Lighting apparatus

• US 9,581,655 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masahide, Nagashima, Mitsunori, Sawada, Akinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US14/217,618
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/58 involving end of life detection of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A lighting apparatus of the present invention includes: a light source; a power source unit arranged to power the light source; a detector unit arranged to detect the deterioration of ability of the power source unit to power the light source; and a determination unit arranged to determine the life of the power source unit in response to the detector unit.

Claims

1. An electrical device management system of an electrical device comprising:

an information acquisition unit that acquires information of electric power consumed by the electrical device;

a meter that measures electric power charge for the use of the electric power for payment based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and

a life determination unit that determines the life of the electrical device based on accumulation of the information acquired by the information acquisition unit, whereby the information of payment for the use of the electric power by the electrical device is accumulated and utilized for life determination of the electrical device.

2. The electrical device management system according to claim 1 further comprising a notification unit that provides the electrical device with a notification of the life thereof determined by the life determination unit.

3. The electrical device management system according to claim 2, wherein the notification unit is arranged to provide the notification of the life of the electrical device to a remote controller of the electrical device.

4. The electrical device management system according to claim 1 further comprising a communication unit that transmits to an outside server the electric power charge measured by the meter.

5. The electrical device management system according to claim 1 wherein the life determination unit includes therein a function unit that determines the life of the electrical device based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

6. The electrical device management system according to claim 1 wherein the life determination unit is arranged to transmit to an outside server the information acquired by the information acquisition unit and to receive from the outside server the life of the electrical device which is determined by the outside server based on the information transmitted to the outside server.

7. The electrical device management system according to claim 6 further comprising a notification unit that provides the electrical device with a notification of the life thereof received from the outside server.

8. The electrical device management system according to claim 7, wherein the notification unit is arranged to provide the notification of the life of the electrical device to a remote controller of the electrical device.

9. An electrical device management system of an electrical device comprising:

an information acquisition unit that acquires information of electric power consumed by the electrical device;

a meter that measures electric power charge based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit;

a life determination unit that determines the life of the electrical device based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and

an outside server which includes;

a receiver unit that receives the information acquired by the information acquisition unit;

a function unit that determines the life of the electrical device based on the information received by the receiver unit; and

a transmitter unit that transmits the life of the electrical device determined by the function unit to the life determination unit.

10. An electrical device management system of an electrical device comprising:

an information acquisition unit that acquires information of electric power consumed by the electrical device;

a meter that measures electric power charge based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit;

a life determination unit that determines the life of the electrical device based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and

an outside server which includes;

a receiver unit that receives the life of the electrical device from the life determination unit and also receives other life determination information from a number of other electrical devices;

a function unit that obtains distribution information on the life determination information received by the receiver unit; and

a transmitter unit that transmits the distribution information to the life determination unit.

11. An electrical device management system having a server comprising:

a receiver unit that receives information of electric power consumed by an electrical device;

a function unit that determines life of the electrical device based on accumulation of the information received by the receiver unit;

a transmitter unit that transmits back the life of the electrical device determined by the function unit; and

a meter that measures electric power charge for the use of the electric power by the electrical device for payment based on the information of electric power consumed by the electrical device, wherein the meter is arranged to transmit the information of electric power consumed by the electrical device to the server and to receive the life of the electrical device from the server, whereby the information of payment for the use of the electric power by the electrical device is accumulated and utilized for life determination of the electrical device.

12. The electrical device management system according to claim 11, wherein the meter is arranged to provide the electrical device with a notification of the life thereof received from the server.

13. The electrical device management system according to claim 12, wherein the meter is arranged to provide the notification of the life of the electrical device to a remote controller of the electrical device.