Programmable emergency lighting device including near-field communication

• US 10,624,177 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell Lighting Incorporated (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Han, Lei, Lane, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Houston, Adam D
• Application Number:
  US15/877,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20180160513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/061 for DC powered loads
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/385 using flyback topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/28 Circuit arrangements for protecting against abnormal temperature

Abstract

An emergency lighting unit including a light source, a wireless communication module configured to receive a wireless communication signal, and a controller connected to the wireless communication module. The controller is configured to set a system parameter of the emergency lighting unit based on the wireless communication signal, and control the illumination of the light source based on the one system parameter.

Claims

1. An emergency lighting unit comprising:

a power input;

a light source;

a battery configured to receive charging current from the power input;

a wireless communication module configured to receive a wireless communication signal;

a controller connected to the wireless communication module, the controller configured to

set a system parameter of the emergency lighting unit based on the wireless communication signal,

control the illumination of the light source based on the one system parameter, and

control the charging of the battery based on the system parameter.

2. The emergency lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication module in a near-filed communication (NFC) module.

3. The emergency lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the power input has a voltage of between approximately 100 Volts AC and 300 Volts AC.

4. The emergency lighting unit of claim 1, further comprising a charging circuit operable to receive power from the AC power input and provide the charging current to the battery.

5. The emergency lighting unit of claim 4, further comprising a brown-out circuit electrically connected to the power input and operable to monitor a voltage of the power input.

6. The emergency lighting unit of claim 5, wherein the controller is further configured to control the monitoring of the voltage of the power input based on the system parameter.

7. The emergency lighting unit of claim 1, further comprising an antenna electrically coupled to the wireless communication module.

8. The emergency lighting unit of claim 1, wherein wireless communication signal includes an electronic label for the emergency lighting unit.

9. The emergency lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication signal includes a dimming profile for the light source.

10. The emergency lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication signal includes an output drive current value for the light source.

11. A method of controlling an emergency lighting unit, the method comprising:

receiving a wireless communication signal;

setting a system parameter of the emergency lighting unit based on the wireless communication signal;

controlling illumination of a light source based on the system parameter; and

controlling charging of a battery based on the system parameter.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising

receiving power from an alternating-current (“

AC”

) power input; and

providing the charging current to the battery.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising monitoring the power received from the AC power input.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of monitoring the power received from the AC power input is based on a third system parameter of the emergency lighting unit based on a third wireless communication signal.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication signal includes an electronic label for the emergency lighting unit.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication signal includes a dimming profile for the light source.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication signal includes an output drive current value for the light source.