Wireless convenience lighting system and method of making same

• US 8,120,260 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Dupre, Scott, Czech, Ken, Khazi, Aslam, Poisson, Marcus
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US12/407,697
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 315/86, 315/149, 315/291, 315/294, 315/297, 315/307, 362/20, 362/233, 362/362
• US Class Current: 315/149
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A wireless convenience lighting system, comprises a base unit, the base unit connectable to an AC power supply, the base unit having a transmitter structure emitting at least one signal indicating one of an AC power loss or the AC power on, a remote lighting unit having a light source, and auxiliary power supply and a receiver structure, the receiver structure receiving the signal from the base unit, the base unit wirelessly activating the light source of the remote lighting unit when the AC power is lost.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly illuminating an area, comprising the acts of:

providing a plug-in wall unit and a remote lighting unit;

monitoring an AC power supply with said plug-in wall unit;

transmitting a signal by the plug-in wall unit when AC power from the AC power supply is detected by said plug-in wall unit;

stop transmitting the signal when the AC power is not detected;

monitoring for a change in said signal from said plug-in wall unit to said remote lighting unit if a change of the AC power occurs including determining that the signal is not received by the remote lighting unit; and

illuminating a light source in said remote lighting unit when said signal is not received by the remote lighting unit.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of monitoring ambient light in the area of said remote light unit.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising a step of inhibiting illumination of said light source if said ambient light is above a preselected level.

4. The method of wirelessly illuminating an area of claim 1 wherein said signal is an RF signal.

5. A method of wireless illumination, comprising the acts of:

plugging-in a power sensing base module into a first power supply;

monitoring said first power supply with said base module;

transmitting a signal from said base module to a remote lighting unit when power from said first power supply is detected;

detecting a loss of the power from said first power supply;

stop transmitting the signal in response to the detecting act; and

illuminating said remote light unit powered by a second power supply on-board said remote light unit when the signal is not received by said remote lighting unit.

6. A method of wireless illumination comprising the acts of:

monitoring a first power supply with a plug-in base unit;

transmitting a signal when power is received by the plug-in base unit from the first power supply;

detecting a loss of the power from the first power supply;

stop transmitting the signal in response to the detecting act;

determining an ambient light level in an area of a remote lighting unit; and

illuminiating said remote lighting unit if said ambient light level is below a preselected level and the signal is not received by the remote lighting unit.