PROGRAMMABLE LED LIGHTING DEVICE AND METHOD

• US 20140210373A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bleu Electrique
• Original Assignee: Bleu Electrique
• Inventors: Baret, Emmanuel
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,610 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 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

The invention relates to a lighting device and method, in particular underwater, including: a plurality of spotlights comprising at least one light source nude up of a set of LEDs, the spotlights being connected to an electric power source; and at least one control housing connected to said power source and communicating with each one of the spotlights, said control housing being provided with a cut-off device configured to transmit control instructions via a power cut-off member to the spotlights, which are provided with an on-board detector having a microprocessor configured such as to interpret said control instructions and to adjust a signal capable of modifying the colour of each one of the LEDs that make up the set of LEDs, characterised in that the control instructions transmitted by the cut-off device are transmitted in the form of a code made up of combinations of power cut-offs with various durations.

Claims

1. Lighting device (1) in particular underwater lighting device comprising:

A plurality of spotlights (2) featuring, each, at least one light source constituted by a set of LEDs (3) capable of emitting light of different colors, said plurality of spotlights (2) being connected to an electric power source (15); and

,

At least one control box (4) connected to said power source (15) and communicating with each of the spotlights (2),

said control box (4) being equipped with a cut-off device (5) configured to transmit, via a current switching device, IC command instructions to the spotlights (2) which are equipped with an embedded detector (8) provided with a microprocessor (13) capable or configured to interpret said IC command instructions and to modulate a signal capable of modifying the color of each of the LEDs (3) making up the set of LEDs (3), characterized in that the IC command instructions emitted by the cut-off device (5) of the control box (4) are transmitted in form of a code consisting of combinations of power cuts of varying duration.

2. Lighting device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the cut-off device (5) of the control box (4) comprises a microprocessor (9) coupled to a time base (10) capable of producing power cuts of precise duration.

3. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the switching device consists of a relay or triac.

4. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the light source is constituted by a set of LEDs (3), each of which is capable of emitting a single color.

5. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the light source consists of LEDs (3) of different colors, each of which is capable of emitting several colors, the LEDs (3) being for example RGB LEDs (3) (red/green/blue).

6. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control box (4) is provided with keys (7) to select an operating mode of the spotlights (2) which is associated to an IC command instruction transmitted in the form of power cut combinations.

7. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the cut-off device (5) is configured to generate combinations of m power cuts of n varying durations (long, and/or medium, and/or short), said cut-off combinations constituting the following n^m different operating modes:

Mode 1;

first combination;

Mode 2;

second combination;

. . .

Mode n^m;

n^m combination.

8. Lighting device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the cut-off device (5) is configured to generate combinations of two power cuts of two varied durations (long and/or short), said cut-off combinations comprise the following different operating modes:

Mode 1;

two short cuts;

Mode 2;

one short cut followed by a long cut;

Mode 3;

one long cut followed by a short cut; and

Mode 4;

two long cuts.

9. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the power cuts are comprised between 100 and 300 ms for a short cut and between 300 and 500 ms for a long cut.

10. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that it includes a remote control (11) communicating wirelessly with the control box (4), the latter being provided with a radio receiver (12) consisting of an antenna.

11. Lighting device (1) according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the microprocessor (13) of the embedded detector (8) includes a program featuring the different operating modes so as to interpret said IC command instructions transmitted by the microprocessor (9) of the cut-off device (5) and to modulate a signal capable of modifying the color of each of the LEDs (3) making up the LED (3) set.

12. Lighting method, in particular of underwater lighting (1) comprising a plurality of spotlights (2) featuring each at least one light source consisting of a set of LEDs (3) capable of emitting lights of different colors, said plurality of spotlights (2) being connected to an electric power supply;

and at least one control box (4) connected to said power supply and communicating with each of the spotlights, characterized in that the control box (4) is equipped with a cut-off device (5) comprising a microprocessor (9) configured to generate a code consisting of power cuts of varying duration (long, and/or medium, and/or short), or of combinations of such power cuts, and transmit, via a current switching device, IC command instructions capable of modifying the color of each of the LEDs (3) making up the set of LEDs (3) and the spotlights (2) are equipped with an embedded detector (8) provided with a microprocessor (13) capable of interpreting said IC command instructions transmitted by the cut-off device (5) over an antenna (6).

13. Lighting method according to claim 12, characterized in that an operating mode of the spotlight (2) is selected by means of keys (7) on the control box (4), said operating modes being associated to IC command instructions.

14. Lighting method according to any of claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the code generated by the microprocessor (9) of the cut-off device (5) is interpreted by the embedded detector (8) of the spotlights (2) which is equipped with a microprocessor (13) which measures the duration of the power cuts, deduces from that the corresponding code and modulates a signal intended to modify the operating mode of said spotlights (2).

15. Lighting method according to any of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the microprocessor (9) generates combinations of m power cuts of n varying durations (long, and/or medium, and/or short), said combinations of power cuts constituting the following different operating modes:

Mode 1;

first combination;

Mode 2;

second combination;

. . .

Mode n^m;

n^mth combination.

16. Lighting method according to claim 15, characterized in that the microprocessor (9) generates combinations of two power cuts of two varying durations (long and/or short), said power cut combinations include the following different operating modes:

Mode 1 two short cuts;

Mode 2;

one short cut followed by a long cut;

Mode 3;

one long cut followed by a short cut; and

Mode 4;

two long cuts.

17. Lighting method according to any of claims 12 to 16, characterized in that the microprocessor (13) of the embedded detector (B) is programmed with the different operating modes of the spotlights (2) so as to interpret said IC command instructions transmitted by the microprocessor (9) of the cut-off device (5) and to modulate a signal capable of modifying the color of each of the LEDs (3) of the LED (3) set.

18. Lighting method according to any of claims 12 to 17, characterized in that the cut-off device (5) is programmed so that it transmits to the spotlights (2) parameters the values of which are proportional to the duration of the power cuts, the transmitted values making it possible, for instance, to adjust, by remote control, the luminous intensity of the spotlights (2) or to modify the speed of color changes of the LEDs (3).