ILLUMINATION SYSTEM

• US 20120074849A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: KANG, Hyun-Gu
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/136
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0015 Fastening arrangements intended to retain light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/486 adapted for surface mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10106 Light emitting diode [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1059 Connections made by press-fit insertion
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10598 Means for fastening a component, a casing or a heat sink whereby a pressure is exerted on the component towards the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/301 by means of a mounting structure H05K3/325 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/325 by abutting or pinching, i.e. without alloying process; mechanical auxiliary parts therefor adaptations of leads inserted in holes for press-fit connections H05K3/308
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/326 the printed circuit having integral resilient or deformable parts, e.g. tabs or parts of flexible circuits H05K3/365 takes precedence

Abstract

An illumination system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes at least one light emitting apparatus including at least one light emitting module detachably coupled to the at least one light emitting apparatus, the at least one light emitting module including an information storage unit to store characteristic information of the at least one light emitting module. The at least one light emitting apparatus also includes a controller configured to detect whether the at least one light emitting module is connected to or disconnected from the at least one light emitting apparatus, and to read out the characteristic information of the at least one light emitting module according to a detection result, wherein the characteristic information includes unique identification information or absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module.

Claims

1. An illumination system, comprising:

at least one light emitting apparatus comprising;

at least one light emitting module detachably coupled to the at least one light emitting apparatus, the at least one light emitting module comprising an information storage unit to store characteristic information of the at least one light emitting module; and

a controller configured to detect whether the at least one light emitting module is connected to or disconnected from the at least one light emitting apparatus, and to read out the characteristic information of the at least one light emitting module according to a detection result,

wherein the characteristic information comprises unique identification information or absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module.

2. The illumination system of claim 1, further comprising a management apparatus connected to the at least one light emitting apparatus, the management apparatus configured to calculate, when the at least one light emitting module is connected to the at least one light emitting apparatus, residual lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module based on the characteristic information stored in the information storage unit.

3. The illumination system of claim 2, wherein the management apparatus is configured to calculate the residual lifetime information based on the absolute lifetime information in the characteristic information or absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module acquired based on the unique identification information.

4. The illumination system of claim 3, wherein the management apparatus is configured to acquire the absolute lifetime information matched with the unique identification information from a database stored in the management apparatus.

5. The illumination system of claim 2, wherein the controller comprises:

a detection signal processing unit configured to generate a connection detection signal or a disconnection detection signal based on sensing information received from a sensor connected with the at least one light emitting apparatus; and

an interface unit configured to read out the characteristic information from the information storage unit in response to the connection detection signal and to send the characteristic information to the management apparatus.

6. The illumination system of claim 5, wherein the detection signal processing unit is configured to detect a variation of a pressure applied to the at least one light emitting apparatus when the at least one light emitting module is connected to or disconnected from the at least one light emitting apparatus, and to generate the connection detection signal or the disconnection detection signal based on the variation of the pressure.

7. The illumination system of claim 5, wherein the detection signal processing unit is configured to detect a variation of an electric signal in the vicinity of an electrical connection area between the at least one light emitting module and the at least one light emitting apparatus when the at least one light emitting module is connected to or disconnected from the at least one light emitting apparatus, and to generate the connection detection signal or the disconnection detection signal based on the variation of the electric signal.

8. The illumination system of claim 2, wherein the management apparatus comprises:

an information management unit configured to manage at least one of the unique identification information and the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module based on the characteristic information of the at least one light emitting module; and

a lifetime information calculation unit configured to calculate a residual lifetime of the at least one light emitting module based on the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module and to store the residual lifetime in a database,

wherein the lifetime information calculation unit is configured to calculate the residual lifetime by subtracting, from the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module, a time that has passed after the at least one light emitting module is connected to the at least one light emitting apparatus.

9. The illumination system of claim 2, wherein the management apparatus is configured to detect a light emitting module of which the residual lifetime is within a threshold value based on the residual lifetime information, to generate replacement information for the light emitting module of which residual lifetime is within the threshold value, and to output the replacement information.

10. The illumination system of claim 9, wherein the management apparatus is configured to display the residual lifetime information of the light emitting module or information indicating that the light emitting module, of which residual lifetime is within a threshold value, is a replacement target.

11. The illumination system of claim 10, wherein the management apparatus is configured to display position information of the replacement target light emitting module.

12. The illumination system of claim 2, wherein the at least one light emitting module further comprises a driving information storage unit configured to store driving information of the at least one light emitting module,

wherein the controller is configured to send the driving information in response to a request from the management apparatus,

wherein the management apparatus is configured to calculate the residual lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module based on the characteristic information and the driving information, and

wherein the driving information comprises at least one of a driving time of the at least one light emitting module, a driving start time point of the at least one light emitting module, a driving stop time point of the at least one light emitting module, and a dimming level of the at least one light emitting module.

13. The illumination system of claim 12, wherein the management apparatus comprises:

an information management unit configured to manage at least one of the unique identification information and the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module based on the characteristic information of the at least one light emitting module, and to manage the driving information of the at least one light emitting module using a database; and

a lifetime information calculation unit configured to calculate a residual lifetime of the at least one light emitting module based on the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module and the driving information of the at least one light emitting module, and to store the residual lifetime in the database.

14. The illumination system of claim 13, wherein the lifetime information calculation unit is configured to calculate the residual lifetime by subtracting a driving time of the at least one light emitting module from the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module.

15. The illumination system of claim 13, wherein the lifetime information calculation unit is configured to calculate the residual lifetime by subtracting, from the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module, a value obtained by applying a weight according to a dimming level of the at least one light emitting module to a driving time thereof.

16. The illumination system of claim 2, wherein the management apparatus is configured to acquire the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module by accessing a lifetime information providing server according to information matched with the unique identification information of the at least one light emitting module.

17. The illumination system of claim 12, wherein the management apparatus is configured to acquire the absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting module by accessing a server according to information matched with the unique identification information of the at least one light emitting module.

18. The illumination system of claim 2, wherein the at least one light emitting module further comprises at least one light emitting package detachably coupled to the at least one light emitting module,

wherein the at least one light emitting package comprises an information storage unit configured to store characteristic information of the light emitting package, and

wherein the controller is configured to detect whether the at least one light emitting package is connected to or disconnected from the light emitting module, to read out the characteristic information of the at least one light emitting package from the information storage unit, and to send the characteristic information of the at least one light emitting package to the management apparatus,

wherein the characteristic information comprises unique identification information or absolute lifetime information of the at least one light emitting package.

19. An illumination system, comprising:

a light emitting apparatus comprising;

a light emitting module detachably coupled to the light emitting apparatus, the light emitting module comprising an information storage unit to store characteristic information of the light emitting module; and

a controller configured to read out the characteristic information of the light emitting module,

wherein the characteristic information comprises unique identification information or absolute lifetime information of the light emitting module.