METHOD FOR CONTROLLING LIGHTING ELEMENT AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEM

• US 20160174342A1
• Filed: 08/27/2015
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Chenghao, Liu, Shan
• Granted Patent: US 9,661,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A method for controlling at least one lighting element includes: setting a dimming speed; determining a dimming level according to the dimming speed; and using the dimming level to perform a stepped dimming operation to brighten or dim the lighting element.

Claims

1. A method for controlling at least one lighting element, comprising:

setting a dimming speed;

determining a dimming level according to the dimming speed; and

using the dimming level to perform a stepped dimming operation to brighten or dim the lighting element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimming speed is represented by an unsigned integer without unit, and the dimming level is calculated by using a formula:

m=INT(|(x−

y)/(D_speed*k)|), wherein “

m”

is the dimming level, “

x”

is a current brightness of the lighting element, “

y”

is the target brightness of the lighting element, “

D_speed”

is the dimming speed, and “

k”

is a speed factor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dimming speed is represented by an unsigned integer without unit, and the dimming level is calculated by using a formula:

m=INT(|(Lmax-L min)/(D_speed*k)|), wherein “

m”

is the dimming level, “

Lmax”

is a maximum dimming level, “

Lmin”

is a minimum dimming level, “

D_speed”

is the dimming speed, and “

k”

is a speed factor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting the dimming speed comprises:

referring to an event to select one of dimming levels from a look-up table to serve as the dimming speed, wherein the look-up table comprises a plurality of events and corresponding dimming speeds.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the method is executed in a lighting device comprising the lighting element, and the event is a signal received from an electronic device outside the lighting element.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is executed in the lighting device comprising the lighting element, and the step of setting the dimming speed comprises:

receiving the dimming speed from an electronic device outside the lighting device to set the dimming speed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is for controlling a plurality of lighting elements, and the lighting elements comprise a plurality of color components with different colors, and the steps of setting the dimming speed, determining the dimming level, and brightening or dimming the lighting element comprise:

setting a plurality of dimming speeds for the color components, respectively;

determining a plurality of dimming levels for the color components according to the dimming speeds, respectively; and

brightening or dimming the color components by using the dimming levels.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the dimming speeds are not all the same.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is arranged for controlling a plurality of lighting elements positioned in different places, and the steps of setting the dimming speed, determining the dimming level, and brightening or dimming the lighting element comprise:

setting a plurality of dimming speeds for the lighting devices, respectively;

determining a plurality of dimming levels for the lighting devices according to the dimming speeds, respectively; and

brightening or dimming the lighting devices by using the dimming levels, respectively.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the dimming speeds are not all the same.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting the dimming speed comprises:

referring to an event to select one of dimming levels from a look-up table to serve as the dimming speed, wherein the look-up table comprises a plurality of events and corresponding dimming speeds. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method is executed in a lighting device comprising the lighting element, and the event is a signal received from an electronic device outside the lighting element.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal represents an event, and the controller refers to the signal to select one of dimming levels from a look-up table to serve as the dimming speed, wherein the look-up table comprises a plurality of events and corresponding dimming speeds.

11. A method for controlling at least one lighting element, comprising:

setting a specific period; and

performing a stepped dimming operation to brighten or dim the lighting element from a current brightness to a target brightness during the specific period.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining a dimming level according to the current brightness,

a target brightness and the specific period.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining uniform time intervals for the stepped dimming operation according to the specific period.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the method is arranged for controlling a plurality of lighting elements positioned in different places, and the steps of setting the specific period and brightening or dimming the lighting element comprise:

setting a plurality of specific periods for the lighting devices, respectively;

for each of the lighting elements, performing the stepped dimming operation to brighten or dim the lighting element from a current brightness to a target brightness during the corresponding specific period;

wherein the specific periods are not all the same.

17. A system, comprising:

an electronic device; and

at least one lighting device, comprising at least one lighting element and a controller;

wherein the electronic device wirelessly transmits a signal to the lighting device; and

the controller of the lighting device sets a dimming speed according to the received signal from the electronic device, and determines a dimming level according to the dimming speed, and uses the dimming level to perform a stepped dimming operation to brighten or dim the lighting element.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the lighting device comprises a plurality of lighting elements, and the lighting elements comprise a plurality of color components with different colors, and the controller sets a plurality of dimming speeds for the color components, respectively, determines a plurality of dimming levels for the color components according to the dimming speeds, respectively, and brightens or dims the color components by using the dimming levels, respectively;

and the dimming speeds are not all the same.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the system comprises a plurality of lighting devices positioned in different places, and the electronic device wirelessly transmits at least one signal to the lighting devices;

and the controllers of the light devices set a plurality of dimming speeds for the lighting devices according to the at least one signal, respectively, determine a plurality of dimming levels for the lighting devices according to the dimming speeds, respectively, and brighten or dim the lighting devices by using the dimming levels, respectively; and

the dimming speeds are not all the same.