Light bulb adapter

• US 9,642,222 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2015
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vinci Brands LLC
• Original Assignee: Incipio LLC (Incipio Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fathollahi, Andy, Abdallah, Ahmed
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Monica C
• Application Number:
  US14/978,795
• Publication Number:
  US 20160198553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 497 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/006 of point-like light sources, e.g. incandescent or halogen lamps, with screw-threaded or bayonet base of sources having contact pins, wires or blades F21V19/0005; of LEDs or sources mounted on printed-circuit board F21V19/001
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/063 related to remote communication
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 22/065 related to mechanical aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/9453 for screw type coupling devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/00 Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A light bulb adapter is disclosed. The light bulb adapter has a main housing configured to house electronic circuits for wirelessly receiving controlling commands via WiFi from a user through the use of a software application installed in a mobile device. In operation, the user unplug a light bulb from an existing lighting fixture and plugs the light bulb plug of the light bulb adapter into the lighting fixture. A light bulb is inserted to the light bulb receptacle of the light bulb adapter. The user can connect a mobile device to the light bulb adapter over a wireless local area network via an accessory protocol and control the light bulb adapter, and subsequently the light bulb connected to it, using the accessory protocol.

Claims

1. A light bulb adapter comprising:

a light bulb receptacle configured to receive a light bulb;

a light bulb plug configured to connect to a lighting fixture;

a shell having an outer side wall, an upper wall, an inner side wall and a lower wall, the inner side wall and the lower wall are configured to surround and support the light bulb receptacle;

a base configured to engage with the perimeter region of the outer wall of the shell to form a main housing, wherein the main housing that encloses electronic circuits are configured to wirelessly receive commands over WiFi from a mobile electronic device to control the function of the light bulb adapter; and

plurality of vents, wherein the light bulb adapter further comprises a trench having two ends and a center portion in between the ends, wherein the trench is opened at the upper wall, and wherein at least one of the plurality of vents is located at one of the two ends of the trench.

2. The light bulb adapter of claim 1, wherein the electronic circuits comprise a MCU (microcontroller unit) module, a WACIO/UART (wide area communications IO/universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter) module, and a meter module.

3. The light bulb adapter of claim 2, wherein the WACIO/UART module establishes connection to local area network (LAN), manages wireless local area network connection, and performs security encryption.

4. The light bulb adapter of claim 2, wherein the meter module monitors and reports the amount of energy that is consumed by the light bulb that is connected to the light bulb receptacle.

5. The light bulb adapter of claim 1, wherein the light bulb adapter further comprises an antenna for receiving the commands.

6. The light bulb adapter of claim 1, wherein the commands are generated from a voice recognition software application.

7. The light bulb adapter of claim 1, wherein the function of the light bulb adapter is to turn the light bulb on/off.

8. A light bulb adapter comprising:

a light bulb receptacle configured to receive a light bulb;

a light bulb plug configured to connect to a lighting fixture;

a shell configured to support the light bulb receptacle;

a vent opened through the shell; and

a base configured to engage with the shell to form a main housing, wherein the main housing is configured to house electronic circuits that are configured to wirelessly receive commands from a user through a software application installed in a mobile device to control the function of the light bulb adapter, wherein the vent is opened through an upper wall of the shell, and wherein the light bulb adapter further comprises a trench opened through the upper wall of the shell and having two ends, and wherein the vent is located at one of the two ends of the trench.

9. The light bulb adapter of claim 8, wherein the electronic circuits comprise a MCU (microcontroller unit) module, a WACIO/UART (wide area communications IO/universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter) module, and a meter module.

10. The light bulb adapter of claim 8, wherein the light bulb adapter further comprises an antenna for receiving the commands.

11. The light bulb adapter of claim 8, wherein the commands are generated from a voice recognition software application.

12. The light bulb adapter of claim 8, wherein the function of the light bulb adapter is to turn the light bulb on/off.