Lighting device operating at different power levels

• US 10,237,941 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard D. Ashoff
• Original Assignee: Richard D. Ashoff
• Inventors: Ashoff, Richard d.
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Alexander H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahr, Kurtis R
• Application Number:
  US15/583,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238388A1
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 35/00 Electric light sources using a combination of different types of light generation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/38 Controlling the intensity of light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/357 specially adapted for retrofit LED light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• 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: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

The current subject matter relates to a lighting device that can be installed in an already existing fixture in a structure. The lighting device can include a light emitting diode (LED) lighting segment and a fluorescent lighting segment. The LED lighting segment can include a LED lighting source, and the fluorescent lighting segment can include a fluorescent lighting source. The LED lighting source can be activated. Motion sensors and/or occupancy sensors can detect motion and/or occupancy of an occupant in the structure. If there is motion or if the occupancy is more than a predetermined threshold, the fluorescent lighting source can be activated. After each regular interval of time, the detection of motion or occupancy can be re-performed. If there is no detection of motion and/or occupancy, the fluorescent lighting source can be deactivated, after a period of time. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Claims

1. A lighting device comprising:

a plurality of light sources comprising a first set of one or more light sources and a second set of one or more light sources, the first set of one or more light sources configured to be powered by direct current, the second set of one or more light sources configured to be powered by alternating current;

electronic circuitry comprising a sensor that determines activity of an individual and a microprocessor operably coupled to the sensor; and

a housing encompassing the first set of one or more light sources, the second set of one or more light sources, and the electronic circuitry, the housing configured to be electrically combined with a ballast prefixed in a light fixture to power the first set of one or more light sources and configured to be removably fitted into the light fixture, the microprocessor configured to power the second set of one or more light sources upon the detection of the activity of the individual.

2. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein:

the first set of one or more light sources comprises light emitting diodes configured to be powered by up to twelve volts of direct current; and

the second set of one or more light sources comprises a fluorescent light configured to be powered by alternating current between one hundred and ten volts and two hundred and thirty volts.

3. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the ballast prefixed within the light fixture is configured to provide the lighting device at least five hundred volts of alternating current at a frequency of at least twenty kilohertz.

4. The lighting device of claim 3, wherein the electronic circuitry within the lighting device is configured to reduce power generated by the at least five hundred volts of alternating current at the frequency of at least twenty kilohertz.

5. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuitry further comprises a transceiver operably coupled to the microprocessor, the transceiver allowing the microprocessor to communicate with a remote server via a communication network.

6. The lighting device of claim 5, wherein the communication between the microprocessor and the remote server enables the remote server to control the microprocessor to activate or deactivate at least one of the first set of one or more light sources and the second set of one or more light sources.

7. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be electrically combined with the ballast prefixed in the light fixture without modifying the light fixture.

8. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is configured to deactivate the second set of one or more light sources when the sensor has failed to detect activity for a threshold amount of time.

9. The lighting device of claim 1, wherein a brightness of the second set of one or more light sources is more than a brightness of the first set of one or more light sources.

10. A method comprising:

electrically combining a lighting device with an instant start ballast prefixed in a lighting fixture without modifying the lighting fixture, the lighting device comprising;

a plurality of light sources comprising a first set of one or more light sources and a second set of one or more light sources, the first set of one or more light sources and the second set of one or more light sources configured to power at different electrical input values;

electronic circuitry comprising a frequency sensor that determines an activity of an individual and a microprocessor operably coupled to the frequency sensor, the electronic circuitry further comprising a transformer configured to operably couple with the instant start ballast; and

a housing encompassing the one or more light sources and the electronic circuitry, the housing configured to be electrically combined with the instant start ballast prefixed in the light fixture to power the first set of one or more light sources and configured to be removably fitted into the lighting fixture, the microprocessor configured to power the second set of one or more light sources upon the detection of the activity of the individual; and

communicatively coupling the microprocessor with a server via a communication network, the communicative coupling enabling the server to remotely vary dimming luminosity of at least one of the first set of one or more light sources and the second set of one or more light sources.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the instant start ballast prefixed within the light fixture is configured to provide the lighting device at least five hundred volts of alternating current at a frequency of at least one hundred kilohertz.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic circuitry within the lighting device is configured to reduce power generated by the at least five hundred volts of alternating current at the frequency of at least one hundred kilohertz.