Programmable luminaire system

• US 8,729,832 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Healthe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lighting Science Group Corporation (Pegasus Capital Advisors, L.P.)
• Inventors: Maxik, Fredric S., Soler, Robert R., Bartine, David E., Oostdyk, Mark Andrew, Regan, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Crystal L
• Application Number:
  US13/751,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20130271036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]

Abstract

A system comprising a luminaire, a computerized device, and a docking member establishing electrical communication between the luminaire and the computerized device is disclosed. The luminaire may include an optic, a light source, a controller operably coupled to the light source, and an electrical connector configured to couple with the dock. The light source may be operable to emit light having a variety of characteristics, such as luminous intensity, color, color temperature, and any other characteristics of light. The controller may be programmable by a signal received from the computerized device via the dock.

Claims

1. A programmable luminaire system comprising:

a programmable luminaire comprising;

an optic defining an optical chamber;

a light source having a plurality of light-emitting elements;

a controller operably coupled with the plurality of light-emitting elements; and

an electrical connector electrically coupled with the controller;

a computerized device configured to electrically communicate with the programmable luminaire; and

a docking member configured to electrically couple to each of the luminaire and the computerized device;

wherein the computerized device is configured to transmit an electronic transmission including data to the programmable luminaire via the docking member;

wherein the programmable luminaire is configured to receive the electronic transmission from the computerized device at the electrical connector;

wherein the controller is configured to be programmed responsive to the data of the electronic transmission received by the controller from the computerized device;

wherein each light-emitting element of the plurality of light-emitting elements is operable to emit a source light;

wherein two or more source lights may combine in the optical chamber to define a combined light; and

wherein the controller is programmable to selectively operate at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements to produce a combined light having a light characteristic within the range of about 2,000 Kelvin to about 25,000 Kelvin.

2. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to be programmed by a first electronic transmission and prevented from being re-programmed by any subsequent electronic transmissions.

3. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 1 wherein the controller includes at least one of programmable read-only memory, field programmable read-only memory, or one-time programmable non-volatile memory.

4. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 1 wherein the data of the electronic transmission includes a light characteristic;

and wherein the controller is configured to interpret the data and select at least a portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements to operate.

5. A programmable lighting apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the data of the electronic transmission includes instructions for which of the plurality of light-emitting elements the controller is to operate;

and wherein the controller is programmable to operate the light-emitting elements indicated by the instructions.

6. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of light-emitting elements comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

7. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 1 wherein the controller is programmable to control the intensity of the source light emitted by each light-emitting element through pulse-width modulation of the operation of each of the light-emitting element.

8. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 7 wherein the electrical connector comprises a light bulb base selected from the group consisting of Edison screw bases, bayonet bases, bi-post bases, bi-pin bases, and wedge bases;

and wherein the docking member is a light bulb socket corresponding to the light bulb base comprising the electrical connector.

9. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 8 wherein each of the light bulb bases comprising the electrical connector and the docking member are configurable to facilitate communication of data therethrough.

10. A programmable luminaire system according to claim 1 further comprising a user interface;

wherein the user interface is positionable in electronic communication with the computerized device;

wherein the user interface is configured to receive an input from a user indicating a selected light characteristic; and

wherein the electronic transmission is configurable to be responsive to the selected light characteristic.

11. A programmable luminaire according to claim 10 wherein the portion of the plurality of light-emitting elements may produce combined light having a light characteristic approximately equal to one of a plurality of discrete light characteristics producible by the plurality of light-emitting elements, the discrete light characteristics being within the range of about 2,000 Kelvin to about 25,000 Kelvin;

wherein one of the user interface and the computerized device is configurable to determine which of the discrete light characteristics is closest to the selected light characteristic, defining a selected discrete light characteristic; and

wherein the electronic transmission is configurable to be responsive the selected discrete light characteristic.

12. A method of programming a lighting apparatus to emit light within a range of light characteristics, the lighting apparatus comprising an optic defining an optical chamber, a light source having a plurality of light-emitting elements, a controller operably coupled with the plurality of light-emitting elements, an electrical connector electrically coupled with the controller, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning the electrical connector in electronic communication with a computerized device;

receiving by the controller an electronic transmission containing data via the electrical connector; and

programming the controller responsive to the received electronic transmission;

wherein each light-emitting element of the plurality of light-emitting elements is operable to emit a source light;

wherein two or more source lights may combine in the optical chamber to define a combined light; and

wherein the step of programming the controller causes the controller to be programmed to selectively operate a subset of the plurality of light-emitting elements to produce a combined light having a light characteristic within the range of about 2,000 Kelvin to about 25,000 Kelvin.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the computerized device comprises a socket member, wherein the step of positioning the electrical connector in electronic communication with the computerized device comprises engaging the electrical connector with the socket member.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein the data includes a selected light characteristic, and wherein the step of programming the controller responsive to the received electronic transmission comprises the steps of:

determining what combination of source lights emitted from a subset of the plurality of light-emitting elements will yield a combined light having the selected light characteristic; and

programming the controller to operate the determined subset of the plurality of light-emitting elements.

15. A method according to claim 12 wherein the data includes identification of a subset of the plurality of light-emitting elements to be operated, and wherein the step of programming the controller responsive to the received electronic transmission comprises programming the controller to operate the identified subset of the plurality of light-emitting elements.

16. A method according to claim 12 wherein the controller includes at least one of programmable read-only memory, field programmable read-only memory, or one-time programmable non-volatile memory.

17. A method according to claim 12 wherein the computerized device comprises a user interface configured to receive input signals from a user indicating a light characteristic, the method further comprising the steps of:

prompting the user on the user interface for a light characteristic; and

receiving an input indicating a light characteristic;

wherein the electronic transmission is responsive to the light characteristic indicated by the input.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the two or more source lights may combine in the optical chamber to define a combined light having a light characteristic approximately equal to one of a plurality of discrete light characteristics producible by the two or more source lights, the discrete light characteristics being within the range of about 2,000 Kelvin to about 25,000 Kelvin;

further comprising the step of;

determining which of the discrete light characteristics is closest to the light characteristic indicated by the input, defining a selected light characteristic;

wherein the electronic transmission is responsive to the selected discrete light characteristic.

19. A method of programming a luminaire to emit light within a range of light characteristics, the luminaire comprising an optic defining an optical chamber, a light source having a plurality of light-emitting elements, a controller operably coupled with the plurality of light-emitting elements, and an electrical connector electrically coupled with the controller, wherein each light-emitting element of the plurality of light-emitting elements is operable to emit a source light, and wherein two or more source lights may combine in the optical chamber to define a combined light having a light characteristic within the range of about 2,000 Kelvin to about 25,000 Kelvin, the method comprising the steps of:

positioning the electrical connector in electronic communication with a computerized device;

receiving a first electronic transmission containing data that includes instructions to operate a first subset of the plurality of light-emitting elements to yield a combined light having a first light characteristic;

receiving a second electronic transmission containing data that includes instructions to operate a second subset of the plurality of light-emitting elements to yield a combined light having a second light characteristic; and

programming the controller responsive to one of the first or second electronic transmissions.

20. A method according to claim 19 wherein the step of programming the controller responsive to one of the first or second electronic transmissions comprises programming a firmware of the controller responsive to one of the first or second electronic transmissions.

21. A method according to claim 19 wherein the computerized device comprises a docking member, wherein the step of positioning the electrical connector in electronic communication with the computerized device comprises engaging the electrical connector with the docking member.

22. A method according to claim 19 wherein the computerized device comprises a user interface configured to receive input signals from a user indicating a light characteristic, the method further comprising the steps of:

prompting the user on the user interface for a first light characteristic;

receiving a first input indicating a first light characteristic;

prompting the user on the user interface for a second light characteristic; and

receiving a second input indicating a second light characteristic;

wherein the first electronic transmission is responsive to the first light characteristic; and

wherein the second electronic transmission is responsive to the second light characteristic.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the two or more source lights may combine in the optical chamber to define a combined light having a light characteristic approximately equal to one of a plurality of discrete light characteristics producible by the two or more source lights, the discrete light characteristics being within the range of about 2,000 Kelvin to about 25,000 Kelvin;

further comprising the steps of;

determining which of the discrete light characteristics is closest to the first light characteristic, defining a first discrete light characteristic; and

determining which of the discrete light characteristics is closest to the second light characteristic, defining a second discrete light characteristic;

wherein the first electronic transmission is responsive to the first discrete light characteristic; and

wherein the second electronic transmission is responsive to the second discrete light characteristic.