Handheld device that is capable of interacting with a lighting fixture

• US 9,706,617 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carrigan, Brian, Trainor, John J., Deese, Matthew, Chobot, Joseph P., Bryan, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAI, RAYMOND REI-YANG
• Application Number:
  US14/498,119
• Publication Number:
  US 20150008827A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/355 Power factor correction [PFC]; Reactive power compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3725 Switched mode power supply [SMPS]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• 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: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A handheld device having a light source, a communication interface, and control circuitry that is capable of interacting with a lighting fixture. The handheld device is capable of providing a light signal to the lighting fixture, receiving information from the lighting fixture, and selecting the lighting fixture as a selected lighting fixture based on the received information.

Claims

1. A handheld device comprising:

a light source;

a communication interface; and

circuitry adapted to;

provide a light signal via the light source;

receive light level information from a plurality of lighting fixtures via the communication interface where the light level information for a given lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures includes an identifier for each of the plurality of lighting fixtures and relates to a light level at which the light signal was received at the given lighting fixture; and

select a selected lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures based on the light level information, wherein the light signal is visible light and the light level information that includes the identifier is received via radio frequency communication by the communication interface.

2. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further configured to send via the communication interface an instruction that is intended to instruct the plurality of lighting fixtures to begin monitoring for the light signal.

3. The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising a user interface, wherein the circuitry is further configured to provide an indication via the user interface to a user once the selected lighting fixture is selected.

4. The handheld device of claim 1 further comprising a user interface, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive an input from a user via the user interface, and in response to receiving the input, provide the light signal.

5. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein to select the selected lighting fixture, the circuitry is further configured to compare the light level for each of the plurality of lighting fixtures and select one of the plurality of lighting fixtures that is associated with a highest light level as the selected lighting fixture.

6. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the identifier is an address.

7. The handheld device of claim 6 wherein upon selecting the selected lighting fixture, the circuitry is further configured to send instructions to the selected lighting fixture using the address for the selected lighting fixture.

8. The handheld device of claim 6 wherein upon selecting the selected lighting fixture, the circuitry is further configured to send information to the selected lighting fixture using the address for the selected lighting fixture.

9. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further configured to instruct the selected lighting fixture to adjust its light output level to a level indicative of being selected.

10. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

successively select a plurality of selected lighting fixtures, including the selected lighting fixture, from the plurality of lighting fixtures;

create a group for the plurality of selected lighting fixtures; and

send group assignment information to each of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures, the group assignment information identifying the group to which each of the selected lighting fixtures belongs.

11. The handheld device of claim 10 wherein the circuitry is further configured to instruct each of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures to transition its light output level to a level indicative of being selected upon selection.

12. The handheld device of claim 11 wherein the circuitry is further configured to instruct each of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures to transition its light output level from the level indicative of being selected to a defined level after the group has been created.

13. The handheld device of claim 10 wherein the circuitry is further configured to select one of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures and remove the selected one of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures from the group.

14. The handheld device of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is further configured to send updated group assignment information to each of the group of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures, the updated group assignment information identifying a group to which each of the selected lighting fixtures belongs.

15. The handheld device of claim 10 wherein the circuitry is further configured to select a switch module, add the switch module to the group, and send the group assignment information to the switch module.

16. The handheld device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

transmit via the communication interface an instruction to monitor for switch selection input;

receive an indication of switch selection from a switch module that received both the instruction and the switch selection input; and

select the switch module.

17. The handheld device of claim 16 wherein the identifier is an address.

18. The handheld device of claim 17 wherein upon selecting the switch module, the circuitry is further configured to send instructions to the switch module using the address.

19. The handheld device of claim 17 wherein upon selecting the switch module, the circuitry is further configured to send information to the switch module using the address.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions for control circuitry of a handheld device, which has a light source and a communication interface, to:

provide a light signal via the light source;

receive light level information from a plurality of lighting fixtures via the communication interface where the light level information for a given lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures includes an identifier for each of the plurality of lighting fixtures and relates to a light level at which the light signal was received at the given lighting fixture; and

select a selected lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures based on the light level information, wherein the light signal is visible light and the light level information that includes the identifier is received via radio frequency communication by the communication interface.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the control circuitry to:

successively select a plurality of selected lighting fixtures, including the selected lighting fixture, from the plurality of lighting fixtures;

create a group for the plurality of selected lighting fixtures; and

send group assignment information to each of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures, the group assignment information identifying the group to which each of the selected lighting fixtures belongs.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the control circuitry to instruct each of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures to transition its light output level to a level indicative of being selected upon being selected.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the control circuitry to instruct each of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures to transition its light output level from the level indicative of being selected to a defined level after the group has been created.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the control circuitry to select one of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures and remove the selected one of the plurality of selected lighting fixtures from the group.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the control circuitry to select a switch module, add the switch module to the group, and send the group assignment information to the switch module.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 21 wherein the identifier is an address.