WIRELESS LIGHT BULB

• US 20090059603A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Environment LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recker, Michael V., Levine, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,669,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/362
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that employ a control component integrated in a light bulb to control the light bulb wirelessly. The wireless light bulb can include a light source, a control component that manages operation of the light source, an input component that wirelessly obtains input signals that can be utilized by the control component, and a power source. For instance, the light source can be one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) and/or the power source can be one or more batteries. Moreover, the input component can receive the input signals (e.g., radio frequency, infrared, . . . ) from a remote control, a sensor, a differing wireless light bulb, a radio frequency identifier (RFID) tag, etc. Further, the wireless light bulb can be mechanically coupled to a lighting fixture, where the lighting fixture may or may not be electrically coupled to an alternating current (AC) power source.

Claims

1. A wireless lighting apparatus, comprising:

a control component that manages operation of a light source;

an input component that obtains an input signal that is leveraged by the control component to manipulate operation of the light source;

a power source that supplies power to the control component, the input component, and the light source; and

a housing that includes the control component, the light source, the input component, and the power source.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, the housing further comprising a fitting that mechanically couples with a socket of a lighting fixture.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the lighting fixture lacks a hard-wired connection to an alternating current (AC) power source.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the lighting fixture provides a disparate source of power for the control component, the input component, and the light source in addition to the power source.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the lighting fixture is hard-wired to an alternating current (AC) power source that provides the disparate source of power.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, the light source being at least one light emitting diode (LED).

7. The apparatus of claim 1, the input component receives the input wirelessly from a disparate device via a radio frequency signal or an infrared signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, the disparate device is a remote control, a sensor, a disparate wireless lighting apparatus, or a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, the input component being a sensor included in the housing, the sensor being an infrared sensor, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, an acoustic sensor, a motion sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a smoke detector, a thermal sensor, an electromagnetic sensor, a mechanical sensor, or a chemical sensor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a recharge component that increases a charge of the power source integrated within the wireless lighting apparatus.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a grouping component that learns a channel related to a set of wireless lighting apparatuses to which the wireless lighting apparatus belongs, wherein operation of the set of wireless lighting apparatuses is coordinated.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a timer component that modifies a state of the light source at times determined according to a random pattern or based upon synchronization with a calendar.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, the input signal being communicated via a network.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, the control component modifies a state of the light source, alters an intensity of light emitted by the light source, or changes a color the light yielded by the light source.

15. A method that facilitates selectively emitting light in accordance with a wireless input, comprising:

wirelessly obtaining an input with a receiver integrated in a light bulb, the input controls illumination of a light source of the light bulb;

analyzing the input to determine whether to adjust the illumination of the light source; and

selectively altering the illumination of the light source based on the analyzed input.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the light source is an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs).

17. The method of claim 16, selectively altering the illumination further comprises changing a state, an intensity, a color, a modulation, or a direction associated with one or more of the LEDs in the array.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising wirelessly obtaining the input from a remote control or a sensor via a radio frequency or infrared signal.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising powering the light source with a power source integrated within the light bulb.

20. A system that facilitates wirelessly controlling a light bulb, comprising:

means for receiving a wirelessly transmitted signal that controls operation of a light source of the light bulb, wherein the means for receiving is integrated in the light bulb; and

means for controlling the light source based upon the received signal, wherein the means for controlling is integrated in the light bulb.