Intelligent illumination device

• US 20100327764A1
• Filed: 07/07/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Ketra, Inc. (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Knapp, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,509,525 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/250
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/238 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/03 rechargeable by exposure to light
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/34 by control of light from an independent source
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/43 with synchronous transmission, e.g. time division multiplex [TDM], slotted rings
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/437 Ring fault isolation or reconfiguration for SDH/SONET ring networks H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Intelligent illumination device are disclosed that use components in an LED light to perform one or more of a wide variety of desirable lighting functions for very low cost. The LEDs that produce light can be periodically turned off momentarily, for example, for a duration that the human eye cannot perceive, in order for the light to receive commands optically. The optically transmitted commands can be sent to the light, for example, using a remove control device. The illumination device can use the LEDs that are currently off to receive the data and then configure the light accordingly, or to measure light. Such light can be ambient light for a photosensor function, or light from other LEDs in the illumination device to adjust the color mix.

Claims

1. An illumination device comprising:

a light source configured to provide illumination when the illumination device is set in an on-state; and

a light control circuit configured to control the light source responsive to incident light originating outside the illumination device.

2. The illumination device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said light control circuit is responsive to an optically modulated command conveyed by the incident light.

3. The illumination device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

when the illumination device is set in an on-state, the light control circuit is configured to turn off the light source momentarily at certain times; and

the light control circuit is responsive to said incident light during the certain times when the light source is turned off.

4. The illumination device as recited in claim 3 wherein:

said light control circuit comprises a receiver block configured to demodulate the incident light originating outside the illumination device to detect an optically modulated command conveyed by the incident light; and

said receiver block is responsive to said incident light during said certain times when the light source is turned off.

5. The illumination device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

said light control circuit is responsive to ambient light conveyed by the incident light.

6. The illumination device as recited in claim 3 wherein:

said light control circuit is responsive to incident ambient light during said certain times when the light source is turned off, configured to provide control of the illumination device responsive to the level of ambient light received by the illumination device.

7. The illumination device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the light source comprises a light-emitting-diode (LED) device; and

the LED device also functions, at times, as a light sensor for the light control circuit.

8. The illumination device as recited in claim 1 further comprising a light sensor coupled to the light control circuit, said light sensor being distinct from said light source.

9. The illumination device as recited in claim 1 wherein:

the light control circuit includes a timer block configured to provide temporal control of the illumination device.

10. The illumination device as recited in claim 9 wherein:

the timer block cooperates to change the illumination state of the illumination device at one or more prescribed times.

11. The illumination device as recited in claim 9 wherein:

the timer block cooperates to change the illumination state of the illumination device after a controllable delay after a particular event.

12. The illumination device as recited in claim 11 wherein:

the illumination state is set to an off-state after a particular delay after being set in the on-state.

13. The illumination device as recited in claim 12 wherein:

the illumination state is set to an off-state after a particular delay after being set in the on-state resulting from being energized.

14. The illumination device as recited in claim 12 wherein:

the illumination state is set to an off-state after a particular delay after being set in the on-state resulting from receiving a digital command to turn on.

15. The illumination device as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a housing including an industry-standard base, thereby forming a backward-compatible device for use in industry-standard light sockets.

16. The illumination device as recited in claim 3 wherein the light control circuit further comprises:

a light source control circuit configured to pulse-width-modulate the light source when the illumination device is set in the on-state, and configured to turn off the light source momentarily at said certain times when the illumination device is set in the on-state.

17. The illumination device as recited in claim 16 wherein the light source control circuit, in response to a received data command, can vary the pulse-width-modulation of the light source to achieve a dimming capability.

18. The illumination device as recited in claim 16 wherein the light source control circuit is configured to modulate the light source with a synchronization sequence before each of the certain times when the light source is momentarily turned off when the illumination device is set in the on-state.

19. The illumination device as recited in claim 18 wherein the synchronization sequence comprises a single pulse having a width greater than the minimum width pulse that is detectable by a remote controller.

20. The illumination device as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

a power generation block responsive to power produced by the LED in response to incident light.

21. The illumination device as recited in claim 20 wherein the power generation block is configured to charge a battery.

22. The illumination device as recited in claim 20 wherein the power generation block is sufficient to operate the light control block, when powered solely by incident light conveying optically modulated commands, to receive and decode an optically modulated command, and configure the illumination device accordingly.

23. The illumination device as recited in claim 3 further comprising:

a power supply block operably powered by an AC voltage source, the power supply block being configured to provide power to the light control circuit and light source.

24. The illumination device as recited in claim 23 wherein the time when the light source is turned off is synchronized to the AC mains.

25. The illumination device as recited in 3 wherein the light source control circuit is configured to control the light source to communicate with an external device.

26. The illumination device as recited in 25 wherein the external device comprises a second illumination device.

27. The illumination device as recited in 25 wherein the external device comprises a remote controller.

28. The illumination device as recited in 3 wherein the light source is turned off momentarily for a duration that a human eye cannot perceive.

29. A method for operating an illumination device comprising:

when said illumination device is set in an on-state, engaging a light source at first times to provide illumination, and turning off the light source momentarily at second times;

detecting incident light originating outside the illumination device during said second times when the light source is turned off; and

controlling the illumination device responsive to the incident light.

30. The method as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

powering the illumination device using an AC voltage source; and

synchronizing said second times to the frequency of the AC voltage source.

31. The method as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

using the light source at times as a light detector to detect incident light.

32. The method as recited in claim 31 wherein the light source comprises an LED.

33. The method as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

demodulating the incident light to decode an optically modulated data command conveyed by the incident light; and

changing an attribute of the illumination device in response to the data command decoded from the incident light.

34. The method as recited in claim 33 further comprising transmitting an acknowledgement response after receiving the data command.

35. The method as recited in claim 33 further comprising resetting the attribute by power cycling the illumination device in a prescribed sequence.

36. The method as recited in claim 33 wherein the attribute comprises a color adjustment setting of one or more light sources within the illumination device.

37. The method as recited in claim 33 wherein the attribute comprises a change in illumination state after a controllable time delay after a particular event.

38. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein the change in illumination state comprises setting the illumination device to an off-state, and the particular event comprises said illumination device being set to an on-state by action of a user, to thereby achieve an automatic turn-off delay of the illumination device after being turned on.

39. The method as recited in claim 37 wherein the change in illumination state comprises setting the illumination device to an off-state, and the particular event comprises being set to an on-state by a particular level of ambient light received by illumination device, to thereby achieve an automatic turn-off delay of the illumination device after being turned on.

40. The method as recited in claim 29 wherein:

the incident light originating outside the illumination device comprises ambient light; and

the controlling comprises adjusting the dimming responsive to the amount of ambient light.

41. The method as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

generating power from incident light when the illumination device is “

off”

, to power the illumination device or charge a battery.

42. The method as recited in claim 33 further comprising:

synchronizing the command to periodic gaps in detected light from the illumination device during said second times when the light source is turned off.

43. The method as recited in 29 wherein the incident light originating outside the illumination device comprises light from a second illumination device.

44. The method as recited in 29 wherein the incident light originating outside the illumination device comprises light from a remote controller.

45. The method as recited in 29 further comprising controlling said light source to communicate with an external device.

46. The method as recited in 45 wherein the external device comprises a second illumination device.

47. The method as recited in 45 wherein the external device comprises a remote controller.

48. The method as recited in 29 wherein the light source is turned off momentarily for a duration that a human eye cannot perceive.

49. An illumination device comprising:

a light source configured to provide illumination when said illumination device is set in an on-state; and

a light detector configured to detect light during certain times when the light source is not providing illumination.

50. The illumination device of claim 49, wherein the light source comprises a first LED configured to provide the illumination, and wherein the first LED is also configured to be the light detector during certain times when the first LED is not providing illumination.

51. The illumination device as recited in claim 50 further comprising a second LED, wherein the first LED detects light emitted from the second LED.

52. The illumination device as recited in claim 51 further comprising a control circuit to adjust a color of light produced by the illumination device.

53. The illumination device as recited in claim 52 wherein light produced by the first LED or the second LED or both are adjusted in order to adjust the color.

54. A method for operating an illumination device comprising:

when said illumination device is set in an on-state, engaging a light source to provide illumination; and

using a light detector to detect light during certain times when the light source is not providing illumination.

55. The method as recited in claim 54, wherein the engaging step comprises engaging a first LED to provide illumination, and wherein the using step comprises using the first LED to detect light during certain times when the first LED is not providing illumination.

56. The method as recited in claim 55 wherein the using step comprises using the first LED to detect light emitted from a second LED.

57. The method as recited in claim 56 further comprising adjusting a color of light produced by the illumination device.

58. The method as recited in claim 57 wherein the adjusting step comprises adjusting light produced by the first LED or the second LED or both in order to adjust the color.