Wireless lighting control system

• US 8,890,435 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ilumi Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ilumi Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Bora, Swapnil, Egan, Corey
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US13/417,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 982 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/292, 315/294, 315/297, 315/307
• US Class Current: 315/292
• 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 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• 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

A lighting device includes a DC/DC power converter, a controller/processor electrically connected to the DC/DC power converter, a light emitting diode (LED) current control circuit communicably coupled to the controller/processor and electrically connected to the DC/DC power converter, and two or more LEDs comprising at least a first color LED and a second color LED electrically connected to the LED current control circuit. The LED current control circuit provides an on/off signal having a cycle time to each LED in response to one or more control signals received from the controller/processor such that the two or more LEDs produce a blended light having a specified color based on how long each LED is turned ON and/or OFF during the cycle time.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

the variable lighting comprises one or more first color LEDs and one or more second color LEDs;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights; and

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor;

the one or more specified frequencies comprise a first on/off signal having a first cycle time and a second on/off signal having a second cycle time; and

the processor sends the first on/off signal having the first cycle time to the first color LEDs and the second on/off signal having the second cycle time to the second color LEDs such that a first light produced by the first cycle time of the first LEDs and a second light produced by the second cycle time of the second LEDs combine together to produce the variable color programmed by the user device.

2. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the variable color comprises a specified color, a specified saturation, a specified brightness or intensity, or a combination thereof.

3. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first on/off signal turns the first LEDs on and off at a first frequency and the second on/off signal turns the second LEDs on and off at a second frequency.

4. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first on/off signal turns the first LEDs on and off at a first frequency and the second on/off signal turns the second LEDs on and off at the first frequency with a time offset.

5. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the variable color is generated based on how long the first LEDs and the second LEDs are turned on and/or off during the first and second cycle times.

6. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the first LEDs and the second LEDs are not on at the same time.

7. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the intelligent lights comprises a smart strip.

8. The lighting system as recited in claim 7, wherein smart strip comprises a flexible smart strip.

9. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein each intelligent light further includes a real time clock.

10. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein each intelligent light further includes a hard reset switch communicably coupled to the processor.

11. The lighting system as recited in claim 10, wherein the hard reset switch returns the intelligent light to a set of original factory settings.

12. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein each intelligent light further includes a switching or multiplexer circuit communicably coupled between the processor and the variable lighting.

13. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein each intelligent light enters a discovery mode to detect one or more other intelligent lights or other user interfaces.

14. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intelligent lights transmit a status information to one another or the user device.

15. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intelligent lights receive a status information from one another or the user device.

16. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intelligent lights change one or more operating parameters based on the status information.

17. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intelligent lights form a mesh network.

18. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor executes one or more user created programs or default programs to control the variable lighting.

19. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface on the user device captures, saves or causes the intelligent light to produce a series of variable colors in accordance with one or more scenes or settings.

20. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface on the user device selects two or more of the intelligent lights, assigns the selected intelligent lights to a group, saves the group or controls the group.

21. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor of the intelligent light or the user interface on the user device executes a security program that prevents unauthorized access to the intelligent light.

22. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface on the user device sorts or filters information about the intelligent lights based on one or more personal preferences or settings.

23. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface on the user device selects one or more of the intelligent lights or a group of the intelligent lights and changes a color or brightness of the variable lighting for the selected intelligent lights or group of intelligent lights.

24. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the intelligent lights further comprises an ambient light sensor circuit communicably coupled to the processor.

25. The lighting system as recited in claim 24, wherein the ambient light sensor detects a level of one or more color components of an ambient light, wherein the one or more color components comprise a red, a green, a blue, a cyan, a yellow, a magenta, or a black.

26. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the intelligent lights further comprises an AC/DC power converter or a DC/DC power converter.

27. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the intelligent lights is battery powered.

28. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the intelligent lights further comprises a connection to a power source.

29. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the intelligent lights comprises two or more modules.

30. The lighting system as recited in claim 29, wherein the two or more modules comprise a power module, a processor module and a LED module.

31. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein the intelligent lights receive a signal strength information from one another or the user device.

32. The lighting system as recited in claim 31, wherein the intelligent lights form a mesh network or select a communication path based on the signal strength information.

33. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one user interface enters a discovery mode to detect one or more other intelligent lights or other user interfaces.

34. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one user interface comprises a downloadable software application embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

35. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light comprises a smart strip having a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights; and

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting.

36. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the variable color comprises a specified color, a specified saturation, a specified brightness or intensity, or a combination thereof.

37. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein:

the variable lighting comprises one or more first color LEDs and one or more second color LEDs;

the one or more specified frequencies comprise a first on/off signal having a first cycle time and a second on/off signal having a second cycle time; and

the processor sends the first on/off signal having the first cycle time to the first color LEDs and the second on/off signal having the second cycle time to the second color LEDs such that a first light produced by the first cycle time of the first LEDs and a second light produced by the second cycle time of the second LEDs combine together to produce the variable color programmed by the user device.

38. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein smart strip comprises a flexible smart strip.

39. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein each intelligent light further includes a real time clock.

40. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein each intelligent light further includes a hard reset switch communicably coupled to the processor.

41. The lighting system as recited in claim 40, wherein the hard reset switch returns the intelligent light to a set of original factory settings.

42. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein each intelligent light further includes a switching or multiplexer circuit communicably coupled between the processor and the variable lighting.

43. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein each intelligent light enters a discovery mode to detect one or more other intelligent lights.

44. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the intelligent lights transmit a status information to one another or the user device.

45. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the intelligent lights receive a status information from one another or the user device.

46. The lighting system as recited in claim 45, wherein the intelligent lights change one or more operating parameters based on the status information.

47. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the intelligent lights form a mesh network.

48. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the processor executes one or more user created programs or default programs to control the variable lighting.

49. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the user interface on the user device captures, saves or causes the intelligent light to produce a series of variable colors in accordance with one or more scenes or settings.

50. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the user interface on the user device selects two or more of the intelligent lights, assigns the selected intelligent lights to a group, saves the group or controls the group.

51. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the processor of the intelligent light or the user interface on the user device executes a security program that prevents unauthorized access to the intelligent light.

52. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the user interface on the user device sorts or filters information about the intelligent lights based on one or more personal preferences or settings.

53. The lighting system as recited in claim 35, wherein the user interface on the user device selects one or more of the intelligent lights or a group of the intelligent lights and changes a color or brightness of the variable lighting for the selected intelligent lights or group of intelligent lights.

54. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights; and

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting.

55. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights; and

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting.

56. The lighting system as recited in claim 55, wherein the hard reset switch returns the intelligent light to a set of original factory settings.

57. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor, a hard reset switch and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights;

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting; and

each intelligent light enters a discovery mode to detect one or more other intelligent lights.

58. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights;

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting; and

the intelligent lights receive a status information from one another or the user device.

59. The lighting system as recited in claim 58, wherein the intelligent lights change one or more operating parameters based on the status information.

60. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights;

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting; and

the user interface on the user device captures, saves or causes the intelligent light to produce a series of variable colors in accordance with one or more scenes or settings.

61. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights;

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting; and

the user interface on the user device selects two or more of the intelligent lights, assigns the selected intelligent lights to a group, saves the group or controls the group.

62. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights;

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting; and

the processor of the intelligent light or the user interface on the user device executes a security program that prevents unauthorized access to the intelligent light.

63. A lighting system, comprising in combination:

one or more intelligent lights, wherein each intelligent light includes a variable lighting, a memory, a processor and a wireless interface;

a user device providing a user interface which is in communication with the one or more intelligent lights, wherein a user uses the user interface on the user device to send a program or a command to each intelligent light of one or more of intelligent lights;

each intelligent light produces a variable color in response to the program or the command from the user device by turning the variable lighting on and off at one or more specified frequencies using the processor instead of varying a brightness of the variable lighting; and

the user interface on the user device sorts or filters information about the intelligent lights based on one or more personal preferences or settings.