Variable multi-color LED light string and controller for an artificial tree

• US 10,440,795 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2018
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polygroup Macau Limited (MDF Commerce, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polygroup Macau Limited (MDF Commerce, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leung, Chi Yin Alan, Kwok, Chi Kin Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Dedei K
• Application Number:
  US15/901,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184498A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/10 with light sources attached to loose electric cables, e.g. Christmas tree lights
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/00 Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/508
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/001 the elements being electrical wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/003 the elements being electronics drivers or controllers for operating the light source, e.g. for a LED array
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/04 for Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/17 forming a single encapsulated light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 45/40 Details of LED load circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the disclosed technology include a decorative lighting system that can be integrated with an artificial tree. The decorative lighting system may include a white light emitting diode (LED) light string and a variable-color LED light string. The variable-color LED light string may employ LED lamps having embedded Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) LEDs. The RGB LED lamps may include an embedded integrated circuit (IC) configured to communicate with and control the energizing of each of the corresponding RGB LEDs to create a multitude of colors and color combinations that can vary with time to create a light show. An electronic controller in communication with the LED lamps may allow a user to select the mode for the light show and further may provide a periodic reset signal to restart or re-synchronize the light show.

Claims

1. A lighted artificial tree comprising:

a power cord comprising one or more conductors and a power plug;

a wiring harness having two or more electrical conductors;

a first tree segment having a first decorative lighting system comprising;

a first variable-color LED light string, the first variable-color light string comprising a first plurality of variable-color LED lamps, each of the first plurality of variable-color LED lamps comprising;

a bulb housing;

a plurality of color LEDs;

an embedded integrated circuit (IC) comprising (i) a bulb processor in communication with the plurality of color LEDs and (ii) a bulb memory in communication with the processor, the bulb memory storing data relating to one or more illumination sequences; and

at least two bulb electrical conductors in communication with the embedded IC for communication with the wiring harness; and

a second tree segment having a second decorative lighting system comprising;

a second variable-color LED light string, the second variable-color light string comprising a second plurality of variable-color LED lamps, each of the second plurality of variable-color LED lamps comprising;

a bulb housing;

a plurality of color LEDs;

an embedded IC comprising (i) a bulb processor in communication with the plurality of color LEDs and (ii) a bulb memory in communication with the processor, the bulb memory storing data relating to one or more illumination sequences; and

at least two bulb electrical conductors in communication with the embedded IC for communication with the wiring harness; and

a controller in communication with the wiring harness and configured to receive user input, the controller comprising a processor and at least one memory operatively coupled to the processor and configured for storing data instructions that, when executed by the controller, cause the processor to perform a method comprising;

transmitting, by the controller and to each of the embedded ICs of the first variable-color LED light string, instructions for selectively controlling at least one variable-color LED lamp according to a user input, wherein the instructions include an indication of one of the one or more illumination sequences to be distributed to the plurality of color LEDs by the embedded IC; and

transmitting, by the controller and to each of the embedded ICs of the second variable-color LED light string, instructions for selectively controlling at least one variable-color LED lamp according to a user input, wherein the instructions include an indication of one of the one or more illumination sequences to be distributed to the plurality of color LEDs by the embedded IC.

2. The artificial lighted tree of claim 1 further comprising at least one white LED light string.

3. The artificial lighted tree of claim 1, wherein each plurality of color LEDs comprises a red, a green, and a blue LED.

4. The artificial lighted tree of claim 1, wherein a color of a variable-color LED lamp is determined by varying a pulse width modulation output from an embedded IC to each respective color LED associated with the embedded IC.

5. The artificial lighted tree of claim 1, wherein the wiring harness provides series wiring configurations for providing power and control to the plurality of variable-color LED lamps of the first and second variable-color LED light strings.

6. The artificial lighted tree of claim 1, wherein the wiring harness provides parallel wiring configurations for providing power and control to the plurality of variable-color LED lamps of the first and second variable-color LED light strings.

7. The artificial lighted tree of claim 1, wherein the first and second decorative lighting systems are separately and independently controllable by the controller.