Miniature remote controller

• US 9,135,812 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magiclux, LLC
• Original Assignee: Magiclux, LLC
• Inventors: Mandry, James Edward, Carley, Adam L., Allen, Danielle G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hunnings, Travis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US13/678,796
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 340 125- 1251, 340 101- 106
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 17/06 the fastening being onto or by the lampholder
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/94 Holders formed as intermediate parts for linking a counter-part to a coupling part
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/9453 for screw type coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/041 the light-intensity of the source H05B39/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps

Abstract

A shortened adapter for a light bulb socket with highly overlapped male and female parts with an insulating hand-ring that extends only partially over the external surface of the adapter'"'"'s female threading so it fits into the unthreaded collar of a light bulb socket, thereby significantly reducing the light bulb displacement. The shortened adapter can respond to an incoming signal and control the output of a light bulb. A reversible ring on the insulating hand-ring can change the adapter from being a dimmer to being an on-off control. A mechanism is disclosed to reversibly lock the adapter onto a light bulb. A miniature remote controller to work with the adapter is provided that has many advantages because of its very small size and compact shape. Further, one such controller can control several lights and several such controllers can control a single light in arbitrary combinations selected by the user.

Claims

1. A miniature remote controller comprising:

a housing having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein said housing is configured with a compact overall shape and a sufficiently small size to render handheld operation of the remote controller difficult and awkward for a typical adult but wherein said overall shape and small size are configured for mounting the remote controller in unobtrusive and concealed locations not possible for remote controllers configured for handheld use;

mounting means on the bottom surface of said housing for mounting the remote controller onto a larger object;

finger actuation means on the top surface of said housing; and

a control system contained within said housing and responsive to said finger-actuation means to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a compatible receiver to cause the receiver to change its electronic performance in response to the control signal;

wherein exactly one of;

one momentary push button;

two momentary push buttons;

or

one momentary rocker switch functioning as two momentary push buttons;

constitutes all of said finger actuation means; and

wherein said two momentary push buttons, or the two ends of said momentary rocker switch, are substantially the same size and shape but only one incorporates raised non-alphanumeric tactile indicia for distinguishing one button from the other or one rocker end from the other.

2. The miniature remote controller of claim 1, wherein:

said mounting means allows the remote controller to be unmounted from said larger object without damage to said larger object and comprises an adhesive system with a removal tab.

3. The miniature remote controller of claim 1, wherein said bottom surface comprises a concavely curved portion configured for mounting the miniature remote controller onto approximately cylindrical objects, such as round chair-arms, rails, or crutches.

4. A miniature remote controller comprising:

a housing having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein said housing is configured with a compact overall shape and a sufficiently small size to render handheld operation of the remote controller difficult and awkward for a typical adult but wherein said overall shape and small size are configured for mounting the remote controller in unobtrusive and concealed locations not possible for remote controllers configured for handheld use;

mounting means on the bottom surface of said housing for mounting the remote controller onto a larger object;

finger actuation means on the top surface of said housing;

a control system contained within said housing and responsive to said finger-actuation means to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a compatible receiver to cause the receiver to change its electronic performance in response to the control signal;

a digital identification number assigned to the miniature remote controller which;

is selected from a set of at least one thousand allowable identification numbers;

is included with commands broadcast by the miniature remote controller; and

which said compatible receiver may check against a list of authorized identification numbers stored within said compatible receiver;

means for electronically linking the miniature remote controller to a selected compatible receiver so that said miniature remote controller thenceforth at least partially controls a device powered by the selected compatible receiver, where the means for electronically linking comprises means for storing or enabling said digital identification number of said miniature remote controller in said selected compatible receiver; and

means for electronically unlinking the miniature remote controller from said selected compatible receiver so that the miniature remote controller thenceforth does not control any device powered by said selected compatible receiver, where the means for electronically unlinking comprises means for erasing or disabling said digital identification number of said miniature remote controller in said selected compatible receiver;

wherein the means for electronically linking and the means for electronically unlinking permit an arbitrary permutation of multiple miniature remote controllers controlling multiple compatible receivers without interference among them and said arbitrary permutation is limited only by the size of identification number storage available in compatible receivers; and

wherein said means for electronically linking and means for electronically unlinking are initiated by user action on said finger actuation means to generate said wirelessly transmitted control signal but wherein the linking and unlinking require no physical action by the user on said selected compatible receiver.

5. The miniature remote controller of claim 4 wherein said selected receiver is configured to require receipt of an increased strength of said wirelessly transmitted control signal from the remote controller, indicative of the two being in close physical proximity, before allowing linking or unlinking between the two, thereby preventing unintended linking or unlinking between said remote controller and an unselected compatible receiver.

6. A miniature remote controller comprising:

a housing having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein said housing is configured with a compact overall shape and a sufficiently small size to render handheld operation of the remote controller difficult and awkward for a typical adult but wherein said overall shape and small size are configured for mounting the remote controller in unobtrusive and concealed locations not possible for remote controllers configured for handheld use;

mounting means on the bottom surface of said housing for mounting the remote controller onto a larger object;

finger actuation means on the top surface of said housing;

a control system contained within said housing and responsive to said finger-actuation means to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a compatible receiver to cause the receiver to change its electronic performance in response to the control signal;

a digital identification number assigned to it which;

is selected from a set of at least one thousand allowable identification numbers;

is included with commands broadcast by the remote controller; and

which said compatible receiver may check against a list of authorized identification numbers stored within said compatible receiver; and

a selector switch with two to four positions, wherein said selector switch allows the miniature remote controller to function as two to four separate miniature remote controllers, respectively, each said separate miniature remote controller having its own unique said identification number and being independently linkable and unlinkable to any said compatible receiver without an intermediary device.

7. A miniature remote controller comprising:

a housing having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein said housing is configured with a compact overall shape and a sufficiently small size to render handheld operation of the remote controller difficult and awkward for a typical adult but wherein said overall shape and small size are configured for mounting the remote controller in unobtrusive and concealed locations not possible for remote controllers configured for handheld use;

mounting means on the bottom surface of said housing for mounting the remote controller onto a larger object;

finger actuation means on the top surface of said housing; and

a control system contained within said housing and responsive to said finger-actuation means to wirelessly transmit a control signal to a compatible receiver to cause the receiver to change its electronic performance in response to the control signal;

wherein said control system utilizes a power-saving algorithm which transmits radio power briefly only at the beginning and at the end of an extended actuation of said finger actuation means.

8. The miniature remote controller of claim 7, wherein said top surface of the remote controller housing is substantially the size and proportions of two adult fingertips placed side-by-side.

9. The miniature remote controller of claim 7, further comprising means for harvesting mechanical power from said finger actuation means wherein the harvested power provides operating power for the remote controller.