Emergency lighting fixture with remote control

• US 9,791,117 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Original Assignee: Thomas & Betts International LLC (ABB Limited)
• Inventors: Rapeanu, Radu C., Xing, Zhi Gang, Lambert, Michel, Elzayed, Mohamed, Dorval, Chantal
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Zhen Y
• Application Number:
  US14/171,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20140292506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• Field of Search: 340514
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/022 Emergency lighting devices
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]

Abstract

A processing unit in a dual-mode lighting fixture receives, via a light pipe of the lighting fixture, a test command signal from a remote control and initiates, based on the test command signal, testing for emergency condition lighting of the lighting fixture. The processing unit receives, via the light pipe, a control command signal from the remote control and controls, based on the control command signal, normal condition lighting of the lighting fixture. The processing unit also monitors feedback loops from a battery, a charger, or a set of LED lamps in the lighting fixture and presents, via the light pipe, a status color indication based on the monitored feedback.

Claims

1. A dual-mode lighting fixture, comprising:

a set of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps;

a battery to provide power to the set of LED lamps for emergency condition lighting when no electric power is supplied for the dual-mode lighting fixture;

a charger to receive alternating current (AC) input to charge the battery;

a power supply to receive AC input to provide power to the set of LED lamps for normal condition lighting when electric power is supplied for the dual-mode lighting fixture;

a printed circuit board including;

a status light to emit visible light indicative of a lighting fixture status,

an infrared receiver to receive infrared signals from a remote control, and

a manual switch to provide a test command signal;

a light pipe including a rod with a base end and a display end, the base end comprising;

a light transmitting portion aligned with the status light and the infrared receiver, and

a contact portion aligned with the manual switch,

wherein the light pipe transmits light from the status light via the light transmitting portion to the display end, transmits infrared signals from the display end to the infrared receiver via the light transmitting portion, and transfers a manual force applied at the display end to the manual switch via the contact portion; and

a processor configured to;

identify first commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate testing for the emergency condition lighting,

identify second commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate controls for providing power to the set of LED lamps for the normal condition lighting,

identify a manual command received by the manual switch and initiate testing for the emergency condition lighting, and

monitor feedback from the charger, the battery, and the set of LED lamps and control the status light based on the monitored feedback.

2. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the set of LED lamps are dimmable for the normal condition lighting and are of a fixed intensity for the emergency condition lighting.

3. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing configured to enclose the set of LED lamps, the battery, the charger, the power supply, the status light, and infrared receiver, and the processor,

wherein the housing includes a single opening to both receive the infrared signals and display the visible light from the status light via the light pipe.

4. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the light pipe comprises a clear polycarbonate material.

5. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the visible light indicative of the lighting fixture status includes at least two alternating colors of visible light.

6. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a photo-cell configured to alter resistance based on ambient lighting conditions,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

identify changes in the resistance of the photo-cell, and

activate or deactivate normal condition lighting based on the identified changes in the resistance.

7. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the first commands received by the infrared receiver include commands to initiate:

a short-duration test of the emergency condition lighting,

a medium-duration test of the emergency condition lighting, and

a long-duration test of the emergency condition lighting.

8. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 7, wherein the first commands received by the infrared receiver include commands to turn off the emergency condition lighting.

9. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the second commands received by the infrared receiver include commands to:

turn on or turn off the normal condition lighting, and

change the intensity of the normal condition lighting.

10. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the light pipe further comprises one or more connectors by which the light pipe is secured to a housing, and wherein the one or more connectors provide sufficient retention force to return the light pipe to an original position after the manual force is removed.

11. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the rod comprises a solid cylinder.

12. A method for controlling a dual-mode lighting fixture, comprising:

receiving, at a processor of the lighting fixture, a first infrared command signal from a remote control,

wherein the first infrared command signal is received via a light pipe, the light pipe including a rod with a display end exposed outside a housing of the light fixture and a base end adjacent to a printed circuit board within the housing, the printed circuit board including an infrared receiver;

initiating, by the processor and based on the first infrared command signal, testing for emergency condition lighting of the dual-mode lighting fixture to power an LED lamp when no electric power is supplied to the dual-mode lighting fixture;

receiving, at the processor and via the light pipe, a second infrared command signal from the remote control, wherein the second infrared command signal is received via the infrared receiver;

controlling, by the processor and based on the second infrared command signal, normal condition lighting of the dual-mode lighting fixture to power the LED lamp when electric power is supplied for the dual-mode lighting fixture;

monitoring, by the processor, feedback from a battery circuit, a charger circuit, or an LED lamp circuit in the dual-mode lighting fixture;

presenting, by the processor and via the light pipe, a status color indication based on the monitored feedback, wherein the status color indication is provided by a status light affixed to the printed circuit board;

receiving application of manual force to the display end;

transferring, by the light pipe, the manual force to activate a physical switch on the printed circuit board; and

initiating, by the processor and based on the activation of the physical switch, a test for the emergency condition lighting.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting a resistance value of a photo-cell that represents a change in ambient light conditions; and

controlling, based on the resistance value, the normal condition lighting of the dual-mode lighting fixture.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting the status color indication includes switching between at least two different colors of visible light.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first infrared command signal includes a command to initiate a test from a group of tests including:

a short-duration test of the emergency condition lighting,

a medium-duration test of the emergency condition lighting, and

a long-duration test of the emergency condition lighting.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the second infrared command signal includes a command from a group of commands including:

toggling the normal condition lighting on or off,

dimming the normal condition lighting, and

brightening the normal condition lighting.

17. An dual-mode lighting fixture, comprising:

a set of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps;

a battery to provide power to the set of LED lamps for emergency condition lighting when no electric power is supplied for the dual-mode lighting fixture;

a power supply to receive AC input to provide power to the set of LED lamps for normal condition lighting when electric power is supplied for the dual-mode lighting fixture;

a printed circuit board including;

a status light to emit visible light indicative of a lighting fixture status, an infrared receiver to receive infrared signals from a remote control, and a processor;

a light pipe including a base end, a rod, and a display end, the base end comprising a light transmitting portion aligned with the status light and the infrared receiver, wherein the light pipe transmits visible light from the status light through the rod to the display end, and transmits infrared signals from the display end through the rod to the infrared receiver via the base end; and

the processor configured to;

identify first commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate testing for emergency condition lighting based on the first commands, identify second commands received by the infrared receiver and initiate controls for providing power to the set of LED lamps for the normal condition lighting based on the second commands, and monitor conditions of the battery and the set of LED lamps and control the status light based on the monitored conditions,

a manual switch to provide a test command signal, wherein the light pipe is further configured to transfer a manual force applied at the display end to the manual switch.

18. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 17, further comprising:

a photo-cell configured to alter resistance based on ambient lighting conditions,

wherein the processor is further configured to;

identify changes in the resistance of the photo-cell, and

activate or deactivate normal condition lighting based on the identified changes in the resistance.

19. The dual-mode lighting fixture of claim 17, further comprising:

a housing configured to enclose the set of LED lamps, the battery, the power supply, the status light, and infrared receiver, and the processor,

wherein the housing includes a single opening to both receive the infrared signals and display the visible light from the status light via the light pipe.