POWER CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20080157939A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marvell Asia Pte Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Original Assignee: Marvell World Trade Limited (Marvell Technology Group Limited)
• Inventors: Sutardja, Sehat
• Granted Patent: US 8,049,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/310.12
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/044 continuously H05B39/042 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A controllable light bulb comprises an electrical connector, a receiver module, an electronic switch, a translucent casing, and a light producing element. The electrical connector receives a power signal. The receiver module is powered by the power signal received via the electrical connector and determines control parameters based upon on/off modulation of the power signal. The receiver module generates a control signal based upon the control parameters while the power signal is on. The electronic switch outputs an output power signal and reduces the output power signal based on the control signal. The translucent casing encloses the light producing element. The light producing element receives the output power signal.

Claims

1. A controllable light bulb comprising:

an electrical connector that receives a power signal;

a receiver module that is powered by said power signal received via said electrical connector, that determines control parameters based upon on/off modulation of said power signal, and that generates a control signal based upon said control parameters while said power signal is on;

an electronic switch that outputs an output power signal and that reduces said output power signal based upon said control signal;

a translucent casing; and

a light producing element that is enclosed in said translucent casing and that receives said output power signal.

2. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said on/off modulation comprises a count over a predetermined period of time of one of power signal presence and power signal absence.

3. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said on/off modulation comprises binary data collected at periodic sampling intervals, wherein a first binary state corresponds to power signal presence and a second binary state corresponds to power signal absence.

4. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said on/off modulation comprises binary data determined by periods of one of power signal presence and power signal absence, wherein a first binary state corresponds to periods shorter than a predetermined length and a second binary state corresponds to periods longer than said predetermined length.

5. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said receiver module determines said control parameters after said on/off modulation indicates a programming initiation sequence.

6. The controllable light bulb of claim 5 wherein said programming initiation sequence comprises a predetermined on/off sequence performed within a predetermined period of time.

7. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said electronic switch reduces said output power signal to approximately zero when said control signal is received.

8. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said electronic switch reduces said output power signal to a dimmed value when said control signal is received.

9. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said receiver module includes a power line carrier receiver module that receives data via said power signal, that is associated with a first address, and that accepts commands addressed to one of said first address and a global address, wherein said control parameters include said first address and said receiver module generates said control signal based upon said data.

10. The controllable light bulb of claim 9 wherein said power line carrier receiver module performs an operation based upon said on/off modulation.

11. The controllable light bulb of claim 10 wherein said operation is at least one of a reset address operation, an update address operation, a broadcast connection operation, and a transmit address operation.

12. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said receiver module further comprises a timing module that begins counting after said power signal is received, wherein said control parameters include a predetermined value, and wherein said receiver module generates said control signal when said timing module reaches said predetermined value.

13. The controllable light bulb of claim 12 wherein said receiver module sets said predetermined value based on a duration that said power signal is on after a programming mode is initiated.

14. The controllable light bulb of claim 12 wherein said receiver module decreases said predetermined value when said power signal is turned off before said timer module reaches said predetermined value.

15. The controllable light bulb of claim 14 wherein said receiver module increases said predetermined value when said power signal is turned off then on within a predetermined period after said timer module reaches said predetermined value.

16. The controllable light bulb of claim 12 wherein said receiver module decreases said predetermined value when said power signal is turned off, on, and off within a predetermined period, and before said timer module reaches said predetermined value.

17. The controllable light bulb of claim 16 wherein said receiver module increases said predetermined value when said power signal is turned off, on, off, and on within a predetermined period after said timer module reaches said predetermined value.

18. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said electrical connector comprises conducting male threads and a conducting tip.

19. The controllable light bulb of claim 1 wherein said light producing element comprises a metallic filament.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a power signal at a light bulb;

monitoring on/off modulation of said power signal;

determining control parameters based upon said on/off modulation;

generating a control signal based upon said control parameters while said power signal is on;

providing an output power signal to a light producing element of said light bulb; and

reducing said output power signal based upon said control signal.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said monitoring comprises counting one of power signal presence and power signal absence over a predetermined period of time.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein said monitoring comprises collecting binary data at periodic sampling intervals, wherein a first binary state corresponds to power signal presence and a second binary state corresponds to power signal absence.

23. The method of claim 20 wherein said monitoring comprises collecting binary data by measuring periods of one of power signal presence and power signal absence, wherein a first binary state corresponds to periods shorter than a predetermined length and a second binary state corresponds to periods longer than said predetermined length.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising detecting a programming initiation sequence from said on/off modulation before performing said determining.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said programming initiation sequence comprises a predetermined on/off sequence detected within a predetermined period of time.

26. The method of claim 20 further comprising reducing said output power signal to one of a dimmed value and an off value when said control signal is received.

27. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving data superimposed on said power signal;

decoding said data into commands;

selecting ones of said commands addressed to one of a first address and a global address, wherein said control parameters include said first address; and

generating said control signal based upon said ones of said commands.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising performing a power line carrier operation based upon said on/off modulation, wherein said operation is at least one of a reset address operation, an update address operation, a broadcast connection operation, and a transmit address operation.

29. The method of claim 20 further comprising beginning timing a first period after said power signal is received, wherein said control parameters include said first period, and wherein said generating said control signal is performed when said first period elapses.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising setting said first period based on a duration that said power signal is on after a programming mode is initiated.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising decreasing said first period when said power signal is turned off before said first period elapses.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising increasing said first period when said power signal is turned off then on within a predetermined period after said first period elapses.

33. The method of claim 29 further comprising decreasing said first period when said power signal is turned off, on, and off within a predetermined period and before said first period elapses.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising increasing said first period when said power signal is turned off, on, off, and on within a predetermined period after said reducing has been performed.