WIRELESS LIGHTING CONTROL METHODS AND APPARATUS

• US 20070195526A1
• Filed: 05/01/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Color Kinetics Incorporated (Signify N.V.)
• Inventors: Morgan, Frederick, Lys, Ihor, Piepgras, Colin, Holmes, Timothy, Dowling, Kevin, Blackwell, Michael, Geary, Dawn, Osterhout, Ralph, Mueller, George, Ducharme, Alfred
• Granted Patent: US 7,659,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 362/234
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/233 specially adapted for generating a spot light distribution, e.g. for substitution of reflector lamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/006 for illumination or simulation of snowy or iced items, e.g. icicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/28 using temperature feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/33 Pulse-amplitude modulation [PAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3577 Emulating the dimming characteristics, brightness or colour temperature of incandescent lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/3578 Emulating the electrical or functional characteristics of discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/37 Converter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Methods and apparatus involving at least two LEDs configured to generate at least two different spectra of radiation that are combined to produce white light. At least one parameter of the at least two different spectra of radiation generated by the at least two LEDs is controlled, based at least in part on at least one lighting control signal received by the apparatus over at least one wireless communication link, so as to control at least a color temperature of the white light.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

at least two LEDs configured to generate at least two different spectra of radiation that are combined to produce white light; and

at least one controller configured to control at least one parameter of the at least two different spectra of radiation generated by the at least two LEDs, based at least in part on at least one lighting control signal received by the apparatus over at least one wireless communication link, so as to control at least a color temperature of the white light.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless communication link is configured to support at least one of a radio frequency transmission, an infrared transmission, a microwave transmission, and an acoustic transmission.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one wireless communication link is configured to support at least one radio frequency transmission, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a radio transceiver coupled to the at least one controller to receive the at least one lighting control signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is configured to vary the color temperature of the white light based at least in part on the at least one lighting control signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one controller is an addressable controller, wherein the at least one wireless communication link forms part of a wireless communication network, and wherein the at least one lighting control signal includes information particularly identifying the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a memory storing at least one lighting program, wherein the apparatus is further configured to modify at least one variable of the at least one lighting program based on the at least one lighting control signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the color temperature of the white light based at least in part on execution of the at least one lighting program.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a memory storing a plurality of lighting programs, wherein the apparatus is configured to select one lighting program of the plurality of lighting programs based on the at least one lighting control signal, and wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the color temperature of the white light based at least in part on execution of the selected one lighting program.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus is further configured to modify at least one variable of the selected one lighting program based on the at least one lighting control signal.

9. A system including the apparatus of claim 2, the system further comprising at least one remote user interface coupled to the at least one wireless communication link and configured to generate the at least one lighting control signal based on user operation of the at least one user interface.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one remote user interface comprises at least one of dial, a button, a switch, a slider, a variable switch, and a variable selector.

11. A method, comprising acts of:

A) generating at least two different spectra of radiation from at least two LEDs and combining the radiation to produce white light; and

B) controlling at least one parameter of the at least two different spectra of radiation generated by the at least two LEDs, based at least in part on at least one lighting control signal received over at least one wireless communication link, so as to control at least a color temperature of the white light.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one wireless communication link is configured to support at least one of a radio frequency transmission, an infrared transmission, a microwave transmission, and an acoustic transmission.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one wireless communication link is configured to support at least one radio frequency transmission, and wherein the method further comprises an act of:

C) receiving the at least one lighting control signal via the at least one radio frequency transmission.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the act B) includes an act of:

varying the color temperature of the white light based at least in part on the at least one lighting control signal.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one wireless communication link forms part of a wireless communication network, and wherein the act B) includes an act of:

controlling the at least one parameter based at least in part on particular identification information represented in the at least one lighting control signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the act B) includes an act of:

B1) controlling the at least one parameter in response to execution of at least one lighting program.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the act B) further includes an act of:

B2) modifying at least one variable of the at least one lighting program based on the at least one lighting control signal.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one lighting program includes a plurality of lighting programs, and wherein the act B) further includes an act of:

B2) selecting one lighting program of the plurality of lighting programs, based on the at least one lighting control signal, for execution in the act B1).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the act B) further includes an act of:

B3) modifying at least one variable of the selected one lighting program based on the at least one lighting control signal.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising an act of:

C) generating the at least one lighting control signal based on user operation of at least one remote user interface coupled to the at least one wireless communication link.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one remote user interface comprises at least one of dial, a button, a switch, a slider, a variable switch, and a variable selector.