Smart phone controlled wireless light bulb

• US 10,015,866 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2014
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wireless Environment LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Environment LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recker, Michael V., Levine, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): BANNAN, JULIE A
• Application Number:
  US14/164,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that employ a control component integrated in a light bulb to control the light bulb wirelessly. The wireless light bulb can include a light source, a control component that manages operation of the light source, an input component that wirelessly obtains input signals that can be utilized by the control component, and a power source. For instance, the light source can be one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) and/or the power source can be one or more batteries. Moreover, the input component can receive the input signals (e.g., radio frequency, infrared, . . . ) from a remote control, a sensor, a differing wireless light bulb, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag, etc. Further, the wireless light bulb can be mechanically coupled to a lighting fixture, where the lighting fixture may or may not be electrically coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source.

Claims

1. A wireless lighting system, comprising:

a housing; and

a wireless light bulb associated with the housing and including at least one light emitting diode (LED),

a wireless transceiver,

a motion sensor, and

a control component,

wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote control, wherein the remote control is a cellular phone, and wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to receive a command signal from the remote control and provide the command signal to the control component, which is configured to manage operation of the at least one LED based on the command signal,

wherein the control component is configured to receive a motion indication from the motion sensor; and

wherein the control component is configured to transmit via the wireless transceiver, to the remote control, a signal indicative of a detected motion or proximity of an object.

2. The wireless lighting system of claim 1, the housing further comprising a fitting that mechanically couples with a socket of a lighting fixture.

3. The wireless lighting system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wireless light bulb is configured to receive the command signal from the remote control via a radio frequency signal or an infrared signal.

4. The wireless lighting system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wireless light bulb is configured to receive the command signal from the remote control via at least one of a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).

5. The wireless lighting system of claim 1, wherein the remote control is a smart phone.

6. The wireless lighting system of claim 1, wherein the control component is configured to modify a state of the at least one LED, alter an intensity of light emitted by the at least one LED, or change a color of the light produced by the at least one LED based on commands associated with the command signal received from the remote control.

7. The wireless lighting system of claim 1, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wireless light bulb is configured to receive the command signal from the remote control via a cellular network.

8. A wireless lighting system, comprising:

a housing; and

a wireless light fixture associated with the housing and including at least one light emitting diode (LED),

a wireless transceiver,

a motion sensor,

a power source, and

a control component,

wherein the wireless transceiver is configured to wirelessly communicate with a remote control, wherein the remote control is a cellular phone, and wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to receive a command signal from the remote control and provide the command signal to the control component, which is configured to manage operation of the at least one LED or cause the power source to provide power to the at least one LED based on the command signal,

wherein the control component is configured to receive a motion indication from the motion sensor, and

wherein the control component is configured to transmit via the wireless transceiver, to the remote control, a signal indicative of a detected motion or proximity of an object.

9. The wireless lighting system of claim 8, the housing further comprising a fitting that mechanically couples with a socket of a lighting fixture.

10. The wireless lighting system of claim 9, wherein the lighting fixture lacks a hard-wired connection to an alternating current (AC) power source.

11. The wireless lighting system of claim 9, wherein the lighting fixture provides a disparate source of power for the control component, the wireless transceiver and the at least one LED in addition to the power source.

12. The wireless lighting system of claim 11, wherein the lighting fixture is hard-wired to an alternating current (AC) power source that provides the disparate source of power.

13. The wireless lighting system of claim 8, wherein the control component is configured to modify a state of the at least one LED, alter an intensity of light emitted by the at least one LED, or change a color of the light provided by the at least one LED based on the command signal received from the remote control.

14. The wireless lighting system of claim 8, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wireless light fixture is configured to receive the command signal wirelessly from the remote control via a cellular network.

15. The wireless lighting system of claim 8, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wireless light fixture is configured to receive the command signal wirelessly from the remote control via a radio frequency signal or an infrared signal.

16. The wireless lighting system of claim 8, wherein the wireless transceiver of the wireless light fixture is configured to receive the command signal wirelessly from the remote control via at least one of a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN).