POWERING AND/OR CONTROLLING LEDS USING A NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE

• US 20130193873A1
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mechoshade Systems, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Nuleds, Inc.
• Inventors: Verkaik, Peter, Isaacson, Chris A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,101,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

The subject matter disclosed herein provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for controlling and power lighting units connected to a network controller. In one aspect there is provided a method that may include receiving at a first input power from a power supply; receiving at a second input one or more illumination control packets from a data processing device via one or more network connections; transmitting from a first output power to one or more lighting units; and powering from a second output an illumination level of one or more colors associated with the one or more lighting units in accordance with the one or more illumination control packets via the one or more network connections. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first input to receive power from a power supply connected to the apparatus;

a second input to receive one or more illumination control packets from a data processing device connected to the apparatus via one or more network connections;

a first output to transmit power to one or more lighting units connected to the apparatus; and

a second output to power an illumination level of one or more colors associated with the one or more lighting units in accordance with the one or more illumination control packets via the one or more network connections.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more illumination control packets specifies at least one or more color level parameters and one or more scaling parameters.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a processor configured to control the one or more colors associated with the one or more lighting units by pulse modulating a signal in accordance with the one or more color level parameters and the one or more scaling parameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power supply is a power over Ethernet device,

wherein the first input receives power from the power supply via an Ethernet connection, and

wherein the first output transmits power to the one or more lighting units via the Ethernet connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first input and the first output is an RJ45 socket.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first input receives power from the power supply via low voltage wiring, and

wherein the first output transmits power to the one or more lighting units via the low voltage wiring.

7. A method comprising:

receiving at a first input power from a power supply;

receiving at a second input one or more illumination control packets from a data processing device via one or more network connections;

transmitting from a first output power to one or more lighting units; and

powering from a second output an illumination level of one or more colors associated with the one or more lighting units in accordance with the one or more illumination control packets via the one or more network connections.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more illumination control packets specifies at least one or more color level parameters and one or more scaling parameters.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising controlling the one or more colors associated with the one or more lighting units by pulse modulating a signal in accordance with the one or more color level parameters and the one or more scaling parameters.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the power supply is a power over Ethernet device,

wherein power is received at the first input from the power supply via an Ethernet connection, and

wherein power is transmitted from the first output to the one or more lighting units via the Ethernet connection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first input and the first output is an RJ45 socket.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein power is received at the first input from the power supply via low voltage wiring, and

wherein power is transmitted from the first output to the one or more lighting units via the low voltage wiring.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions to configure a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving at a first input power from a power supply;

receiving at a second input one or more illumination control packets from a data processing device via one or more network connections;

transmitting from a first output power to one or more lighting units; and

powering from a second output an illumination level of one or more colors associated with the one or more lighting units in accordance with the one or more illumination control packets via the one or more network connections.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the one or more illumination control packets specifies at least one or more color level parameters and one or more scaling parameters.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, the operations further comprising controlling the one or more colors associated with the one or more lighting units by pulse modulating a signal in accordance with the one or more color level parameters and the one or more scaling parameters.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the power supply is a power over Ethernet device,

wherein power is received at the first input from the power supply via an Ethernet connection, and

wherein power is transmitted from the first output to the one or more lighting units via the Ethernet connection.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first input and the first output is an RJ45 socket.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein power is received at the first input from the power supply via low voltage wiring, and

wherein power is transmitted from the first output to the one or more lighting units via the low voltage wiring.