Ornamental lighting system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An ornamental lighting system comprising:
- a first light string having first and second terminals and a plurality of light emitting diodes including a first group connected in parallel between said first and second terminals and a second group connected in parallel with said first group but having an opposite polarity orientation;
switch means having first and second main terminals and operable either in an on-state to bidirectionally conduct between said first and second main terminals or an off-state to block conduction between said first and second main terminals;
source means for supplying a source voltage alternating at a frequency F1;
means connecting said source means in series with said light string first and second terminals and said switch means first and second main terminals;
means for generating successive clock pulses at a defined frequency F2; and
means responsive to said clock pulses for periodically switching said switch means to said on-state to conduct current through said first group of light emitting diodes during a positive half cycle of said source voltage and through said second group of light emitting diodes during a negative half cycle of said source voltage whereby said first and second groups can be energized at different intensities.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for remotely controlling multiple light strings to achieve a wide variety of visual effects including, on the same string, variations in color, blink rate, and brightness.
235 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. An ornamental lighting system comprising:
-
a first light string having first and second terminals and a plurality of light emitting diodes including a first group connected in parallel between said first and second terminals and a second group connected in parallel with said first group but having an opposite polarity orientation; switch means having first and second main terminals and operable either in an on-state to bidirectionally conduct between said first and second main terminals or an off-state to block conduction between said first and second main terminals; source means for supplying a source voltage alternating at a frequency F1; means connecting said source means in series with said light string first and second terminals and said switch means first and second main terminals; means for generating successive clock pulses at a defined frequency F2; and means responsive to said clock pulses for periodically switching said switch means to said on-state to conduct current through said first group of light emitting diodes during a positive half cycle of said source voltage and through said second group of light emitting diodes during a negative half cycle of said source voltage whereby said first and second groups can be energized at different intensities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A system for energizing a plurality of physically distributed lamps to create various visual effects, said system comprising:
-
oscillator means for producing a train of clock pulses, said oscillator means including at least one oscillator switch means operable in a first state to produce said clock pulses at a frequency F11 and operable in a second state to produce said clock pulses at a frequency F12 ; remote transmitter means for transmitting selected switch commands; receiver means responsive to said switch commands for controlling said oscillator switch means; source means for supplying a low level voltage alternating at a frequency F2 ; triac means having a gate terminal and first and second main terminals and operable in an on-state for bidirectionally conducting current between said main terminals and an off-state for blocking current conduction between said main terminals; light string means having first and second terminals and including a plurality of lamps connected in parallel therebetween; means connecting said source means and said triac means main terminals in series with said light string means first and second terminals; control means responsive to said clock pulses for periodically supplying a gate signal to said triac means gate terminal to switch said triac means to said on-state; said plurality of lamps including first and second groups of light emitting diodes; said light emitting diodes of said first group being connected in parallel across said first and second terminals and having a common polarity orientation; and said light emitting diodes of said second group being connected in parallel across said first and second terminals and having a common polarity orientation opposite to that of said first group. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An ornamental lighting system comprising:
-
a first light string having first and second wires and a plurality of light emitting diodes including a first group connected in parallel between said first and second wires and a second group connected in parallel with said first group but having an opposite polarity orientation; switch means having first and second main terminals and operable either in an on-state to bidirectionally conduct between said first and second main terminals or an off-state to block conduction between said first and second main terminals; source means for supplying a source voltage alternating at a frequency F1; means connecting said source means in series with said light string first and second wires and said switch means first and second main terminals; and means for periodically switching said switch means to said on-state for a duration substantially equal to or less than one full cycle of said source voltage to conduct current through said first group of light emitting diodes during a positive half cycle of said source voltage and through said second group of light emitting diodes during a negative half cycle of said source voltage whereby said first and second groups can produce different visual effects.
-
Specification