Patent Application
20200077497
The invention relates generally to the field of electronics and more particularly to lighting controllers useable to control light emitting diodes (LEDs) for lighting of outdoor areas, such as swimming pools, spas, water features, and pathways, for example.
LEDs are solid state lamps that use semiconductor material to emit light, instead of a filament or neon gas. When compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs, LEDs offer a number of advantages. For example, because LEDs operate on low voltage and consume less power, they are less expensive to operate and generate significantly less heat than traditional incandescent light bulbs. Also, because LEDs are of solid state design, they are more durable and less likely to break than traditional bulbs. Indeed, a particular advantage of LEDs is their long life. Some LED lamps can operate for up to 100,000 hours, compared to about 1500 hours for a standard filament light bulb. Moreover, LEDs are environmentally friendly, contain no mercury and produce no electromagnetic emissions. Another advantage is that a single LED bulb can produce many different colors without the need for colored coatings or lenses.
In view of their numerous advantages, LEDs are being used in many applications where fluorescent or incandescent lighting was previously used. For example, LED lighting is frequently being used to replace older incandescent lighting in swimming pools, spas, water features (e.g., decorative waterfalls), along pathways or walkways, and the like. In some instances, the replacement LED lighting may include different colored LEDs or multicolor LEDs and a control device that is programmed to cause the LEDs to emit light in a number of different lighting schemes (e.g., light shows using different colors and/or patterns of emitted light). Such LED lighting control devices typically have a user interface, such as a dial or selector on the face of the control device, for example, to allow a user to select a desired lighting scheme from a variety of pre-programmed lighting schemes.
Briefly described, in a preferred example form the present invention relates to a power supply and controller for powering and controlling outdoor LED pool lights. The power supply and controller includes a housing and a transformer for transforming AC power from one voltage to another. A wireless-enabled control is provided, responsive to wireless signals received from an external source for cycling the power supplied from the transformer to the outdoor LED pool lights. The cycling of the power so supplied is controlled to obtain a desired output from the outdoor LED pool lights by cycling the power on and/or off a selected number of times.
Preferably, the pool LED lights include firmware to recognize the off/on cycles and to change color or lighting effect in response to the number of off/on cycles triggered.
Optionally, the wireless-enabled control is adapted to be wirelessly coupled to a hand-held electronic device. Also optionally, the wireless-enabled control can be adapted to be wirelessly coupled to a cell phone and/or to a wireless router.
Optionally, the wireless-enabled control is adapted to be wirelessly coupled to an internet-connected device, and in particular can be connected to an electronic virtual assistant, such as the Amazon Echo device or the Google Home device.
Preferably, the housing is at least water-resistant and more preferably the housing is water-proof. Also optionally, the transformer is housed within the housing.
In one form, the transformer housed within the housing is adapted for transforming AC power from one AC voltage to a lower AC voltage. Alternatively, the transformer housed within the housing can be adapted for transforming AC power to DC voltage.
Referring now to the drawing figures, in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several view,
It should also be understood that the word “example,” as used herein, is intended to be non-exclusionary and non-limiting in nature. More particularly, the word “exemplary,” as used herein, indicates one among several examples, and it should be understood that no undue emphasis or preference is being directed to the particular example being described. It should also be understood that the word “exemplary,” as used herein, is intended to be non-exclusionary and non-limiting in nature.
The terminology used herein is for purposes of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting. The defined terms are in addition to the technical, scientific, or ordinary meanings of the defined terms as commonly understood and accepted in the relevant context.
The terms “a,” “an” and “the” include both singular and plural referents, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, “a device” includes one device and plural devices. Where a first device is said to be directly connected or directly coupled to a second device, this encompasses examples where the two devices are connected together without any intervening devices other than bonding material or devices. Where a first device is said to be coupled to a second device, this encompasses examples where the two devices are directly connected together without any intervening devices other than bonding material or devices and examples where the first and second devices are connected to one another via one or more intervening devices. The term “electrically coupled,” as that term is used herein, encompasses examples where two devices or elements are directly electrically connected together without any intervening devices or elements and examples where the two devices or elements are electrically connected to one another via one or more intervening devices or elements.
A “control device,” as that term is used herein, denotes an electronic component or circuit that is configured to carry out operations by which the control device controls some other device. The control device may be, for example, a microprocessor or a microcontroller that executes computer instructions in the form of software and/or firmware. As another example, the control device may be electrical hardware that is configured in such a way as to carry out operations by which the control device controls some other device. As yet another example, the control device may be a combination of electrical hardware and software and/or firmware configured in such a way as to carry out operations by which the control device controls some other device. References herein to a system comprising “control device” should be interpreted as a system having one or more control devices.
The term “memory” or “memory device”, as those terms are used herein, are intended to denote a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that is capable of storing computer instructions, or computer code, for execution by one or more control devices. Memory may also store various types of data, which is of particular focus of the inventive principles and concepts discussed herein. References herein to “memory” or “memory device” should be interpreted as one or more memories or memory devices. The memory may, for example, be multiple memories within the same system. The memory may also be multiple memories distributed amongst multiple systems or control devices.
A “Bluetooth-enabled device,” as that term is used herein, is a device that is capable of communicating over a Bluetooth wireless link and that is capable of executing an application program comprising software and/or firmware that allows the device to interact with the LED lighting control device to cause the LED lighting control device to control LED lighting that is electrically coupled to the LED lighting control device. A “Bluetooth wireless link,” as that term is used herein, denotes a wireless link that operates in accordance with Bluetooth® standards of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which is a corporation headquartered in Kirkland, Wash. The Bluetooth® standards are wireless technology standards for exchanging data over short distances using short-wavelength ultra high frequency (UHF) radio waves in the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio band.
The LED lighting 101 can be a single LED lighting assembly or can be a collection of LED lighting assemblies 102. In this regard, the LED lighting assemblies can be electrically coupled to the LED lighting control device 110 by a single electrical coupling 105 (as shown), typically in series, or can be electrically coupled by multiple electrical couplings in a parallel arrangement, such that each LED lighting assembly has its own coupling.
The LED lighting control device 110 also communicates wirelessly over a wireless link to other various devices, such as a wireless router 140 via wireless link 104. The wireless router 140, in turn, communicates with the Internet (typically via a wire or fiber optic connection). Also, a “virtual assistant” 150, such as an Amazon Echo or a Google Home virtual assistant, connects wirelessly to and through the wireless router 140 via wireless connection 106. In this way, the virtual assistant 150 can send communication signals to the LED lighting control device 110. These communication signals can be communicated directly from the virtual assistant 150 through the wireless router 140 and on to the LED lighting control device 110. But more typically, the communication signals are IP-based (internet protocol-based) signals that are communicated from the virtual assistant 150 out to the internet and then back to the LED lighting control device 110, passing through the wireless router 140 in both directions.
The handheld wireless device 120 can communicate wirelessly with a cell tower 160 via wireless link 107, by which the handheld wireless device is connected to the internet.
As depicted rather schematically in
The power supply 112 preferably is adapted for converting (transforming) 220V alternating current into 110V alternating current. Alternatively, it can be adapted for converting 110V alternating current into an even lower alternating current or a lower voltage in direct current, depending upon the particular voltage needs of the selected LEDs.
The LED lighting control device 110 is controlled remotely and wirelessly by a user in any number of ways, as briefly described above. operating the Bluetooth-enable device 120, which wireless communicates with the LED lighting control device 110 via the Bluetooth wireless link 103 to cause the LED lighting control device 110 to control the outdoor LED lighting 101. The LED lighting 101 is an arrangement of one or more LEDs 102. The outdoor LED lighting 101 typically includes a plurality of LEDs 102 of multiple colors and a control device (not shown) that is configured to communicate with the LED lighting controller.
In accordance with a representative embodiment, the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 executes a software application program that is specifically designed to allow the user to remotely interface with the LED lighting control device 110 to control the outdoor LED lighting 101. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the software application program generates a UI (User Interface) on a display device of the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 that looks similar or identical to a UI of the LED lighting control device 110. This allows the user to interact with the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 in the remote mode of operations in a manner that is similar to the manner in which the user interacts with the LED lighting control device 110 in the manual mode of operations to control the outdoor LED lighting 101.
For example, in accordance with an embodiment, based on a user-selected lighting scheme, the LED lighting control device 110 turns the power on and off rapidly a particular number of times to instruct the control device of the outdoor LED lighting 101 to cause the LEDs to display a particular lighting scheme. For example, to cause the outdoor LED lighting 101 to display a lighting scheme corresponding to a solid green color, the LED lighting control device 110 may turn the power on and off rapidly five times, whereas to cause the outdoor LED lighting 101 to display a lighting scheme corresponding to a particular light show made up of a plurality of different colors displayed in a particular sequence, the LED lighting control device 110 may turn the power on and off rapidly eleven times. The control device of the outdoor LED lighting 101 executes firmware that interprets these on/off power sequences and causes the outdoor LED lighting 101 to display the user-selected lighting scheme. This may be accomplished entirely in a digital domain via a digital interface, entirely in an analog domain via an analog interface interfacing with analog circuitry (not shown) of the outdoor LED lighting 101, or partially in the digital domain and partially in the analog domain using the analog and digital interfaces, respectively.
The processing logic 230 may be implemented solely in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software and/or firmware. For illustrative purposes, it is assumed that the processing logic 230 is implemented as a microcontroller or a microprocessor that executes software and/or firmware of a lighting application program 232. In accordance with a representative embodiment, the memory device 240 stores computer instructions comprising the lighting application program 232, which is executed by the processing logic 230 when the LED lighting control device 110 is operating in the remote mode of operations and being controlled by the Bluetooth-enabled device 120. In accordance with an embodiment, the processing logic 230 executes computer instructions comprising an operating system 231 that controls the operations of the LED lighting control device 110, including operations performed by the LED lighting control device 110 when the processing logic 230 is executing the lighting application program 232.
With the LED lighting control device 110 operating in the remote mode of operations, the antenna 280 receives commands communicated by the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 over the Bluetooth wireless link 103 to the LED lighting control device 110. The analog circuitry 270 performs typical analog front end operations to demodulate and decode the Bluetooth wireless signals. ADC circuitry of the DAC and ADC circuitry 260 converts the analog signals output from the analog circuitry 270 into digital signals and provides them to the processing logic 230. The processing logic 230 executing the lighting application program 232 interprets the commands contained in the digital signals and generates lighting control signals for controlling the outdoor LED lighting 101 in accordance with the commands. Again, the control of the LED lighting 101 is effected by operating the power supply 12 to cycle it on and off a selected number of times.
Although typically there is no reason for the LED lighting control device 110 to send commands or data to the Bluetooth-enabled device 120, in accordance with an embodiment, messages may be sent by the LED lighting control device 110 over the Bluetooth wireless link 103 to the Bluetooth-enabled device 120. For example, the LED lighting control device 110 may send messages to the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 concerning the status of the outdoor LED lighting 101, whether or not an operation requested by the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 is capable of being performed, whether or not the outdoor LED lighting 101 is properly connected to the LED lighting control device 110, etc. In such cases, the messages are output from the processing logic 230 to the DAC and ADC circuitry 260, which converts them into analog signals. The analog circuitry 270 then causes Bluetooth wireless signals to be generated based on the analog signals and transmitted via the antenna 280 over the Bluetooth wireless link 103 to the Bluetooth-enabled device 120.
As indicated above, the processing logic 230 is typically a device that is programmable with software and/or firmware, such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller, for example, but may comprise other types of logic such as, for example, a programmable gate array (PGA), a programmable logic array (PLA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc. The memory device 240 and the processing logic 230 may be integrated into a single device, such as an integrated circuit (IC) chip, or they may be separate devices, such as separate IC chips that are interconnected via a bus. The memory device 240 is typically a solid state memory device, such as a random access memory (RAM) chip, a read only memory (ROM) chip, a flash memory chip, etc., but could be some other type of memory device, such as an optical or magnetic memory device, for example.
With reference again to
With reference again to
The configuration of the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 is similar or identical to the configuration of the LED lighting control device 110 shown in FIG. 2, except that the lighting application program that is executed by processing logic of the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 is different from the lighting application program 232 that is executed by the processing logic 230 of the LED lighting control device 110 since the lighting application program 232 performs the functions described above with reference to
The lighting application program 870 that is executed by the Bluetooth-enabled device 120 causes the UI 520 (
The processing logic 810 is typically a device that is programmable with software and/or firmware, such as a microprocessor or a microcontroller, for example. The processing logic 810 may comprise other types of logic such as, for example, a PGA, a PLA, an ASIC, etc. The memory device 820 and the processing logic 810 may be integrated into a single device, such as an IC chip, or they may be separate devices, such as separate IC chips that are interconnected via a bus. The memory device 820 is typically a solid state memory device, such as a RAM chip, a ROM chip or a flash memory chip, for example, but could be some other type of memory device, such as an optical or magnetic memory device, for example.
It should be noted that embodiments described herein are intended to demonstrate inventive principles and concepts and that the inventive principles and concepts are not limited to these embodiment. For example, the particular configuration of the LED lighting control device 110 shown in
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/723,967 filed Aug. 28, 2018, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62723967 | Aug 2018 | US |
