Programmable lighting unit and remote control for a programmable lighting unit

• US 7,961,075 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GLP German Light Products GmbH
• Original Assignee: GLP German Light Products GmbH
• Inventors: Klee, Oliver, Englert, Walter, Kuenzler, Udo, Salm, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUSHING, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US11/755,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20080297070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.69, 340/825.71, 340/3.1, 340/3.52, 315/291, 315/307
• US Class Current: 340/3.52
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A programmable lighting unit includes a radio interface to be remote controlled by a radio remote control. In particular, the remote control sends parameter data which is supplied to a parameter adjuster in the programmable lighting unit which programs the parameter data such that a controller of the programmable lighting unit controls a controllable lamp dependent on the parameter data. In particular, the controller is adapted to be programmed using the one or the multiple parameters such that a reaction by the controller to the control data depends on the one or the multiple parameters.

Claims

1. A programmable lighting unit comprising:

a radio interface for receiving parameter data;

a parameter adjuster for adjusting one or multiple parameters of the programmable lighting unit using the parameter data;

a controllable lamp for emitting light;

a control input for receiving control data for the controllable lamp; and

a controller for controlling the controllable lamp using the control data, wherein the controller is adapted to be programmed using the parameters such that a reaction by the controller to the control data depends on the one or the multiple parameters,

wherein the controller has a unique ID assigned to the programmable lighting unit,

wherein the controller is adapted to send the unique ID to a distant remote control in a log-on operation,

wherein the programmable lighting unit is adapted to receive several signals from the remote control, wherein every signal comprises a unique ID of one of the programmable lighting units and a start address allocated to the unique ID or an indication to an allocated channel allocated to the unique ID in a multiple-access method, and

wherein the programmable lighting unit is adapted to use only that start address as its own start address or only that allocated channel in a multiple-access method that is allocated to the unique ID of the programmable lighting unit.

2. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the control input is an interface for a control cable or an interface for a supply line onto which the control data is modulated.

3. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to respond to a predefined data transmission protocol,

wherein the parameter data includes a unique indication to a time slot in a time-division multiplex protocol, a unique indication to a carrier frequency in a frequency-division multiplex protocol, or an indication to a sequence of a code in a code-division multiplex protocol allocated to the programmable lighting unit, and

wherein the unique indicia is different from one programmable lighting unit to another programmable lighting unit.

4. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the parameter is a start address of a serial data protocol.

5. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the parameter data includes a parameter defining a dynamic range for control signals, wherein the controller is adapted to perform a conversion to lamp output signals based on the dynamic range defined by the parameter.

6. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the controllable lamp comprises illuminants of different colors, wherein a parameter includes an assignment of a control channel to a specific color.

7. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to start a log-on operation in response to a predefined event.

8. The programmable lighting unit of claim 7, wherein the controller is adapted to start the log-on operation in response to turning on the programmable lighting unit, receiving a synchronization signal via radio from a remote control, in response to an absolute or relative time, or in response to a predefined data word received via the control input.

9. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the control input is implemented to be separate from the radio interface.

10. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, which is adapted to use current provided via an external power supply for the parameter adjustments.

11. The programmable lighting unit of one of the preceding claims, further comprising:

a mounting means for mounting the programmable lighting unit to a wall, to a column, or to a ceiling of a room.

12. The programmable lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the controllable lamp is controllable relating to its direction of lighting, lighting color, color temperature, and wherein control signals are received via the control input to control the direction of lighting, lighting color or color temperature.

13. A method for operating a programmable lighting unit, comprising:

receiving parameter data via a radio interface;

adjusting one or multiple parameters of the programmable lighting unit using the parameter data;

emitting light via a controllable lamp;

receiving control data for the controllable lamp; and

controlling the controllable lamp using the control data using the one or the multiple parameters, wherein a reaction to control data in the step of controlling depends on the one or the multiple parameters, wherein the programmable lighting unit has a unique ID assigned to the programmable lighting unit,

wherein, in a log-on operation, the unique ID is sent to a distant remote control,

wherein several signals are received from the remote control, wherein every signal comprises a unique ID of one of the programmable lighting units and a start address allocated to the unique ID or an indication to an allocated channel allocated to the unique ID in a multiple-access method, and

wherein the programmable lighting unit uses only that start address as its own start address or only that allocated channel in a multiple-access method that is allocated to the unique ID of the programmable lighting unit.

14. A remote control for a programmable lighting unit with a controllable lamp, comprising:

an input interface for inputting parameter data for the programmable lighting unit, wherein the parameter data includes one or multiple parameters for the programmable lighting unit;

a radio interface for sending the parameter data to the programmable lighting unit or to multiple programmable lighting units, wherein the parameter data is such that a reaction by the programmable lighting unit to control data depends on the parameter data; and

a controller that is adapted

to receive, in a log-on operation, a log-on of at least two programmable lighting units in radio range of the remote control, wherein a log-on of a programmable lighting unit comprises an ID uniquely allocated to the programmable lighting unit, in order to allocate to every uniquely allocated ID an own start address or an indication to a channel in a multiple-access method,

to send out a signal for every received ID that comprises an ID and the start address allocated to the ID or the indication to a channel allocated to the ID in a multiple-access method.

15. The remote control of claim 14, which further comprises a controller adapted to cause a reset of a parameter adjustment to a basic parameter adjustment by a predetermined command, wherein the basic parameter adjustment is the same for all programmable lighting units in the radio range.

16. A method for operating a remote control for a programmable lighting unit, comprising:

receiving an input of parameter data for the programmable lighting unit; and

sending the parameter data to the programmable lighting unit or to multiple programmable lighting units in a radio range of the remote control, wherein the parameter data is such that a reaction by the programmable lighting unit to control data depends on the parameter data,

wherein, in a log-on operation, a log-on of at least two programmable lighting units is received in radio range of the remote control, wherein a log-on operation of a programmable lighting unit comprises an ID uniquely allocated to the programmable lighting unit,

wherein an own start address or an indication to a channel in a multiple-access method is allocated to every uniquely allocated ID, and

wherein a signal is sent out for every received ID that comprises an ID and the start address allocated to the ID or the indication to a channel allocated to the ID in a multiple-access method.

17. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer storage medium comprising a program code for executing the method for operating a programmable lighting unit, the method comprising:

receiving parameter data via a radio interface;

adjusting one or multiple parameters of the programmable lighting unit using the parameter data;

emitting light via a controllable lamp;

receiving control data for the controllable lamp; and

controlling the controllable lamp using the control data using the one or the multiple parameters, wherein a reaction to control data in the step of controlling depends on the one or the multiple parameters, wherein the programmable lighting unit has a unique ID assigned to the programmable lighting unit, wherein, in a log-on operation, the unique ID is sent to a distant remote control, wherein several signals are received from the remote control, wherein every signal comprises a unique ID of one of the programmable lighting units and a start address allocated to the unique ID or an indication to an allocated channel allocated to the unique ID in a multiple-access method, and wherein the programmable lighting unit uses only that start address as its own start address or only that allocated channel in a multiple-access method that is allocated to the unique ID of the programmable lighting unit, when the computer program runs on a computer.

18. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer storage medium comprising a program code for executing the method for operating a remote control for a programmable lighting unit, the method comprising:

receiving an input of parameter data for the programmable lighting unit; and

sending the parameter data to the programmable lighting unit or to multiple programmable lighting units in a radio range of the remote control, wherein the parameter data is such that a reaction by the programmable lighting unit to control data depends on the parameter data, wherein, in a log-on operation, a log-on of at least two programmable lighting units is received in radio range of the remote control, wherein a log-on operation of a programmable lighting unit comprises an ID uniquely allocated to the programmable lighting unit, wherein an own start address or an indication to a channel in a multiple-access method is allocated to every uniquely allocated ID, and wherein a signal is sent out for every received ID that comprises an ID and the start address allocated to the ID or the indication to a channel allocated to the ID in a multiple-access method, when the computer program runs on a computer.

19. A method for performing a log-on mode between a plurality of programmable lighting units and a remote control, comprising:

supplying the programmable lighting units with current;

transmitting a unique ID from every programmable lighting unit to the remote control;

receiving the unique IDs of the programmable lighting units in the remote control;

allocating an own start address or an indication to an own channel in a multiple-access method to every ID;

transmitting signals to the programmable lighting units, wherein every signal comprises a unique ID and the own start address or the indication to the own channel in a multiple-access method;

receiving several signals from the remote control by a programmable lighting unit, wherein every signal comprises a unique ID of one of the programmable lighting units and a start address allocated to the unique ID or an indication to an allocated channel allocated to the unique ID in a multiple-access method; and

using only that start address as own start address or that allocated channel in a multiple-access method by a programmable lighting unit that is allocated to the unique ID of the programmable lighting unit.

20. A method for performing a log-on mode between a plurality of programmable lighting units and a remote control without using lighting unit-specific IDs, comprising:

successively turning on the programmable lighting units in a sequence, such that due to the sequence of turning on the programmable lighting units the remote control communicates only with one programmable lighting unit, wherein only always one newly turned-on programmable lighting unit is in the log-on mode;

allocating an own start address or an indication to an own channel in a multiple-access method to every programmable lighting unit;

successively transmitting signals with different start addresses or with indications to different channels in a multiple-access method by the remote control;

receiving the start address just transmitted by the remote control or the indication to an associated channel in a multiple-access method, each by the newly turned-on programmable lighting unit; and

using only the received start address as own start address or the received allocated channel in a multiple-access method by the programmable lighting unit in the log-on mode.