Wireless remote control system and methods for monitoring and controlling illuminating devices

• US 8,193,729 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yun-Chang Liao
• Original Assignee: Yun-Chang Liao
• Inventors: Liao, Yun-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yang, Amy
• Application Number:
  US12/607,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315312-325
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit

Abstract

A system includes first and second illuminating devices respectively having different first and second identification numbers indicative of locations and/or serial numbers of the illuminating devices. A parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of a lighting unit of each illuminating device is detected. The parameter and the identification number of each illuminating device are encoded into a packet. The second illuminating device receives the packet of the first illuminating device and sends the packets of the first and second illuminating devices to a control center. The control center decodes the packets and judges operational states of the illuminating devices based on the parameters detected. A control signal is sent by the control center to turn on or off or control brightness of at least one of the illuminating devices when at least one of the illuminated devices is judged as operating abnormally after judging the parameters detected.

Claims

1. A wireless remote control system comprising, in combination:

a first illuminating device including;

a first microprocessor,

a first lighting unit electrically connected to and controlled by the first microprocessor,

a first memory electrically connected to the first microprocessor and having a first identification number indicative of at least one of a location and a serial number of the first illuminating device,

a first detection unit electrically connected to the first microprocessor and the first lighting unit, with the first detection unit detecting a first parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of the first lighting unit in operation and sending the detected first parameter to the first microprocessor, with the first microprocessor encoding the first parameter and the first identification number into a first packet, and

a first wireless transmitting unit including a first signal transmitter sending out a first signal containing the first packet;

a second illuminating device spaced from the first illuminating device, with the second illuminating device including;

a second microprocessor,

a second lighting unit electrically connected to and controlled by the second microprocessor,

a second memory electrically connected to the second microprocessor and having a second identification number indicative of at least one of a location and a serial number of the second illuminating device, with the second identification number being different from the first identification number,

a second detection unit electrically connected to the second microprocessor and the second lighting unit, with the second detection unit detecting a second parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of the second lighting unit in operation and sending the detected second parameter to the second microprocessor, with the second microprocessor encoding the second parameter and the second identification number into a second packet, and

a second wireless transmitting unit including a signal receiver and a second signal transmitter, with the signal receiver receiving the first signal containing the first packet from the first illuminating device, with the second signal transmitter sending out the first signal and a second signal containing the second packet;

a network device receiving and transmitting the first and second signals; and

a control center receiving the first and second signals from the network device, with the control center decoding the first and second packets and judging operational states of the first and second illuminating devices based on the first and second parameters detected, with the control center sending out a control signal through the network device to turn on or off or control brightness of at least one of the first and second illuminating devices when at least one of the first and second parameters is identified as not in a normal range,

with each of the first and second lighting units including a plurality of lighting element units and a spare lighting element unit, with the plurality of lighting element units and the spare lighting element unit of each of the first and second lighting units being respectively controllable by the first and second microprocessors to control brightness of the first and second illuminating devices, with the spare lighting element unit of the first lighting unit being turned off when the plurality of lighting element units of the first lighting unit operates normally, with the spare lighting element unit of the first lighting unit being turned on when the plurality of lighting element units of the first lighting unit operates abnormally, with the spare lighting element unit of the second lighting unit being turned off when the plurality of lighting element units of the second lighting unit operates normally, and with the spare lighting element unit of the second lighting unit being turned on when the plurality of lighting element units of the second lighting unit operates abnormally,

with each of the plurality of lighting element units and the spare lighting element units of the first and second illuminating devices including a plurality of serially connected light-emitted diodes and capable of emitting light beams of at least two different colors.

2. The wireless remote control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein when at least one of the plurality of lighting element units of the first and second illuminating devices operates abnormally, the control center sends out an adjusting signal to turn on the spare lighting element units of the first and second illuminating devices and to turn off said at least one of the plurality of lighting element units of the first and second illuminating devices that operates abnormally.

3. The wireless remote control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising, in combination:

a third illuminating device spaced from the first and second illuminating devices, with the third illuminating device including;

a third microprocessor, a third lighting unit electrically connected to and controlled by the third microprocessor, a third memory electrically connected to the third microprocessor and having a third identification number indicative of at least one of a location and a serial number of the third illuminating device, with the third identification number different from the first and second identification numbers, a third detection unit electrically connected to the third microprocessor and the third lighting unit, with the third detection unit detecting a third parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of the third lighting unit in operation and sending the detected third parameter to the third microprocessor, with the third microprocessor encoding the third parameter and the third identification number into a third packet, and a third wireless transmitting unit including a second signal receiver and a third signal transmitter, with the second signal receiver receiving the first and second signals containing the first and second packets, with the third signal transmitter sending out the first and second signals and a third signal containing the third packet, with the network device transmitting the first, second, and third signals to the control center, with the control center decoding the third packet and judging operational states of the third illuminating device based on the third parameter detected, with the control center capable of sending out the control signal through the network device to open or close or control brightness of at least one of the first, second, and third illuminating devices when at least one of the first, second, and third parameters is identified as not in the normal range.

4. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling first and second illuminating devices comprising:

providing the first illuminating device with a first identification number indicative of at least one of a location and a serial number of the first illuminating device, with the first illuminating device including a first microprocessor and a first lighting unit electrically connected and controlled by the first microprocessor,

providing the second illuminating device with a second identification number indicative of a location of the second illuminating device, with the second identification number being different from the first identification number, with the second illuminating device including a second microprocessor and a second lighting unit electrically connected to and controlled by the second microprocessor;

detecting a first parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of the first lighting unit in operation;

encoding the first parameter and the first identification number with the first microprocessor into a first packet;

detecting a second parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of the second lighting unit in operation;

encoding the second parameter and the second identification number with the second microprocessor into a second packet;

sending the first packet to the second illuminating device;

sending the first and second packets from the second illuminating device to a control center via a network device, with the control center decoding the first and second packets and judging operational states of the first and second illuminating devices based on the first and second parameters detected;

sending a control signal by the control center through the network device to turn on or off or control brightness of at least one of the first and second illuminating devices when at least one of the first and second illuminating devices is judged as operating abnormally after judging the first and second parameters detected; and

providing the control center with a plurality of operational modes corresponding to different brightnesses of each of the first and second illuminating devices, with sending the control signal including sending the control signal containing one of the plurality of operational modes to at least one of the first and second microprocessors,

with providing the control center with the plurality of operational modes including providing the control center with the plurality of operational modes according to weather conditions of the locations of the first and second illuminating devices.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, with providing the control center with the plurality of operational modes including providing the control center with the plurality of operational modes according to brightness requirements in different time periods.

6. The method as claimed in claim 4, with each of the first and second lighting units having a plurality of lighting element units capable of emitting light beams of at least two different colors, with sending the control signal including sending the control signal according to the weather conditions of the locations of the first and second illuminating devices to control the plurality of lighting element units of the first and second lighting units to emit one of the at least two different colors according to the weather conditions.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, with sending the control signal including sending the control signal to turn off damaged first and second illuminating devices and to increase the brightness of undamaged first and second illuminating devices according to the weather conditions.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, with each of the first and second units including a spare lighting element unit, with sending the control signal including turning on the spare lighting element units when one or more of the plurality of lighting element units of the first and second lighting units are damaged.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

detecting the first and second parameters again;

encoding the first parameter detected again and the first identification number into a third packet and sending the third packet to the second illuminating device;

encoding the second parameter detected again and the second identification number into a fourth packet;

sending the third and fourth packets to the control center to decode the third and fourth packets and judging the operational states of the first and second illuminating devices based on the first and second parameters detected again; and

sending out an adjusting signal from the control center to at least one of the first and second illuminating devices to increase the brightness of at least one of the first and second lighting units when at least one of the first and second illuminated devices is judged as operating abnormally after judging first and second parameters detected again.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, with sending out the adjusting signal including sending out the adjusting signal containing an identifying code corresponding to the first and second identification numbers to at least one of the first and second microprocessors, with the first microprocessor accepting the adjusting signal and adjusting brightness of the first illuminating device when the identifying code is identified to be the same as the first identification number, with the first microprocessor ignoring the adjusting signal when identifying code is identified to be not the same as the first identification number, with the second microprocessor accepting the adjusting signal and adjusting brightness of the second illuminating device when the identifying code is identified to be the same as the second identification number, with the second microprocessor ignoring the adjusting signal when identifying code is identified to be not the same as the second identification number.

11. The method as claimed in claim 4, with sending out the adjusting signal including sending out the adjusting signal containing an identifying code to at least one of the first and second microprocessors, with the first microprocessor accepting the adjusting signal and adjusting brightness of the first illuminating device when the identifying code is identified to be the same as the first identification number, with the first microprocessor ignoring the adjusting signal when identifying code is identified to be not the same as the first identification number, with the second microprocessor accepting the adjusting signal and adjusting brightness of the second illuminating device when the identifying code is identified to be the same as the second identification number, with the second microprocessor ignoring the adjusting signal when identifying code is identified to be not the same as the second identification number.

12. The method as claimed in claim 4, further comprising:

providing a map including the locations of the first and second illuminating devices; and

indicating at least one of the first and second illuminating devices that are not in normal operational states after judging the first and second parameters detected.

13. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling first and second illuminating devices comprising:

providing the first illuminating device with a first identification number indicative of at least one of a location and a serial number of the first illuminating device, with the first illuminating device including a first microprocessor and a first lighting unit electrically connected and controlled by the first microprocessor,

providing the second illuminating device with a second identification number indicative of a location of the second illuminating device, with the second identification number being different from the first identification number, with the second illuminating device including a second microprocessor and a second lighting unit electrically connected to and controlled by the second microprocessor;

detecting a first parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of the first lighting unit in operation;

encoding the first parameter and the first identification number with the first microprocessor into a first packet;

detecting a second parameter of one of voltage, temperature, resistance, and power of the second lighting unit in operation;

encoding the second parameter and the second identification number with the second microprocessor into a second packet;

sending the first packet to the second illuminating device;

sending the first and second packets from the second illuminating device to a control center via a network device, with the control center decoding the first and second packets and judging operational states of the first and second illuminating devices based on the first and second parameters detected;

sending a control signal by the control center through the network device to turn on or off or control brightness of at least one of the first and second illuminating devices when at least one of the first and second illuminating devices is judged as operating abnormally after judging the first and second parameters detected; and

providing the control center with a plurality of operational modes corresponding to different brightnesses of each of the first and second illuminating devices, with sending the control signal including sending the control signal containing one of the plurality of operational modes to at least one of the first and second microprocessors, with providing the control center with the plurality of operational modes including providing the control center with the plurality of operational modes according to brightness requirements in different time periods,

with sending the control signal including sending the control signal to turn off damaged first and second illuminating devices and to increase the brightness of undamaged first and second illuminating devices according to the brightness requirements in the different time periods.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, with each of the first and second units including a spare lighting element unit, with sending the control signal including turning on the spare lighting element units when one or more of the plurality of lighting element units of the first and second lighting units are damaged.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

detecting the first and second parameters again;

encoding the first parameter detected again and the first identification number into a third packet and sending the third packet to the second illuminating device;

encoding the second parameter detected again and the second identification number into a fourth packet;

sending the third and fourth packets to the control center to decode the third and fourth packets and judging the operational states of the first and second illuminating devices based on the first and second parameters detected again; and

sending out an adjusting signal from the control center to at least one of the first and second illuminating devices to increase the brightness of at least one of the first and second lighting units when at least one of the first and second illuminated devices is judged as operating abnormally after judging first and second parameters detected again.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15, with sending out the adjusting signal including sending out the adjusting signal containing an identifying code to at least one of the first and second microprocessors, with the first microprocessor accepting the adjusting signal and adjusting brightness of the first illuminating device when the identifying code is identified to be the same as the first identification number, with the first microprocessor ignoring the adjusting signal when identifying code is identified to be not the same as the first identification number, with the second microprocessor accepting the adjusting signal and adjusting brightness of the second illuminating device when the identifying code is identified to be the same as the second identification number, with the second microprocessor ignoring the adjusting signal when identifying code is identified to be not the same as the second identification number.