EMERGENCY LIGHTING FIXTURE WITH REMOTE CONTROL

• US 20140292506A1
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International Incorporated (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Rapeanu, Radu C., Xing, Zhi Gang, Lambert, Michel, Dorval, Chantal, Elzayed, Mohamed
• Granted Patent: US 9,791,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/514
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A processing unit in a dual-mode lighting fixture receives, via a light pipe of the lighting fixture, a test command signal from a remote control and initiates, based on the test command signal, testing for emergency condition lighting of the lighting fixture. The processing unit receives, via the light pipe, a control command signal from the remote control and controls, based on the control command signal, normal condition lighting of the lighting fixture. The processing unit also monitors feedback loops from a battery, a charger, or a set of LED lamps in the lighting fixture and presents, via the light pipe, a status color indication based on the monitored feedback.

Claims

1. A dual-mode lighting fixture, comprising:

a set of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps;

a battery to provide power to the set of LED lamps for emergency condition lighting;

a charger to collect alternating current (AC) input to charge the battery;

a power supply to collect AC input to provide power to the set of LED lamps for normal condition lighting;

a status light to emit visible light indicative of a lighting fixture status;

an infrared receiver to receive infrared signals from a remote control; and

a processing unit configured to;

identify first commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate testing for emergency condition lighting,

identify second commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate controls for normal condition lighting, and

monitor feedback from the charger, the battery, and the LED lamps and control the status light based on the monitored feedback.

2. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a light pipe including a base end and a display end, the light pipe configured to;

transmit light from the status light to the display end, and

transmit infrared signals from the display end to the infrared receiver via the base end.

3. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 2, further comprising:

a manual switch to provide a test command signal, wherein the light pipe is further configured to transfer a manual force applied at the display end to the manual switch.

4. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 2, further comprising:

a housing configured to enclose the set of LED lamps, the battery, the charger, the power supply, the status light, and infrared receiver, and the processing unit,

wherein the housing includes a single opening to both receive the infrared signals and display the visible light from the status light via the light pipe.

5. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 2, wherein the light pipe comprises a clear polycarbonate material.

6. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the visible light indicative of the lighting fixture status includes at least two alternating colors of visible light.

7. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a photo-cell configured to alter resistance based on ambient lighting conditions, wherein the processor is further configured to;

identify changes in the resistance of the photo-cell, and

activate or deactivate normal condition lighting based on the identified changes in the resistance.

8. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the first commands received by the infrared receiver include commands to initiate:

a short-duration test of the emergency condition lighting,

a medium-duration test of the emergency condition lighting, and

a long-duration test of the emergency condition lighting.

9. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 8, wherein the first commands received by the infrared receiver include commands to turn off the emergency condition lighting.

10. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the second commands received by the infrared receiver include commands to:

turn on or turn off the normal condition lighting, and

change the intensity of the normal condition lighting.

11. A method for controlling a lighting fixture, comprising:

receiving, at a processing unit and via a light pipe of the lighting fixture, a first command signal from a remote control;

initiating, by the processing unit and based on the first command signal, testing for emergency condition lighting of the lighting fixture;

receiving, at the processing unit and via the light pipe, a second command signal from the remote control;

controlling, by the processing unit and based on the second command signal, normal condition lighting of the lighting fixture;

monitoring, by the processing unit, feedback from a battery circuit, a charger circuit, or an LED lamp circuit in the lighting fixture; and

presenting, by the processing unit and via the light pipe, a status color indication based on the monitored feedback.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving application of manual force to an end of the light pipe;

transferring the manual force to activate a physical switch inside the lighting fixture;

initiating a test for the emergency condition lighting based on the activation of the physical switch.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

detecting a resistance value of a photo-cell that represents a change in ambient light conditions; and

controlling, based on the resistance value, the normal condition lighting of the lighting fixture.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein presenting the status color indication includes switching between at least two different colors of visible light.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first command signal includes a command to initiate a test from a group of tests including:

a short-duration test of the emergency condition lighting,

a medium-duration test of the emergency condition lighting, and

a long-duration test of the emergency condition lighting.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second command signal includes a command from a group of commands including:

toggling the normal condition lighting on or off,

dimming the normal condition lighting, and

brightening the normal condition lighting.

17. An emergency lighting fixture, comprising:

a set of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps;

a battery to provide power to the set of LED lamps for emergency condition lighting;

a power supply to collect AC input to provide power to the set of LED lamps for normal condition lighting;

a status light to emit visible light indicative of a lighting fixture status;

an infrared receiver to receive infrared signals from a remote control;

a light pipe including a base end and a display end, wherein the light pipe is configured to transmit visible light from the status light to the display end, and transmit infrared signals from the display end to the infrared receiver via the base end; and

a processing unit configured to;

identify first commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate testing for emergency condition lighting based on the first commands,

identify second commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate controls for normal condition lighting based on the second commands, and

monitor conditions of the battery and the LED lamps and control the status light based on the monitored feedback.

18. The emergency lighting fixture of claim 17, further comprising:

a manual switch to provide a test command signal, wherein the light pipe is further configured to transfer a manual force applied at the display end to the manual switch.

19. The emergency lighting fixture of claim 17, further comprising:

a photo-cell configured to alter resistance based on ambient lighting conditions,

wherein the processing unit is further configured to;

identify changes in the resistance of the photo-cell, and

activate or deactivate normal condition lighting based on the identified resistance.

20. The emergency lighting fixture of claim 17, further comprising:

a housing configured to enclose the set of LED lamps, the battery, the charger, the power supply, the status light, and infrared receiver, and the processing unit,

wherein the housing includes a single opening to both receive the infrared signals and display the visible light from the status light via the light pipe.