Intrinsic flux sensing

• US 8,692,656 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2007
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Schulz, Volkmar, Wendt, Matthias, Martiny, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US12/516,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825, 340/825.71, 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 340/825.22, 340/545.3, 340/578, 340/4.11, 340/12.22, 341/176, 315/291, 315/222, 315/316, 362/233, 362/394, 362/612, 362/555, 235/462.42
• US Class Current: 340/12.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1149 Arrangements for indoor wireless networking of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/43 using a single component as both light source and receiver, e.g. using a photoemitter as a photoreceiver
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a lighting system for communication with a remote control device is provided, which comprises a light emitting element adapted for emitting modulated light to the remote control and for detecting control signals from the remote control. This may provide for a communication between the remote control and the lighting system without the need of an extra sensor or an extra transmitter.

Claims

1. A lighting system for communication with remote control device:

a lighting system adapted for emitting light for illumination and transmitting a communication signal to a remote control device;

the lighting system operable to detect a control signal from the remote control device;

a light emitting element including at least one light emitting diode;

wherein the at least one light emitting diode is adapted for an integrated light emitting function to emit light both for illumination and for transmitting the communication signal to the remote control device;

the at least one light emitting diode having the integrated light emitting function further adapted to

detect a control signal from the remote control device;

an amplifier for receiving the control signal and electronically connected to a digital converter, the digital converter in communication with a processor;

a switching element for switching the at least one light emitting diode between a detection mode and an emission mode.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the communication signal comprises information relating to a working condition of the light emitting element.

3. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the communication signal comprises information related to at least one attribute of the light emitting element selected from the group consisting of static colour point information, dynamic colour point information, a dimmer control signal, a start signal, a stop signal, an identification signal, a use-pattern signal, and power consumption rate.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the control signal comprises data for setting at least one attribute of the light emitting element selected from the group consisting of static colour point information, dynamic colour point information, a dimmer control signal, a start signal, a stop signal, a lamp identification signal and the maximum allowed power consumption rate.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the lighting system further comprises a modulation unit adapted for modulating the communication signal according to a modulation scheme.

6. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the modulation scheme is selected from the group consisting of:

pulse width modulation, pulse position modulation, pulse amplitude modulation, and pulse density modulation.

7. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit for emitting the communication signal to the remote control device;

wherein the transmission unit comprises a radio frequency transmitter module.

8. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light emitting element comprises at least one string of serially-connected light emitting diodes or laser devices.

9. The lighting system of claim 1, further comprising:

an amplifier; and

a driving circuit;

wherein the switching element is a transmit-/receive-switch adapted for providing a disconnection of the light emitting element from the driving circuit and a connection of the light emitting element to the amplifier.

10. A communication and switching circuit for a remotely controllable lighting system comprising:

a light emitting element including at least one light emitting diode configured to both emit light in an emission mode and detect a control signal from a remote control device in a detection mode;

said communication and switching circuit configured for generating a communication signal for a remote control device and further including

a switching element for switching the light emitting element between said detection mode and said emission mode;

a driving circuit for driving said light emitting element such that said light emitting element emits light when in said emission mode; and

a sampling circuit for sampling of said control signal detected by said light emitting element when in said detection mode.

11. The communication and switching circuit of claim 10, wherein the sampling circuit includes an amplifier and an analog-to-digital converter.

12. The communication and switching circuit of claim 10, further comprising a processor and a pulse-pattern generator for generating the communication signal.

13. A method for communication between a lighting system with a remote control device, comprising:

emitting light for illumination by a light emitting element including at least one diode, and

detecting a control signal from a remote control device by the emitted by the light emitting element,

switching the light emitting element from an emission mode to a detection mode;

emitting a communication signal to the remote control device by the light emitting element.