Abstract: A power supply system (200) is provided which comprises a first input (206), an output (218), a DC-DC converter (204), a rectifying circuit (212) and a voltage limiter (214). An AC voltage is received by the first input. Power is supplied to a load (216) via the output. The DC-DC converter comprises a second input (203) which is capacitively coupled to the first input, and the DC-DC converter provides power to the output. The rectifying circuit is capacitively coupled to the first input and is arranged between the first input and the output. The rectifying circuit provides a rectified output voltage to the output. The voltage limiter is coupled to the output and limits the rectified voltage to a predefined voltage.

Abstract: A charger for inductively charging one or more battery powered appliances simultaneously includes an external unit configured to inductively provide power to the battery powered appliances. The external unit includes two or more primary coil pairs that are arranged in a circular pattern; an AC power source for providing an alternating current (AC) to the primary coil pairs for generating a rotating magnetic field between respective primary coils of the primary coil pairs; and a processor for driving the AC power source. The one or more battery powered appliances are configured to be arranged inside the circular pattern of the external unit. Further, each appliance includes a secondary coil for enclosing part of the magnetic field and, in response, generating a current for charging the battery of the appliance.

Abstract: A wake-up lighting device is described, comprising a gas discharge lamp (10) and a lamp driver (1; 2) comprising a power source (100) capable of generating spaced-apart current bursts (51) of alternating lamp current (I). The wake-up lighting device is capable of operating in an off-mode in which no lamp current is generated, and is adapted to switch from its off-mode to a wake-up mode in which the power source (100) operates to:—initially generate an alternating lamp current (I) with a minimum duty cycle value (?T) and a reduced current amplitude (IR) close to zero;—subsequently gradually increase the current amplitude while keeping the duty cycle (?) constant at the minimum duty cycle value (?T), until the current amplitude reaches a nominal current amplitude (IM);—subsequently gradually increase the duty cycle (?) while keeping the current amplitude constant at the nominal current amplitude (IM).

Abstract: A power supply system (200) is provided which comprises a first input (206), an output (218), a DC-DC converter (204), a rectifying circuit (212) and a voltage limiter (214). An AC voltage is received by the first input. Power is supplied to a load (216) via the output. The DC-DC converter comprises a second input (203) which is capacitively coupled to the first input, and the DC-DC converter provides power to the output. The rectifying circuit is capacitively coupled to the first input and is arranged between the first input and the output. The rectifying circuit provides a rectified output voltage to the output. The voltage limiter is coupled to the output and limits the rectified voltage to a predefined voltage.

Abstract: A battery voltage monitoring system monitors voltage of an arrangement of more than two batteries (U1, U2, U3, U4, U5) in series. The system comprises a voltage divider comprises a first (R1, R2, R3, R4) and second resistive element (R5, R6, R7, R8) arranged parallel to at least a part of the battery arrangement and connected to a reference voltage line and to a node (N1, N2, N3, N4) in the battery arrangement. In between the first (R1, R2, R3, R4) and second resistive element (R5, R6, R7, R8) a transistor (Q11, Q12, Q13, Q14) is arranged. The base of the transistor is, via a diode (D1, D2, D3, D4), connected to a further node (N2, N3, N4, N5) in the series arrangement of batteries, and a switching element (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) is provided to address the transistor (Q11, Q12, Q13,Q14).

Abstract: A motor control circuit (MC) comprising input terminals (IT1, IT2) to receive a rectified input voltage (Vrm), and output terminals (OT1, OT2) to supply a motor drive signal (Vm). A switching circuit (1) is alternately in an on-state (Ton) and an off-state (Toff) for intermittently coupling the input terminals (IT1, IT2) to the output terminals (OT1, OT2). A controller (2) controls the switching circuit (1) to be (i) in the on-state (Ton) during a first period in time (T1) when an amount of magnetic saturation of the motor is smaller than a predetermined value, and (ii) alternately in the on-state (Ton) and the off-state (Toff) to obtain a pulse width control of the motor drive signal (Vm) during a second period in time (T2) when the amount of magnetic saturation of the motor is larger than the predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a charger for inductively charging one or more battery powered appliances simultaneously. The charger comprises an external unit adapted to inductively provide power to the battery powered appliances, the external unit comprising: two or more primary coil pairs that are arranged in a circular pattern; an AC power source for providing an alternating current (AC) to the primary coil pairs for generating a rotating magnetic field between respective primary coils of the primary coil pairs; and a processor for driving the AC power source, wherein the one or more battery powered appliances are adapted to be arranged inside the circular pattern of the external unit, each appliance comprising a secondary coil for enclosing part of the magnetic field and in response generating a current for charging the battery of the appliance.

Abstract: A wake-up lighting device is described, comprising a gas discharge lamp (10) and a lamp driver (1; 2) comprising a power source (100) capable of generating spaced-apart current bursts (51) of alternating lamp current (I). The wake-up lighting device is capable of operating in an off-mode in which no lamp current is generated, and is adapted to switch from its off-mode to a wake-up mode in which the power source (100) operates to:—initially generate an alternating lamp current (I) with a minimum duty cycle value (?T) and a reduced current amplitude (IR) close to zero;—subsequently gradually increase the current amplitude while keeping the duty cycle (?) constant at the minimum duty cycle value (?T), until the current amplitude reaches a nominal current amplitude (IM);—subsequently gradually increase the duty cycle (?) while keeping the current amplitude constant at the nominal current amplitude (IM).

Abstract: A motor control circuit (MC) comprising input terminals (IT1, IT2) to receive a rectified input voltage (Vrm), and output terminals (OT1, OT2) to supply a motor drive signal (Vm). A switching circuit (1) is alternately in an on-state (Ton) and an off-state (Toff) for intermittently coupling the input terminals (IT1, IT2) to the output terminals (OT1, OT2). A controller (2) controls the switching circuit (1) to be (i) in the on-state (Ton) during a first period in time (T1) when an amount of magnetic saturation of the motor is smaller than a predetermined value, and (ii) alternately in the on-state (Ton) and the off-state (Toff) to obtain a pulse width control of the motor drive signal (Vm) during a second period in time (T2) when the amount of magnetic saturation of the motor is larger than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A plurality of loads (12) such as lamps receives power through respective switches. A control circuit (16) controls the switches (14). The control circuit controls energy supplied to the loads (12) by causing the switches (14) to switch current to loads of a first half of the plurality of loads (12) on or off at one or more selectable phase points (30a,b) during each positive half of the AC cycles. The control circuit switches current to loads of a second half of the plurality of the loads (12) half an AC cycle out of phase with corresponding loads in the first half of the loads (12). In an embodiment there are least four loads (12), and the control circuit switches on lamps in the first half at two phase points (230a,b) with a temporal offset with respect to each other.

Abstract: A battery voltage monitoring system monitors voltage of an arrangement of more than two batteries (U1, U2, U3, U4, U5) in series. The system comprises a voltage divider comprises a first (R1, R2, R3, R4) and second resistive element (R5, R6, R7, R8) arranged parallel to at least a part of the battery arrangement and connected to a reference voltage line and to a node (N1, N2, N3, N4) in the battery arrangement. In between the first (R1, R2, R3, R4) and second resistive element (R5, R6, R7, R8) a transistor (Q11, Q12, Q13, Q14) is arranged. The base of the transistor is, via a diode (D1, D2, D3, D4), connected to a further node (N2, N3, N4, N5) in the series arrangement of batteries, and a switching element (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4) is provided to address the transistor (Q11, Q12, Q13,Q14).

Abstract: A method for driving a lamp with a variable duty cycle in a timing relationship with an input image signal (Si) comprises the steps of: receiving the image signal having a predetermined frame period (t3?t1); generating a high-frequency inverter signal (Sv); based on the received image signal, generating a dimming command signal (Sdcc) determining a target ON time (t1) for the lamp and determining a target OFF time (t2) for the lamp, such that the duty cycle (?=(t2?t1)/(t3?t1)) has a desired value; on the basis of the target ON time, determining an adapted ON time (ti 1) coinciding with a first predetermined phase of the high-frequency inverter signal; on the basis of the target OFF time, determining an adapted OFF time (t12) coinciding with a second predetermined phase of the inverter signal; switching the lamp ON at the adapted ON time and switching the lamp OFF at the adapted OFF time.

Abstract: An apparatus for radiating an object with UV-radiation, the apparatus comprises a series arrangement of an incandescent lamp (LA1) and a gas discharge UV lamp (L2) which generates at least UV light. The series arrangement is arranged for receiving current (IP) from an AC power source (PS). A filament of the incandescent lamp (LA1) forms a ballast for the gas discharge UV lamp (LA2). A HF generator (OSC) generates a generator current (IOSC) through the gas discharge UV lamp (LA2), at least when an AC-voltage (VM) generated by the AC power source (PS) is lower than an ignition voltage of the gas discharge UV lamp (LA2), to keep the gas discharge UV lamp (LA2) ionized.

Abstract: An apparatus for radiating an object with UV-radiation, the apparatus comprises a series arrangement of an incandescent lamp (LA1) and a gas discharge UV lamp (L2) which generates at least UV light. The series arrangement is arranged for receiving current (IP) from an AC power source (PS). A controllable switching element (T1) is arranged for obtaining a lamp current (ILA1) through the incandescent lamp (LA1) to preheat the incandescent lamp (LA1) before igniting the gas discharge UV lamp (L2).

Abstract: A communication system comprises a plurality of communication modules (M1, . . . , MN) for phase shifted driving of a corresponding plurality of power converters (1, . . . , 3). The communication modules (M1, . . . , MN) are interconnected in a chain to exchange information for determining which communication module (M1, . . . , MN) is the first module (M1) in the chain, and for determining what the total number (N) of communication modules (M1, . . . , MN) in the chain is. Each communication module (M1, . . . , MN) comprises a controller (C1, . . . , CN) which controls, for all communication modules (M2, . . . , MN) except the first module (M1), a time of occurrence of an active phase of an associated one of the power converters (1, . . . , 3) in response to a synchronization signal (SI1, . . . , SIN?1) indicative for a time of occurrence of a previous active phase of a power converter (1, . . . , N?1) associated with the preceding communication module (M1, . . . , MN?1).