IP Library Granted Patent US 10,904,982
Granted Patent B2
US 10,904,982 · App. 16/140,069 · Granted Jan 26, 2021

Systems and methods for controlling switching circuitry

Inventors: Gregory Scott Smith (Woods Cross, UT); David Bytheway (Murray, UT); Robert Don Bruhn, Jr. (West Jordan, UT); James K. Russell (Salt Lake City, UT)
Assignee: WirePath Home Systems, LLC
H05B47/105H03K17/04206H03M1/002
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,904,982
App. No.
16/140,069
Granted
Jan 26, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electronic device for controlling switching circuitry is described. The electronic device includes line voltage measuring circuitry configured to measure a line voltage to produce a line voltage measurement. The electronic device also includes load voltage measuring circuitry configured to measure a load voltage to produce a load voltage measurement. The electronic device further includes a processor coupled to the line voltage measuring circuitry and the load voltage measuring circuitry. The processor is configured to adjust a control signal for a transition of the switching circuitry based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry.

Claims (28)

1. An electronic device for controlling switching circuitry, comprising:

line voltage measuring circuitry configured to measure a line voltage to produce a line voltage measurement of an alternating current (AC) voltage source;

load voltage measuring circuitry configured to measure a load voltage to produce a load voltage measurement; and

a processor coupled to the line voltage measuring circuitry and the load voltage measuring circuitry, wherein the processor is configured to adjust a control signal for a transition of the switching circuitry based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry, and wherein the processor provides the control signal to an amplification and filtering block coupled to a controlling gate input of the switching circuitry.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal comprises a voltage waveform provided to a controlling gate input of the switching circuitry.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the amplification and filtering block comprises an operational amplifier.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the control signal causes the switching circuitry to switch on and off at a controlled transition rate to reduce power delivered to a lighting load.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor causes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to output the control signal, wherein the processor adjusts the output of the DAC based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a transition rate to transition the switching circuitry from an on state to an off state or an off state to an on state is determined by the processor.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the transition rate is determined based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the processor adjusts the control signal to cause the switching circuitry to transition to minimize heat generation while shaping sections of the transition to minimize electromagnetic interference creation.

9. A method for controlling switching circuitry, comprising:

measuring a line voltage to produce a line voltage measurement of an alternating current (AC) voltage source;

measuring a load voltage to produce a load voltage measurement; and

adjusting a control signal for a transition of the switching circuitry based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry, wherein the control signal is provided to an amplification and filtering block coupled to a controlling gate input of the switching circuitry.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control signal comprises a voltage waveform provided to a controlling gate input of the switching circuitry.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the control signal causes the switching circuitry to switch on and off at a controlled transition rate to reduce power delivered to a lighting load.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising causing a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to output the control signal, wherein the output of the DAC is adjusted based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining a transition rate to transition the switching circuitry from an on state to an off state or an off state to an on state based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein adjusting the control signal comprises causing the switching circuitry to transition to minimize heat generation and shaping sections of the transition to minimize electromagnetic interference creation.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for controlling switching circuitry, the computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions for:

measuring a line voltage to produce a line voltage measurement of an alternating current (AC) voltage source;

measuring a load voltage to produce a load voltage measurement; and

adjusting a control signal for a transition of the switching circuitry based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry, wherein the control signal is provided to an amplification and filtering block coupled to a controlling gate input of the switching circuitry.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the control signal comprises a voltage waveform provided to a controlling gate input of the switching circuitry.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising executable instructions for causing a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) to output the control signal, wherein the output of the DAC is adjusted based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising executable instructions for determining a transition rate to transition the switching circuitry from an on state to an off state or an off state to an on state based on the line voltage measurement and the load voltage measurement to minimize heat generation and electromagnetic interference creation by the switching circuitry.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein adjusting the control signal comprises causing the switching circuitry to transition to minimize heat generation and shaping sections of the transition to minimize electromagnetic interference creation.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2024
From: SNAP ONE, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068426/0446 →
SECURITY RELEASE R/F 058439/0014 Recorded Jun 17, 2024
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS AGENT
To: SNAP ONE, LLC
Reel/Frame 067768/0139 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2021
From: SNAP ONE, LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING INC.
Reel/Frame 058439/0014 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 25, 2021
From: WIREPATH HOME SYSTEMS, LLC
To: SNAP ONE, LLC
Reel/Frame 057298/0014 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 30, 2019
From: CONTROL4 CORPORATION
To: WIREPATH HOME SYSTEMS, LLC
Reel/Frame 051446/0868 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2019
From: SMITH, GREGORY SCOTT; BYTHEWAY, DAVID; BRUHN, ROBERT DON, JR.; RUSSELL, JAMES K.
To: CONTROL4 CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048860/0472 →