Systems and methods for communicating in a lighting network

• US 8,255,487 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Illumination Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Illumination Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Valois, Charles Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Farhad
• Application Number:
  US12/209,551
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218, 315/291
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Systems and methods for communication between devices using a duty cycle of a signal while a device maintains operation responsive to the duty cycle are disclosed. A device receives a signal comprising a duty cycle within a time interval, the duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions and each of the plurality of portions comprising a duration of the duty cycle within the time interval. The device performs an operation responsive to the duty cycle and, in response to a detection of an instruction identified by at least one portion of the duty cycle, performs a function based on the instruction while maintaining the operation responsive to the duty cycle. The device performs operations responsive to duty cycles within time intervals of succeeding signals and performs functions based on instructions from the succeeding signals while maintaining the operation responsive to the duty cycles.

Claims

1. A method of communicating between devices using a duty cycle of a signal while a device maintains operation responsive to the duty cycle, the method comprising steps of:

(a) receiving, by a first device from a second device via a connection, a signal comprising a plurality of different time intervals, the duty cycle remaining constant through the plurality of different time intervals, the duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions comprising a duration of the duty cycle, at least one portion of the duty cycle comprising an instruction for a processor;

(b) operating, by the first device responsive to the duty cycle, one or more components of the first device;

(c) detecting, by the first device for the processor, the instruction identified by a change in a time interval of the signal; and

(d) performing, by the processor of the first device responsive to the detection, a function based on the instruction while maintaining, by the first device, operations of the one or more components responsive to the constant duty cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the first device from the second device via the connection, a second signal comprising the duty cycle of the first signal, the duty cycle of the second signal comprising the plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle, the second signal not having the instruction;

(f) operating, by the first device, responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the first device via the connection, a second signal comprising the duty cycle of the first signal, the duty cycle of the second signal comprising the plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle;

(f) detecting, by the first device, by a change in a time interval of the second signal a second instruction for the processor; and

(g) performing, by the processor of the first device responsive to the detection, a function based on the second instruction while maintaining operating, by the first device, the one or more components responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the first device from the second device via the connection, a second signal comprising a second duty cycle within a time interval, the second duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the second duty cycle comprising a duration of the duty cycle;

(f) operating, by the first device, the one or more components responsive to the second duty cycle of the second signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the first device via the connection, a second signal comprising a second duty cycle within a time interval and a second instruction, the second duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the second duty cycle comprising a duration of the second duty cycle;

(f) detecting, by the first device, by a change in a time interval of the second signal a second instruction; and

(g) performing, by the processor of the first device responsive to the detection, a second function based on the second instruction and maintaining operating, by the first device, the one or more components responsive to the second duty cycle of the second signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the first device via the connection, a second signal comprising the duty cycle within a second time interval, the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a plurality of portions of the second signal, each of the plurality of portions of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle of the second signal, the second signal not having the instruction;

(f) operating, by the first device, responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the first device via the connection, a second signal comprising the duty cycle within a second time interval and a second instruction for the processor, the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a plurality of portions of the second signal, each of the plurality of portions of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle of the second signal;

(f) detecting, by the first device, by a change in a time interval of the second signal comprises a second instruction; and

(g) performing, by the processor of the first device responsive to the detection, a function based on the second instruction and maintaining operating, by the first device, the one or more components responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a sum of durations of each of the plurality of portions is within a predetermined threshold of the duration of the duty cycle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a sum of durations of each of the plurality of signals is equal to the duration of the duty cycle.

10. A method of communicating to a lighting device using a duty cycle of a signal while maintaining operations of the lighting device responsive to the duty cycle, the method comprising steps of:

(a) receiving, by a lighting device from a device via a connection, a signal to control intensity of light, the signal comprising a plurality of different time intervals and a duty cycle remaining constant through the plurality of different time intervals, the duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions comprising a duration of the duty cycle, at least one portion of the duty cycle comprising an instruction for a processor;

(b) controlling, by the lighting device, intensity of light responsive to the duty cycle;

(c) detecting, by the lighting device for the processor, the instruction identified by a change in a time interval of the signal; and

(d) performing, by the processor of the lighting device responsive to the detection, a function based on the instruction while a controller maintains the intensity of light responsive to the constant duty cycle.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

(e) receiving, by the lighting device via the connection, a second signal to control intensity of light, the second signal comprising a second duty cycle within a second time interval, the second duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the second duty cycle comprising a duration of the second duty cycle;

(f) detecting, by the lighting device, that the signal within a second duty cycle comprises a second instruction;

(g) performing, by the processor of the lighting device responsive to the detection, a function based on the second instruction; and

(h) controlling, by the lighting device, intensity of light responsive to the second duty cycle.

12. The system of claim 10, the system further comprising:

the first device receiving a second signal comprising the duty cycle within a second time interval, the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle; and

the controller operating the first device responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

13. The system of claim 10, the system further comprising:

the first device receiving a second signal comprising the duty cycle within a second time interval the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle;

the controller detecting that a change in a time interval of the second signal indicates a second instruction; and

the controller performing, in response to the detection, a function based on the second instruction and maintaining the operating responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

14. A system of communicating between devices using a duty cycle of a signal while a device maintains operation responsive to the duty cycle, the system comprising:

a first device receiving from a second device via a single wire, a signal comprising a plurality of different time intervals and a duty cycle remaining constant through the plurality of different time intervals, the duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions comprising a duration of the duty cycle;

a controller operating one or more components of the first device responsive to the duty cycle;

the controller detecting an instruction indicated by a change in a time interval; and

a processor of the controller responsive to the detection performs a function based on the instruction while the controller maintains operation of the one or more components responsive to the constant duty cycle.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first device is a lighting device emitting light and wherein the operating responsive to the duty cycle comprises emitting light having an intensity, the intensity responsive to the duty cycle.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the second device is a lighting device emitting light.

17. The system of claim 14, the system further comprising:

the first device receiving a second signal comprising the duty cycle within the time interval, the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle; and

the controller operating the first device responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

18. The system of claim 14, the system further comprising:

the first device receiving a second signal comprising the duty cycle within the time interval, the duty cycle of the second signal comprising the plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the duty cycle of the second signal comprising a duration of the duty cycle;

the controller detecting a second instruction indicated by a change in a time interval of the second signal; and

the controller, in response to the detection, performing a function based on the second instruction while maintaining the operating responsive to the duty cycle of the second signal.

19. The system of claim 14, the system further comprising:

the first device receiving a second signal comprising a second duty cycle within the time interval, the second duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the second duty cycle comprising a duration of the second duty cycle; and

the controller operating the first device responsive to the second duty cycle of the second signal.

20. The system of claim 14, the system further comprising:

the first device receiving a second signal comprising a second duty cycle within the time interval, the second duty cycle comprising a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions of the second duty cycle comprising a duration of the second duty cycle;

the controller detecting that a change in a time interval of the second signal indicates a second instruction; and

the controller performing, in response to the detection, a function based on the second instruction and maintaining the operating by the first device responsive to the second duty cycle.