WIRELESS CONVENIENCE LIGHTING SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME

• US 20100237783A1
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Dupre, Scott, Czech, Ken, Poisson, Marcus, Khazi, Aslam
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/149
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A wireless convenience lighting system, comprises a base unit, the base unit connectable to an AC power supply, the base unit having a transmitter structure emitting at least one signal indicating one of an AC power loss or the AC power on, a remote lighting unit having a light source, and auxiliary power supply and a receiver structure, the receiver structure receiving the signal from the base unit, the base unit wirelessly activating the light source of the remote lighting unit when the AC power is lost.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly illuminating an area, comprising the steps of:

providing a plug-in wall unit and a remote lighting unit;

monitoring an AC power supply with said plug-in wall unit;

providing a first signal state in a first AC power condition;

monitoring for a change in said first signal state to a second signal state from said plug-in wall unit to said remote lighting unit if a second AC power condition occurs;

illuminating a light source in said remote lighting unit when said signal state changes.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said first signal state comprises one of sending a signal or not sending a signal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said second signal state comprises the other of sending a signal or not sending a signal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of monitoring ambient light in the area of said remote light unit.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising a step of inhibiting illumination of said light source if said ambient light is above a preselected level.

6. The method of wirelessly illuminating an area of claim 1 wherein said signal is an RF signal.

7. The method of wirelessly illuminating an area of claim 1 wherein said change in said signal state causes illumination of said light source.

8. A method of wireless illumination, comprising:

plugging-in a power sensing base module into a first power supply;

monitoring said first power supply with said base module;

one of transmitting a signal or not transmitting a signal from said base module to define a first signal state;

detecting a change in condition of said first power supply;

illuminating a remote light unit powered by a second power supply on-board said remote light unit based on said change in condition of said first signal state.

9. A method of wireless illumination comprising the steps of:

monitoring a first power supply with a plug-in base unit;

one of transmitting or not transmitting a signal to define a first signal condition;

detecting a change in condition of said first signal condition to a second signal condition;

determining an ambient light level in an area of a remote lighting unit;

illuminating said remote lighting unit if said ambient light level is below a preselected level.