MODULAR COORDINATED LIGHTING SYSTEM

• US 20150296599A1
• Filed: 04/09/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wireless Environment LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Environment LLC (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Recker, Michael V., Levine, David B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,085,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A modular coordinated lighting system comprising one or more wireless lighting devices that can communicate over a network and coordinate their operation to provide illumination to an area is provided. Wireless control present in one wireless lighting device can be used to propagate the wireless control of that wireless lighting device to an entire of group of lights in a lighting system. In this manner, a user can easily install wireless lighting devices that work in coordination to illuminate an area as if they are one lighting device. A networked wireless lighting device may also be configured through the user input method to operate different groups of wireless lighting modules such that lighting groups may be created. Multiple lighting groups allow a user to configure lighting provided by the modular coordinated lighting system based on their preference.

Claims

1. A modular coordinated lighting system, comprising:

at least one wireless lighting device comprising a battery, a light source, a wireless transceiver, an environmental sensor, a processor, and a housing; and

at least one disparate wireless lighting device separate from the at least one wireless lighting device configured to control an illumination of the at least one wireless lighting device, the at least one disparate wireless lighting device comprising;

a sensor configured to detect a predefined condition; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a control signal from the at least one disparate wireless lighting device to the at least one wireless lighting device responsive to detecting the predefined condition, wherein the control signal includes a group identifier identifying a group including the at least one wireless lighting device and the at least one disparate wireless lighting device.

2. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device comprises a first plurality of wireless lighting devices, each of the first plurality of wireless lighting devices belonging to a first group, and wherein the at least one the disparate wireless lighting device is further configured to:

transmit a first control signal to each of the first plurality of wireless lighting devices responsive to detecting the predefined condition, the first control signal comprising at least one of an on signal, dim signal and off signal indicating a lighting action to be performed by each of the first plurality of wireless lighting devices.

3. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 2, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device comprises a second plurality of wireless lighting devices, each of the second plurality of wireless lighting devices belonging to a second group different from the first group, and wherein the disparate wireless lighting device is further configured to:

transmit a second control signal to each of the second plurality of wireless lighting devices responsive to detecting the predefined condition, the second control signal comprising at least one of an on signal, dim signal and off signal indicating a lighting action to be performed by each of the second plurality of wireless lighting devices, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal.

4. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the predefined condition is at least one of a motion and a change in ambient light.

5. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device includes at least 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, and a lighting power supply.

6. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 1, wherein the at least one disparate wireless lighting device is further configured to transmit a sequence of control signals to the at least one wireless lighting device in response to detecting the predefined condition, and each of the sequence of control signals is transmitted at a predetermined time interval.

7. A modular coordinated lighting system, comprising:

at least one wireless lighting device comprising a battery, a light source, a wireless transceiver, an environmental sensor, a processor, and a housing; and

at least one disparate wireless lighting device separate from the at least one wireless lighting device configured to control an illumination of the at least one wireless lighting device, the at least one disparate wireless lighting device comprising;

a sensor configured to detect a predefined condition; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a sequence of control signals from the at least one disparate wireless lighting device to the at least one wireless lighting device responsive to detecting the predefined condition, wherein each of the sequence of control signals is transmitted at a predetermined time interval.

8. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 7, wherein each of the sequence of control signals includes a group identifier identifying a group including the at least one wireless lighting device and the at least one disparate wireless lighting device.

9. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 8, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device and the at least one disparate wireless lighting device are configured to turn on, turn off or change light intensity of a respective light source at substantially the same time based on the sequence of control signals.

10. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 8, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device and the at least one disparate wireless lighting device are configured to update an automatic shutoff timing associated with the group based on the sequence of control signals.

11. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 10, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device is configured to:

transmit a shutoff control to a plurality of wireless lighting devices belonging to the group such that each of the plurality of wireless lighting devices turns off a respective light source at substantially the same time, the shutoff control being transmitted in response to a sensor input detecting a predefined condition associated with the at least one wireless lighting device.

12. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 10, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device is configured to:

update the automatic shutoff timing in response to receiving a shutoff control from the at least one disparate wireless lighting device, the shutoff control being transmitted by the at least one disparate wireless lighting device in response to a sensor input detecting the predefined condition; and

turn off the light source based on the shutoff control at substantially the same time as the at least one disparate wireless lighting device turns off a light source associated with the at least one disparate wireless lighting device.

13. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 12, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device is further configured to:

turn off the light source independent of the at least one disparate wireless lighting device based on a second shutoff time if the at least one wireless lighting device does not receive the shutoff control from the at least one disparate wireless lighting device within a predetermined time period.

14. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 7, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device comprises a first plurality of wireless lighting devices, each of the first plurality of wireless lighting devices belonging to a first group, and wherein at least one the disparate wireless lighting device is further configured to:

transmit a first sequence of control signals to each of the first plurality of wireless lighting devices responsive to detecting the predefined condition, the first sequence of control signals comprising at least one of an on signal, dim signal and off signal indicating a lighting action to be performed by each of the first plurality of wireless lighting devices.

15. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 14, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device comprises a second plurality of wireless lighting devices, each of the second plurality of wireless lighting devices belonging to a second group different from the first group, and wherein the disparate wireless lighting device is further configured to:

transmit a second sequence of control signals to each of the second plurality of wireless lighting devices responsive to detecting the predefined condition, the second sequence of control signals comprising at least one of an on signal, dim signal and off signal indicating a lighting action to be performed by each of the second plurality of wireless lighting devices, wherein the second control signal is different from the first control signal.

16. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 7, wherein the predefined condition is at least one of a motion and a change in ambient light.

17. The modular coordinated lighting system of claim 7, wherein the at least one wireless lighting device includes at least one of a spotlight, a ceiling light, a step light, a hallways light, a path light, a light bulb, a light fixture, a wall light, a portable light fixture, and a lighting power supply.

18. A modular coordinated lighting system, comprising:

at least one wireless lighting device comprising a wired power source, a light source, a wireless transceiver, an environmental sensor, a processor, and a housing; and

at least one disparate wireless lighting device separate from the at least one wireless lighting device configured to control an illumination of the at least one wireless lighting device, the at least one disparate wireless lighting device comprising;

a sensor configured to detect a predefined condition;

a wired power source, a light source, a processor, a housing and a transmitter configured to transmit a control signal from the at least one disparate wireless lighting device to the at least one wireless lighting device responsive to detecting the predefined condition,

wherein the control signal includes a group identifier identifying a group including the at least one wireless lighting device and the at least one disparate wireless lighting device, the control signal comprising at least one of an on signal, dim signal and off signal, and wherein the at least one wireless lighting device and the at least one disparate wireless lighting device perform a lighting action indicated by the control signal at substantially the same time.