Distributed emergency lighting system having self-testing and diagnostic capabilities
AssigneeE-Lite Technologies, Inc.
InventorsGustaf T. Appelberg, Joseph W. Fleming
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A distributed emergency building lighting system senses the presence or absence of AC power at the input of a switch controlling lighting in a designated area or an input stimulus such as an alarm to provide low-level marking for visual delineation of the path of egress or lighting of a predetermined designated area by illuminating an EL panel in accordance with code requirements. Self-diagnostic testing verifies operational conditions of the battery and illumination circuit to ensure code compliance.
Claims19
A distributed emergency lighting system for use in a building having one or more conventional lighting system areas powered from a source of alternating current (AC) voltage, said distributed emergency lighting system comprising:
- an electroluminescent (EL) panel stripe;
- a source of direct current (DC) voltage;
- means electrically coupled to said DC voltage source for providing electrical power to said EL panel strip;
- said electrical power means further comprising control means for illuminating automatically without operator intervention said EL panel stripe from a non-illuminated state to an illuminated state for a predetermined designated lighting area of the one or more conventional lighting system areas within the building in response to an emergency input triggering event;
- and
- wherein said power means further comprises an EL power supply having an input coupled to the line side of an electrical switch supplying commercial AC power to the conventional lighting located in said designated area and to said DC voltage source in the absence of AC power at the line side of said electrical switch.
A distributed emergency lighting system for use in one or more conventional lighting system areas in a building powered from a source of alternating current (AC) voltage, said distributed emergency lighting system comprising:
- an electroluminescent (EL) panel stripe;
- a source of direct current (DC) voltage;
- means electrically coupled to said DC voltage source for providing electrical power to said EL panel strip wherein said electrical power means further comprising controller means for illuminating automatically without operator intervention said EL panel strip from a non-illuminated state to an illuminated state for a predetermined designated conventional lighting system area of the one or more conventional lighting system areas within the building in response to an emergency input triggering event, and
- self-diagnostic circuit testing means electrically coupled to said electrical power means and said EL panel stripe and said controller means for verifying operational conditions of the lighting system including the detection of an electrical short circuit and an electrical open circuit of an EL panel coupled to said control means.
A distributed emergency building lighting system comprising:
- an electroluminescent (EL) panel;
- means for providing electrical power to illuminate said EL panel;
- and
- control means electrically coupled to said electrical power means and said EL panel for illuminating a predetermined designated area within the building in response to an input stimulus;
- wherein said power means further comprises an EL power supply having an input coupled to the line side of an electrical switch supplying commercial AC power to the conventional lighting located in said designated area and to a DC voltage source in the absence of AC power at the line side of said electrical switch, and
- wherein said EL power supply further includes means for adjusting the light intensity of the EL panel to a desired intensity.
A distributed emergency building lighting system comprising:
- an electroluminescent (EL) panel;
- means for providing electrical power to illuminate said EL panel;
- controller means electrically coupled to said electrical power means and said EL panel for illuminating a predetermined designated conventional lighting area within the building in response to an input stimulus;
- said power means for providing power to illuminate said EL panel further comprising an EL power supply having an input coupled to the line side of an electrical switch supplying commercial AC power to the conventional lighting located in said designated area and in the absence of AC power at the line side of said electrical switch to a DC voltage source;
- said EL power supply further including means for adjusting the light intensity of the EL panel to a desired intensity, and
- said controller means further including self-diagnostic testing means for verifying operational conditions of the lighting system including the detection of an electrical short circuit
- and an electrical open circuit of an EL panel coupled to said controller means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.