Lighting apparatus that determines whether network information to connect to a network is effective and method of controlling the same

• US 10,356,884 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2015
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwag, Heui-sam, Kim, Jin-sung, Lee, Chung-hee, Jung, Ju-young
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alaeddini, Borna
• Application Number:
  US15/528,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20170325324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

Provided is a lighting apparatus including a memory configured to store wireless network information of the lighting apparatus, a detection circuit configured to detect an alternating current signal supplied to the lighting apparatus, and a processor configured to initialize wireless network information of the lighting apparatus, based on the detected alternating current signal.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store wireless network information of the lighting apparatus;

a detection circuit configured to, when an alternating current signal is being supplied to the lighting apparatus, detect the alternating current signal, for determining whether the lighting apparatus has been powered on; and

a processor configured to, in response to a determination that the lighting apparatus has been powered on,

determine whether network information previously used by the lighting apparatus to connect to a network and thereby allow the lighting apparatus to be controlled through the network is effective based on the stored wireless network information,

wherein the effective network information indicates the lighting apparatus is connected to a network covering a space where the lighting apparatus is currently located,

when the processor determines that the network information is effective,

maintain the network information, and

connect the lighting apparatus to the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located using the maintained network information, to thereby allow the lighting apparatus to be controlled through the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located, and

when the processor determines that the network information is not effective,

reset the network information to network information useable by the lighting apparatus based on the detected alternating current signal, and

connect the lighting apparatus to the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located using the reset network information, to thereby allow the lighting apparatus to be controlled through the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication module configured to communicate with a network covering a space where the lighting apparatus was previously located in accordance with the maintained network information, and to communicate with the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located in accordance with the reset network information.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the detection circuit comprises:

an input unit configured to receive the alternating current signal;

a first converting unit configured to convert the alternating current signal into a first direct current signal;

a second converting unit configured to convert the first direct current signal into a second direct current signal predetermined in the communication module;

a third converting unit configured to convert the alternating current signal to a signal which is convertible to a digital signal in the communication module; and

an output unit configured to output the converted alternating current signal and the second direct signal.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the first converting unit and the second converting unit are connected in series and the third converting unit is connected in parallel to an input terminal of the first converting unit and the output terminal of the second converting unit.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the second converting unit is connected in parallel to the third converting unit, and an output terminal of the first converting unit is connected in series to an input terminal of a parallel circuit to which the second converting unit and the third converting unit are connected.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the third converting unit comprises at least two of resistors and at least one of capacitors.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one of capacitors is connected in parallel to a single resistor from among the at least two of resistors.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the detection circuit is further configured to detect a number of ON states and a number of OFF states of the alternating current signal during a predetermined period of time, and

the processor is further configured to determine whether the lighting apparatus has been powered on based on the number of ON states and the number of OFF states.

9. The lighting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the lighting apparatus has been powered on when a total of the number of ON states and the number of OFF states of the AC signal is greater than a predetermined number.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a communication module configured to communicate with a network covering a space where the lighting apparatus was previously located in accordance with the maintained network information, and to communicate with the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located in accordance with the reset network information, and

the detection circuit is further configure to supply power to the communication module when the alternating current signal is in the OFF state.

11. The lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the maintained network information includes identification information of a gateway of a network covering a space where the lighting apparatus was previously located, and the reset network information includes identification information of a gateway of the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located.

12. A method comprising:

by a lighting apparatus;

detecting, when an alternating current signal is being supplied to the lighting apparatus, the alternating current signal, for determining whether the lighting apparatus has been powered on; and

in response to a determination that the lighting apparatus has been powered on,

determining whether network information previously used by the lighting apparatus to connect to a network and thereby allow the lighting apparatus to be controlled through the network is effective based on wireless network information stored in a memory,

wherein the effective network information indicates the lighting apparatus is connected to a network covering a space where the lighting apparatus is currently located,

when the determining determines that the network information is still effective,

maintaining the network information, and

connecting the lighting apparatus to the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located using the maintained network information, to thereby allow the lighting apparatus to be controlled through the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located, and

when the determining determines that the network information is not effective,

resetting the network information to network information useable by the lighting apparatus based on the detected alternating current signal, and

connecting the lighting apparatus to the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located using the reset network information, to thereby allow the lighting apparatus to be controlled through the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the detecting the alternating current signal comprises detecting a number of ON states and a number of OFF states of the alternating current signal during a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining that the lighting apparatus has been powered on when the detected number of ON states and the number of OFF states of the alternating current signal are greater than a predetermined number.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the lighting apparatus includes a communication module configured to communicate with a network covering a space where the lighting apparatus was previously located in accordance with the maintained network information, and to communicate with the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located in accordance with the reset network information, and the method further comprises:

supplying power to the communication module when the alternating current signal is in the OFF state.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the maintained network information includes identification information of a gateway of a network covering a space where the lighting apparatus was previously located, and the reset network information includes identification information of a gateway of the network covering the space where the lighting apparatus is currently located.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a lighting apparatus to perform the method of claim 12.