INTRINSIC FLUX SENSING

• US 20100045478A1
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Martiny, Christoph, Wendt, Matthias, Schulz, Volkmar
• Granted Patent: US 8,692,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.690
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/43 using a single component as both light source and receiver, e.g. using a photoemitter as a photoreceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a lighting system for communication with a remote control device is provided, which comprises a light emitting element adapted for emitting modulated light to the remote control and for detecting control signals from the remote control. This may provide for a communication between the remote control and the lighting system without the need of an extra sensor or an extra transmitter.

Claims

1. Lighting system controllable by a remote control device, the lighting system comprising:

a light emitting element configured to emit light in an emission mode and detect a control signal from the remote control device in a detection mode;

a switching element for switching the light emitting element between the detection mode and the emission mode; and

a transmission unit for emitting a communication signal to the remote control device.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element comprises the transmission unit.

3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the communication signal comprises information relating to a working condition of the light emitting element.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the communication signal comprises information related to at least one attribute of the light emitting element selected from the group consisting of static colour point information, dynamic colour point information, a dimmer control signal, a start signal, a stop signal, an identification signal, a use-pattern signal, and power consumption rate.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises data for setting at least one attribute of the light emitting element selected from the group consisting of static colour point information, dynamic colour point information, a dimmer control signal, a start signal, a stop signal, a lamp identification signal and the maximum allowed power consumption rate.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the lighting system further comprises a modulation unit adapted for modulating the communication signal according to a modulation scheme.

7. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the modulation scheme is selected from the group consisting of:

pulse width modulation, pulse position modulation, pulse amplitude modulation, and pulse density modulation.

8. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the transmission unit comprises a radio frequency transmitter module.

9. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element comprises at least one light emitting diode or a laser device.

10. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element comprises at least one string of serially-connected light emitting diodes or laser devices.

11. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier; and

a driving circuit;

wherein the switching element is a transmit-/receive-switch for disconnecting the light emitting element from the driving circuit and a connecting the light emitting element to the amplifier.

12. Communication and switching circuit for a remotely controllable lighting system comprising a light emitting element configured to emit light in an emission mode and detect a control signal from a remote control device in a detection mode;

, the communication and switching circuit configured for generating a communication signal for a remote control device and comprising;

a switching element for switching the light emitting element between the detection mode and the emission mode;

a driving circuit for driving the light emitting element such that the light emitting element emits light when in the emission mode; and

a sampling circuit for sampling of the control signal detected by the light emitting element when in the detection mode.

13. The communication and switching circuit of claim 12, wherein the sampling circuit comprises an amplifier and an analog-to-digital converter.

14. The communication and switching circuit of claim 12, further comprising a processor and a pulse-pattern generator for generating the communication signal.

15. Method for communication between a lighting system, comprising a light emitting element, and a remote control device, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting light by the light emitting element;

switching the light emitting element from an emission mode to a detection mode;

detecting a control signal from the remote control device by the light emitting element; and

emitting a communication signal to the remote control device.

16-19. -19. (canceled)