LIGHTING APPARATUS

• US 20080180269A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lighting Science Group Corporation (Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: LED Effects Incorporated (LED Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Furry, Kevin, Peak, Eric, Somerville, Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/815.45
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/32 Pulse-control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

The present invention describes a lighting apparatus which includes a regulator configured to receive power, LEDs of at least two different colors, and a programmable controller. The programmable controller includes software that is configured to provide a digital pulse width signal to the LEDs in response to a data signal. Also included is according to an embodiment of the present invention is a programmable controller with non-volatile memory for storing the software, which may be upgradeable.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a regulator configured to receive power;

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be coupled to said regulator and a common potential reference; and

a programmable controller connected to said regulator, wherein said programmable controller comprises software configured to provide digital timing pulses to said plurality of LEDs in response to a data signal.

2. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a housing that substantially encloses said regulator, said plurality of LEDs, and said programmable controller.

3. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said programmable controller further comprises a non-volatile memory for storing said software.

4. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said software is updateable.

5. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an output configured to send said data signal to a second lighting apparatus.

6. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said software is updatable to adjust one or more output parameters for said plurality of LEDs.

7. The lighting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said programmable controller is addressable and wherein said software is configured to process said data signal to provide a digital pulse width signal to said plurality of LEDs in response to color illumination information addressed to said programmable controller, wherein said data signal comprises said color illumination information.

8. The lighting apparatus of claim 7 wherein said software is further configured to remove said color illumination information addressed to said programmable controller prior to sending said data signal to a second lighting apparatus.

9. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a regulator configured to receive power;

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors adapted to be connected to said regulator and to a common potential reference;

an input configured to receive a data signal wherein said data signal includes color illumination information; and

an addressable controller configured to be coupled to said regulator and said input wherein said controller comprises a programmable processor comprising software configured to process said data signal to provide a digital pulse width signal to said plurality of LEDs in response to color illumination information.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 9 further comprising a housing that substantially encloses said regulator, said plurality of LEDs, said input, and said addressable controller.

11. The lighting apparatus of claim 9 wherein said addressable controller further comprises a memory store.

12. The lighting apparatus of claim 9 wherein said software is updatable to adjust one or more output parameters for said plurality of LEDs.

13. The lighting apparatus of claim 9 wherein said addressable controller further comprises a non-volatile memory store comprising software with programmable processor instructions.

14. The lighting apparatus of claim 13 wherein said software is updateable.

15. The lighting apparatus of claim 14 wherein said addressable controller further comprises and output wherein said output is configured send said data signal to a second lighting apparatus.

16. A lighting apparatus comprising:

data input means for receiving a data signal;

power input means for receiving power;

two or more LED means; and

controller means connected to said data input means and said power input means wherein said controller means includes processing means with instructions configured to provide a timing pulse to said two or more LED means in response to said data signal.

17. The lighting apparatus of claim 16 wherein said two or more LED means comprise different colors.

18. The lighting apparatus of claim 16 further comprising housing means wherein said housing means substantially encloses said two or more LED means, and said controller means.

19. The lighting apparatus of claim 16 wherein said data input means is further configured for sending said data signal.

20. The lighting apparatus of claim 16 wherein said controller means further comprises memory means for storing said instructions.

21. The lighting apparatus of claim 16 wherein said controller means further comprises memory means for storing said instructions wherein said instructions are updatable.

22. The lighting apparatus of claim 21 wherein said instructions are software instructions.

23. A lighting apparatus comprising:

an input configured to receive a data signal comprising one or more RGB packets;

a regulator configured to receive power;

a plurality of LEDs of at least two different colors connected to a common potential reference and adapted to receive power from said regulator; and

a programmable controller, wherein said programmable controller is connected to said regulator and said programmable controller includes software instructions configured to process said data signal to provide a digital pulse width signal to said plurality of LEDs in response to said one or more RGB packets.

24. The lighting apparatus of claim 23 wherein said programmable controller further comprises non-volatile memory for storing said software instructions.

25. The lighting apparatus of claim 24 wherein said software instructions are updateable.

26. The lighting apparatus of claim 23 wherein said instructions are updatable to adjust one or more output parameters of said plurality of LEDs.