Exterior illumination and emergency signaling system and related methods

• US 8,669,717 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nemalux Inc
• Original Assignee: CRS Electronic Company Limited
• Inventors: Riesebosch, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Tuyet Thi
• Application Number:
  US12/945,364
• Publication Number:
  US 20120119679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• Field of Search: 315/247, 315/224, 315/225, 315/185.S, 315/291, 315307-312, 315249-259
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

LEDs that provide street illumination are used to create emergency signals. This facilitates simple retrofitting of existing streetlighting infrastructure. In one embodiment, a streetlight comprises an LED set that itself comprises or consists of a plurality of LEDs collectively producing a white light output. The streetlight also includes a receiver for receiving a signal of an alarm condition, and a controller for (i) disabling the LED set during a daylight period, (ii) maintaining the normal operating mode during a lighting period distinct from the daylight period, and (iii) in response to the alarm condition detected by the receiver, de-activating at least one of the LEDs to produce a non-white (e.g., red or amber) output signaling the alarm condition.

Claims

1. A streetlight comprising:

an LED set comprising a plurality of LEDs all of which are active in a normal operating mode to collectively produce a white light output;

a receiver for receiving a signal of an alarm condition; and

a controller for (i) disabling the LED set during a daylight period, (ii) maintaining the normal operating mode during a lighting period distinct from the daylight period, and (iii) in response to the alarm condition detected by the receiver, de-activating at least one of the LEDs to produce a non-white output signaling the alarm condition.

2. The streetlight of claim 1 wherein:

the LED set comprises red, green and blue LEDs which, in the normal operating mode, collectively produce the white light output; and

in response to the alarm condition detected by the receiver, the controller activates the red LED and de-activates the green and blue LEDs.

3. The streetlight of claim 1 wherein the receiver is configured to receive wireless signals.

4. The streetlight of claim 1 wherein the receiver is configured to receive wired signals.

5. The streetlight of claim 1 wherein:

the LED set comprises first and second LEDs which, in the normal operating mode, collectively produce a warm white light output;

the first LED individually has a red or amber output; and

in response to the alarm condition detected by the receiver, the controller activates the first LED and de-activates the second LED.

6. The streetlight of claim 5 wherein, in response to the alarm condition, the controller activates the first LED and de-activates the second LED during the daylight period and the lighting period.

7. The streetlight of claim 5 wherein the warm light output has a correleted color temperature in the range 2,600 Kelvin to 5,000 Kelvin.

8. The streetlight of claim 7 wherein the warm output light has coordinates on a 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram that are within 10 MacAdam ellipses of at least one point on the black-body locus on the 1931 CIE Chromaticity Diagram.

9. The streetlight of claim 5 wherein the first LED has a peak output wavelength in the range 580 to 750 nm.

10. The streetlight of claim 9 wherein the first LED has a peak output wavelength in the range 620 to 630 nm.

11. The streetlight of claim 9 wherein the second LED has a peak output wavelength of 510 nm.

12. The streetlight of claim 11 wherein the second LED comprises a die having an intrinsic peak output wavelength in the range 430 to 480 nm and a lumiphore for receiving a portion of the die light output and emitting output light of a different peak wavelength, the 510 nm light including a mixture of output light from the die and output light from the lumiphore.

13. A method of lighting comprising the steps of:

providing, in a normal operating mode, light from a plurality of proximate LEDs, the light from the LEDs combining to produce a white light output;

receiving a signal of an alarm condition; and

in response to the alarm condition, de-activating at least one of the LEDs to produce a non-white output signaling the alarm condition.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the plurality of LEDs comprises first and second LEDs that collectively produce a warm white light output, the first LED individually having a red or amber output; and

in response to the alarm condition, the second LED is de-activated.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the plurality of LEDs comprises red, green and blue LEDs that collectively produce the white light output; and

in response to the alarm condition, the green and blue LEDs are de-activated.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the signal is transmitted wirelessly.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the signal is transmitted via a wire.