Lighting System and Method for Controlling a Lighting System

• US 20080211427A1
• Filed: 05/22/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Schreyer, Oliver, Budde, Wolfgang, Lelkens, Armand Michel, Marie, Bozena, Erdmann
• Application Number:
  US11/915,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211427A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A lighting system with a base station and a plurality of lighting units, as well as a method for controlling a lighting system are described. Each lighting unit (12) has a light source (14), a controller unit (18) and associated configuration data. A receiver (20) receives control commands over a medium shared by the lighting units (12), e.g. wireless. A base station (10) comprises a configuration memory unit (34) to store configuration data. A central processing unit (24) uses a transmitter (38) to transmit control commands to the lighting units (12). The lighting units (12) are addressed using data stored in the configuration memory unit. The lighting units (12) are operated sequentially.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. Lighting system including

a base station (10) and

a plurality of lighting units (12)

where said lighting units (12) each comprise at least

unit configuration data associated with said lighting unit (12)

a light source (14)

an application program storage with at least a stored program describing an operation sequence of the light source,

a controller unit (18) configured to control said light source (14) according to the stored program under control and/or synchronisation of control commands,

and a data reception means (20) configured to receive the control commands for said controller unit (18) over a medium which is shared by all lighting units (12),

and where said base station (10) comprises at least

a data transmission means (38) configured to transmit the control commands to said data reception means (20) over said shared medium,

a configuration memory unit (34) to store said unit configuration data,

and a central processing unit (24) configured to drive said data transmission means (38) to transmit control commands to sequentially drive said lighting units (12), where said lighting units (12) are addressed using data stored in said configuration memory unit (34).

14. System according to claim 13, where

said data reception means (20) and said data transmission means (38) are configured to communicate over a wireless medium.

15. System according to claim 13, where

said base station (10) further comprises a base configuration interface (36, 42) configured to wirelessly read said unit configuration data from said lighting units (12).

16. System according to claim 15, where

said base configuration interface (36, 42) is a short range wireless interface.

17. System according to claim 16, where

said lighting units (12) each further comprise an RFID tag (22) containing said unit configuration data,

and said base station (10) further comprises an RFID reader unit (36) to read said RFID tag (22).

18. System according to claim 16, where

said lighting units (12) each further comprise a barcode (44) containing said unit configuration data,

and said base station (10) further comprises a barcode reader unit (42) to read said barcode (44).

19. System according to claim 13, where

said base station (10) further comprises

a non-volatile application memory unit (32) storing at least a plurality of application programs, said application programs each describing an operation sequence of said lighting units (12)

and input means (28) configured to choose between said application programs.

20. System according to claim 13, where

said lighting units (12) further comprise an energy storing unit (16) configured to deliver electrical energy.

21. Base station for use in a system according to claim 13, comprising at least

a data transmission means (38) configured to transmit control commands

a configuration memory unit (34) to store unit configuration data,

and a central processing unit (24) configured to drive said data transmission means (30) to transmit control commands to sequentially drive lighting units (12), where said lighting units (12) are addressed using data stored in said configuration memory unit.

22. Lighting unit for use in a system according to claim 13, comprising at least

means for storing configuration data, where said data may be read out by a wireless interface,

a light source (14),

an application program storage with at least a stored program describing an operation sequence of the light source,

a controller unit (12) configured to control said light source (14) according to the stored program under control and/or synchronisation of control commands,

and a data reception means (20) configured to receive the control commands for said controller unit (12).

23. Method for controlling a system comprising a base station (10) and a plurality of lighting units (12), where

in a configuration step, unit configuration data associated with each of said lighting units (12) is stored in said base station (10),

and during operation, said base station (10) sends control commands over a medium shared by said lighting units (12), which control commands are addressed to said lighting units (12) using said configuration data,

and said lighting units (12) each receive said control commands and control a light source (14) according to a program, stored in an application storage of the lighting unit (12), under control and/Or synchronisation of said control commands,

such that said light sources (14) are driven sequentially.