Microcontroller-based multifunctional electronic switch and lighting apparatus having the same

A lighting apparatus, comprising:

• a light emitting unit configured with an LED load including a plurality of LEDs;
• a loading and power control unit comprising a microcontroller and a controllable switching circuitry;
• at least one detection device, for detecting at least one external control signal and converting said at least one external control signal into at least one message carrying sensing signal with at least one signal format interpretable to said microcontroller for performing at least one illumination performance of said light emitting unit;
• and
• a wireless signal transmitter to convert said at least one message carrying sensing signal into at least one wireless control signal to activate at least one neighboring lighting apparatus for remotely and synchronously performing said at least one illumination performance;
• wherein said controllable switching circuitry electrically connected between said LED load and a power source comprises at least one semiconductor switching element for controlling and delivering a DC power from said power source to said LED load, wherein said microcontroller is electrically coupled with said at least one semiconductor switching element, said at least one detection device and said wireless signal transmitter;
• wherein said microcontroller outputs a control signal to control a conduction state or a cutoff state of said at least one semiconductor switching element according to said at least one signal format of said at least one message carrying sensing signal received from said at least one detection device;
• wherein when said at least one semiconductor switching element is in said conduction state, said microcontroller further adjust said control signal to control a conduction rate of said at least one semiconductor switching element to set an electric power transmission level from said power source to said LED load according to said at least one signal format of said at least one message carrying sensing signal received from said at least one detection device;
• wherein said at least one signal format of said at least one message carrying sensing signal is a short voltage signal with a signal time length equal to or shorter than a preset time interval, a long voltage signal with a signal time length longer than said preset time interval, a constant voltage signal with a voltage value, a plurality of said short voltage signals, a plurality of said long voltage signals, a combination of said short voltage signal and said long voltage signal;
• or a series of pulse signals consecutively generated within a signal time length;
• wherein when said microcontroller receives said at least one message carrying sensing signal, said microcontroller operates to activate a corresponding process for performing said at least one illumination performance of illumination performance control modes including at least an on/off switch control mode, a dimming control mode, an illumination level switching control mode and a delay shutoff control mode;
• wherein said LED load in conjunction with an adequate level setting of said DC power is designed with a combination of in series and/or in parallel connections such that an electric current passing through each LED of said LED load remains at an adequate level, and a voltage V across each LED complies with a constraint of Vth<V<Vmax featuring electrical characteristics of said LED:
• wherein Vth is a threshold voltage required to trigger said LED to start emitting light and Vmax is a maximum operating voltage across said LED to avoid a thermal damage to LED construction;
• wherein when said LED load is configured with a plurality of N number LEDs or N sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series, a working voltage VN across said LED load is confined in a domain between a minimum voltage equal to the sum of said threshold voltages of all LEDs or sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series and a maximum voltage equal to the sum of said maximum operating voltages of all LEDs or sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series, identically expressed as N×Vth<VN<N×Vmax.;
• and
• wherein said microcontroller is a programmable integrated circuit device or an application specific integrated circuit for generating said control signal.

A lighting apparatus, comprising:

• a light emitting unit configured with an LED load including a plurality of LEDs;
• a loading and power control unit comprising a microcontroller and a controllable switching circuitry;
• a light sensing unit, electrically coupled with said microcontroller, for detecting a lumens value of an ambient light in a detection area for controlling an on or off illumination performance of said light emitting unit;
• a motion sensing unit, electrically coupled with said microcontroller, for detecting a motion signal to perform a high level illumination for a predetermined time duration;
• and
• a wireless signal receiver, electrically coupled with said microcontroller, for receiving at least one wireless external control signal and convert said at least one wireless external control signal into at least one message carrying sensing signal with at least one signal format interpretable to said microcontroller for executing at least one illumination performance of illumination performance control modes including at least an on/off switch control mode, a dimming control mode, a delay shutoff control mode, a light sensitivity control mode, a motion sensitivity control mode or a switching control mode between a motion sensing illumination mode and a dusk to dawn illumination mode;
• wherein said microcontroller comprises a memory for saving or installing an application program (APP) or a software program, wherein said application program or said software program from an internet or a cloud server is downloaded for interpreting and executing said at least one message carrying sensing signal from said wireless signal receiver;
• wherein said controllable switching circuitry electrically connected between said LED load and a power source comprises at least one semiconductor switching element for controlling and delivering a DC power from said power source to said LED load;
• wherein said microcontroller is electrically coupled with said at least one semiconductor switching element, said light sensing unit, said motion sensing unit and said wireless signal receiver;
• wherein said microcontroller outputs a control signal to control a conduction state of said at least one semiconductor switching element according to a light sensing signal from said light sensing unit or according to a motion sensing signal from said motion sensing unit;
• wherein when said at least one semiconductor switching element is in said conduction state, said microcontroller further control a conduction rate of said at least one semiconductor switching element to control an electric power transmission level from said power source to said LED load according to said at least one signal format of said at least one message carrying sensing signal received from said wireless signal receiver or form said light sensing signal or from said motion sensing signal;
• wherein said signal format of said at least one message carrying sensing signal is a short voltage signal with a signal time length equal to or shorter than a preset time interval, a long voltage signal with a signal time length longer than said preset time interval, a constant voltage signal with a voltage value, a plurality of short voltage signals, a plurality of long voltage signals, a combination of said short voltage signal and said long voltage signal, or a series of pulse signals consecutively generated within a signal time length;
• wherein when said microcontroller receives said at least one message carrying sensing signal, said microcontroller operates to activate a corresponding process according to said signal format of said at least one message carrying sensing signal to perform said at least one illumination performance of said illumination performance control modes including at least said on/off switch control mode, said dimming control mode, an illumination level switching control mode, said delay shutoff control mode, said light sensitivity control mode, said motion sensitivity control mode, and said switching control mode between said motion sensing illumination mode and said dusk to dawn illumination mode;
• wherein said LED load in conjunction with an adequate level setting of said DC power is designed with a combination of in series and/or in parallel connections such that an electric current passing through each LED of said LED load remains at an adequate level, and a voltage V across each LED complies with a constraint of Vth<V<Vmax featuring electrical characteristics of said LED;
• wherein Vth is a threshold voltage required to trigger said LED to start emitting light and Vmax is a maximum operating voltage across said LED to avoid a thermal damage to LED construction;
• wherein when said LED load is configured with a plurality of N number LEDs or N sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series, a working voltage VN across said LED load is confined in a domain between a minimum voltage equal to the sum of said threshold voltages of all LEDs or sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series and a maximum voltage equal to the sum of said maximum operating voltages of all LEDs or sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series, identically expressed as N×Vth<VN<N×Vmax;
• and
• wherein said microcontroller is a programmable integrated circuit device or an application specific integrated circuit for generating the control signal.

A lighting apparatus, comprising:

• a light emitting unit configured with an LED load including a plurality of LEDs;
• a loading and power control unit including at least a microcontroller and a controllable switching circuitry;
• at least one detection device, configured with a direct touch interface, for detecting an external control signal and converting said external control signal into at least one first message carrying sensing signal with at least one signal format interpretable to said microcontroller for activating at least one illumination performance of illumination performance control modes including at least an on/off switch control mode, a dimming control mode, a delay shutoff control mode, a light sensitivity control mode, a detection sensitivity control mode, a switching control mode between operating two different illumination modes;
• and
• a wireless signal receiver, electrically coupled with said microcontroller, for receiving a wireless external control signal and convert said wireless external control signal into at least one second message carrying sensing signal with said at least one signal format interpretable to said microcontroller for activating said at least one illumination performance of said illumination performance control modes including at least said on/off switch control mode, said dimming control mode, said delay shutoff control mode, said light sensitivity control mode, said detection sensitivity control mode and said switching control mode between operating two different illumination modes;
• wherein said microcontroller comprises a memory for saving or installing an application program (APP) or a software program, wherein said application program or said software program from an internet or a cloud server is downloaded for interpreting and executing said at least one second message sensing signal from said wireless signal receiver;
• wherein said switching circuitry electrically connected between said LED load and a power source comprises at least one semiconductor switching element for controlling and delivering a DC power from said power source to said LED load;
• wherein said microcontroller is electrically coupled with said at least one semiconductor switching element, said at least one detection device and said wireless signal receiver;
• wherein said microcontroller outputs a control signal to control a conduction state of said at least one semiconductor switching element according to said at least one first message sensing signal or said at least one second message sensing signal;
• wherein when said at least one semiconductor switching element is in said conduction state, said microcontroller further control a conduction rate of said at least one semiconductor switching element to control an electric power transmission level from said power source to said LED load according to said at least one first message carrying sensing signal received from said at least one detection device or according to said at least one second message sensing signal from said wireless signal receiver;
• wherein said at least one signal format of said at least one first message carrying sensing signal or said at least one second message sensing signal is a short voltage signal with a signal time length equal to or shorter than a preset time interval, a long voltage signal with a signal time length longer than said preset time interval, a constant voltage signal with a voltage value, a plurality of said short voltage signals, a plurality of said long voltage signals, a combination of said short voltage signal and said long voltage signal or a series of pulse signals consecutively generated within a signal time length;
• wherein when said microcontroller receives said at least one first message carrying sensing signal or said at least one second message sensing signal, said microcontroller operates to activate a corresponding process according to said at least one signal format of said at least one first message carrying sensing signal or said at least one second message sensing signal to perform said at least one illumination performance of said illumination performance control modes;
• wherein said microcontroller is a programmable integrated circuit device or an application specific integrated circuit for generating the control signal;
• wherein said LED load in conjunction with an adequate level setting of said DC power is designed with a combination of in series and or in parallel connections such that an electric current passing through each LED of said LED load remains at an adequate level, and a voltage V across each LED complies with a constraint of Vth<V<Vmax featuring electrical characteristics of said LED;
• wherein Vth is a threshold voltage required to trigger said LED to start emitting light and Vmax is a maximum operating voltage across said LED to avoid a thermal damage to LED construction;
• wherein when said LED load is configured with a plurality of N number LEDs or N sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series, a working voltage VN across said LED load is confined in a domain between a minimum voltage equal to the sum of said threshold voltages of all LEDs or sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series and a maximum voltage equal to said sum of the maximum operating voltages of all LEDs or sets of parallel connected LEDs electrically connected in series, identically expressed as N×Vth<VN<N×Vmax.;
• and
• wherein said microcontroller is a programmable integrated circuit device or an application specific integrated circuit for generating said control signal.