Methods and apparatus for downloading lighting programs

• US 7,550,935 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Signify North America Corporation (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Solid-State Lighting Solutions (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lys, Ihor A., Dowling, Kevin J., Morgan, Frederick M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene; Haissa
• Application Number:
  US11/615,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206375A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 315/292, 315/295, 315/297, 315/312, 315/316, 315/318, 315/76, 362/601, 362/605, 362/606, 362/612, 362/615, 362/609, 362/628, 362/620, 362/800, 362/516, 362/230, 362/231, 362/293, 362/236, 362/543, 345/102, 349/61, 340/815.4, 340/425.5, 340/438, 340/473
• US Class Current: 315/318
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/0027 made at least partially from a material having special colours
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/34 with electrical or electronic arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/36 with light sources
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/50 with sound or music sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/232 specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/60 Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/035 by means of plugging into a wall outlet, e.g. night light
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0464 the sensor sensing the level of ambient illumination, e.g. dawn or dusk sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/04 characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2121/006 for illumination or simulation of snowy or iced items, e.g. icicle
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/001 the light being emitted along at least a portion of the lateral surface of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0031 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0036 2-D arrangement of prisms, protrusions, indentations or roughened surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0043 provided on the surface of the light guide
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0055 Reflecting element, sheet or layer
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/006 to produce indicia, symbols, texts or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0061 to provide homogeneous light output intensity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for downloading one or more lighting programs including one or more lighting effects. The lighting program(s) may be downloaded from a web site to one or more LED-based lighting devices that are configured to execute the downloaded lighting program(s) so as to reproduce the lighting effect(s). In various examples, a variety of programming devices may be employed to facilitate wired or wireless downloading, including one or more computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones, media players (e.g., MP3 players), and the like. Information may be uploaded to the web site to facilitate selection and/or creation of lighting effect(s) that are included in the downloaded lighting program(s).

Claims

1. An Internet-enabled method for facilitating generation of lighting effects by an LED-based lighting device, the method comprising:

uploading information to a web site via the Internet; and

downloading at least one lighting program from the web site for storing on the LED-based lighting device, wherein the at least one lighting program is generated based at least in part on the uploaded information and wherein the at least one lighting program includes at least one lighting effect.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting effect includes dynamic color-changing pattern.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting program is downloaded directly to a memory of the LED-based lighting device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting program is downloaded to the LED-based lighting device via a programming device having access to the web site via the Internet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the programming device is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, and a media player.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the programming device is a general purpose computer.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

wirelessly transferring the lighting program from the programming device to the LED-based lighting device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising executing the downloaded at least one lighting program so as to reproduce the at least one lighting effect.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lighting effect includes at least one theme-based lighting effect or at least one holiday lighting effect.

10. An Internet-enabled system for facilitating generation of lighting effects by an LED-based lighting device, the system comprising:

a programming device connected to the Internet for downloading a lighting program from a web site to the LED-based lighting device,

wherein the lighting program includes at least one lighting effect;

wherein the at least one lighting effect is generated via the web site based at least partially on user input; and

wherein the LED-based lighting device is configured to execute the downloaded lighting program so as to reproduce the at least one lighting effect.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the LED-based lighting device includes a memory, and wherein the programming device facilitates downloading of the lighting program directly to the memory of the LED-based lighting device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one lighting effect includes dynamic color-changing pattern.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the programming device is selected from the group consisting of:

a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, and a media player.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the programming device is a general purpose computer.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the at least one programming device wirelessly transfers the downloaded lighting program from the programming device to the LED-based lighting device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the web site is configured to display a plurality of user-selectable lighting programs on the web site, each of the lighting programs including at least one lighting effect;

receive a user selection of a lighting program from the plurality of lighting programs over the Internet; and

make the user-selected lighting program available for downloading to the LED-based lighting device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the web site is further configured to assist a user in creating the at least one lighting effect based at least partially on the user input.

18. An Internet-enabled method for facilitating generation of lighting effects by an LED-based lighting device, the method comprising:

A) making available a plurality of user-selectable lighting programs on a web site, each of the plurality of lighting programs including at least one lighting effect;

B) receiving, over the Internet, a user selection of a lighting program from the plurality of lighting programs;

C) creating, via the web site and based on input from the user, the user-selected lighting program for generating the at least one lighting effect; and

D) making the user-selected lighting program available for downloading to the LED-based lighting device, the LED-based lighting device configured to execute the downloaded lighting program so as to reproduce the at least one lighting effect.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of creating the lighting program includes assisting the user, via the web site, to create the at least one lighting effect at least partially based on the user input.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one lighting effect includes dynamic color-changing pattern.

21. An Internet-enabled method for facilitating generation of lighting effects by an LED-based lighting device, the method comprising:

A) making available a plurality of user-selectable lighting programs on a web site, each of the programs including at least one lighting effect featuring changing colors;

B) receiving, over the Internet, a user selection of a lighting program from the plurality of lighting programs; and

C) making the user-selected lighting program available for downloading to the LED-based lighting device, the LED-based lighting device configured to execute the downloaded lighting program so as to reproduce the at least one lighting effect.

22. An Internet-enabled system for facilitating generation of lighting effects by an LED-based lighting device, the system comprising:

a programming device connected to the Internet for downloading a lighting program from a web site to the LED-based lighting device,

wherein the lighting program includes at least one lighting effect featuring changing colors; and

wherein the LED-based lighting device is configured to execute the downloaded lighting program so as to reproduce the at least one lighting effect.