USER INPUT SYSTEMS FOR AN LED-BASED LIGHT

• US 20150334790A1
• Filed: 05/12/2015
• Published: 11/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ilumisys Incorporated (Altair Engineering Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ilumisys Incorporated (Altair Engineering Incorporated)
• Inventors: Scapa, James R., Ivey, John, Amrine, James M. Jr., Nickol, Brian, Simon, David L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,510,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 44/00 Circuit arrangements for operating electroluminescent light sources for operating light emitting diodes H05B45/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3574 Emulating the electrical or functional characteristics of incandescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3578 Emulating the electrical or functional characteristics of discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]

Abstract

An LED-based replacement light includes a plurality of LEDs, an LED controller for operating the LEDs, a user input interface in communication with the LED controller, a housing for the LEDs, the LED controller and the user input interface, and a connector disposed at an end of the housing and shaped for connection with a light socket. The LED controller establishes different operating states for the LEDs that include only a limited number of discrete ON states. The user input interface is configured to receive user input, and in response to the user input, activate the LED controller to operate the LEDs according to one of the different operating states.

Claims

1. An LED-based light, comprising:

a plurality of LEDs;

an LED controller for operating the LEDs, the LED controller establishing different operating states for the LEDs, the operating states including only a limited number of discrete ON states;

a user input interface in communication with the LED controller, the user input interface configured to receive user input, and in response to the user input, activate the LED controller to operate the LEDs according to the different operating states;

a housing for the LEDs, the LED controller and the user input interface; and

a connector disposed at an end of the housing, the connector shaped for connection with a light socket.

2. The LED-based light of claim 1, wherein the number of discrete ON states is for a given characteristic of the light emanating from the LED-based light upon operation of the LEDs.

3. The LED-based light of claim 2, wherein the given characteristic is for an intensity of the light emanating from the LED-based light upon operation of the LEDs.

4. The LED-based light of claim 3, wherein the number of discrete ON states includes a high intensity ON state and one or more intermediate intensity ON states.

5. The LED-based light of claim 1, wherein the number of discrete ON states is for a power consumed by the LED-based light upon operation of the LEDs.

6. The LED-based light of claim 5, wherein the number of discrete ON states includes a high power ON state and one or more intermediate power ON states.

7. The LED-based light of claim 6, wherein the given characteristic is for a spatial, spectral, color, color temperature or temporal aspect of the light emanating from the LED-based light upon operation of the LEDs.

8. The LED-based light of claim 1, wherein the number of discrete ON states is two.

9. The LED-based light of claim 1, wherein the number of discrete ON states is between two and ten.

10. The LED-based light of claim 1, wherein the operating states further include an OFF state.

11. The LED-based light of claim 1, wherein the LED controller is implemented at least in part by a programmable controller, and the different operating states for the LEDs are established at least in part in connection with the programming of the programmable controller.

12. The LED-based light of claim 1, wherein the LED controller is implemented at least in part by an integrated circuit, and the different operating states for the LEDs are established at least in part in connection with the circuitry of the integrated circuit.

13. An LED-based replacement light, comprising:

a plurality of LEDs;

power supply circuitry for the LEDs, the power supply circuitry;

including an integrated circuit configured to receive analog dimming signals, and in response to the analog dimming signals, generate respective PWM dimming signals,

configured to operate the LEDs in response to the PWM dimming signals according to respective associated operating states for the LEDs, and

establishing resistances between a reference voltage node and the integrated circuit generating respective analog dimming signals at the integrated circuit, the resistances including only a limited number of discrete resistances corresponding to respective analog dimming signals at the integrated circuit and respective PWM dimming signals associated with a limited number of respective discrete ON states for the LEDs;

a user input interface in communication with the power supply circuitry, the user input interface configured to receive user input, and in response to the user input, selectively activate the discrete resistances;

a housing for the LEDs, the power supply circuitry and the user input interface; and

a connector disposed at an end of the housing, the connector shaped for connection with a light socket.

14. The LED-based light of claim 13, wherein the user input interface includes a user actuated switch for selectively activating the discrete resistances.

15. The LED-based light of claim 13, wherein the user input interface includes:

a magnetized user actuated actuation device external to the housing; and

an magnetic reed switch internal to the housing and connected in the power supply circuitry to activate the discrete resistances in response to the actuation device.

16. The LED-based light of claim 15, wherein the actuation device is a switch mounted to the housing.

17. The LED-based light of claim 15, wherein the actuation device is a wand separable from the housing.

18. The LED-based light of claim 13, wherein:

the power supply circuitry includes paths between the reference voltage node and the integrated circuit having respective one of the discrete resistances, and

the user input interface is configured to selectively make the paths to activate the discrete references.

19. The LED-based light of claim 13, wherein the number of discrete resistances is two.

20. The LED-based light of claim 13, wherein the number of discrete resistances is between two and ten.