Mechanisms for light management

• US 8,716,953 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2009
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett, Reeves, Jonathan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, HENRY T
• Application Number:
  US12/632,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,611 Days
• Field of Search: 315/86, 315/87, 362/195
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0471 the sensor detecting the proximity, the presence or the movement of an object or a person
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/065 for lighting purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• 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

Mechanisms for light management include a light emitting diode (LED) light bulb. The LED light bulb includes multiple light emitting diodes (LEDs) configured for illumination in the LED light bulb and includes a battery. A base is configured to fit a standard socket designed for an incandescent light bulb, and the base is configured to operatively connect to an electrical power source. A module is operative to detect a residual voltage of the power source when a control for powering the LED light bulb is powered off. The module is configured to determine that a power outage occurred and operative to switch to battery power from the battery in response to not detecting the residual voltage of the power source.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a light emitting diode light bulb, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes operative for illumination in the light emitting diode light bulb;

a battery;

a base that fits a socket designed for an incandescent light bulb, the base operatively connecting to an electrical power source; and

a module operative to detect a residual voltage of the electrical power source when a control for powering the light emitting diode light bulb is powered off, the module detecting the residual voltage when a path to a hot wire is open in the electrical power source, wherein the module comprises and integrates hardware of a detection module and controller;

wherein the module is operative to determine that a power outage occurred and operative to switch to battery power from the battery in response to detecting no presence of the residual voltage of the electrical power source;

wherein when the path to the hot wire is open in the electrical power source, the module detects the residual voltage on a closed path with the light emitting diode light bulb that remains closed between a neutral wire and a ground wire, the residual voltage being approximately 7 volts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module is operative to prevent certain light emitting diodes of the plurality of light emitting diodes from illuminating during the power outage.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the module is operative to detect that the power outage has concluded based on detecting the presence of the residual voltage;

and

in response to detecting that the power outage has concluded, the module is operative to allow all of the light emitting diodes of the plurality of light emitting diodes to illuminate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in response to the module determining that there is a fire emergency, the module is operative to communicate with other light emitting diode light bulbs having light emitting diodes;

and

wherein the module causes the light emitting diode light bulb and the other light emitting diode light bulbs to illuminate as a predefined exit during the fire emergency.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in response to the module determining that there is a fire emergency, the module is operative to actively search for motion by selectively powering off certain light emitting diodes of the plurality of light emitting diodes;

and

in response the module detecting motion, the module is operative to illuminate light emitting diodes of the plurality of light emitting diodes that are directed toward the motion such that a person moving in an area is constantly tracked by light illuminating from the plurality of light emitting diodes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module is operative to detect a security emergency;

wherein in response to detecting the security emergency, the module is operative to communicate with other light emitting diode light bulbs having light emitting diodes; and

wherein the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb and the other light emitting diode light bulbs to cooperatively illuminate in a mode indicative of the security emergency.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the module is operative to detect a weather emergency;

wherein in response to detecting the weather emergency, the module is operative to communicate with other light emitting diode light bulbs having light emitting diodes; and

wherein the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb and the other light emitting diode light bulbs to cooperatively illuminate in a mode indicative of the weather emergency.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein in response to a fire emergency, a security emergency, and a weather emergency, the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb and other light emitting diode light bulbs to increase and decrease brightness, increase and decrease intensity, change a color, and change a blinking pattern.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power on and off mechanism integrated into the base of the light emitting diode light bulb.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein in response to the light emitting diode light bulb being unscrewed from the base that fits the socket designed for the incandescent light bulb, the power on and off mechanism causes the light emitting diode light bulb to be powered by battery power from the battery.

11. An apparatus for a light emitting diode light bulb, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diodes operative for illumination in the light emitting diode light bulb;

a base which fits a socket designed for an incandescent light bulb;

a module operative to detect motion via the plurality of light emitting diodes for illumination, wherein the module comprises and integrates hardware of a detection module and controller;

wherein the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb and other light emitting diode light bulbs to illuminate with a low level of light based on the module detecting a nighttime, wherein the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb and the other light emitting diode light bulbs to communicate together to track the motion by illuminating with the low level of light when the module detects the motion during the nighttime;

wherein certain ones of the plurality of light emitting diodes detect temperature and thermal energy above a predefined threshold in detecting a fire emergency;

wherein in response to the fire emergency, the module is operative to actively search for the motion of a person during the fire emergency by selectively powering off particular light emitting diodes of the plurality of light emitting diodes; and

wherein in response to the fire emergency, the module is operative to illuminate the plurality of light emitting diodes that are directed in a field of view toward the motion of the person as a spotlight during the fire emergency, while powering off the other light emitting diode light bulbs that are not in the field of view in order that the person is being viewed by fire personnel during the fire emergency.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a battery;

wherein in response to a power outage, the module is operative to detect the motion by utilizing battery power of the battery.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a battery;

wherein the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb to illuminate by utilizing battery power of the battery; and

wherein the module is operative to cause the other light emitting diode light bulbs to illuminate by utilizing battery power from respective batteries.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the module is operative to determine a security emergency, wherein the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb and the other light emitting diode light bulbs to illuminate in a mode indicative of the security emergency in response to the module detecting the motion in a secure environment;

and

wherein the module is operative to cause the light emitting diode light bulb and the other light emitting diode light bulbs to illuminate in a mode that dazzles where the motion is detected in response to the module detecting the motion in the secure environment during the security emergency.

15. A system for light management, comprising:

a plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs operative to communicate with one another, the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs having bases that fit sockets designed for incandescent light bulbs, wherein the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs are operative for illumination;

a module of the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs, the module being operative to control the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs, wherein the module is operative to detect an emergency, wherein the module comprises and integrates hardware of a detection module and controller;

wherein;

the module is operative to cause the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs to cooperatively illuminate a predefined exit route in response to detecting a fire emergency;

the module is operative to cause the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs to cooperatively illuminate in a mode indicative of a weather emergency in response to detecting the weather emergency;

the module is operative to cause the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs to cooperatively illuminate in a mode indicative of a security emergency in response to detecting the security emergency; and

the module is operative to detect a residual voltage of an electrical power source when a control for powering the light emitting diode light bulb is powered off, the module detecting the residual voltage when a path to a hot wire is open in the electrical power source;

wherein when the path to the hot wire is open in the electrical power source, the module detects the residual voltage on a closed path with the light emitting diode light bulb that remains closed between a neutral wire and a ground wire, the residual voltage being approximately 7 volts.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein in response to detecting the fire emergency, the module is operative search for motion by utilizing the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs.

17. The system of claim 16, in response to the module detecting the motion during the search for the motion, the module is operative to cause the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs to illuminate in a strobe mode in the vicinity where the motion is detected.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein in response to a power outage, the module causes the plurality of light emitting diode light bulbs to illuminate by utilizing battery power from respective batteries.