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US RE49,454 E1Granted
Lighting control system
AssigneeLutron Technology Company LLC
InventorsDavid J. Knapp, Horace C. Ho, Jason Lewis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Intelligent illumination device are disclosed that use components in an LED light to perform one or more of a wide variety of desirable lighting functions for very low cost. The LEDs that produce light can be periodically turned off momentarily, for example, for a duration that the human eye cannot perceive, in order for the light to receive commands optically. The optically transmitted commands can be sent to the light, for example, using a remove control device. The illumination device can use the LEDs that are currently off to receive the data and then configure the light accordingly, or to measure light. Such light can be ambient light for a photosensor function, or light from other LEDs in the illumination device to adjust the color mix.
Claims50
An electronic device coupled to AC mains for controlling a lighting system, the electronic device comprising:
- a light source configured to provide illumination and to transmit data optically through free space using visible light;
- a light detector configured to receive data transmitted optically through free space using visible light;
- a human machine interface (HMI) configured to receive input from a user;
- a network interface configured to receive data from a network;
- and
- control circuitry configured to produce commands in synchronization with a frequency of the AC mains for controlling the lighting system in response to the input received from the user through the HMI, the data received by the light detector, and the data received through the network interface, and to transmit said commands to the lighting system using the light source.
3 more elements
A lamp coupled to AC mains in a lighting system, the lamp comprising:
- a light source configured to provide illumination and to transmit data optically through free space using visible light, wherein the data is transmitted during periodic gaps in illumination in synchronization with a frequency of the AC mains;
- a light detector configured to receive data transmitted optically through free space using visible light;
- a network interface configured to receive data from a network;
- and
- control circuitry configured to produce commands for controlling the lighting system in response to the data received by the light detector and the data received through the network interface, and to transmit said commands to the lighting system using the light source.
2 more elements
A lighting system comprising:
- an LED configured to both illuminate and to transmit and receive commands optically through free space using visible light;
- a building controller configured to control the lighting system;
- and
- an electronic device configured to control the lighting system, the electronic device comprising:
- a human machine interface (HMI) configured to receive input from a user;
- and
- a network interface configured to receive commands from the building controller;
- wherein the electronic device is configured to produce commands in response to the user input to the HMI, and to forward at least one of said commands to the light source LED optically through free space using visible light.
5 more elements
A method to transmit data from a visible light source coupled to an AC mains, the method comprising:
- supplying current to the visible light source at a first level sufficient to produce light;
- periodically reducing the current supplied to the visible light source to produce communication gaps at regular, periodic intervals of each cycle of the AC mains, wherein the current is reduced from the first level to a second level less than the first level;
- transmitting data solely within a subset of said communication gaps by modulating the current supplied to the visible light source between the second level and a third level, which is higher than the first level;
- and
- immediately preceding each of the subset of said communications gaps, reducing the current supplied to the visible light source to the second level for a period of time, such that an average brightness of light produced by the visible light source is the same whether or not data is transmitted during said communication gaps.
2 more elements
A lamp configured to be coupled to AC mains, the lamp comprising:
- a light source configured to provide illumination and to transmit data optically using visible light, wherein the data is transmitted during periodic gaps in illumination in synchronization with a frequency of the AC mains;
- a network interface configured to receive data from a network;
- and
- control circuitry configured to produce commands for controlling at least one other lamp in response to the data received through the network interface, and to transmit the commands to the at least one other lamp using the light source.
1 more element
A controller, comprising:
- physical layer interface (PLI) circuitry to provide power to one or more operatively coupled light emitting diode (LED) strings;
- visible light communication (VLC) circuitry operatively coupled to the PLI circuitry, the VLC circuitry to cause the one or more LED strings to communicate via visible light communication with at least one external device by selectively altering an illumination output level of the LED strings, the VLC circuitry configured to:
- cause the PLI circuitry to periodically cycle, in synchronization with an AC main supply, the power supplied to the one or more LED strings between a first interval in which the one or more LED strings provide a first illumination output level and a second interval in which the one or more LED strings provide a second illumination output level less than the first illumination output level, the second interval to provide periodic gaps in illumination produced by the one or more LED strings;
- and
- cause the PLI circuitry to sequentially, selectively provide power to at least a portion of the one or more LED strings sufficient to cause the portion of the one or more LED strings to provide a third illumination output level greater than the first illumination output level during at least a portion of the second interval to transmit a visible light communication.
2 more elements
A method of transmitting a visible light communication, the method comprising:
- cycling physical layer interface (PLI) circuitry in synchronization with an AC main supply, to periodically supply power to one or more LED strings such that during a first interval the one or more LED strings provide a first illumination output level and during a second interval the one or more LED strings provide a second illumination output level less than the first illumination output level, the second interval to provide periodic gaps in illumination produced by the one or more LED strings;
- and
- causing the PLI circuitry to sequentially, selectively provide power to at least a portion of the one or more LED strings sufficient to cause the portion of the one or more LED strings to provide a third illumination output level greater than the first illumination output level during at least a portion of the second interval to transmit a visible light communication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.