Method and apparatus for radio-frequency controllable LED lamp fixture antenna

• US 8,633,646 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Molezion, Danny J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US13/460,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• Field of Search: 315 33- 35, 315/291, 315307-309
• US Class Current: 315/34
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/007 specially adapted for indoor communication
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00

Abstract

An apparatus and system for incorporating an unshielded antenna into an LED fixture are provided, such that the LED fixture can be individually controlled through RF signals, such as those propagated by a home automation system or other RF-based lighting control systems. An LED fixture is provided that includes an antenna that is coupled to an electronic control board of the LED fixture and extends to a region external to the heat sink of the LED fixture. By extending the antenna in this manner, RF signals can be received and transmitted by the control board of the LED fixture with significantly reduced attenuation. In one embodiment, the antenna is routed from the control board to an optical assembly support frame for the LED fixture. The optical assembly support frame can either provide a structure along which to guide the antenna or can comprise the antenna itself.

Claims

1. A light emitting diode fixture comprising:

a heat sink comprising a front face and a cavity region having an opening at the front face of the heat sink and a bottom surface within the heat sink;

a light-emitting diode (LED) mounted on the bottom surface within the heat sink;

an antenna disposed at least at or near the front face of the heat sink and configured to receive radio-frequency (RF) control signals for the LED; and

a controller board coupled to the antenna and the LED and configured to control the LED in response to the RF control signals, wherein the controller board is disposed in a RF-shielded location.

2. The LED fixture of claim 1 further comprising:

a support frame mounted in the cavity region, wherein

the support frame extends from a mounting point in the cavity region to the face of the heat sink, and

the support frame comprises at least a portion of the antenna.

3. The LED fixture of claim 2, wherein

the support frame comprises a non-conducting material, and

the at least a portion of the antenna is attached to portions of the support frame.

4. The LED fixture of claim 3, wherein

the at least a portion of the antenna is adhesively attached to corresponding portions of the support frame.

5. The LED fixture of claim 2, wherein

the support frame comprises in part a non-conducting material and in part a conducting material, and

the part of the support frame comprising the conducting material comprises the at least a portion of the antenna.

6. The LED fixture of claim 5 wherein the conducting material comprises one or more of copper and aluminum.

7. The LED fixture of claim 2, wherein

the antenna comprises an odd-multiple half-wavelength dipole antenna, and

the odd-multiple of a half-wavelength selected for the antenna is selected to maximize a length of each pole of the dipole antenna that is exposed at or near the face of the heat sink on the support frame.

8. The LED fixture of claim 1 further comprising:

a transceiver, coupled with the control board and the antenna, and configured to receive the RF control signals and to transmit RF signals using the antenna.

9. The LED fixture of claim 8 wherein the RF control signals comprises a protocol signal from one of IEEE 802.15.4, Z-Wave, and Bluetooth.

10. A system comprising:

a radio-frequency (RF) control signal transmitter configured to provide RF control signals at a selected frequency; and

a light-emitting diode (LED) fixture configured to receive the RF control signals, the LED fixture comprising

a heat sink comprising a front face and a body,

an LED control board disposed within the heat sink body, and

an antenna, coupled to the LED control board, and having a portion disposed at or near the front face of the heat sink, wherein

the antenna is configured to resonate to the selected frequency, and

the LED control board receives the RF control signals via the antenna.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the LED fixture further comprises:

a light-emitting diode mounted on a surface of a cavity region formed within the heat sink, wherein

the cavity region has an opening at the front face of the heat sink, and

the light-emitting diode is electrically coupled to the LED control board.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the LED fixture further comprises:

a support frame mounted in the cavity region, wherein

the support frame extends from a mounting point in the cavity region to the face of the heat sink, and

the support frame comprises at least a portion of the antenna.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein

the LED control board provides LED control signals to the LED in response to the received RF control signals.

14. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of LED fixtures, wherein

the plurality of LED fixtures comprises the LED fixture, and

each LED fixture of the plurality of LED fixtures is responsive to a corresponding subset of the RF control signals.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

a plurality of RF control signal transmitters, wherein the plurality of RF control signal transmitters comprises the RF control signal transmitter.