ENABLEMENT PERIOD CONTROLLED LIGHTING APPLIANCE

• US 20130200811A1
• Filed: 01/24/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jennifer Lowry, Robert Steininger
• Original Assignee: Sonopro Power & Light, Inc.
• Inventors: Steininger, John, Vilsack, Douglas, Gelvin, David, Tillson, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 9,089,011 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/159
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

Various arrangements of a rechargeable lighting appliance are presented. The rechargeable lighting appliance may include a light. A rechargeable battery may be connected with the light. The rechargeable lighting appliance may include a communication interface configured to receive an enablement period. The rechargeable lighting appliance may include a non-transitory machine-readable storage device configured to store an indication of the enablement period. The rechargeable lighting appliance may include one or more processors. The one or more processors may be configured to control a mode of the rechargeable lighting appliance. The mode may be configured to be set to a first mode or a second mode. The first mode may permit illumination of the light at least partially based on activation of the enablement period stored by the non-transitory machine-readable storage device. The second mode may allow for unlimited illumination of the light without activation of the enablement period.

Claims

1. A rechargeable lighting appliance, comprising:

a light;

a rechargeable battery connected with the light;

a communication interface configured to receive an enablement period;

a non-transitory machine-readable storage device configured to store an indication of the enablement period; and

one or more processors, configured to;

control a mode of the rechargeable lighting appliance, wherein;

the mode is configured to be set to a first mode or a second mode;

the first mode permits illumination of the light at least partially based on activation of the enablement period stored by the non-transitory machine-readable storage device; and

the second mode allows for unlimited illumination of the light without activation of the enablement period.

2. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein the light, when illuminated, has a brightness of at least 20 lumens.

3. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein, when the rechargeable lighting appliance is in the first mode:

activation of the enablement period stored by the non-transitory machine-readable storage device permits use of the light for a predefined period of time; and

use of the light is not permitted unless the enablement period is activated.

4. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 3, further comprising:

an external device charging connection, wherein

when the rechargeable lighting appliance is in the first mode;

activation of the enablement period stored by the non-transitory machine-readable storage device permits use of the external device charging connection for a predefined period of time; and

use of the external device charging connection is not permitted unless the enablement period is activated.

5. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable lighting appliance further comprises:

a short-range transceiver, configured to;

permit the enablement period to be transferred from the rechargeable lighting appliance to a second rechargeable lighting appliance, wherein;

the communication interface comprises the short-range transceiver;

transfer of the enablement period stored by the non-transitory machine-readable storage device is permitted if the enablement period has not been activated by the rechargeable lighting appliance; and

following transfer from the rechargeable lighting appliance to the second rechargeable lighting appliance the one or more processors are configured such that;

the enablement period is not available for activation by the rechargeable lighting appliance; and

the enablement period is available for activation by the second rechargeable lighting appliance.

6. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein:

the communication interface is configured to receive the enablement period as an encrypted enablement period;

the one or more processors are further configured to;

prior to receiving the encrypted enablement period, provide a random number to a mobile device that is to provide the encrypted enablement period; and

after receiving the encrypted enablement period via the communication interface, decrypt the encrypted enablement period us the random number and an encryption key stored locally by the rechargeable lighting appliance, wherein;

the encrypted enablement period is encrypted using the random number; and

the encryption key is not transmitted between the mobile device and the rechargeable lighting appliance.

7. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable lighting appliance further comprises:

a short-range transceiver, configured to;

receive the enablement period to be received from a mobile device, wherein;

the communication interface comprises the short-range transceiver; and

the one or more processors are further configured such that;

the enablement period is available for activation by the rechargeable lighting appliance following receipt of the enablement period from the mobile device.

8. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 7, wherein the mobile device is a cellular telephone.

9. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein, at manufacture, a plurality of enablement keys are stored to the non-transitory machine-readable storage device, wherein the plurality of enablement keys are unique from enablement keys of other rechargeable lighting appliances;

and

the one or more processors are further configured to permit activation of the enablement period only if the enablement period indicates an enablement key of the plurality of enablement keys.

10. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

enter the second mode from the first mode after a threshold number of enablement periods have been activated on the rechargeable lighting appliance; and

once the second mode is entered based on the threshold number of activations of enablement periods being met, the rechargeable lighting appliance remains permanently in the second mode.

11. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 10, wherein the non-transitory machine-readable storage device is further configured to store a total number of enablement periods activated on the rechargeable lighting appliance.

12. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, further comprising:

an accelerometer, in communication with the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured, based on data received from the accelerometer, to detect a symbolic actuation action performed using the rechargeable lighting appliance, wherein

the symbolic actuation action represents a physical action analogous to a non-electronically actuated analogue of the rechargeable lighting appliance.

13. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 12, wherein the symbolic actuation action comprises tipping the rechargeable lighting appliance within communication range of the second rechargeable lighting appliance.

14. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is configured to be rechargeable regardless of whether the rechargeable lighting appliance is in the first mode or the second mode.

15. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 14, further comprising:

a solar panel configured to recharge the rechargeable battery.

16. The rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable lighting appliance is waterproof.

17. A method for controlling use of a rechargeable lighting appliance, the method comprising:

setting the rechargeable lighting appliance to a first mode, wherein;

the first mode permits illumination of a light of the rechargeable lighting appliance at least partially based on activation of an enablement period stored by the non-transitory machine-readable storage device;

receiving, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, the enablement period;

storing, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, the enablement period;

receiving, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, user input that indicates to activate the enablement period; and

enabling, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, use of the light for a predetermined period of time at least partially based on activation of the enablement period, wherein;

while in the first mode, the light of the rechargeable lighting appliance does not illuminate continuously for longer than a second predetermined period of time if the enablement period has not been activated.

18. The method for controlling use of the rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 17, further comprising:

enabling, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, use of an external device charging connection for a predetermined period of time at least partially based on activation of the enablement period.

19. The method for controlling use of the rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 17, wherein the enablement period is received from a cellular phone via a wireless communication protocol.

20. The method for controlling use of the rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 17, further comprising:

following receiving the enablement period, increasing, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, an available enablement period count; and

following activation of the enablement period, decreasing, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, the available enablement period count.

21. The method for controlling use of the rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 20, further comprising:

while in the first mode, tracking, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, an amount of time since the enablement period was activated; and

while in the first mode, disabling, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, following expiration of the predetermined period of time, availability of the light for continuous illumination longer than the second predetermined period of time.

22. The method for controlling use of the rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 21, further comprising:

following enabling use of the light for the predetermined period of time at least partially based on the activation of the enablement period, increasing, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, a lifetime activated enablement period count.

23. The method for controlling use of the rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, a second enablement period;

storing, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, the second enablement period;

receiving, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, user input that indicates to activate the second enablement period; and

entering, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, a second mode based on the lifetime activated enablement period count reaching a predetermined lifetime activated enablement period count threshold in response to activation of the second enablement period, wherein;

the second mode permits continuous illumination of the light without activation of enablement periods.

24. The method for controlling use of the rechargeable lighting appliance of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, a second enablement period;

receiving, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, user input that indicates to transfer the second enablement period to a second rechargeable lighting appliance; and

transferring, by the rechargeable lighting appliance, the second enablement period to the second rechargeable lighting appliance, wherein;

following the transfer, the second enablement period is not available for activation by the rechargeable lighting appliance; and

following the transfer, the second enablement period is available for activation by the second rechargeable lighting appliance.

25. A lighting apparatus, comprising:

means for lighting;

means for setting the lighting apparatus to a first mode, wherein;

the first mode permits illumination of the means for lighting at least partially based on activation of an enablement period;

means for receiving the first enablement period;

means for storing the first enablement period;

means for receiving user input that indicates to activate the first enablement period;

means for incrementing a lifetime activated enablement period count in response to the first enablement period being activated;

means for enabling use of the light for a first predetermined period of time at least partially based on activation of the first enablement period, wherein;

while in the first mode, the means for lighting does not illuminate continuously for longer than a second predetermined period of time if the first enablement period has not been activated;

means for receiving a second enablement period after the first enablement period is received;

means for storing the second enablement period;

means for receiving user input that indicates to activate the second enablement period;

means for incrementing the lifetime activated enablement period count in response to the second enablement period being activated; and

means for entering a second mode based on the lifetime activated enablement period count reaching a predetermined lifetime activated enablement period count threshold in response to activation of the second enablement period, wherein;

the second mode permits continuous illumination of the means for lighting without activation of enablement periods.