Process and system of power saving lighting

• US 20090039797A1
• Filed: 08/09/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EE Systems Group, Inc. (Canada)
• Original Assignee: EE Systems Group, Inc. (Canada)
• Inventors: Parker, James, Wang, Randall
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/246
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0565 Polymeric materials, e.g. gel-type or solid-type
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/465 with solar battery as charging system
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A process and system of lighting with green energy source and intelligent power management, which saves energy consuming and limits pollution. The system is using solar power, green battery, and LED which are clean, long life; save, and energy saving. A microcontroller coordinates devices and sensors to optimize the operation of the system to generate illumination. The process includes the steps of sensing the environment, selecting power source, determining the energy output and driving the light device in order to most efficiently using energy and generate sufficient light for different purposes.

Claims

1. A system of energy saving lighting, comprising:

a sensor component monitoring the environment and the condition of said system to generate reference information;

a power supply component supplying power for said system which further comprises;

a solar power supply element which converts solar power to electricity to supply power to said system;

a rechargeable battery element which supplies power to said system when solar power supply is not available, wherein is charged by said solar power supply element; and

/or an AC power supply element which is optional in said system to supply power to said system.

a light component which is electrically connected to said power supply component to generate light; and

a microcontroller which is electrically connected with said sensor component, controlling said power supply component, and said light component regarding said reference information from said sensor component.

2. The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said light component comprises an LED matrix to generate light.

3. The system, as recited in claim 2, wherein said LED matrix is controlled by said microcontroller to generate light.

4. The system, as recited in claim 3, wherein the brightness of said light generated by said LED matrix is controlled by said microcontroller using Pulse-width Modulation (PWM).

5. The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said rechargeable battery element of said power supply component further comprises a rechargeable battery which is charged by said solar power supply element, and is discharged to supply power to said system, wherein said charging and discharging of said rechargeable battery is controlled by said microcontroller.

6. The system, as recited in claim 5, wherein said rechargeable battery is charged in a manner according to the type of said rechargeable battery to optimize power efficiency and enhance safety.

7. The system, as recited in claim 6, wherein said rechargeable battery is Lithium-polymer (Li-Poly) battery.

8. The system, as recited in claim 7, wherein said microcontroller charges said rechargeable battery using pulsed charge method.

9. The system, as recited in claim 5, wherein said microcontroller controls said discharging of said rechargeable battery to prevent overdischarging.

10. The system, as recited in claim 7, wherein said microcontroller controls said discharging of said rechargeable battery to prevent overdischarging.

11. The system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said rechargeable battery element of said power supply component further comprises a rechargeable battery which is charged by said solar power supply element, and is discharged to supply power to said system, wherein said charging and discharging of said rechargeable battery is controlled by said microcontroller.

12. The system, as recited in claim 11, wherein said rechargeable battery is charged in a manner according to the type of said rechargeable battery to optimize power efficiency and enhance safety.

13. The system, as recited in claim 12, wherein said rechargeable battery is Lithium-polymer (Li-Poly) battery.

14. The system, as recited in claim 13, wherein said microcontroller charges said rechargeable battery using pulsed charge method.

15. The system, as recited in claim 11, wherein said microcontroller controls said discharging of said rechargeable battery to prevent overdischarging.

16. The system, as recited in claim 13, wherein said microcontroller controls said discharging of said rechargeable battery to prevent overdischarging.

17. The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said sensor component also comprises:

an energy sensor defining a detecting area and detecting energy directed therewithin to produce inputted energy signals; and

a light sensor which measures the amount of light in the predetermined area and inputs the information to said microcontroller to calculate the brightness of said lighting component to output.

18. The system, as recited in claim 17, wherein said energy sensor is electrically connected to said microcontroller which comprises a means for converting said inputted energy signals into data samples, wherein a plurality of data samples are constructed to form a predetermined number of constructed sample windows of constructed samples in time, wherein a control range is determined for each of said constructed sample windows, and thus by comparing said relationship between said successive constructed sample windows, said microcontroller is capable of determining whether there is an need to switch on said light component.

19. The system, as recited in claim 18, wherein said energy sensor is a pyroelectric sensor which is a pyroelectric sensing element adapted for sensing energy radiation, wherein said infrared radiation as an input signal is converted into an output signal through a signal conversion module of said pyroelectric sensor, wherein said output signals generally contain real signals with low frequency and noise signals mixed therewith.

20. The system, as recited in claim 19, wherein said converting means of said microcontroller is an analog to digital converter (A/D converter) converting said output signals from said pyroelectric sensor to data samples for data processing.

21. The system, as recited in claim 18, wherein said microcontroller calculates the brightness of said light component regarding said information inputted by said light sensor to save energy and to meet a predetermined illumination requirement.

22. The system, as recited in claim 16, wherein said sensor component also comprises:

an energy sensor defining a detecting area and detecting energy directed therewithin to produce inputted energy signals; and

a light sensor which measures the amount of light in the predetermined area and inputs the information to said microcontroller to calculate the brightness of said lighting component to output.

23. The system, as recited in claim 22, wherein said energy sensor is electrically connected to said microcontroller which comprises a means for converting said inputted energy signals into data samples, wherein a plurality of data samples are constructed to form a predetermined number of constructed sample windows of constructed samples in time, wherein a control range is determined for each of said constructed sample windows, and thus by comparing said relationship between said successive constructed sample windows, said microcontroller is capable of determining whether there is an need to switch on said light component.

24. The system, as recited in claim 23, wherein said energy sensor is a pyroelectric sensor which is a pyroelectric sensing element adapted for sensing energy radiation, wherein said infrared radiation as an input signal is converted into an output signal through a signal conversion module of said pyroelectric sensor, wherein said output signals generally contain real signals with low frequency and noise signals mixed therewith.

25. The system, as recited in claim 24, wherein said converting means of said microcontroller is an analog to digital converter (A/D converter) converting said output signals from said pyroelectric sensor to data samples for data processing.

27. The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein comprises multiple light components which is distributed in different locations;

multiple rechargeable battery elements wherein every said rechargeable battery element is electrically connected with one light component; and

one solar power supply component which supplies power to said system and rechargeable battery elements.

28. The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein comprises multiple light components which is distributed in different locations;

one rechargeable battery elements which is electrically connected with said multiple light components to supply power; and

one solar power supply component which is electrically connected with said rechargeable battery element to charge said rechargeable battery and supply power to said system.

29. The system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said solar power supply component further comprises a solar panel which converts solar power into electricity.

30. The system, as recited in claim 29, wherein said solar panel is placed on the glass of a window inside a room.

31. The system, as recited in claim 16, wherein comprises multiple light components which is distributed in different locations;

multiple rechargeable battery elements wherein every said rechargeable battery element is electrically connected with one light component; and

one solar power supply component which supplies power to said system and rechargeable battery elements.

32. The system, as recited in claim 16, wherein comprises multiple light components which is distributed in different locations;

one rechargeable battery elements which is electrically connected with said multiple light components to supply power; and

one solar power supply component which is electrically connected with said rechargeable battery element to charge said rechargeable battery and supply power to said system.

33. The system, as recited in claim 16, wherein said solar power supply component further comprises a solar panel which converts solar power into electricity.

34. The system, as recited in claim 33, wherein said solar panel is placed on the glass of a window inside a room.

35. The system, as recited in claim 23, wherein comprises multiple light components which is distributed in different locations;

multiple rechargeable battery elements wherein every said rechargeable battery element is electrically connected with one light component; and

one solar power supply component which supplies power to said system and rechargeable battery elements.

36. The system, as recited in claim 23, wherein comprises multiple light components which is distributed in different locations;

one rechargeable battery elements which is electrically connected with said multiple light components to supply power; and

one solar power supply component which is electrically connected with said rechargeable battery element to charge said rechargeable battery and supply power to said system.

37. The system, as recited in claim 23, wherein said solar power supply component further comprises a solar panel which converts solar power into electricity.

38. The system, as recited in claim 37, wherein said solar panel is placed on the glass of a window inside a room.

39. The system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said LED matrix comprises infrared (IR) LED to generate IR light.

40. The system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said LED matrix comprises multiple LEDs which generate light with multiple wave lengths.

41. The system, as recited in claim 40, wherein said light comprises infrared (IR) and visible light.

70. The system, as recited in claim 3, wherein the brightness of said light generated by said LED matrix is controlled by the ratio of LEDs contained in said LED matrix which are switched on.

42. A process of power saving lighting, comprises said steps of:

(a) sensing the environment and said system'"'"'s conditions to generate reference information;

(b) managing power sources which supply power to said system, wherein said manageable power sources comprise;

a solar power, a rechargeable battery, and/or an AC power supply;

(c) determining said energy output of said light device regarding said reference information and said selected power source to generate necessary amount of light and save energy; and

(d) driving said light device to generate light with said determined energy output.

43. The process, as recited in claim 42, wherein, the step (a) further comprises the steps of:

(a1) sensing the brightness of said environment to determine if the illumination is needed, and the amount of light need to generate;

(a2) sensing the situation of said power supply to determine the amount of light which can be generated; and

(a3) sensing the motion in the predetermined area to determine if illumination is required.

44. The process, as recited in claim 43, wherein, in the step of (a2), the situation of said power supply comprises:

the energy supplied by said solar power;

the voltage level of said rechargeable battery; and

the existence of said AC power supply.

45. The process, as recited in claim 44, wherein said step (a3) further comprises steps of:

(a31) receiving a plurality of data samples and generating a predetermined number of constructed sample windows of constructed samples in time;

(a32) determining a control range for each of said constructed sample is windows;

(a33) determining whether there is an alarm pre-condition by comparing relationships between successive constructed sample windows; and

(a34) generating an output signal when said alarm pre-condition is qualified.

46. The process, as recited in claim 42, wherein said step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(b1) selecting a power source to supply power to said system; and

(b2) controlling the charging and discharging of said rechargeable battery to improve the safety and usage life of said rechargeable battery.

47. The process, as recited in claim 46, wherein, in the step (b1), regarding said information generated by step (a2), if light need to be generated, said solar power will be first selected if said energy supply is sufficient;

said rechargeable battery will be selected if said solar power is not available, and the voltage of said rechargeable battery is not lower than a predetermined level;

if said solar power and said rechargeable battery are both unavailable, said AC power supply will be selected if said AC power supply is available;

if no power source is available, no light will be generated.

48. The process, as recited in claim 46, wherein, in the step (b2), said charging of said rechargeable battery is controlled by pulsed charge method.

49. The process, as recited in claim 48, wherein, in the step (b2), said charging of said rechargeable battery is controlled by pulsed charge method.

50. The process, as recited in claim 49, wherein, in the step (b2), said discharging of said rechargeable battery is stopped when said voltage level of said rechargeable battery is lower than a predetermined level.

51. The process, as recited in claim 43, wherein, in the step (c), a predetermined level of brightness is set, when the brightness of said environment is equal or higher than said predetermined level, no illumination is needed;

when the brightness of said environment is lower than said predetermined level, the amount of light need to generate only illuminates said brightness of said environment to said predetermined level to save energy.

52. The process, as recited in claim 51, wherein, in the step (c), switching on/off said light device is programmed.

53. The process, as recited in claim 52, wherein, in the step (c), switching on said light device is determined when a motion is detected in step (a3).

54. The process, as recited in claim 42, wherein, in the step (d), driving said light device is using Pulse-width Modulation (PWM) method.

55. The process, as recited in claim 45, wherein said step (b) further comprises the steps of:

(b1) selecting a power source to supply power to said system; and

(b2) controlling the charging and discharging of said rechargeable battery to improve the safety and usage life of said rechargeable battery.

56. The process, as recited in claim 55, wherein, in the step (b1), regarding said information generated by step (a2), if light need to be generated, said solar power will be first selected if said energy supply is sufficient;

said rechargeable battery will be selected if said solar power is not available, and the voltage of said rechargeable battery is not lower than a predetermined level;

if said solar power and said rechargeable battery are both unavailable, said AC power supply will be selected if said AC power supply is available;

if no power source is available, no light will be generated.

57. The process, as recited in claim 55, wherein, in the step (b2), said charging of said rechargeable battery is controlled by pulsed charge method.

58. The process, as recited in claim 57, wherein, in the step (b2), said charging of said rechargeable battery is controlled by pulsed charge method.

59. The process, as recited in claim 58, wherein, in the step (b2), said discharging of said rechargeable battery is stopped when said voltage level of said rechargeable battery is lower than a predetermined level.

60. The process, as recited in claim 59, wherein, in the step (c), a predetermined level of brightness is set, when the brightness of said environment is equal or higher than said predetermined level, no illumination is needed;

when the brightness of said environment is lower than said predetermined level, the amount of light need to generate only illuminates said brightness of said environment to said predetermined level to save energy.

61. The process, as recited in claim 60, wherein, in the step (c), switching on/off said light device is programmed.

62. The process, as recited in claim 61, wherein, in the step (c), switching on said light device is determined when a motion is detected in step (a3).

63. The process, as recited in claim 62, wherein, in the step (d), driving said light device is using Pulse-width Modulation (PWM) method.

64. The process, as recited in claim 42, wherein, in the step (d), said light device generates light with multiple wave length.

65. The process, as recited in claim 64, wherein, in the step (d), said light device generates IR light and visible light.

66. The process, as recited in claim 65, wherein, in the step (d), said light device generates light with multiple wave length.

67. The process, as recited in claim 66, wherein, in the step (d), said light device generates IR light and visible light.

68. The process, as recited in claim 54, wherein the step (d) further comprises steps of:

(d1) providing maximum power to said light device during the starting period;

(d2) providing predetermined decreased power to said light device after said starting period; and

(d3) decreasing said power to maintain said minimal required performance.

69. The process, as recited in claim 63, wherein the step (d) further comprises steps of:

(d1) providing maximum power to said light device during the starting period;

(d2) providing predetermined decreased power to said light device after said starting period; and

(d3) decreasing said power to maintain said minimal required performance.