Wireless lighting control methods and apparatus

• US 7,659,674 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting North America Corporation (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Solid State Lighting Solutions Inc (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Ducharme, Alfred D., Holmes, Timothy, Geary, Dawn, Lys, Ihor A., Piepgras, Colin, Mueller, George G., Dowling, Kevin J., Morgan, Frederick M., Blackwell, Michael K., Osterhout, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; David Hung
• Application Number:
  US11/742,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20070195526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/307, 315/299, 315/312, 315/313, 315/316, 315/317, 362/227, 362/230, 362/231, 362/800, 362/559, 362/276
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/006 for illumination or simulation of snowy or iced items, e.g. icicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/33 Pulse-amplitude modulation [PAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3577 Emulating the dimming characteristics, brightness or colour temperature of incandescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3578 Emulating the electrical or functional characteristics of discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Methods and apparatus involving at least two LEDs configured to generate at least two different spectra of radiation that are combined to produce white light. At least one parameter of the at least two different spectra of radiation generated by the at least two LEDs is controlled, based at least in part on at least one lighting control signal received by the apparatus over at least one wireless communication link, so as to control at least a color temperature of the white light.

Claims

1. An illumination apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of light sources including LEDs generating radiation of different spectra combinable to produce white light, each light source being independently addressable over a wireless communication network and comprising

an LED; and

an associated controller controlling a parameter of the radiation generated by the LED, based at least in part on a lighting control signal received by the controller over the wireless communication network, so as to control at least a color temperature of the white light.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network supports at least one of a radio frequency transmission, an infrared transmission, a microwave transmission, and an acoustic transmission.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the wireless communication network supports the radio frequency transmission, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a radio transceiver coupled to the controller to receive the lighting control signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller varies a color temperature of the white light based at least in part on the lighting control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lighting control signal includes information for identifying the light sources over the wireless communication network.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a memory storing a lighting program, wherein the controller modifies a variable of the lighting program based on the lighting control signal, and executes the lighting program to control the color temperature of the white light.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a memory storing a plurality of lighting programs, wherein the controller selects one of the lighting programs based on the lighting control signal, and executes the selected lighting program to control the color temperature of the white light.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller modifies a variable of the selected lighting program based on the lighting control signal.

9. A system including the apparatus of claim 2, the system further comprising a user interface coupled to the wireless communication network, the user interface generating the lighting control signal based on user operation of the user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a dial a button, a switch, a slider, a variable switch, and a variable selector.

11. A method, comprising:

generating radiation of different spectra with light sources independently addressable over a wireless communication network, the different spectra being combinable to produce white light, and the light sources comprising an LED and an associated controller; and

controlling a parameter of the radiation by the associated controller, based at least in part on a lighting control signal received over the wireless communication network, so as to control at least a color temperature of the white light.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication network supports at least one of a radio frequency transmission, an infrared transmission, a microwave transmission, and an acoustic transmission.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless communication network supports the radio frequency transmission, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the lighting control signal via the radio frequency transmission.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the parameter of the radiation comprises:

varying a color temperature of the white light based at least in part on the lighting control signal.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the parameter of the radiation comprises:

controlling the parameter based at least in part on identification information included in the lighting control signal, the identification information identifying the light sources over the wireless communication network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the parameter of the radiation comprises executing a lighting program to control the parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling the parameter of the radiation further comprises:

modifying a variable of the lighting program based on the lighting control signal.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the parameter of the radiation comprises:

selecting one of a plurality of lighting programs based on the lighting control signal; and

executing the selected lighting program to control the parameter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein controlling the parameter of the radiation further comprises:

modifying a variable of the selected lighting program based on the lighting control signal.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating the lighting control signal by operating a user interface coupled to the wireless communication network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a dial a button, a switch, a slider, a variable switch, and a variable selector.