Coordinated autonomous network of grid powered lighting devices

• US 9,351,353 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2015
• Issued: 05/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Environment LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recker, Michael V., Levine, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMMOND, DEDEI KHALIEAH
• Application Number:
  US14/627,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20150163867A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/375 using buck topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/38 using boost topology
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/395 Linear regulators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/70 Hybrid systems, e.g. uninterruptible or back-up power supplies integrating renewable energies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A power management system for a lighting circuit may include a grid shifting controller that includes a processor and a connection to an external power source. The power management system may also include a communication interface associated with the grid shifting controller. The grid shifting controller may be configured to provide control information to a processor of at least one grid shifting electrical fixture over the communication interface, the control information being configured to direct the at least one grid shifting electrical fixture on the use of power from the external power source and an energy storage device associated with the at least one grid shifting electrical fixture.

Claims

1. A coordinated lighting system comprising:

a first lighting module, including an external AC power source, a first light source, a wireless transceiver, a processor, and a housing, wherein the external AC power source has access to an electrical grid connection; and

a second lighting module separate from the first lighting module, the second lighting module including;

a second light source;

a sensor configured to detect a predetermined condition;

a processor device in communication with the sensor and configured to generate a control signal in response to detection of the predetermined condition; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the control signal to the first lighting module;

wherein the processor device of the second lighting module is configured to cause a change in illumination of the second light source of the second lighting module in response to the detection of the predetermined condition, the wireless transceiver of the first lighting module is configured to receive the control signal, and the processor of the first lighting module is configured to control illumination of the first light source of the first lighting module based on the control signal received from the second lighting module.

2. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the control signal transmitted by the second lighting module is a first control signal, including one of an on signal, an off signal, or a change in brightness signal.

3. The coordinated lighting system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of lighting modules, and wherein the second lighting module is configured to transmit a second control signal, including one of an on signal, an off signal, or a change in brightness signal to each of the plurality of lighting modules, and wherein the second control signal is different than the first control signal.

4. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is at least one of a detected motion and a detected change in ambient light.

5. The coordinated lighting system of claim 4, wherein the control signal includes an on signal, and the processor of the first lighting module is configured to initiate illumination of the first light source using power from the external power source of the first lighting module.

6. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first lighting module is identified by a predetermined channel, and wherein the control signal includes at least a lighting command and a channel identifier corresponding to the predetermined channel.

7. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the control signal includes at least one of a light on command, a light off command or a light change brightness command.

8. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the second lighting module includes a timer, and wherein the processor device of the second lighting module is configured to initiate the timer in response to detection of the predetermined condition and to generate an off signal for transmission to the first lighting module based on an output of the timer.

9. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the processor of the first lighting module is configured to cause the transceiver to re-transmit the control signal generated by the processor device of the second lighting module and received by the wireless transceiver to a third lighting module.

10. The coordinated lighting system of claim 9, wherein a processor of the third lighting module is configured to control illumination of a light source of the third lighting module based on the control signal re-transmitted by the wireless transceiver of the first lighting module.

11. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first lighting module includes a sensor, and the output of the sensor is used to generate a control signal to change the illumination of the second light source in the second lighting module.

12. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the second lighting module includes a battery, and the change in illumination of the second light emitting diode in the second lighting module includes powering the second light source with power from the battery.

13. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the control signal is configured to cause illumination of the first light source of the first lighting module and the second light source of the second lighting module to be changed at a substantially same time.

14. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the first lighting module is configured to be a spotlight, a ceiling light, a under cabinet light, a wall sconce, a step light, a night light, a light bulb, or a light fixture.

15. The coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the light source includes at least one of a light emitting diode (LED), a compact fluorescent, a fluorescent, a halogen, and an incandescent.

16. A lighting device, comprising:

a housing;

an environmental sensor;

at least one light source;

a connection associated with the housing and configured to receive power from an external AC power source, wherein the external AC power source has access to an electrical grid connection;

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor configured to;

detect the presence of a predetermined condition based on an output of the environmental sensor;

cause a change in illumination of the at least one light source of the lighting device in response to the detection of the predetermined condition;

generate a first control signal in response to detection of the predetermined condition and cause the wireless transceiver to transmit the first control signal for use by another lighting device in controlling illumination of at least one light source associated with the another lighting device, wherein the first control signal is configured to cause the illumination of the at least one light source associated with the another lighting device to be changed; and

control the illumination of the at least one light source, by causing power from the external AC power source to be supplied to the at least one light source, in response to at least one of the detection of the predetermined condition based on the output of the environmental sensor or in response to a second control signal received via the wireless transceiver from the another lighting device.

17. The lighting device of claim 16, wherein controlling illumination of the at least one light source includes turning on the at least one lighting source, turning off the at least one lighting source, or changing the brightness of the at least one lighting source.

18. The lighting device of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the wireless transceiver to re-transmit the second control signal received via the wireless transceiver from the another lighting device.

19. The lighting device of claim 16, wherein the predetermined condition includes at least one of a detected motion and a detected change in ambient light.

20. The lighting device of claim 16, wherein the lighting device is configured with a predetermined channel such that the lighting device can communicate with other lighting devices having the same predetermined channel.