WIRELESS DECORATIVE LIGHTING FOR ARTIFICIAL TREES

• US 20160330823A1
• Filed: 05/09/2016
• Published: 11/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Willis Electric Company Limited
• Inventors: HWA, Alec, NIE, Jiang Hai, CHEN, Johnny
• Application Number:
  US15/150,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330823A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/02 the elements being transformers, impedances or power supply units, e.g. a transformer with a rectifier
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/00 Use or application of lighting devices or systems for decorative purposes, not provided for in codes F21W2102/00 – F21W2107/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/04 for Christmas trees
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A wirelessly-powered lighted tree system that includes: an artificial tree; a wireless power transmission system, including: a power conditioning portion configured to receive an AC power from an external source, and convert the AC power to a DC power, a microwave-frequency signal generation portion configured to receive the DC power from the power conditioning circuit and generate a microwave-frequency signal, a processor, an antenna configured to receive the generated microwave-frequency signal and to transmit a wireless microwave-frequency signal based on the received microwave-frequency signal from the microwave-frequency generation portion; and a wirelessly-powered lighting system configured to receive the transmitted wireless microwave-frequency signal, the lighting system including an antenna receiving the transmitted wireless microwave-frequency signal, a power conversion portion for converting the wireless microwave-frequency signal into a DC power signal, and a plurality of lighting elements coupled to the artificial tree and receiving power based on the DC power signal.

Claims

1. A wirelessly-powered lighted tree system, comprising:

an artificial tree, including a trunk and a plurality of branches;

a wireless power and data transmission system, including;

a power conditioning portion configured to receive an alternating-current (AC) power from an external source, and convert the AC power to a direct-current (DC) power;

a microwave-frequency signal generation portion configured to receive the DC power from the power conditioning circuit and generate a microwave-frequency signal;

a processor in electrical communication with the power-conditioning portion;

an antenna in electrical communication with the microwave-frequency signal generation portion and configured to receive the generated microwave-frequency signal and to transmit a wireless microwave-frequency signal based on the received microwave-frequency signal from the microwave-frequency generation portion; and

a wirelessly-powered lighting system configured to receive the transmitted wireless microwave-frequency signal, the lighting system including an antenna receiving the transmitted wireless microwave-frequency signal, a power conversion portion for converting the wireless microwave-frequency signal into a DC power signal, and a plurality of lighting elements coupled to the artificial tree and receiving power based on the DC power signal.

2. The wirelessly-powered lighted tree system of claim 1, wherein the transmitted wireless microwave-frequency signal is a wireless signal having a frequency in the range of 7 GHz to 10 GHz.

3. The wirelessly-powered lighted tree system of claim 1, wherein the wireless power and data transmission system further comprises a modulation portion, and wherein the transmitted wireless microwave-frequency is a modulated wireless signal that includes a data signal portion.

4. A method of wirelessly powering an artificial tree having a plurality of lighting elements distributed about branches of the tree, comprising:

causing a wireless power and data transmission system to transmit a wireless microwave-frequency signal;

receiving a wireless signal based on the wireless microwave frequency signal at a wirelessly-powered lighting system, the lighting system attached to a branch of an artificial tree;

converting the received wireless signal to a DC power signal and powering a lighting element of the lighting system using the DC power signal.