CONFIGURABLE LIGHTING DEVICES UNDER BROADCAST CONTROL

• US 20110084628A1
• Filed: 04/09/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eldoLAB Holding B.V. (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eldoLAB Holding B.V. (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Doorne, Hubert Johan Marie Robert, Welten, Petrus Johannes Maria
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,134 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A control unit for controlling an illumination parameter of one or more light sources of a plurality of light sources is described. The control unit being arranged to—select the one or more light sources of the plurality of light sources, receive an input signal representing a required value of the illumination parameter for the selected one or more light sources, convert the input signal to a broadcast signal for the plurality of light sources; —enable the broadcast signal to be provided to the plurality of light sources thereby enabling the selected one or more light sources to comply with the required value of the illumination parameter.

Claims

1. A control unit for controlling an illumination parameter of one or more light sources of a plurality of light sources, the control unit being arranged to

select the one or more light sources of the plurality of light sources,

receive an input signal representing a required value of the illumination parameter for the selected one or more light sources,

convert the input signal to a broadcast signal for the plurality of light sources;

enable the broadcast signal to be provided to the plurality of light sources thereby enabling the selected one or more light sources to comply with the required value of the illumination parameter.

2. The control unit according to claim 1 wherein the control unit further comprises a user interface arranged to, in use, enable the selection of the one or more light sources.

3. The control unit according to claim 1 wherein the step of selecting the one or more light sources comprises:

provide an enable signal to the selected one or more light sources thereby enabling the selected light source to receive the broadcast signal.

4. The control unit according to claim 1 wherein the step of converting the input signal to a broadcast signal comprises

Establishing an array of set points in accordance with the input signal, the array of set points being in correspondence with the selected one or more light sources.

5. The control unit according to claim 4 wherein the array of set points further comprises a configuration set point representing the selected one or more light sources.

6. The control unit according to claim 5 wherein the configuration set point enables the one or more light sources to apply a set point of the array of set points in order to comply with the required value of the illumination parameter.

7. The control unit according to claim 3 wherein the enable signal comprises a DMX signal.

8. The control unit according to claim 1 wherein the broadcast signal comprises a DMX signal.

9. The control unit according to claim 1 further comprising a selector for selecting the one or more light sources of the plurality of light sources.

10. The control unit according to claim 1 further comprising a control element for converting the input signal to the broadcast signal.

11. The control unit according to claim 9 wherein the selector comprises an encoder wheel.

12. The control unit according to claim 9 wherein the selector comprises a push-button enabling selecting of the light source.

13. The control unit according to claim 1 wherein the control unit is arranged to select additional light sources of the plurality of light sources thereby obtaining a group of selected light sources.

14. The control unit according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of light sources comprise an LED, a CFL, a light bulb, a UV-LED.

15. The control unit according to claim 1 wherein the illumination parameter comprises an intensity or a colour setting.

16. The control unit according to claim 1 whereby the control unit is arranged to select the one or more light sources by application of a chase.

17. The control unit according to claim 16 whereby the chase comprises a network driven set point chase.

18. The control unit according to claim 16 further comprising a user interface comprising a monitoring sensor, the user interface enabling the selection of a particular light source, e.g. upon a press of a user button, when, in use, a light source'"'"'s light output is captured by the monitoring sensor.

19. A lighting system comprising a central control unit for controlling a configuration of light sources and a control unit for controlling an illumination parameter of one or more light sources of the configuration of light sources, the control unit being arranged to

select the one or more light sources of the plurality of light sources,

receive an input signal representing a required value of the illumination parameter for the selected one or more light sources,

convert the input signal to a control signal for the central control unit,

the central control unit being arranged to

receive the control signal and convert the control signal to a broadcast signal and provide the broadcast signal to the configuration of light sources, thereby controlling the one or more selected light sources to comply with the required value of the illumination parameter.

20. A lighting system comprising a central control unit for controlling a configuration of light sources and a control unit for controlling an illumination parameter of one or more light sources of the configuration of light sources, the control unit being arranged to

select one or more light sources of the plurality of light sources, thereby enabling the selected one or more light sources to receive a broadcast signal;

determine a required value of the illumination parameter of the selected one or more light sources;

convert the required value to a control signal for the central control unit,

the central control unit being arranged to

receive the control signal and convert the control signal to the broadcast signal and sent the broadcast signal to the configuration of light sources, thereby controlling the selected one or more light sources to comply with the required value of the illumination parameter.