention.

(19) The communication adaptor according to the present invention does not necessarily need its own power supply or its own connection to a mains voltage supply. However, it may advantageously incorporate the function of a strain relief, such that the communication adaptor according to the invention may be called a strain relief module, having the dimension of known strain relief modules, however, with integrated wireless/wired control interface (e.g. NFC/DALI) adaptation functionality.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(20) 1 Casing of the communication adaptor 10 2 wireless transmission antenna of the communication adaptor 10 3 Wired control interface, e.g. DALI 4 Wired control interface terminals 5 Control circuitry 6 Mains supply terminals of the converter 12 7 Switch 8 Modulator 10 Communication adaptor 11 reception antenna for wireless communication, e.g. NFC 12 Converter 13 Lighting means, e.g. LED 14 capacitor 15 diode 20 Mechanical fixing/connection means 21 Casing of the converter 25 Switching means of the wired control interface 3 28 Wireless communication reception unit 29 Microcontroller 30 Engagement means