LIGHTING AND CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20130214687A1
• Filed: 03/21/2013
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumenetix, Inc. (ERP Power, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lumenetix, Inc. (ERP Power, LLC)
• Inventors: Weaver, Matthew D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/151
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

Lighting and control systems and methods for a lighting node and a remote control device are disclosed. The remote control device may be coupled to the lighting node via an identification process, such as broadcasting an identification request from the remote control device to nearby lighting nodes. The lighting node can respond to the identification request by sending an identifier to the remote control device such that future commands sent from the remote control device is limited to be responded by the lighting node having the identifier stored thereon. Once coupled, the remote control device can adjust spectral content produced by the lighting node based on user-configuration or a color profile captured via an optical sensor. The adjustment via the remote control device may further include calibration and recalibration of the lighting node utilizing a feedback mechanism with the optical sensor.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a lighting system comprising:

driving light emitters of different colors to produce an illumination experience, the light emitters in a lighting node;

detecting a color composition from the light emitters via a remote optical sensor on a remote control device;

comparing the color composition with a color profile stored on a memory of the remote control device; and

adjusting at least one of the light emitters until the detected color composition substantially matches the color profile.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing a target spectrum content via the remote optical sensor; and

storing the color profile on the memory of the remote control device based on the target spectrum content.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the target spectrum content is captured while the remote optical sensor is aligned to the light emitters of the lighting node.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the target spectrum content is captured while the remote optical sensor is aligned to another light source different from the lighting node.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the illumination experience is a uniform spectrum.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the light emitters include light emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the color composition includes determining a color intensity ratio of one color over another color.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the color composition via the remote optical sensor includes aligning the remote optical sensor, which is a substantially unidirectional sensor, at the illumination experience produced by the light emitters.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

modulating the at least one of the light emitters between on and off states, wherein the modulating is imperceptible to human sight; and

detecting the color composition of the at least one of the light emitters at an on state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting is based on a re-calibration command sent from the remote control device;

and wherein the color profile is based on a previous color adjustment command sent from the remote control device wherein, since the previous color adjustment command is last sent, the illumination experience produced by the light emitters having de-calibrated.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a node identifier from the lighting node; and

generating the re-calibration command based on the color profile corresponding to the node identifier.

12. A method of coupling a remote control device to a lighting node comprising:

sending an identification command from the remote control device to light nodes unidentified by the remote control device;

in response to the identification command, transmitting a node identifier from a first lighting node to the remote control device;

receiving the node identifier at the remote control device;

coupling the remote control device to the lighting node; and

broadcasting an adjustment command, from the remote control device, indicating the lighting node as an intended recipient of the adjustment command via specification of the node identifier in the adjustment command, such that a second lighting node within range to receive the adjustment command does respond to the adjustment command.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the adjustment command at the first lighting node; and

adjusting color composition from the first lighting node based on the adjustment command.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein transmitting the node identifier is via directional optical communication.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting a group identifier to the remote control device;

receiving the group identifier at the remote control device; and

storing the group identifier at the remote control device to couple commands sent from the remote control device to lighting nodes having the group identifier.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting a group identifier to the remote control device via directional optical communication.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein sending the identification command includes broadcasting a global announce command via radio communication to solicit responses from all nearby lighting nodes capable of receiving the global announce command.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein sending the identification command includes sending a series of identification requests;

and wherein transmitting the node identifier from the first lighting node includes responding to the series of identification requests based on the node identifier.

19. A lighting system comprising:

a first lighting node including;

a first set of light emitters with different color sets,

a first memory having a group identifier stored thereon, and

a first radio device configured for radio communication with a remote control device upon verification via the group identifier; and

a second lighting node including;

a second set of light emitters with different color sets,

a second memory having the group identifier stored thereon, and

a second radio device configured for radio communication with the remote control device upon verification via the group identifier;

wherein the first lighting node and the second lighting node are configured to communicate with each other and with the remote control device via the first radio device and the second radio device; and

wherein the first lighting node is configured to forward a lighting adjustment command from the remote control device to the second lighting node.

20. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the first lighting node and the second lighting node are configured to communicate via a mesh network.

21. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the first lighting node is configured to adjust a color composition of at least one of the color sets based on a color profile adjustment command received via the first radio device.

22. A light system comprising:

a lamp including;

light emitters to produce an uniform spectrum,

a node communication device configured to communicate with a remote control device, and

a node memory configured to store an identifier; and

the remote control device separate from the lamp including;

an interface device to toggle amongst user-configurable commands,

an optical sensor configured to detect a color composition,

a controller communication device configured to transmit the user-configurable commands to the lamp, and

a controller memory configured to store the detected color composition as a color profile.

23. The light system of claim 22, wherein the node communication device is configured to send the identifier to the remote control device upon receiving an identification request;

wherein the controller communication device is configured to receive the identifier from the node communication device; and

wherein the controller memory is configured to store the color profile associated with the identifier.

24. The light system of claim 22, wherein the user-configurable commands includes a calibration command;

an identification request;

a color adjustment request, a re-calibration command, or any combination thereof.

25. The lighting and control system of claim 22, wherein the optical sensor is limited to receive illumination substantially from a single direction.

26. The lighting and control system of claim 22, wherein the interface device includes a touch wheel for configuring an adjustment value for the user-configurable commands.

27. A method comprising:

generating an illumination with a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at a lamp, wherein the illumination is user-controlled to provide a configurable lighting experience, and further wherein a spectral content of the illumination is communicated by the illumination to a sensor;

sensing by the sensor the spectral content of the illumination;

storing in a memory a color profile to be targeted by the illumination generated by the LEDs;

transmitting a command to the lamp to adjust an output of the LEDs to target the color profile with the generated illumination; and

receiving the command at the lamp;

adjusting the output of the LEDs to target the color profile with the generated illumination;

wherein the sensor and memory are physically separate from the LEDs.