METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GROUPING AT LEAST THREE LAMPS

• US 20100277080A1
• Filed: 07/08/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: WENDT, Matthias, WAFFENSCHMIDT, Eberhard
• Granted Patent: US 7,946,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/152
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and a device for grouping at least three lamps (1) and for assigning the lamps (1) to at least one operating unit. It is time-intensive to equip one or a plurality of rooms or halls within a building with lamps (1), particularly a grouping of lamps (1), and assigning lamps (1) to at least one operating unit. Therefore, grouping of lamps (1) and assigning the lamps (1) to at least one operating unit should be simplified. In accordance with the invention, a lamp (1) emits light and the other lamps (1) measure light, and distances between the lamps (1) are determined in dependence upon at least one light value and the lamps (1) are assigned to at least one operating unit in dependence upon the distances.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A device for grouping at least three lamps, comprising:

an illumination means,

a lamp socket,

at least one sensor configured to sense light and to generate response signals indicative of at least one value of the light; and

a control device having an identification and connected to a power supply, the control device assigning the lamps to at least one operating unit for switching the lamps on and off, wherein;

the at least three lamps are configured to emit light and/or measure light incident thereon;

the control device applies a switch-on signal to at least one lamp for emitting light and to the other lamps of the at least three lamps for measuring light,

at least one lamp of the light-measuring lamps supplies a response signal representing a value of the light received,

distances between the at least three lamps are determined based at least in part on the value, and

the lamps are grouped based at least in part on the determined distances and assigned to the at least one operating unit configured to receive the response signals from the lamps.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the operating unit comprises a plurality of switches.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of electrically conductive cables arranged between the control device, the lamps and the plurality of switches.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the control device communicates with the lamps via light modulation.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the control device communicates with the lamps via the power supply.

16. A system for grouping a plurality of lamps including at least three lamps, comprising:

a lamp comprising;

a light source configured to emit light; and

a sensor configured to sense light and to generate response signals indicative of values of the light; and

an operating unit configured to receive the response signals from each lamp in the plurality of lamps forming a plurality of response signals and to group the plurality of lamps based on the plurality of signals.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the lamp further comprising:

a control device configured to switch the lamp in on and off modes, wherein the lamp emits light only when in the on mode, and wherein the control device is operated by the operating unit.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the operating unit comprises a plurality of switches.