Interactive LED display network for retail environment

• US 7,391,337 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: Gelcore (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: St-Germain, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, LAM P
• Application Number:
  US11/234,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20070069908A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/815.45, 340/686.1, 340/825.22, 340/3.1, 340/3.5, 362611-614, 362 84- 85, 362/92, 362/125, 315291-292, 315/307, 315/312, 315/318
• US Class Current: 340/686.1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

A bi-directional communication system communicates between a control station, which receives and outputs control signals, and one or more display cabinets. LEDs illuminate objects disposed about the cabinets. Addressable nodes interactively communicate with the control station and selectively operate the LEDs, each node being coupled to the control station and to associated LEDs.

Claims

1. A bi-directional communication system for communicating between a control station, which receives and outputs control signals, and one or more display cabinets, the system comprising:

LEDs for illuminating objects disposed about the cabinets;

addressable nodes for interactively communicating with the control station and selectively operating the LEDs, each node being coupled to the control station and associated LEDs; and

a signal generator at the control station for receiving information from each addressable node and generating corresponding output signals which are indicative of a desired activation state sequence for the associated LEDs;

wherein each node includes;

a sensor for detecting a change in an environment and sending a corresponding input signal to the control station, the sensor being disposed about the cabinet; and

an addressable power supply which selectively changes an activation state of selected associated LEDs in response to being addressed by the control station, which activation state change is based on the received sensor input signal and predetermined LEDs'"'"' activation state sequence.

2. The system according to claim 1, further including:

an applications database for storing a set of predetermined LEDs'"'"' activation state sequences, which database is configurable by a user to generate predetermined visual displays.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the change in the LEDs'"'"' activation state includes one of turning OFF selected LEDs and turning ON selected LEDs for displaying a predetermined message.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the change in the LEDs'"'"' activation state includes one of dimming, flashing, variable messaging, and selective displaying of red, green and blue colors for generating the predetermined visual displays.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of:

a motion sensor,

a humidity sensor,

a proximity sensor,

a temperature sensor, and

a digital camera.

6. An LED display system for illuminating objects disposed in cabinets, the LED display system being coupled to a network, the LED display system comprising:

a control station for controlling the LED display system, the control station being coupled to the display system and the network and including;

a signal generator for interactively communicating with the display system by receiving input signals from the display system and generating output signals in response to the received input signals, which are indicative of a desired activation state sequence for the associated LEDs,

a display unit,

an applications database for storing a set of predetermined instructions for controlling the LEDs activation state sequence, which is configurable by a user, and

an interface database for displaying interactive user interface screens on the display unit, the user interface screens allowing the user to configure the applications database;

for producing light output, the LEDs being disposed about the cabinet; and

at least one node for interactively communicating with the control station and selectively operating the LEDs in response to receiving the output signals from the signal generator, the node being coupled to the network and to the LEDs.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the node includes:

a sensor for detecting a change in an environment and sending the input signals to the signal generator, the sensor being disposed about the cabinet.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the applications database stores at least a set of predetermined instructions, and wherein, in response to receiving the input signals, the signal generator generates the output signals in accordance with the received input signals and predetermined instructions.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the node further includes:

a power supply for controlling an activation state of the at least one LED in response to the output signals received from the signal generator, the power supply being coupled to the at least one LED and the control station.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the sensor includes at least one of:

a motion sensor,

a humidity sensor,

a proximity sensor,

a temperature sensor, and

a digital camera.

11. The system according to claim 6, further including:

a plurality of nodes, each node (30) being coupled to the network and including;

a plurality of LEDs being coupled to an associated node,

an addressable power supply coupled to the associated LEDs, and

a sensor for detecting a change in an environment and sending the input signals to the control station, in response to which the signal generator sends to a selected node the output signals, the sensor being disposed about the cabinet;

wherein, in response to the received output signals, the power supply of the selected node selectively changes the activation state of the associated LEDs to selectively configure the associated LEDs into any of a plurality of physical and electrical configurations.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of physical and electrical configurations is achieved by one of:

dimming;

flashing;

variable messaging; and

selective displaying of one of red, green and blue colors.

13. A method for bi-directionally controlling a light show, comprising:

receiving an input signal of a sensor at a control station coupled to a network, the sensor being disposed about a display cabinet;

in response to receiving the sensor signal, generating an output signal sequence to produce a predetermined light show effect; and

selectively changing activation states of associated LEDs disposed about the display cabinet based on the generated output signal sequence via associated nodes, wherein each node includes an addressable cower supply and further includes;

selectively addressing one or more cower supplies, each cower supply being coupled to the network and to the associated LEDs;

sending the generated output signal sequence to each addressed power supply; and

controlling the LEDs'"'"' activation state with the associated addressed power supply based on the received output signal sequence.

14. The method according to claim 13, further including:

storing a set of predetermined LEDs'"'"' activation states sequences in a database, which database is configurable by a user to generate the predetermined light show.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of changing activation states of the associated LEDs includes:

turning OFF and turning ON selected LEDs; and

displaying a predetermined message.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the step of changing activation states of the associated LEDs includes:

one of dimming, flashing, variable messaging, and selective displaying of red, green and blue colors; and

generating predetermined light show effects.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sensor includes at least one of:

a motion sensor,

a humidity sensor,

a proximity sensor,

a temperature sensor, and

a digital camera.