Patent ID: 9635734
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: F21V,F21W,H01R,H05B,Y02B

Claim:
1. A low voltage lighting power supply, comprising: an enclosure; a power circuit enclosed in the enclosure and having a primary side and a secondary side; the primary side accepting power from a main power source; the secondary side having a plurality of separate output power circuits, each output power circuit generating a separate low voltage lighting power signal capable of lighting a plurality of low voltage light sources and each being rated for a particular output; and power measurement circuitry that measures on the secondary side in real time at least one power-related parameter of at least one of the separate low voltage lighting power signals; and wherein in a normal operation mode, for each of the separate low voltage lighting power signals, the low voltage lighting power supply automatically compares the measured power-related parameter to a threshold and automatically takes a power overload action in response to the comparison indicating a power overload condition; and wherein the low voltage lighting power supply has logic to take at least one power overload action in response to the comparison indicating a power overload condition, the at least one power overload action being selected from the group consisting of: (a) automatically shutting down the separate output power circuit having the power overload condition, (b) automatically shutting down the separate low voltage lighting power signals having the power overload condition, (c) automatically shutting down all the separate low voltage lighting power supply outputs, (d) automatically transmitting a message to a computer remote from the low voltage lighting power supply, (e) automatically reducing the voltage or available current of one or more of the outputs of the separate output power circuit(s) having the power overload condition, (f) automatically reducing the voltage or available current of the separate low voltage lighting power signal(s) having the power overload condition, (g) automatically indicating to a user that an overload condition exists, (h) shutting down the primary voltage to the power supply unit having the fault condition, and (i) accepting from a pre-programmed remote computer an instruction to perform any of the foregoing.