SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EMERGENCY LIGHTING

• US 20150130282A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Mishra, Priya Ranjan, Panguloori, Rakeshibabu, Pullela, Venkata Sriram
• Granted Patent: US 10,547,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/66
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/065 for lighting purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting network (100) and methods therefore are disclosed. The lighting network (100) a plurality of lighting units (10) that can operate on AC power and DC back up power if the AC power is removed. A controller (15) is used to redistribute the DC power between the plurality of lighting units (10) in the event that DC power is low or exhausted in one of the plurality of lighting units (10).

Claims

1. A lighting network comprising:

a plurality of lighting units that can operate on AC power and DC power if the AC power is removed,

at least one controller arranged to redistribute the DC power between the plurality of lighting units,

an AC power monitoring unit arranged to detect the presence or absence of the AC power; and

a master controller arranged to form a DC power distribution path, wherein the master controller further identifies an availability of the DC power in each of the plurality of lighting units and adjusts the redistribution of the DC power to extend a light availability in at least one of the plurality of lighting units.

3. The lighting network according to claim 1, wherein the controller redistributes the DC power using a same distribution path used by the AC power.

5. The lighting network according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of lighting units includes a battery and a battery charge management unit.

6. The lighting network according to claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of lighting units includes a bypass switch to switch to the DC power when the AC power is not available.

7. The lighting network according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of lighting units includes a sensor arranged to detect a presence of a user.

8. The lighting network according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of lighting units includes sensor arranged to detect daylight.

2. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

9. (canceled)

10. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)

13. A lighting unit comprising:

a lighting emitting unit;

a driver coupled to the lighting emitting unit;

an AC/DC converter arranged to supply power to the driver;

a DC battery unit, coupled to the driver, arranged to supply power to the driver if the AC/DC converter cannot supply the power to the driver; and

a controller arranged to request additional power if the power from the DC battery unit is running low.

14. The lighting unit according to claim 13 further comprising a bypass switch to switch, under control from the controller 15, to the DC power when the AC power is not available.

15. The lighting unit according to claim 13 further comprising a DC input path to receive the additional power.

16. The lighting unit according to claim 13 further comprising a tactile switch for changing the ON or OFF state of the lighting unit.

17. The lighting unit according to claim 16 further comprising a mains voltage monitoring unit arranged to determine if an event is an intended operation of the tactile switch or a false trigger condition.

18. (canceled)

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)