Bulb lighting device and system comprising such device to monitor patients in home environment

• US 9,255,700 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Szabo, Gabor, Csato, Peter, Erdos, Akos
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US13/627,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 315/33, 315/34, 315/297, 315/307, 315/308, 315/309, 315/149, 315/158, 315/159, 315/250, 362/137, 362/255, 362/311.01, 362/311.02, 362/311.03, 362/311.05, 362/311.04, 362/311.06, 362/311.14, 362/362, 362/363, 362/800
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/30 Lighting for domestic or personal use
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2107/30 on the outer surface of cylindrical surfaces, e.g. rod-shaped supports having a circular or a polygonal cross section
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• 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 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A bulb lighting device is provided. The bulb device comprises a base, a driving electronics unit comprising a power supply electrically connected to the base and a battery connected to the power supply through a battery management unit, and a communication unit comprising a communication interface and at least one of a wireless unit and a power line unit, wherein the communication unit is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit. The bulb device further comprises an LED module having LED flight sources in an LED array together with an electric driving LED controller arranged inside an at least partially transparent envelope, wherein the LED module is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit, and a motion detector arranged inside the envelope and electrically connected to the driving electronics unit, wherein an output signal of the motion detector is forwarded outside of the bulb lighting device through the communication unit.

Claims

1. A bulb lighting device comprising:

a base for insertion into a standard lamp socket;

a driving electronics unit comprising a power supply electrically connected to the base, the driving electronics unit further comprising a battery connected to the power supply through a battery management unit;

a communication unit comprising a communication interface and at least one of a wireless unit for wireless communication with a wireless remote station, and a power line unit for wired communication through the base and a power line mains network with a wired remote station, wherein the communication unit is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit,

an LED module having LED light sources in an LED array together with an electric driving LED controller arranged inside an at least partially transparent envelope, wherein the LED module is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit; and

a motion detector arranged inside the envelope and electrically connected to the driving electronics unit, wherein an output signal of the motion detector is forwarded outside of the bulb lighting device through the communication unit using the power line unit when the LED module is ON, and using the wireless unit when the LED module is OFF.

2. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the motion detector is a PIR sensor.

3. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the motion detector is a radar sensor.

4. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit comprises both a wireless unit and a power line unit.

5. The bulb lighting device according to claim 4, wherein the communication interface is configured to switch between a wired communication mode and a wireless communication mode in response to detection of an existing wireless channel.

6. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving electronics unit is configured to dim the LED array by PWM signal driving.

7. The bulb lighting device according to claim 6, wherein the driving electronics unit is controlled by dimming signals received by the communication unit from at least one of the remote stations.

8. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the battery management unit is configured to manage charging and discharging of the battery.

9. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the base is of an Edison type.

10. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the driving electronics unit receives an external control signal through at least one of the wireless unit and the power line unit.

11. The bulb lighting device according to claim 10, wherein the external control signal is a transmitted signal of a door opening detector.

12. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, wherein the LED module is connected to a first power output of the battery management unit providing switched electric power, and wherein the motion detector and the communication unit are electrically connected to a second power output of the battery management unit providing continuous electric power.

13. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, where the envelope is a conical shape.

14. The bulb lighting device according to claim 1, where the envelope is of a quasi-spherical shape.

15. A system to monitor patients in a home environment comprising:

a bulb lighting device comprising;

a base for insertion into a standard lamp socket;

a driving electronics unit comprising a power supply electrically connected to the base, the driving electronics unit further comprising a battery connected to the power supply through a battery management unit;

a communication unit comprising a communication interface and at least one of a wireless unit for wireless communication through the air with a wireless remote station, and a power line unit for wired communication through the base and a power line mains network with a wired remote station, wherein the communication unit is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit;

an LED module having LED light sources in an LED array together with an electric driving LED controller arranged inside an at least partially transparent envelope, wherein the LED module is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit; and

a motion detector arranged inside the envelope and electrically connected to the driving electronics unit, wherein an output signal of the motion detector is forwarded outside of the bulb lighting device through the communication unit; and

a processing unit connected to the power supply and configured to receive signals from a door opening detector and a lamp on/off switch, wherein at least one of a wireless modem placed within a proximity of the bulb lighting device, and a wired modem placed in the electric mains network is connected to the processing unit for transmitting data to or from the bulb lighting device.

16. A bulb lighting device comprising:

a base for insertion into a standard lamp socket;

a driving electronics unit comprising a power supply electrically connected to the base, the driving electronics unit further comprising a battery connected to the power supply through a battery management unit;

a communication unit comprising a communication interface and at least one of a wireless unit for wireless communication through the air with a wireless remote station, and a power line unit for wired communication through the base and a power line mains network with a wired remote station, wherein the communication unit is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit,

an LED module having LED light sources in an LED array together with an electric driving LED controller arranged inside an at least partially transparent envelope, wherein the LED module is electrically connected to the driving electronics unit;

a motion detector arranged inside the envelope and electrically connected to the driving electronics unit, wherein an output signal of the motion detector is forwarded outside of the bulb lighting device through the communication unit; and

wherein the LED module is connected to a first power output of the battery management unit providing switched electric power, and wherein the motion detector and the communication unit are electrically connected to a second power output of the battery management unit providing continuous electric power.

17. The bulb lighting device according to claim 16, wherein the driving electronics unit is configured to dim the LED array by PWM signal driving.

18. The bulb lighting device according to claim 17, wherein the driving electronics unit is controlled by dimming signals received by the communication unit from at least one of the remote stations.

19. The bulb lighting device according to claim 17, wherein the driving electronics unit receives an external control signal through at least one of the wireless unit and the power line unit.

20. The bulb lighting device according to claim 19, wherein the external control signal is a transmitted signal of a door opening detector.