Cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system

• US 10,034,359 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Environment LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recker, Michael V., Levine, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAMMOND, DEDEI KHALIEAH
• Application Number:
  US15/827,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20180084627A1
• Time in Patent Office: 236 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/238 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/221 General power management systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

A cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system may include one or more wireless lighting modules and a bridge device to transmit a video stream or images to external devices such as a remote device, a cellular phone, a home automation system, or a security system. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system may operate over the cloud via an Internet connection allowing the bridge device to communicate with a server on the Internet that may implement software for the interface to capture data regarding activity detected by-the wireless lighting module.

Claims

1. A cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system, the system capable of communicating with a cloud server, the system comprising:

one or more wireless lighting modules each including a battery, at least one lighting device, a wireless transceiver, a processing device, a camera, and a housing, wherein at least one of the one or more wireless lighting modules is configured to transmit, to a bridge device, via the wireless transceiver, at least one of a video stream from the camera or one or more images captured by the camera; and

wherein the bridge device is configured to be located separately from the one or more wireless lighting modules, the bridge device including a first wireless transceiver, a second wireless transceiver, a processor, and a power source, and wherein the bridge device is further configured to;

receive the at least one of the video stream from the camera or the one or more images captured by the camera from the one or more wireless lighting modules via the second wireless transceiver, and transmit the at least one of the video stream or the one or more images to the cloud server via the first wireless transceiver in order to trigger the cloud server to transmit the at least one of the video stream or the one or more images to at least one of a remote device, a cellular phone, a home automation system, or a security system.

2. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless lighting modules include a first plurality of wireless lighting modules, and wherein the bridge device is configured to transmit a first control signal to each of the first plurality of wireless lighting modules, wherein the first control signal includes at least one of an on signal, an off signal, or a dim signal.

3. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 2, wherein the one or more wireless lighting modules include a second plurality of wireless lighting modules different from the first plurality of wireless lighting modules, and wherein the bridge device is configured to transmit a second control signal to each of the second plurality of wireless lighting modules, wherein the second control signal includes at least one of an on signal, an off signal, or a change in brightness signal, and the second control signal is different than the first control signal.

4. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless lighting modules are configured to receive, via the cloud and via the bridge, a control signal from a remote device, and the processing device included in each of the one or more wireless lighting modules is configured to initiate illumination of the at least one lighting device, in response to the control signal, using power from the battery of the one or more wireless lighting modules.

5. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 4, wherein the remote device is one of a cellular phone, a smart home hub or end device, a home automation cloud server, a security controller or end device, a dedicated remote control, a personal computer, or a handheld computing device.

6. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, the one or more wireless lighting modules further comprising a motion detector configured to generate a motion indication signal or a proximity of an object indication signal from the one or more wireless lighting modules, which, when received by at least one of a cellular phone, a home automation system, or a security system, is configured to trigger an action by the receiving device that has been preconfigured to occur in response to the motion indication signal or the proximity of an object indication signal.

7. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, further including a remote sensor device comprising an environmental sensor, a communication transmitter, a power source, a processor, and a housing configured to be in communication with the bridge device.

8. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 7, wherein the environmental sensor is configured to detect motion or proximity of an object, and the processor is configured to transmit an indication of the detection to the bridge device.

9. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the battery of each wireless lighting module is a rechargeable battery.

10. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the one or more wireless lighting modules further comprises a photovoltaic cell configured to recharge the rechargeable battery.

11. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the bridge device includes a timer, and wherein the at least one processor of the bridge device is configured to initiate the timer in response to detection of a predetermined condition and to generate an off signal for transmission to the one or more wireless lighting modules based on a status of the timer.

12. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the bridge device is configured to communicate with the cloud server via at least one of a local area network, a personal area network, a wide area network, an internet connection to the cloud, or a cellular network.

13. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 12, wherein the coordinated lighting operation includes turning ON, turning OFF, or changing state at substantially the same time.

14. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless lighting modules are configured to coordinate operation based on a motion detection by one of the one or more wireless lighting modules on a predetermined channel.

15. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the bridge device comprises a box with an external power adapter that plugs into an electrical outlet and the bridge device receives power from the electrical outlet.

16. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the bridge device further comprises a separate wireless lighting module.

17. The cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system of claim 1, wherein the power source of the bridge device is at least one of a non-rechargeable battery, rechargeable battery, or a photovoltaic cell.

18. A cloud-connected wireless lighting and video system configured for communicating with a cloud server, the system comprising:

one or more wireless lighting modules each including a battery, at least one light emitting diode, a wireless transceiver, a processing device, a camera, and a housing;

a bridge device configured to be located separately from the one or more wireless lighting modules, the bridge including;

at least one processing device;

a first transmitter configured to transmit at least one of a video stream or one or more images to the cloud server in order to trigger the cloud server to transmit the at least one of the video stream or the one or more images to at least one of a remote device, a cellular phone, a home automation system, or a security system;

a first receiver configured to receive the at least one of the video stream from the camera or the one or more images captured by the camera from the one or more wireless lighting modules; and

a second transmitter configured to transmit the at least one of the video stream from the camera or the one or more images captured by the camera to the one or more wireless lighting modules; and

wherein the bridge device is configured further to communicate with the cloud server to transmit the at least one of the video stream or the one or more images to the cloud server via the cloud.

19. The cloud-connected wireless lighting and video system of claim 18, wherein the second transmitter of the bridge is configured to connect to a Wifi or Ethernet network.

20. The cloud-connected wireless lighting and video system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more wireless lighting modules is configured to communicate with the first transmitter and first receiver of the bridge via its wireless transceiver over a radio frequency (RF) communication link.

21. The cloud-connected wireless lighting and video system of claim 18, wherein the one or more wireless lighting modules each is configured with a predetermined channel such that wireless lighting modules having the same predetermined channel can communicate with each other.

22. A cloud-connected off-grid lighting and video system, the system capable of communicating with a cloud server, the system comprising:

one or more wireless lighting modules each including a wired power source, at least one lighting device, a wireless transceiver, a processing device, a camera, and a housing, wherein at least one of the one or more wireless lighting modules is configured to transmit, to a bridge device, a packetized video stream via the wireless transceiver, and

the bridge device configured to be located separately from the one or more wireless lighting modules, the bridge device including a first wireless transceiver, a second wireless transceiver, a processor, and a power source, wherein the bridge device is configured to;

receive the packetized video stream from the camera from the one or more wireless lighting modules via the second wireless transceiver and transmit the packetized video stream to the cloud server via the first wireless transceiver in order to trigger the cloud server to transmit the packetized video stream to at least one of a remote device, a cellular phone, a home automation system, or a security system.