Beaconing wireless transmitter for coordinated lighting system control

• US 10,701,786 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: A9.com Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recker, Michael V., Levine, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Retebo, Metasebia T
• Application Number:
  US15/211,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 315292
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/001 Energy harvesting or scavenging
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/065 for lighting purposes
• 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 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 47/14 by determining electrical parameters of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

Aspects of the presently disclosed embodiments may include a wireless power outage lighting system comprising one or more power change detection apparatuses and one or more wireless lighting modules where the system is implemented to allow management of multiple groups in the same area such that interference may be avoided when there are multiple transmissions in the same area. A power change detection apparatus may be configured to transmit to avoid interference with another power change detection apparatus. A power change detection apparatus may also be configured through the user input method to operate different groups of wireless lighting modules such that lighting zones may be created. Multiple lighting zone allow a user to configure lighting provided by the wireless power outage lighting system based on their preference.

Claims

1. A lighting system, comprising:

a beaconing wireless transmitter device comprising;

a wireless transmitter;

one or more first processors; and

a first memory storing first instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors, cause the one or more first processors to perform first operations comprising;

transmitting, using the wireless transmitter, a first signal; and

after a first period of time has elapsed since transmitting the first signal, transmitting, using the wireless transmitter, a second signal; and

an electronic device comprising;

a light source;

a wireless receiver;

one or more second processors; and

a second memory storing second instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform second operations comprising;

receiving, using the wireless receiver, the first signal;

after receiving the first signal;

illuminating the light source; and

starting a timer for a second period of time, the timer associated with illuminating the light source;

receiving, using the wireless receiver, the second signal; and

after receiving the second signal;

continuing to illuminate the light source; and

starting the timer for a third period of time.

2. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device, and wherein the first memory of the beaconing wireless transmitter device stores third instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors of the beaconing wireless transmitter device, cause the one or more first processors to perform third operations comprising, after a predefined condition has occurred, sending a third control signal to a second electronic device.

3. The lighting system of claim 2, wherein the predefined condition is at least one of a detected motion, a detected proximity of an object, or a change in ambient light.

4. The lighting system of claim 1, the electronic device further comprising a wireless transmitter, and wherein the second memory of the electronic device stores third instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors of the electronic device, cause the one or more second processors to perform third operations comprising sending, using the wireless transmitter, a third signal to a remote device, the third signal indicating that at least one of the first signal or the second signal was received from the beaconing wireless transmitter device.

5. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a first electronic device, and wherein the first memory of the beaconing wireless transmitter device stores third instructions that, when executed by the one or more first processors of the beaconing wireless transmitter device, cause the one or more first processors to perform third operations comprising:

sending, using the wireless transmitter, the first signal to the first electronic device using a first channel; and

sending, using the wireless transmitter, a third signal to a second electronic device using a second channel that is different than the first channel.

6. The lighting system of claim 1, the second memory storing third instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform third operations comprising, after a fourth period of time elapses since receiving the first signal, ceasing the illuminating of the light source.

7. The lighting system of claim 6, wherein the fourth period of time elapses before the third period of time elapses.

8. The lighting system of claim 6, the second memory storing fourth instructions that, when executed by the one or more second processors, cause the one or more second processors to perform fourth operations comprising:

receiving, using the wireless receiver, a third signal; and

after the fourth period of time elapses, determining not to again illuminate the light source.

9. The lighting system of claim 1, wherein the electronic device receives the second signal during the second period of time, and wherein the third period of time is different than the second period of time.

10. A first electronic device comprising:

a transmitter;

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

determining a range;

transmitting, using the transmitter and at a transmit power level associated with the range, a first signal to a second electronic device, the first signal representing a first command to turn on a light source; and

after a predetermined period of time elapses since transmitting the first signal, transmitting, using the transmitter and at the transmit power level associated with the range, a second signal to the second electronic device, the second signal representing a second command to turn on the light source.

11. The first electronic device of claim 10, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising transmitting, using the transmitter, at least one of the first signal or the second signal to a third electronic device.

12. The first electronic device of claim 10, wherein the first signal is transmitted after a predefined condition occurs.

13. The first electronic device of claim 10, wherein the second electronic device comprises one of a spotlight, a ceiling light, a step light, a hallway light, a path light, a light bulb, a light fixture, a wall light, a portable light fixture, or a lighting power supply.

14. The first electronic device of claim 10, further comprising a control button, wherein the memory stores further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

receiving an input using the control button; and

transmitting, using the transmitter, a third signal to the second electronic device.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a light source;

a wireless receiver;

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, using the wireless receiver and from a beaconing device, a first signal representing a first command;

after receiving the first signal;

causing the light source to emit light; and

starting a timer for a first period of time, the timer associated with illuminating the light;

receiving, using the wireless receiver and from the beaconing device, and within the first period of time, a second signal representing a second command; and

after receiving the second signal;

causing the light source to continue to emit the light; and

starting the timer for a second period of time.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising, after a third period of time elapses since receiving the first signal, causing the light source to cease emitting the light.

17. The electronic device of claim 15, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

after a third period of time elapses since receiving the first signal, causing the light source to cease emitting the light;

after a fourth period of time elapses since causing the light source to cease emitting the light, receiving, using the wireless receiver and from the beaconing device, a third signal representing a third command; and

after receiving the third signal, causing the light source to emit additional light.

18. The electronic device of claim 15, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

determining that an amount of ambient light is below a threshold,

wherein causing the light source to emit the light further occurs after the determining that the amount of ambient light is below the threshold.

19. The electronic device of claim 15, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising, after the second period of time elapses, causing the light source to cease emitting the light.

20. The electronic device of claim 15, the memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising, after a third period of time elapses since causing the light source to emit the light, causing the light source to cease emitting the light.