Swimming pool LED lighting system and method using proprietary frequency-shift keying over 2-wire power cord

• US 9,100,999 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S.R. Smith LLC (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Original Assignee: S.R. Smith LLC (Fluidra, S.A.)
• Inventors: Li, Chuan
• Primary Examiner(s): PHILOGENE, HAISSA
• Application Number:
  US14/163,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20140203710A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/294, 315/307, 315/224, 315/312, 315/318, 315/320, 362/101, 362/231, 362/800, 362/811, 362/85
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

A system for controlling a lamp comprises a central controller having a waveform converter capable of modulating a control signal at more than one frequency over a two wire power cable. The control signal is capable of modifying a property of the lamp. The central controller also has a load current sensor capable of identifying the configuration of the lamp. The system further comprises a lighting control unit coupled to the lamp. The lighting control unit is powered via the two wire power cable and is capable of demodulating the control signal.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a swimming pool lamp, comprising:

a. a central controller having;

i. a waveform converter modulating and sending, via serial transmission, power and a control signal at more than one frequency over a two wire power cable, said control signal modifying a property of the lamp; and

ii. a load current sensor identifying a configuration of the lamp; and

b. a lighting control unit coupled to the lamp, said lighting control unit being powered via the two wire power cable, said lighting control unit demodulating the control signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said central controller further comprises a radio frequency communication module.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising an electronic computing device containing computer readable code in communication with the central controller via the radio frequency communication module.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the radio frequency communication module is a Bluetooth communication module.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said central controller is converting information from the load current sensor into lighting configuration data, and wherein the electronic computing device is receiving the lighting configuration data from the central controller and displaying said lighting configuration data via a graphical user interface.

6. The system of claim 3, said computer readable code displaying a progressive bar indicating a spectrum of brightness options, and transmitting a brightness selection to the central controller.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising a radio frequency remote control communication with the central controller via the radio frequency communications module.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said property is brightness of the lamp.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the control signal is setting four levels of brightness.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the property is a color of light emitted from the lamp.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said lighting control unit is transmitting power to the central controller at different load-current levels to identify the configuration of the lamp.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the configuration relates to whether the lamp is single color or multi color.

13. A system for controlling a swimming pool lamp, comprising:

a. a central controller having;

i. a waveform converter modulating and sending, via serial transmission, power and a control signal over a two wire power cable, said control signal modifying a property of the lamp; and

ii. a load current sensor identifying a configuration of the lamp; and

b. a lighting control unit coupled to the lamp, said lighting control unit being powered via the two wire power cable, said lighting control unit demodulating the control signal.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said modulating said control signal comprises varying the amplitude of waveform transmissions.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said modulating said control signal comprises varying the frequency of waveform transmissions.