Solid state light system with broadband optical communication capability

• US 8,547,036 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Available For Licensing
• Original Assignee: Available For Licensing
• Inventors: Tran, Bao Q.
• Primary Examiner(s): CRAWFORD, JASON
• Application Number:
  US13/300,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20120086345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 681 Days
• Field of Search: 315/158, 315/291, 315/294, 315/297, 315307-308, 398/127, 398/130, 398/135
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/27 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with two fittings for each light source, e.g. for substitution of fluorescent tubes
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/278 Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0056 Audio equipment, e.g. music instruments, radios or speakers
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 5/04 of lens shape
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/44 Star or tree networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/30 : Semiconductor lamps, e.g. solid state lamps [SSL] light emitting diodes [LED] or organic LED [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for use in conjunction with a standardized electrical connector of a conventional light bulb or tube with one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) electrically coupled to at least one electrical connector compatible with a conventional light connector, wherein the LEDs include at least one multiband-type ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver having one or more optical channels defined using one or more OFDM bands; and a controller coupled to the LEDs, the controller adjusting LED light output and communicating with the optical network using the optical transmitter and receiver. In other embodiments, the LEDs include at least one optical transmitter and receiver optically coupled to an optical network using at least one LED with a first mode to generate light and a second mode to receive optical transmissions using ambient light.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a. one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) electrically coupled to at least one electrical connector compatible with a conventional light connector, wherein the LEDs include at least one broadband optical transmitter and receiver optically coupled to a broadband optical network greater than 1 Mbps using at least one LED with a first mode to generate light and a second mode to receive broadband optical transmissions using ambient light; and

b. a controller coupled to the LEDs, the controller adjusting LED light output and communicating with the optical network using the broadband optical transmitter and receiver.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising an audio transducer in the bulb receiving music or sound data transmitted over the optical network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each light bulb stores positioning or location information to uniquely identify a position of an occupant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller minimizes LED operating cost by shifting energy use to an off-peak period in response to utility pricing that varies energy cost by time of day.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the optical network communicates lighting profiles that incorporate time-based control with occupancy, daylighting, and manual control and wherein the controller integrates time-based lighting control with occupancy sensing control.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one electrical connector includes an electrode selected from a group consisting of:

a pair of bi-pin end caps configured for engagement with a standard fluorescent tube receiving fixture; and

an Edison screw connector for a light bulb.

7. The system of claim 6, comprising a user replaceable circuit board in electrical communication with at least one of the bi-pin end caps, and wherein the controller and at least one LED serving as the optical transmitter and receiver are mounted on the circuit board and in electrical communication therewith;

and wherein the at least one LED includes multiple LEDs that output an amount of light substantially equal to an amount of light produced by a conventional fluorescent tube.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more LEDs detect one or more of motion and sound.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the light bulb comprises a receiver that receives an auxiliary signal generated from a source outside the bulb indicative of whether the one or more rooms in the building are in the occupied state or unoccupied state;

and wherein the controller is operable to control the at least one LED in response to the auxiliary signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller estimates an amount of power being used by the building and controls the at least one LED based on the estimated amount of power.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein controller controls at least one of a temperature setting, an airflow setting, a humidity setting, and a brightness setting of a building environment regulator.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising:

an LED-based light, at least one LED, a sensor operable to output a first signal indicative of whether an area of one or more of the rooms is in an occupied state or a non-occupied state, an LED controller operable to control the at least one LED in response to the first signal, and a transmitter operable to transmit a second signal indicative of whether the area is in the occupied state or the non-occupied state; and

a regulator controller in communication with the transmitter and operable to control one or more functions of the building environment regulator in response to the second signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical transceiver is constructed and arranged to communicate with a thermostat, a video camera, a public address system, a smoke detector, an identification tag, a name tag.

14. The system of claim 1, comprising a user replaceable circuit board having a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector attached thereto and wherein the controller communicates with the broadband over power line communications system.

15. The system of claim 1, comprising a multiband-type ultra-wideband (UWB) receiver having one or more optical channels defined using one or more OFDM bands.

16. The system of claim 1, plurality of optical transceivers can be used where each the transceiver includes an optical data communications transmitter configured to modulate data to be transmitted onto an optical output of the transceiver and an optical data communications receiver configured to receive an optical signal and to demodulate the received signal to recover transmitted data, and wherein transmitter is configured to spread the transmitted data using a pseudorandom sequence, and wherein the receiver in configured to despread the received optical signal to recover the transmitted data.

17. The system of claim 1, comprising a routing table storing an identifier that uniquely identifies a path through the network to a destination for a data packet, wherein when a transceiver initially connects to an optical network a unique identifier is broadcasted to other transceivers (nodes) within range for configuration of a local routing table, and forwarded by the nodes to other nodes within the network to make the network aware of the new connection.

18. The system of claim 1, comprising a plurality of LEDs that transmit and receive at different wavelengths to transmit data in parallel over different wavelengths.

19. A system comprising:

a. one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs) electrically coupled to at least one electrical connector compatible with a conventional light connector, wherein the LEDs include at least one multiband-type ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver having one or more optical channels defined using one or more OFDM bands; and

b. a controller coupled to the LEDs, the controller adjusting LED light output and communicating with the optical network using the optical transmitter and receiver.

20. An LED-based light operable in cooperation with a building environment regulator that provides high speed data communication and regulates at least one environmental condition in one or more rooms of a building, the LED-based light tube comprising:

a tube including a light transmitting portion and a pair of electrical connectors attached to opposing ends of the tube, the electrical connectors compatible with a standard fluorescent light fixture;

one or more first LEDs operable to produce light that passes through the light transmitting portion of the tube;

one or more second LEDs operable as a light sensor to generate a first signal whether an area of one or more of the rooms is in an occupied state or a non-occupied state;

one or more third LEDs providing an optical communication system with WiFi or DSL speed; and

a controller operable to control the first LEDs in response to the first signal and communicating with other devices through the one or more third LEDs the first signal indicative of whether the area is in the occupied state or the non-occupied state to the building environment regulator.