Wireless proximity aware remote control lighting system

• US 10,306,739 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2016
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recker, Michael V., Levine, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Jany
• Application Number:
  US15/394,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20170111981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Aspects of the present invention further include a lighting system comprising a lighting source, a connector in electrical communication with the lighting source and an external power source, an energy storage device, an input device, and a controller. The controller may be configured to identify the presence of a load indicator signal received via the input device, determine whether the load indicator signal indicates a load-reducing state, and when the load indicator signal indicates the load-reducing state, discharge the energy storage device to maintain an intensity of the lighting source.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a remote control comprising;

a transmitter;

one or more first processors; and

first memory storing first instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first processors to perform first operations comprising transmitting, using the transmitter, a control signal representing a command to change to an illumination state; and

a lighting device comprising;

a light source;

a receiver;

one or more second processors; and

second memory storing second instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform second operations comprising;

receiving, using the receiver, the control signal;

determining, using the control signal, that the remote control is proximate to the lighting device; and

after determining that the remote control is proximate to the lighting device, causing the light source to change to the illumination state.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the illumination state includes at least one of an on state, an off state, a brightness level, a color, or an illumination timing.

3. The system of claim 1, the second memory storing third instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform third operations comprising:

determining a time of arrival of the control signal,

wherein determining that the remote control is proximate to the lighting device comprises determining, using the time of arrival, that the remote control is proximate to the lighting device.

4. The system of claim 1, the second memory storing third instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform third operations comprising:

determining a signal strength associated with the control signal,

wherein determining that the remote control is proximate to the lighting device comprises determining, using the signal strength, that the remote control is proximate to the lighting device.

5. The system of claim 1, the second memory storing third instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform third operations comprising:

storing data indicating a range,

wherein determining that the remote control is proximate to the lighting device comprises determining, using the control signal, that the remote control is within the range to the lighting device.

6. The system of claim 1, the second memory storing third instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform third operations comprising:

receiving, using the receiver, an additional control signal, the additional control signal representing an additional command to change to an additional illumination state;

determining, using the additional control signal, that the remote control is not proximate to the lighting device; and

ceasing from causing the light source to change to the additional illumination state.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote control further comprises:

a first button; and

a second button,

and wherein the first memory stores third instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first processors to perform third operations comprising;

receiving a first input using the first button;

after receiving the first input, transmitting, using the transmitter, an additional control signal at a first power level; and

receiving a second input using the second button,

wherein transmitting the control signal comprises, after receiving the second input, transmitting, using the transmitter and to the lighting device, the control signal at a second power level.

8. A first electronic device comprising:

a light source;

a receiver;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, using the receiver, a signal from a second electronic device, the signal representing a command to change the light source to a state;

determining, using the signal, that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device; and

after determining that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device, causing the light source to change to the state.

9. The first electronic device of claim 8, wherein the second electronic device is one of a remote control, a remote sensor, a wireless lighting device, or a power outage device.

10. The first electronic device of claim 8, wherein the command to change the light source to the state includes at least one of:

a first command to change the light source to an on state;

a second command to change the light source to an off state;

a third command to change a brightness of the light source;

a fourth command to change a color of the light source;

or

a fifth command to change an illumination timing of the light source.

11. The first electronic device of claim 8, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

determining a time of arrival associated with the signal,

wherein determining that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device comprises determining, using the time of arrival, that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device.

12. The first electronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a first button; and

a second button,

wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising;

receiving a first input using the first button;

after receiving the first input, transmitting, using the transceiver, a third signal at a first power level; and

receiving a second input using the second button,

wherein transmitting the second signal comprises, after receiving the second input, transmitting, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, the second signal at a second power level.

13. The first electronic device of claim 11, further comprising:

a first button; and

a second button,

wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising;

receiving a first input using the first button;

after receiving the first input, transmitting, using the transceiver, a third signal using a first communication channel; and

receiving a second input using the second button,

wherein transmitting the second signal comprises, after receiving the second input, transmitting, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, the second signal using a second channel.

14. The first electronic device of claim 8, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

receiving, using the receiver, an additional signal from at least one of the second electronic device or a third electronic device, the additional signal representing an additional command to change the light source to an additional state;

determining, using the additional signal, that the first electronic device is not proximate to the at least one of the second electronic device or the third electronic device; and

ceasing from causing the light source to change to the additional illumination state.

15. The first electronic device of claim 8, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

determining signal strength associated with the signal,

wherein determining that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device comprises determining, using the signal strength, that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device.

16. The first electronic device of claim 8, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

storing data indicating a range,

wherein determining that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device comprises determining, using the signal, that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device.

17. A first electronic device comprising:

a transceiver;

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, using the transceiver, a first signal from a second electronic device;

determining a signal strength of the first signal;

determining, using the signal strength, that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device; and

after determining that the first electronic device is proximate to the second electronic device, transmitting, using the transceiver, a second signal to the second electronic device, the second signal representing a command to change a state of a light source.

18. The first electronic device of claim 17, wherein the first electronic device includes at least one of a remote control, a remote sensor, a lighting device, or a power outage device.

19. The first electronic device of claim 17, wherein the command to change the state of the light source includes at least one of:

a first command to change the light source an on state;

a second command to change the light source to an off state;

a third command to change a brightness of the light source;

a fourth command to change a color of the light source;

or

a fifth command to change an illumination timing of the light source.

20. The first electronic device of claim 17, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

receiving, using the transceiver, a third signal from at least one of the second electronic device or a third electronic device;

determining an additional signal strength of the third signal;

determining, using the additional signal strength, that the first electronic device is not proximate to the at least one of the second electronic device or the third electronic device; and

ceasing from transmitting, using the transceiver, a fourth signal to the at least one of the second electronic device or the third electronic device.