Decorative lights with at least one commonly controlled set of color-controllable multi-color LEDs for selectable holiday color schemes

• US 20040066148A1
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Published: 04/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Year-Round Creations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Frank Joseph Oskorep, John Jeffrey Oskorep
• Inventors: Oskorep, Frank Joseph, Oskorep, John Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 6,933,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/185S
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/806 Ornamental or decorative

Abstract

A decorative light strand has user-selectable color schemes corresponding to several holidays for year-round use. The light strand has a plurality of lights including at least one commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color LEDs; a decorating selector comprising a switch which provides a plurality of user-selectable settings; and logic coupled to the switch and the plurality of lights to provide different holiday color schemes in response to the user-selectable settings. Preferably, a plurality of commonly-controlled sets of color-controllable multi-color LEDs exist along the strand, where LEDs of each set are interleaved with LEDs of other sets along the light strand. Advantageously, this light strand may be hung permanently and utilized year-round for major holidays and other suitable occasions. In a color-scheme-controllable light strand, the use of such LEDs as described reduces the number of (or eliminates) non-lit bulbs for at least some color schemes, reduces the number of wired lines to the lights, and provides the light strand with a long-life which is especially desirable in a year-round application.

Claims

1. A decorative lighting apparatus, comprising:

a light strand having a plurality of lights including at least one commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color light-emitting diodes (LEDs);

a decorating selector comprising a switch which provides a plurality of user-selectable settings;

logic which is coupled to the plurality of lights including the at least one commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color LEDs

the logic being configured to selectively illuminate the plurality of lights with a different holiday color scheme for each user-selectable setting of the switch.

2. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable settings provide at least three different holiday color schemes associated with three different U.S. holidays.

3. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable settings provide a plurality of different holiday color schemes associated with at least three different U.S. holidays selected from the following list:

Christmas, Independence Day, Valentine'"'"'s Day, Halloween, and St. Patrick'"'"'s Day.

4. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user-selectable settings provide a plurality of different holiday color schemes associated with major U.S. holidays including Christmas and Independence Day.

5. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

each LED in the at least one commonly-controlled set being positioned along the light strand so as to be interleaved with other lights in the plurality of lights.

6. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the at least one commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color LEDs comprises a plurality of commonly-controlled sets of color-controllable multi-color LEDs; and

each LED of each set being interleaved with LEDs of other sets along the light strand.

7. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the user-selectable settings provide at least three different holiday color schemes associated with three different U.S. holidays; and

wherein each U.S. holiday color scheme comprises at least two colors.

8. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

wherein the light strand having the plurality of lights includes at least one commonly-controlled set of fixed-color LEDs.

9. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

the logic comprising a microprocessor;

microprocessor instructions programmed in the microprocessor for;

reading each user-selectable setting of the switch; and

providing an output for the selective illumination of the plurality of lights.

10. A method of providing a decorative lighting apparatus with a plurality of different U.S. holiday color schemes, comprising the acts of:

providing the decorative lighting apparatus with at least one commonly controlled set of color-controllable light emitting diodes (LEDs);

providing for a selective illumination of light colors in the decorative lighting apparatus in accordance with a first U.S. holiday color scheme, in response to a first user switch setting of the decorative lighting apparatus;

providing for a selective illumination of light colors in the decorating lighting apparatus in accordance with a second U.S. holiday color scheme, in response to a second user switch setting of the decorative lighting apparatus;

wherein the at least one commonly controllable set of color-controllable LEDs is illuminated with a first color in the first U.S. holiday color scheme; and

wherein the at least one commonly controllable set of color-controllable LEDs is illuminated with a second color in the second U.S. holiday color scheme which is different from the first color in the first U.S. holiday color scheme.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first U.S. holiday color scheme is Christmas and the second holiday color scheme is Independence Day.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first U.S. holiday color scheme is Christmas and the second U.S. holiday color scheme is Valentine'"'"'s Day.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first U.S. holiday color scheme is Christmas and the second U.S. holiday color scheme is St. Patrick'"'"'s Day.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first U.S. holiday color scheme is Christmas and the second U.S. holiday color scheme is Easter.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing for a selective illumination of light colors in the decorating lighting apparatus in accordance with a third U.S. holiday color scheme, in response to a third user switch setting of the decorative lighting apparatus.

16. A decorative lighting apparatus, comprising:

an alternating current (AC) plug for use in supplying electrical power to the decorative lighting apparatus;

at least three light strands including;

a first light strand having a first set of lights in the form of a commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color light-emitting diodes (LEDs);

a second light strand having a second set of lights;

a third light strand having a third set of lights;

a decorating selector comprising a switch which provides a plurality of user-selectable settings for the decorative lighting apparatus;

logic which is coupled to the at least three light strands via control lines;

the logic being configured to selectively illuminate the light strands with a different color scheme for each user-selectable setting of the switch, such that;

a first holiday color scheme has a first color illuminated in the commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color LEDs; and

a second holiday color scheme has a second color illuminated in the commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color LEDs.

17. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least three light strands are intertwined together in a linear fashion to form a fixed repeated sequence of lights.

18. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second light strand having the second set of lights is in the form of a commonly-controlled set of color-controllable multi-color LEDs.

19. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the logic is configured so as to provide the first holiday color scheme as a Christmas holiday color scheme and the second U.S. holiday color scheme as a different holiday color scheme.

20. The decorative lighting apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

wherein the logic is further configured to provide a third holiday color scheme;

wherein the logic is further configured so as to provide the first holiday color scheme as a Christmas holiday color scheme; and

wherein the logic is further configured so as to provide the second and third holiday color schemes as holiday color schemes selected from the following list;

New Year'"'"'s Day, St. Valentine'"'"'s Day, St. Patrick'"'"'s Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Easter, and Thanksgiving.