Selective control of lighting devices

• US 7,965,050 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Nieuwlands, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Haissa
• Application Number:
  US12/063,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20100164402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 315/312, 315/316, 315/324, 315149-159, 315/291, 315/307, 315/297, 315/323, 340/531, 340/533, 340/538.11, 340/539.11, 340/825.22, 340/825.29
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

In an arrangement of lighting devices (10), a remote control device (30) and a central control device (20), a particular lighting device to be controlled by means of the remote control device may be selected by a user transmitting a selecting command (42, 43). When the central control device receives the selecting command (44), it carries out a selection sequence (45) during which it controls the lighting devices in one or the other sequence so as to have their output change temporarily (45, 46, 47). If the remote control device, which is directed to the particular lighting device (41), senses such an output change (50), it transmits data representing such an event (51) to the central control device. When the central control device receives such event data (52), it determines the particular lighting device as that to which the remote control device is directed (53) for subsequent control (54) of this particular lighting device.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a particular lighting device in a lighting arrangement comprising a plurality of lighting devices, a central control device and a remote control device, the method comprising the steps of:

directing the remote control device to the particular lighting device, such that the remote control device can detect an output supplied by said particular lighting device;

transmitting changed output data of the lighting device by the remote control device, when said remote control device has detected a change of the output from the lighting device;

transmitting operation-determinative data by the central control device when said central control device has received changed output data of the lighting device;

changing a state of the particular lighting device when said particular lighting device has received operation-determinative data;

wherein the user transmits a selecting command by the remote control device when the user wants to control the particular lighting device, the central control device enters a selection sequence when it has received said selecting command, during which sequence said central control device transmits operation-determinative data to lighting devices selected in a sequence by the central control device so as to temporarily change their output, and the central control device determines the particular lighting device from changed output data of the lighting device, which data has been received during the selection sequence for subsequently controlling said particular lighting device.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the selection sequence is of the binary type, such that different combinations of lighting devices are selected and not selected at different times during execution of the sequence, and the central control device determines the particular lighting device from changed output data of the lighting device, which data has been received at said different times during the selection sequence.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein, if the particular lighting device is determined in the selection sequence, the central control device carries out a normal operation change command received from the remote control device for controlling the particular lighting device so as to change its normal operation.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the remote control device transmits the normal operation change command together with the selecting command.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is a light output from a lamp of the lighting device.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is an output from a signaling member of the lighting device.

7. A method according to claim 2, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is an output from a signaling member of the lighting device.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is an output from a signaling member of the lighting device.

9. A method according to claim 4, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is an output from a signaling member of the lighting device.

10. A method according to claim 5, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is an output from a signaling member of the lighting device.

11. A method according to claim 2, wherein, if the particular lighting device is determined in the selection sequence, the central control device carries out a normal operation change command received from the remote control device for controlling the particular lighting device so as to change its normal operation.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the remote control device transmits the normal operation change command together with the selecting command.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is a light output from a lamp of the lighting device.

14. A method according to claim 2, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is a light output from a lamp of the lighting device.

15. A method according to claim 3, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is a light output from a lamp of the lighting device.

16. A method according to claim 4, wherein the output from a lighting device to be detected by the remote control device is a light output from a lamp of the lighting device.

17. A lighting arrangement comprising a plurality of lighting devices, a central control device and a remote control device, the remote control device having a sensor for sensing an output supplied by a particular lighting device, user-operable elements for transmitting data about a change of said output, said central control device being configured to transmit operation-determinative data when it has received changed output data from the lighting device, and said particular lighting device being configured to change its state when it has received operation-determinative data, wherein the remote control device is suitable for transmitting a selecting command by proper operation of the user-operable means, the central control device is suitable for carrying out a selection sequence when it has received said selecting command, during which sequence said central control device transmits operation-determinative data to lighting devices selected in a sequence by the central control device so as to temporarily change their output, and the central control device is suitable for determining the particular lighting device from changed output data of the lighting device, which data has been received during the selection sequence for subsequently controlling said particular lighting device.

18. A lighting device of a lighting arrangement comprising a plurality of lighting devices, a central control device and a remote control device, the remote control device having a sensor for sensing an output supplied by a particular lighting device, user-operable elements for transmitting data about a change of said output, said central control device being configured to transmit operation-determinative data when it has received changed output data from the lighting device, and said particular lighting device being configured to change its state when it has received operation-determinative data, wherein, apart from a lamp, the lighting device comprises a signaling member that is arranged to supply the output to be sensed by the remote control device and to change its output when it has received operation-determinative data from the central control device.

19. A remote control device of a lighting arrangement, comprising a plurality of lighting devices and a central control device, the remote control device having a sensor for sensing an output supplied by a particular lighting device, user-operable elements for transmitting data about a change of said output, said central control device being configured to transmit operation-determinative data when it has received changed output data from the lighting device, and said particular lighting device being configured to change its state when it has received operation-determinative data, wherein the user-operable elements are suitable for transmitting a selecting command to the central control device that causes the central control device to initiate a sequence that facilitates selection of the particular lighting device from among other lighting devices controlled by the central control device.

20. A central control device of a lighting arrangement, comprising a plurality of lighting devices and a remote control device, the remote control device having a sensor for sensing an output supplied by a particular lighting device, user-operable elements for transmitting data about a change of said output, said central control device being configured to transmit operation-determinative data when it has received changed output data from the lighting device, and said particular lighting device being configured to change its state when it has received operation-determinative data, wherein the central control device is suitable for carrying out a selection sequence when it has received a selecting command from the remote control device, during which sequence said central control device transmits operation-determinative data to lighting devices selected in a sequence by the central control device so as to temporarily change their output, and the central control device is suitable for determining the particular lighting device from changed output data of the lighting device, which data has been received during the selection sequence for subsequently controlling said particular lighting device.