ILLUMINATION CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20090289503A1
• Filed: 03/31/2009
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Kouji, Minemura, Takashi
• Application Number:
  US12/415,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20090289503A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• 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 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an illumination control system controlling remotely an illumination device comprises a signal detection module configured to detect a control signal from a remote controller with a rectification circuit to which a bias voltage is applied, a switch control module configured to turn a switch of the illumination device on or off in accordance with the detected signal, an energy receiving module configured to receive energy from external environment and to convert the energy into electrical energy, an internal battery configured to store the converted electrical energy, and a power supply module configured to supply drive voltage for the signal detection module and the bias voltage from the converted electrical energy or from the electrical energy stored in the internal battery.

Claims

1. An illumination control device for controlling remotely an illumination device, comprising:

a signal detection module configured to detect a control signal from a remote controller with a rectification circuit configured to receive a bias voltage;

a switch controller configured to turn a switch of the illumination device on or off in accordance with the signal detected by the signal detection module;

an energy receiver configured to receive energy and to convert the energy into electricity;

an internal battery configured to store the electricity converted by the energy receiving module; and

a power supply module configured to supply voltage to the signal detection module and the bias voltage either from the electricity converted by the energy receiving module or from the electricity stored in the internal battery.

2. The illumination control device of claim 1,

wherein the illumination device has a unique identification code (ID), and

the illumination control device further comprising an identification module configured to identify an identification code (ID) in the control signal detected by the signal detection module and to cause the switch control module to turn the switch on or off when the identified ID matches the ID of the illumination device.

3. The illumination control device of claim 1, wherein the energy receiver is configured to receive energy generated by the illumination device and to convert the energy into electricity.

4. The illumination control device of claim 3, wherein the energy receiver is located in a vicinity of the illumination device.

5. The illumination control device of claim 1, wherein the energy receiver comprises a photoelectric convertor and configured to convert light generated by the illumination device into electricity.

6. The illumination control device of claim 1, wherein the energy receiver is configured to receive from an antenna electromagnetic radiation generated by the illumination device and to convert energy of the electromagnetic radiation into electricity.

7. The illumination control device of claim 6, wherein the antenna comprises an inductor-capacitor (LC) parallel resonance circuit comprising an inductor and a capacitor.

8. The illumination control device of claim 1, further comprising a remaining energy detection module configured to detect an amount of remaining energy of the internal battery,

wherein the switch controller is configured to control the switch in order to turn the illumination device on when the amount of remaining energy of the internal battery detected by the remaining energy detection module is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

9. The illumination control device of claim 1, wherein the energy receiver is configured to receive energy from a signal transmitted from the remote controller, and to convert the energy into electricity.

10. The illumination control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a remaining energy detection module configured to detect an amount of remaining energy of the internal battery; and

a notifying module configured to notify a decrease in the amount of remaining energy when the amount of remaining energy of the internal battery detected by the remaining energy detection module is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.