# US 9,883,563 B2 · Directional lighting system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,883,563 B2 - Document ID: US9883563B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/458,212 - Filed: 2017-03-14 - Published: 2017-06-29 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-22 - Assignees: LIFI Labs, Inc. - Applicants: LIFI Labs, Inc. - Inventors: Phillip Anthony Bosua; Marc Alexander - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883563B2 ## CPC - H05B 47/155: Coordinated control of two or more light sources - H05B 45/10: Controlling the intensity of the light - H05B 45/14: using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules - H05B 45/20: Controlling the colour of the light - H05B 45/22: using optical feedback - H05B 45/60: Circuit arrangements for operating LEDs comprising organic material, e.g. for operating organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] or polymer light-emitting diodes [PLED] - H05B 47/11: by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light - H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings - H05B 47/17: Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations - H05B 47/175: by remote control - H05B 47/18: via data-bus transmission - H05B 47/19: via wireless transmission - F21K 9/232: specially adapted for generating an essentially omnidirectional light distribution, e.g. with a glass bulb - F21K 9/235: Details of bases or caps, i.e. the parts that connect the light source to a fitting; Arrangement of components within bases or caps (F21K9/238 takes precedence) - F21K 9/238: Arrangement or mounting of circuit elements integrated in the light source - F21Y 2113/13: comprising an assembly of point-like light sources - F21Y 2115/10: Light-emitting diodes [LED] - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - F21K: NON-ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES USING LUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING ELECTROCHEMILUMINESCENCE; LIGHT SOURCES USING CHARGES OF COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL; LIGHT SOURCES USING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AS LIGHT-GENERATING ELEMENTS; LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - F21Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES F21K, F21L, F21S and F21V, RELATING TO THE FORM OR THE KIND OF THE LIGHT SOURCES OR OF THE COLOUR OF THE LIGHT EMITTED - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract The method of spatial lightbulb operation includes determining the position of the lightbulb relative to a physical space, detecting a contextual event, determining a spatial lighting pattern associated with the contextual event, and selectively controlling lightbulb light emitting elements based on the position of the lightbulb and the spatial lighting pattern. A lightbulb including: a plurality of individually controlled light emitting elements mounted in fixed, predetermined positions on the substrate; a light sensor mounted to the substrate; a wireless communication module; and a processor configured to: index each light emitting element; progress each of the plurality of light emitting elements through an orientation pattern; associate a reference point on the lightbulb with an external reference point; and selectively operate individual light emitting elements of the plurality according to lighting instructions, based on a relationship between the reference point on the lightbulb and the external reference point. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of connected lightbulb operation, the method comprising: determining a lightbulb orientation relative to an external reference point; concurrently operating an invisible light emitting element of the connected lightbulb in a high emission mode and operating a plurality of visible light emitting elements of the connected lightbulb in a low emission mode; detecting user presence within a monitored space based on signals sampled by an external camera separate from the connected lightbulb, wherein the signals are sampled using invisible light emitted by the invisible light emitting element; identifying a visible light emitting element, from the plurality of visible light emitting elements, based on the lightbulb orientation and a position of the external reference point relative to the monitored space; and selectively operating the identified visible light emitting element in a high emission mode while operating a remainder of the plurality of visible light emitting elements in a low emission mode in response to detecting the user presence. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the lightbulb orientation comprises: progressing the plurality of visible light emitting elements through an orientation emission pattern, comprising sequentially transitioning individual light emitting elements of the connected lightbulb from a low emission mode, to a high emission mode, to the low emission mode; and determining the lightbulb orientation based on measurements of signals emitted by the plurality of visible light emitting elements while progressing through the orientation emission pattern. ### Claim 3 A method of connected lightbulb operation, the method comprising: operating an invisible light emitting element of the connected lightbulb in a high emission mode while operating a visible light emitting element of the connected lightbulb in a low emission mode; detecting a trigger event; selectively operating the visible light emitting element in a high emission mode in response to detection of the trigger event; selectively operating light emitting elements of a second connected lightbulb in response to detection of the trigger event, comprising: operating an infrared light emitting element of the second connected lightbulb in a high emission mode; and operating a visible light emitting element of the second connected lightbulb in a low emission mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein detecting the trigger event comprises detecting user presence within a monitored space, wherein the connected lightbulb illuminates the monitored space. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein detecting user presence within the monitored space comprises detecting user presence based on signals sampled by an external camera separate from the connected lightbulb. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising connecting the connected lightbulb to a local WiFi network, wherein the second connected lightbulb is connected to the local WiFi network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the visible light emitting element of the connected lightbulb is one of a plurality of individually indexed light emitting elements of the connected lightbulb, the method further comprising: progressing the plurality of light emitting elements of the connected lightbulb through an orientation emission pattern; and determining a lightbulb orientation relative to an external reference point based on the orientation emission pattern. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein determining the lightbulb orientation comprises determining the lightbulb orientation based on external device measurements of signals emitted by the plurality of light emitting elements while progressing through the orientation emission pattern. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein progressing the plurality of light emitting elements through the orientation emission pattern comprises sequentially transitioning individual light emitting elements of the connected lightbulb from a low emission mode, to a high emission mode, to the low emission mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein selectively operating the visible light emitting element in the high emission mode comprises: identifying the visible light emitting element from the plurality of light emitting elements, the visible light emitting element having a predetermined position relative to the external reference point; and selectively operating the visible light emitting element in the high emission mode while operating a remainder of the plurality of the visible light emitting elements in the low emission mode. ### Claim 11 A lighting system comprising: a substrate; a set of individually indexed light emitting elements mounted to the substrate, the set of light emitting elements comprising: a visible light emitting element configured to emit visible light; and an invisible light emitting element configured to emit invisible light; a processor electrically connected to the set of individually indexed light emitting elements, the processor configured to independently operate the invisible light emitting element from the visible light emitting element; a wireless communication module electrically connected to the processor; and a diffuser mounted to the housing, the diffuser cooperatively encapsulating the visible and invisible light emitting element within the lighting system. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the wireless communication module comprises a WiFi radio. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The lighting system of claim 12, further comprising a second wireless communication module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The lighting system of claim 13, wherein the second wireless communication module comprises an IR transceiver. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the invisible light emitting element comprises an infrared light emitting element. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The lighting system of claim 15, wherein the visible light emitting element comprises a white light emitting element. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The lighting system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to selectively operate the invisible light emitting element in a high emission mode in response to occurrence of a contextual event. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The lighting system of claim 17, further comprising an external camera defining a field of view overlapping a monitored space, wherein the contextual event comprises detecting user entry into the monitored space based on signals sampled by the external camera.