Amber Solutions Secures AC Direct LED Lighting Architecture Patent

A new patent awarded to Amber Solutions will allow for a vast expansion of value delivered and installation flexibility for LED lighting. According to Amber Founder and CEO Thar Casey, the new patent, the company’s sixth, enables the creation of smaller, lighter, brighter, longer lasting LED consumer and commercial lighting products that have virtually no flicker and deliver full spectrum dimming with major energy savings.

“Amber’s patented solid-state technologies can now eliminate the need for traditional LED power supplies and drivers,” Casey said. “Our power system is 90-percent smaller than existing electromechanical products, enabling the highest shipping density available along with simplified product design and extended life expectancy.

With greater luminosity per watt, full spectrum dimming capability (seamless 0 to 100 percent), virtually no flicker and up to 50 percent reduction in total commercial fixture size and weight, this advancement vastly expands the value delivered and installation flexibility for LED lighting.”

The embedded intelligence in Amber’s power supply can produce more than 15 percent greater lighting efficacy, with a maximum of 200 lumens per watt, versus existing products that are around 170 lumens per watt. Higher efficacy directly translates to energy savings, meaning that for the same light output Amber’s AC direct LED architecture will save 15 percent or more on an energy bill. This also means installations can use fewer lamps to produce the same amount of light or produce brighter conditions with the same number of lamps and power input.

According to Casey, while typical commercial LED power supply bricks may vary in size, some measure 9 x 2.8 x 1.5 inches – a total of 37.8 cubic inches. By comparison, Amber’s power supply is just 5 x 3 x 0.25 inches, for a total of 3.75 cubic inches, and it’s only a quarter inch thick.

“This reduction in size allows designers to eliminate both weight and bulky internal spaces in commercial LED lighting fixtures, opening the door to LED products with much slimmer profiles and more flexible installation requirements.

While in small, discrete board today, Amber’s technology has a clear path to silicon, where the size will be even smaller,” Casey emphasized.

Amber’s digital control of electricity also enables the smallest amount of flicker currently available for LED lights, with the highest existing ratio of on time to off time. With the capability to utilize more wattage per square inch of lighting surface in LEDs, Amber’s breakthroughs also add embedded protection against temperature fluctuations, overcurrent and power surge issues. LED products using Amber’s technology will perform better, deliver greater reliability and are easier to install and maintain.

“This new patent further cements Amber as the leading innovator in solid-state electrical product research and design,” Casey added. “Combined with our five other patents granted for various aspects of digital, solid-state electricity control, we enable significant advantages in LED performance, particularly for the commercial market.”

Amber’s core innovation, a programmable solid-state power system that has a clear path to an even smaller silicon chip version, controls the flow of electricity digitally, enabling the integration of unique intelligence into building electrical products and infrastructure.

According to Amber, the solution introduces the world to a much safer, more reliable, and smarter alternative to the 1970’s era electro-mechanical components that are used in nearly all modern electrical infrastructure products. Amber’s technologies power a significant architectural and feature upgrade to the range of electrically powered building products, like circuit breakers, outlets, GFCIs, and light switches, as well as potentially every electrical appliance.