TRI-light

• US 8,013,538 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Illumination Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Illumination Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Zampini, Mark A., Zampini, Thomas L., Zampini, Thomas Lawrence II
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi; Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu; Jimmy T
• Application Number:
  US11/869,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20090195189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 315/172, 315/209.R, 315/224, 315/225, 315/291, 315/302, 315/307, 315/360, 315/362, 315/173, 315/295, 315/308, 315/312
• US Class Current: 315/291
• 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 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators

Abstract

A lighting arrangement includes a light fixture including a plurality of light sources wherein each light source is configured to generate a different color light when energized; and a circuit arrangement included in the light fixture and operatively interposed between the plurality of light sources and a source of electrical power. This circuit arrangement is responsive to brief interruptions in the supply of electrical power of less than a predetermined period to simultaneously de-energize all of the light sources for a full duration of the interruption and to subsequently toggle energization from one light source to the next and thereby produce different color light in response to the cessation of the brief interruption.

Claims

1. A lighting arrangement comprising:

a light fixture including a plurality of light sources wherein each light source is configured to generate a different color light when energized; and

a circuit arrangement included in the light fixture and operatively interposed between the plurality of light sources and a source of electrical power, the circuit arrangement being responsive to interruptions in the supply of electrical power of less than a predetermined period to simultaneously de-energize all of the light sources for a full duration of the interruption and to subsequently toggle energization from one light source to the next and thereby produce different color light in response to each interruption cessation; and

wherein the circuit arrangement comprises a microcontroller and a temporary power source which is configured to energize and maintain the microcontroller in an operational state for a period equal to the predetermined period and which allows the microcontroller to power down and reset to a default in response to a duration of the interruption being in excess of the predetermined period.

2. The lighting arrangement as set forth in claim 1 wherein the default is selected to be one wherein no light source is energized and wherein the toggle sequence is reset to a predetermined sequence.

3. The lighting arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a switch is disposed outboard of the light fixture and arranged to interrupt the supply of electrical power to the light fixture.

4. The lighting arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the switch is a normally closed switch.

5. The lighting arrangement as set forth in claim 1, wherein each light source comprises at least one LED (light emitting diode).

6. The lighting arrangement as set forth in claim 1, further comprising at least one more light fixture which has a power input connected the supply of electrical power and which is responsive to interruptions of electrical power in the supply of electrical power of less than a predetermined period to simultaneously de-energize all light sources included therein for a full duration of the interruption and to subsequently toggle energization from one light source to the next and thereby produce color light corresponding to the color light produced by the first said light fixture, in response to each interruption cessation.

7. The lighting arrangement as set forth in claim 3 wherein the supply of electrical power is connected to the light fixture via a first line and a second line in which the switch is disposed and a second line which acts as a common line.

8. The lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller resets to the default comprising default settings.

9. The lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller resets to the default comprising settings in memory.

10. The lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller resets all of the plurality of light sources connected to the source of electrical power.

11. The lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the circuit arrangement comprises one driver for the plurality of light sources.

12. The lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller resets to the default of toggled to a color of a light source of the plurality of light sources.

13. The lighting arrangement of claim 1, wherein only two wires are used between the source of electrical power and the lighting arrangement to control toggling.

14. The lighting arrangement of claim 13, wherein one wire of the only two wires is a positive wire.

15. The lighting arrangement of claim 13, wherein one wire of the only two wires comprises one of the following:

a negative wire, a common wire or ground.

16. A method of controlling a light fixture comprising:

de-energizing all of a plurality of color generating light sources included in the light fixture during an interruption in a supply of electrical power via which the light sources are energized;

maintaining the operation of a microcontroller, which selectively controls which of the plurality of light sources is permitted to have electrical current pass therethrough and thus be energized, using a temporary supply of electrical power operatively connected with the microcontroller and configured to provide electrical power to the microcontroller for a predetermined limited length of time;

inducing the microcontroller to toggle from a current light source selection to the next in a predetermined sequence in response to the interruption and to enable energization of the next color generating light source upon cessation of the interruption provided that the cessation occurs within the predetermined limited length of time; and

causing the microcontroller to power down when the interruption is longer than the predetermined limited length of time and to subsequently reset to a default condition when the interruption ceases.

17. A method as set forth in claim 16, comprising using a switch to cause an interruption having a duration less than the predetermined length of time if briefly opened for a period less than the predetermined length of time, and to cause an interruption in excess of the predetermined length of time if opened for a prolonged period in excess of the predetermined length of time.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

using a first plurality of LEDs in a first of the plurality of light sources to produce a first color;

using a second plurality of LEDs in a second of the plurality of light sources to produce a second color; and

using a third plurality of LEDs in a third of the plurality of light sources to produce a third color.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the microcontroller resetting to the default condition comprising default settings.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the microcontroller resetting to the default condition comprising settings in memory.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising the microcontroller resetting to the default condition of toggled to a color of a light source of the plurality of light sources.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising connecting the power input of the light fixture to the source of electrical energy via two wires and only two wires used to control toggling.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein one wire of the two wires is a positive wire.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein one wire of the two wires comprises one of the following:

a negative wire, a common wire or ground.

25. A method of illumination control comprising:

disposing a plurality of light sources, each capable of producing a different color, in light fixture;

connecting a power input of the light fixture to a source of electrical energy via a switch which is configured to interrupt the supply of electrical power to the power input and to simultaneously de-energize all of the plurality of light sources; and

toggling energization of the light sources in response to interruptions in electrical energy supplied to the power input via the single wire; and

storing electrical energy within the light fixture sufficient to maintain a circuit arrangement in an operative condition during an interrupt of less than a predetermined duration so that the circuit arrangement responds to the interrupt and selectively closes a switch associated with a light source to enable selective energization of that light source.

26. A method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising:

using a parallel connection between the power input and a circuit arrangement which selectively controls energization of the light sources; and

arranging a capacitor with one of the parallel connections to store electrical energy within the light fixture, and using the other of the parallel connections to provide interrupt indicative input to the circuit arrangement.

27. A method as set forth in claim 25, further comprising controlling the toggling using a circuit arrangement which is responsive to the interruptions in power which is supplied to the light fixture and arranging the circuit arrangement so that it maintains its operation during relatively short interrupts to the power and is deprived of electrical current when the interrupt exceeds a predetermined period.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising connecting the power input of the light fixture to the source of electrical energy via two wires and only two wires re used to control toggling.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein one wire of the two wires is a positive wire.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein one wire of the two wires comprises one of the following:

a negative wire, a common wire or ground.