Patent Application
20230358379
Many types of lamps are currently utilized daily for a variety of purposes, such as lighting, decoration, and entertainment. Some types of lamps include a vessel filled with liquids, which is exposed to a heating element, causing the liquids to move within the vessel, often creating an interesting visual effect. While many people enjoy this type of lamp for decoration and entertainment, traditional liquid lamps have a number of deficiencies which make them ill-suited for use in many settings.
For example, while traditional liquid lamps provide an ornamental glow, they don't produce light such that the lamp can be used to adequately illuminate the surrounding space. Further, traditional liquid lamps require a large table-top base capable of housing a heating element, such as an incandescent bulb, which is the traditional type of heating element utilized by liquid lamps to heat the liquids within the vessel. These traditional units are bulky and cumbersome and not practical for use in many spaces where there is a lack of tabletop surfaces and/or where tabletop surfaces need to be kept open for other uses. Further, in settings such as bars and restaurants, placing a liquid lamp on a table typically makes viewing of the liquid lamp more difficult for many of the people present.
Additionally, the methods used by traditional liquid lamps for heating the liquids inside the vessel are inefficient and inconvenient to use, resulting in wasted energy and limited use. A traditional liquid lamp utilizing an incandescent bulb can take a full day to heat up enough for the desired visual effects to be noticed. Further, because there is typically no control on the heat generated, other than an on/off switch, traditional liquid lamps become excessively hot after being left on for a length of time, which causes the liquids within the lamp to stop moving. Once a traditional liquid lamp has heat soaked, it needs to be turned off and cooled down before it can be restarted and become functional again. Additionally, in many instances, due to energy restrictions, incandescent bulbs capable of providing enough heat for traditional liquid lamps are no longer readily available.
As noted above, traditional liquid lamps operate from a simple on/off switch, and as such, have no mechanisms to monitor and adjust for liquid temperature and ambient temperature in order to prevent overheating and ensure that there is enough movement of the liquids over extended periods of time. Further, because traditional liquid lamps operate from a simple on/off switch, they can only provide one option for color of the glow produced, they are not capable of being synchronized with other lights, and they cannot provide Internet of Things (IoT) features that may be desirable in many settings.
As one illustrative example, establishments such as restaurants, bars, night clubs, and concert venues often provide choreographed light shows for entertainment, which requires the ability to synchronize tens, hundreds, or even thousands of lights. Due to the limitations of traditional liquid lamps, they are currently not capable of being used for this purpose. Previous attempts to add electronics and logic elements to liquid lamps have been unsuccessful due to the reliance of traditional liquid lamps on providing heating via an incandescent bulb, which leads to overheating and damage being caused to any electronics and logic elements that may be present within the lamp.
What is needed therefore is a liquid lamp that is capable of being securely suspended from above, utilizes an alternative heating mechanism such that logic elements can be safely housed in a portion of the lamp to enable digital control, and is capable of providing users of the liquid lamp with access to a variety of multimedia and/or IoT features.
The disclosed embodiments address the above technical problems by providing a liquid lamp that is capable of being securely suspended from above, utilizes a state of the art heating mechanism so that logic elements can be safely housed in a portion of the lamp to enable digital control, and is capable of providing users of the liquid lamp with access to a variety of multimedia and/or IoT features.
In one embodiment, a power cord and a power supply are connected to a power source, and the power cord is utilized, at least in part, to suspend a liquid lamp from a support structure. In one embodiment, the liquid lamp includes a liquid vessel component, and a collar clamp component. In one embodiment, the power cord passes through an opening in a top portion of the collar clamp, and the collar clamp is secured to a mouth portion of the liquid vessel, such that the liquid vessel is able to be securely suspended from the support structure by the power cord and/or one or more support wires. In one embodiment, an upper circuit board is positioned between the collar clamp and the mouth of the lamp vessel, and the upper circuit board is coupled to electrical wires of the power cord. In one embodiment, the upper circuit board contains one or more LED lights and/or other low voltage/low power light sources to provide light from the top of the liquid lamp, and one or more thermistors to measure temperature at the top of the lamp vessel.
In one embodiment, the vessel component of the liquid lamp contains two or more distinct types of liquids. In one embodiment, a wire loom extends from the upper circuit board down the length of the liquid vessel to a bezel component of the liquid lamp. In one embodiment, the bezel component houses a main logic board, one or more LEDs, a heating element, and one or more additional thermistors to measure temperature at the bottom of the lamp vessel and/or to measure ambient temperature. In one embodiment, the bezel is physically coupled to the bottom of the liquid vessel and the main logic board and the heating element are coupled to electrical wires of the wire loom, which not only enables power to reach the main logic board, but also allows for communication between the main logic board, the heating element, and the upper circuit board.
In one embodiment, components of the main logic board are utilized to collect temperature readings from the one or more thermistors and to dynamically adjust the heat output of the heating element, in order to control the flow of the liquids in the lamp vessel and avoid overheating. In one embodiment, the heating element is a thin film heating element. In one embodiment the logic board contains one or more lighting zones, which are capable of generating light in thousands of different colors, and are fully controllable by via wireless communication between one or more electronic devices and components of the logic board. In various embodiments, the main logic board contains components that enable a variety of multimedia and/or IoT features. For example, in one embodiment, the main logic board of the liquid lamp disclosed herein enables wireless communication between thousands of individual lamps, such that a large number of lamps can be synchronized to choreograph light and multimedia shows for events in establishments such as restaurants, bars, night clubs, and music venues.
Consequently, the embodiments disclosed herein provide technical solutions to the technical problems presented by current and traditional liquid lamp devices.
Common reference numerals are used throughout the figures and the detailed description to indicate like elements. One skilled in the art will readily recognize that the above figures are examples and that other architectures, modes of operation, orders of operation, and elements/functions can be provided and implemented without departing from the characteristics and features of the invention, as set forth in the claims.
Embodiments will now be discussed with reference to the accompanying figures, which depict one or more exemplary embodiments. Embodiments may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein, shown in the figures, and/or described below. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided to allow a complete disclosure that conveys the principles of the invention, as set forth in the claims, to those of skill in the art.
As discussed above, the embodiments disclosed herein provide technical solutions to the technical problems presented by the current and traditional liquid lamp devices. For example, the disclosed embodiments provide for a hanging liquid lamp that utilizes a heating mechanism that is more convenient, efficient, reliable, and easier to control than traditional heating options for liquid lamps, such as incandescent bulbs. The heating mechanism disclosed herein allows logic elements to be safely housed in a portion of the liquid lamp such that users of the liquid lamp are able to digitally and dynamically control liquid temperature and flow of the liquids, as well as lighting and synchronization options. Further, users of the liquid lamp with are provided access to a variety of multimedia and/or IoT features.
In one embodiment, a hanging liquid lamp system includes main power cord 101, power source 103, power plug cord 104, power supply 105, support structure 107, liquid lamp 109, liquid vessel 111, heat elements 113, logic elements 115, and light elements 117, each of which will be discussed in detail below.
As shown in
In the embodiments disclosed herein, any type of support structure 107 can be utilized to hang liquid lamp 109, as long as it is capable of supporting the weight of a filled liquid lamp 109 in a suspended position while allowing power to reach the electronic components utilized by liquid lamp 109 through main power cord 101. One example of a support structure 107 is shown in
In the illustrative embodiment of
In other embodiments, support structure 107 may include a horizontally situated pipe, rod, or beam from which one or more hanging liquid lamps 109 can be suspended. In one embodiment support structure 107 may be installed in the ceiling of a building or room, such that one or more liquid lamps 109 can be suspended from portions of a ceiling. In other embodiments, support structure 107 may include a structure mounted to a portion of a wall, wherein the structure includes a protrusion that protrudes outward from the wall, from which liquid lamp 109 may be suspended.
Also shown in
Also shown in
As noted above, in one embodiment, support structure 107 may be installed in the ceiling of a building or room, such that one or more liquid lamps 109 can be suspended from portions a ceiling. As shown in
As noted above, the embodiments shown throughout the figures are but one illustrative example of a hanging liquid lamp. As will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art, embodiments of the disclosed invention may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments as set forth herein, as shown in the figures, and/or as described below. Rather, these exemplary embodiments are provided to allow a complete disclosure that conveys the principles of the invention, as set forth in the claims, to those of skill in the art.
In the illustrative embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In further reference to
More particularly,
As shown in
Referring to
In one embodiment, finish cap outer wall 401 surrounds collar clamp 301 and related components to protect the components from dust and other external elements. In some embodiments finish cap 203 is ornamental and is used to hide the components underneath finish cap 203 from view. In other embodiments, finish cap 203 functions as a touch sensor which connects to upper ring board 303 and/or main logic board 317, which allows finish cap 203 to be used to control various features of liquid lamp 109. In some embodiments, main logic board 317 allows finish cap 203 to provide haptic feedback to a user when the touch sensing ability of finish cap 203 is activated. In some embodiments, the haptic feedback provided through finish cap 203 is utilized to inform users that commands being provided by the user are acknowledged. Additional details regarding the features of main logic board 317 will be discussed further below.
More particularly,
As shown in
Referring to
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Referring now to
Referring now to
In one embodiment, upper ring board 303 is placed over the vessel mouth 307 of liquid vessel 111, which in view 700, is covered by vessel cap 302. In one embodiment, upper ring board 303 is positioned such that one or more LEDs (not shown) on upper ring board 303 face downwards, toward the body of liquid vessel 111, as will be discussed in additional detail below. In one embodiment, the first half of collar clamp 301 is placed around a first half of vessel mouth 307, such that the first half of vessel mouth 307 is positioned within collar clamp cavity 507 of the first half of collar clamp 301, and a first half of transfer bead 309 is positioned within collar clamp transfer bead grooves 509 of the first half of collar clamp 301. In one embodiment, the first half of collar clamp 301 is also positioned such that a first half of upper ring board 303 is positioned within collar clamp ring board groove 513 of the first half of collar clamp 301. In one embodiment, power wires 701 are electrically coupled to upper ring board 303.
In one embodiment, once the first half of collar clamp 301 is in place, a second half of collar clamp 301 (shown in
As shown in
Referring to
In one embodiment, one or more liquids 204 are transferred into liquid vessel interior 803 through vessel mouth 307, such that liquid vessel interior 803 is at least partially filled with liquids 204. In one embodiment, one or more liquids 204 are transferred into liquid vessel interior 803, through vessel mouth 307 such that liquid vessel interior 803 is fully filled or mostly filled with liquids 204. In one embodiment, once one or more liquids 204 have been transferred into liquid vessel interior 803, vessel cap 302 is placed over vessel mouth 307 to prevent liquids 204 from spilling out of liquid vessel 111, should liquid vessel 111 be tipped over or jostled. In various embodiments, the liquid vessel cap 302 is able to be easily removed to allow the one or more liquids 204 to be refilled, replaced, or changed as needed and/or as desired.
In one embodiment, a clamp, such as, but not limited to, collar clamp 301, is secured around vessel mouth 307 and vessel cap 302, such that collar clamp 301 grips liquid vessel 111 securely around transfer bead 309, and vessel mouth 307 and vessel cap 302 rest within a cavity of collar clamp 301, as discussed above. In one embodiment, transfer bead 309 has a rook shape on a portion of the bead, and collar clamp 301 has an opposing rook shape on the portion of collar clamp 301 that clamps to transfer bead 309 (not shown). This configuration prevents collar clamp 301 from spinning around transfer bead 309, which in turn prevents wires of main power cord 101 from twisting within collar clamp 301. In one embodiment, bezel 205 is coupled to vessel clip notch 311, as will be discussed in additional detail below.
As shown in
In one embodiment, when upper ring board 303 is positioned around an upper portion of liquid vessel 111 such that it rests below transfer bead 309, main wire loom 201 runs down the body of liquid vessel 111 to connect with main logic board 317. In one embodiment, main wire loom 201 from upper ring board 303 to main logic board 317 is wrapped around the exterior body of liquid vessel 111. In one embodiment, main wire loom 201 runs straight down the exterior body of liquid vessel 111. In one embodiment, instead of being bundled in a loom, the electrical wires that make up main wire loom 201 are embedded within a surface of liquid vessel 111.
In one embodiment, a heating element, such as, but not limited to, thin film heater 313, is physically coupled to a bottom portion of liquid vessel 111, and is electrically coupled to main logic board 317 via heater wire loom 901. In one embodiment, thin film heater 313 is capable of being digitally controlled by main logic board 317, which sends and receives signals from thin film heater 313 and associated components via heater wire loom 901.
Referring to
Referring to
In one embodiment, thin film heater 313 is paper-thin and couples to a bottom exterior portion of liquid vessel 111 via a coupling mechanism, such as, but not limited to, an adhesive. In other embodiments, the heating source can be any type of heating source as currently known and/or as developed after the time of filing, as long as the heating source is able to affect the flow of liquids 204 within liquid vessel 111, is small enough to couple to a bottom exterior portion of liquid vessel 111, and is able to be digitally controlled by main logic board 317, without damaging the electronic components of main logic board 317.
In one embodiment, one or more thermistors are affixed to or positioned on or near a bottom exterior portion of liquid vessel 111 to measure temperature at various locations towards the lower end of liquid lamp 109. For example, in
More particularly,
As shown in
Referring to
As discussed above, in one embodiment, thin film heater 313 is affixed to a bottom exterior surface of liquid vessel 111, and is electrically coupled to main logic board 317 via heater wire loom 901, while main wire loom 201 electrically couples main logic board 317 to upper ring board 303. As shown in
As shown in
As mentioned above, in one embodiment, a top opening in a portion of bezel upper half 1001 of bezel 205 enables liquid lamp 109 components such as, but not limited to, main logic board 317, diffuser 1101, and heat insulator 315 to be placed and/or secured within bezel cavity 1005 of bezel 205. In one embodiment, once one or more liquid lamp components, such as, but not limited to, main logic board 317, diffuser 1101, and heat insulator 315, are secured within bezel 205, bezel 205 is coupled to a lower portion of liquid vessel 111, such as vessel clip notch 311 by any means as currently known and/or as developed after the time of filing for coupling physical components together. As noted above, in some embodiments, thin film heater 313 is affixed to a bottom exterior surface of liquid vessel 111, such that, when bezel 205 is coupled to vessel clip notch 311, thin film heater 313 rests within an upper portion of bezel cavity 1005, on top of heat insulator 315, thus allowing the liquids in liquid vessel 111 to be heated, while protecting main logic board 317 from the heat generated by thin film heater 313.
In one embodiment, bezel 205 couples to the lower portion of liquid vessel 111 by any coupling mechanism that is capable of reliably securing bezel 205 to the lower portion of liquid vessel 111. In one embodiment, the means for coupling bezel 205 to the lower portion of liquid vessel 111 includes vessel clip notch 311 and bezel ring clip assembly 321 (See
More particularly,
In one embodiment, bezel clip prong 319 includes bezel clip prong body 1201 and bezel clip prong mount end 1203. Referring to
In various embodiments, the above described design of bezel 205 allows the logic, lighting, and heating elements utilized by liquid lamp 109 to be easily coupled with liquid vessel 111, such that minimal space is used to house the elements, and the logic elements are protected from the heating elements. Additionally, in some embodiments, an outer surface of bezel 205 functions as a touch sensor which connects to one or more touch sensor controls on main logic board 317, which allows bezel 205 to be used to control various features of liquid lamp 109. In some embodiments, main logic board 317 allows bezel 205 to provide haptic feedback to a user when the touch sensing ability of bezel 205 is activated. In some embodiments, the haptic feedback provided through bezel 205 is utilized to inform users that commands being provided by the user are acknowledged. Additional details regarding the features of main logic board 317 will be discussed further below.
As shown in
Referring to
In one embodiment, upper ring board 303 is a circuit board, which, at a minimum, provides temperature sensing capabilities. In one embodiment, the circuit board can be any shape or dimensions desired, as long as it is capable of sensing temperature at a top portion of liquid vessel 111. In one embodiment, the circuit board is shaped like a ring, as in the embodiment of
In one embodiment, in addition to having temperature sensing capabilities, upper ring board 303 also has lighting capabilities. In one embodiment, lighting is provided by one or more LEDs, such as ring board LEDs 1301, which may be placed at any location on upper ring board 303. In one embodiment, ring board LEDs 1301 are placed around the circumference of a surface of upper ring board 303. In one embodiment, ring board LEDs 1301 are placed on a downward facing surface of upper ring board 303, such that when upper ring board 303 is placed over the mouth of liquid vessel 111 and ring board LEDs 1301 are activated, light produced from ring board LEDs 1301 shines downward, into the body of liquid vessel 111. Further, in some embodiments, upper ring board 303 may not contain any LEDs, as other portions of the liquid lamp can be relied upon to provide lighting.
In one embodiment, each LED of ring board LEDs 1301 is capable of producing a singular color. In one embodiment, each LED of ring board LEDs 1301 is capable producing more than one color. In various other embodiments, each LED of ring board LEDs 1301 is capable of producing hundreds, thousands, or millions of different colors. In one embodiment, one or more of the LEDs of ring board LEDs 1301 is able to produce UV-A ultraviolet light. In one embodiment, control signals are sent to upper ring board 303 from main logic board 317, via main wire loom 201 to control the operation of ring board LEDs 1301. In one embodiment, upper ring board 303 includes one or more touch sensor controls 1305, which allow for operation of ring board LEDs 1301 through one or more touch-based commands. Various control signals capable of being sent to upper ring board 303 from main logic board 317 will be discussed in additional detail below.
In the embodiment of
As shown in
As shown in
Referring to
As noted above, the key components of main logic board 317 are the components that allow for digital control of the heating and lighting elements of the liquid lamp. In various embodiments, the heating and lighting elements of the liquid lamp are able to be digitally controlled by a user of the liquid lamp, using any electronic device capable of communicating with components of main logic board 317. In various embodiments, lighting components of the liquid lamp disclosed herein may include one or more of: lighting elements provided by upper ring board 303 (as shown in
In one embodiment, the upward facing side of main logic board 317 may include upper inner logic board LED ring 1401 and upper outer logic board LED ring 1403. Together, these lighting rings allow for light to be projected upward from main logic board 317, into the body of the liquid vessel. Although in the embodiment of
In one embodiment, the downward facing side of main logic board 317 may include one or more lower logic board LED clusters 1415, which allow for light to be projected downward from main logic board 317, onto a surface or area below the liquid lamp or around the lower end of the liquid lamp. As discussed above, in one embodiment, a lens is coupled to the downward facing side of main logic board 317, and the lens is placed through a downward facing opening in a bezel that is coupled to the liquid vessel thus allowing light to be projected downwards from the lower end of the liquid lamp. Although in the embodiment of
In various embodiments, the one or more lower logic board LED clusters 1415 each include one or more color producing LEDs and one or more cool or white light LEDS that allow for control over the coolness and warmth of the generated light. As noted above with respect to the LEDs on the ring board, in one embodiment, each LED on main logic board 317 is capable of producing a singular color. In one embodiment, each LED on main logic board 317 is capable producing more than one color. In various other embodiments, each LED on main logic board 317 is capable of producing hundreds, thousands, or millions of different colors. In one embodiment, one or more LEDs on main logic board 317 is able to produce UV-A ultraviolet light.
In various embodiments, the support logic chips to drive the lighting components include one or more logic board lighting control chips 1417. In one embodiment, the one or more logic board lighting control chips 1417 are responsible for setting the color of each LED on main logic board 317, as well as each LED on the ring board. In some embodiments, one or more individual LEDs or groups of LEDs are either on or off, while in other embodiments, one or more of the LEDs or groups of LEDs may alternate between on and off to produce a flashing effect. In one embodiment, the logic board lighting control chips 1417 are responsible for controlling the timing of turning the LEDs on or and off and/or controlling the timing of any flashing effects. In one embodiment, main logic board 317 includes one or more microphones, such as logic board microphone 1407, and the LEDs can change color and/or flash at different speeds and/or rhythms based on sounds picked up by logic board microphone 1407. As one illustrative example, logic board lighting control chips 1417 may synchronize changing of colors or flashing across multiple liquid lamps based on ambient music or voice commands. In one embodiment, one or more touch sensors, such as touch sensors controlled by logic board touch sensor control chip 1423, can be utilized to send commands to the one or more logic board lighting control chips 1417.
Referring now to
As noted above, in one embodiment, ring board thermistor 1303 measures the temperature at a top portion of liquid vessel 111, and sends upper vessel temperature data from upper ring board 303 down to logic board heater controls 1427 of main logic board 317 via main wire loom 201. In one embodiment, lower vessel thermistor 905 measures the temperature at a lower portion of liquid vessel 111, and sends lower vessel temperature data from lower vessel thermistor 905 to logic board heater controls 1427 of main logic board 317 through wires in heater wire loom 901. In one embodiment, a third thermistor (not shown) on main logic board 317 measures the ambient temperature, and sends ambient temperature to logic board heater controls 1427.
As shown in
In one embodiment, liquid data 1515, which represents data related to two or more liquids 204 inside of liquid vessel 111, is also provided to heater control processor 1505. In one embodiment, temperature control module 1517 processes liquid data 1515, upper vessel temperature data 1509, lower vessel temperature data 1511, and ambient temperature data 1513, to generate temperature control data 1519, which, in one embodiment, represents data indicating a desired heat output for thin film heater 313. In one embodiment, temperature control data 1519 is then provided to thin film heater 313, and thin film heater 313 adjusts heat output accordingly.
In various embodiments, it is important to provide liquid data 1515 to heater control processor 1505, because one combination of liquids 204 (master and ooze) will likely behave differently than another combination of liquids 204 when heated to the same temperature. In one embodiment, temperature control module 1517 calculates the differential between upper vessel temperature data 1509 and lower vessel temperature data 1511, and adjusts the resulting data value based on ambient temperature data 1513.
In one embodiment, temperature control module 1517 has access to threshold data 1521 which represents data indicating the amount of heat that thin film heater 313 should be outputting in order to achieve specific visual effects for different liquid combinations. As one example, a particular combination of liquids 204 may produce a first type of desired visual effect at a lower temperature, and a second type of desired visual effect at a higher temperature. Thus, if a user of the liquid lamp 109 wishes to produce the second type of desired visual effect, temperature control module 1517 will check threshold data 1521 related to the liquid combination represented by liquid data 1515 to determine whether the adjusted temperature differential is within a range of values needed to produce or continue producing the second type of desired visual effect. In one embodiment, if the adjusted temperature differential is not within the range of values needed to produce the second desired visual effect, temperature control module 1517 then makes a determination as to the amount of heat that should be provided by thin film heater 313 to achieve the desired visual effect within liquid vessel 111 and generates temperature control data 1519 based on this determination. In one embodiment, temperature control data 1519 is then sent to thin film heater 313 to make any needed adjustments in heat output. In one embodiment, while liquid lamp 109 is powered on, heater control processor 1505 continually monitors the thermistor data to ensure that the adjusted temperature differential remains within the predetermined range for producing the desired visual effect. In various embodiments, this allows the liquid lamp 109 to be actively pumping liquids 204 for very long periods of time without causing any damage to the liquid lamp or its various components, which is a key improvement over current and traditional liquid lamps.
In one embodiment, heater control process 1600 begins at BEGIN 1601 and process flow proceeds to 1603. In one embodiment, at 1603, liquid data is provided to a liquid lamp heater control processor, wherein the liquid data identifies two or more liquids within a liquid vessel of a liquid lamp.
In one embodiment, once liquid data is provided to a liquid lamp heater control processor at 1603, process flow proceeds to 1605. In one embodiment, at 1605, a first thermistor is utilized to obtain upper vessel temperature data representing a temperature at an upper portion of the liquid vessel.
In one embodiment, once upper vessel temperature data is obtained at 1603, process flow proceeds to 1607. In one embodiment, at 1607, a second thermistor is utilized to obtain lower vessel temperature data representing a temperature at a lower portion of the liquid vessel.
In one embodiment, once lower vessel temperature data is obtained at 1607, process flow proceeds to 1609. In one embodiment, at 1609, a third thermistor is utilized to obtain ambient temperature data.
In one embodiment, once ambient temperature data is obtained at 1609, process flow proceeds to 1611. In one embodiment, at 1611, the upper vessel temperature data, the lower vessel temperature data, and the ambient temperature data are provided to the liquid lamp heater control processor.
In one embodiment once the temperature data is provided to the liquid lamp heater control processor at 1611, process flow proceeds to 1613. In one embodiment, at 1613, the liquid lamp heater control processor is utilized to calculate a temperature differential between the upper vessel temperature data and the lower vessel temperature data.
In one embodiment, once the temperature differential is calculated at 1613, process flow proceeds to 1615. In one embodiment, at 1615, the temperature differential is adjusted based on the ambient temperature data.
In one embodiment, once the temperature differential is adjusted at 1615, process flow proceeds to 1617. In one embodiment, at 1617, if the adjusted temperature differential is outside of a predetermined threshold associated with the liquid data, temperature control data is sent to a heating element of the liquid lamp.
In one embodiment, once temperature control data is sent to a heating element, process flow proceeds to END 1619, and the heater control process is exited to await new data and/or instructions.
Returning to
In one embodiment, main logic board 317 includes logic board speakers 1405, logic board microphone 1407, logic board haptic feedback 1409, and multimedia amplifier and haptic control 1413. The logic board speakers 1405 enable the liquid lamp to play music, vocal recordings and/or other types of audio output. The logic board microphone 1407 enables the liquid lamp to respond to audio input and/or voice commands. Logic board haptic feedback 1409 enables the liquid lamp to provide vibratory feedback in response to tap touch controls.
In one embodiment, main logic board 317 contains all of the elements needed to allow the liquid lamp to function as a virtual assistant, as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art. In one embodiment, the liquid lamp functions as a wireless network repeater. In one embodiment, one or more cameras can be mounted to the liquid lamp for a variety of purposes, such as, but not limited to, security and entertainment purposes.
In one embodiment, the elements of main logic board 317 allow an individual liquid lamp to connect wirelessly to other liquid lamps. In one embodiment, thousands of liquid lamps can be synchronized with each other. For example, one liquid lamp can be set to perform a particular sequence of lighting and/or other visual changes, and any liquid lamps that are connected together can be synchronized to perform the similar or related sequences. This feature in particular has many professional and practical uses, such as, but not limited to, use in providing light show entertainment for homes, restaurants, bars, night clubs, and concert venues.
In one embodiment, A hanging liquid lamp comprises a vessel containing two or more liquids, a clamp coupled to an upper portion of the vessel, wherein the clamp allows the vessel to be suspended from a support structure, one or more light sources, at least one heating element, wherein the at least one heating element couples to a lower portion of the vessel, two or more temperature sensors, a logic board, wherein the logic board is able to digitally control the one or more light sources and the heating element, and a bezel, wherein the bezel provides housing for the heating element and the logic board, and further wherein the bezel couples to the lower portion of the vessel.
In one embodiment, the vessel allows for at least part of the contents of the vessel to be viewed from outside of the vessel. In one embodiment, the clamp is secured around a transfer bead portion of a mouth of the vessel. In one embodiment, the heating element is a thin-film heating element. In one embodiment, the logic board includes one or more of: one or more upward facing light sources, one or more downward facing light sources, and one or more temperature sensors.
In one embodiment, the support structure is selected from the group of support structures consisting of: a support structure wherein a base of the support structure rests on a ground surface, a support structure wherein a base of the support structure rests on a furniture surface, a ceiling mounted support structure, a wall mounted support structure, a horizontal rod support structure, and a horizontal beam support structure. In embodiment, one or more power cords are secured within a cavity of the clamp such that the liquid lamp can suspended from the support structure by the one or more power cords. In one embodiment, the one or more power cords provide power to the heating element and the logic board.
In one embodiment, the hanging liquid lamp further includes a circuit board that couples to an upper portion of the vessel, wherein the one or more power cords provide power to the circuit board, and further wherein the circuit board includes one or more of: one or more light sources; and one or more temperature sensors.
In one embodiment, the bezel of the liquid lamp houses a heat insulator layer, which rests between the heating element and the logic board to protect the logic board from heat damage. In one embodiment, a lens is attached to a downward facing portion of the bezel. In one embodiment, a cap fits over the clamp, further wherein an exterior portion of the cap functions as a touch sensor to control one or more features of the liquid lamp. In one embodiment, an exterior portion of the bezel functions as a touch sensor to control one or more features of the liquid lamp. In one embodiment, the support structure can support more than one liquid lamp.
In one embodiment, one or more microcontroller units on the logic board enable wireless communication between two or more individual liquid lamps. In one embodiment, one or more microcontroller units on the logic board enable wireless communication between up to one thousand individual liquid lamps. In one embodiment, the logic board further includes one or more of: wireless network capabilities; Bluetooth® capabilities; Internet of Things (IoT) development capabilities; haptic feedback capabilities; virtual assistant capabilities; one or more speakers; one or more microphones; and one or more cameras.
In one embodiment, a system for digitally controlling a heating element of a liquid lamp comprises a liquid vessel, a logic board, a heating element, wherein the heating element is physically coupled to a bottom portion of the liquid vessel and further wherein the heating element is electrically coupled to the logic board, a first temperature sensor located at an upper portion of the liquid vessel, wherein the first temperature sensor is electrically coupled to the logic board, a second temperature sensor located at a lower portion of the liquid vessel, wherein the second temperature sensor is electrically coupled to the logic board, and a heater control component integrated into the logic board, wherein the heater control component receives temperature data from the first and second temperature sensors and utilizes the temperature data to digitally control the heat output of the heating element. In one embodiment, the system further includes a third temperature sensor located on the logic board, wherein the third temperature sensor measures ambient temperature and the heater control component utilizes the data from all three temperature sensors to digitally control the heat output of the heating element.
In one embodiment, a computing system implemented method for digitally controlling a heating element of a liquid lamp comprises providing liquid data to a liquid lamp heater control processor component of a logic board, wherein the liquid data identifies two or more liquids within a liquid vessel of a liquid lamp, utilizing a first thermistor to obtain upper vessel temperature data representing a temperature at an upper portion of the liquid vessel, utilizing a second thermistor to obtain lower vessel temperature data representing a temperature at a lower portion of the liquid vessel, utilizing a third thermistor to obtain ambient temperature data, providing the upper vessel temperature data, the lower vessel temperature data, and the ambient temperature data to the liquid lamp heater control processor, utilizing the liquid lamp heater control processor to calculate a temperature differential between the upper vessel temperature data and the lower vessel temperature data, adjusting the temperature differential based on the ambient temperature data; and if the adjusted temperature differential is outside of a predetermined threshold associated with the liquid data, sending temperature control data to a heating element of the liquid lamp.
Consequently, as discussed above, the embodiments disclosed herein provide technical solutions to the technical problems presented by current and traditional liquid lamps, which are cumbersome, bulky, energy inefficient, are not able to be driven by logic elements, and are not able to provide multimedia and/or IoT features. Further, as discussed in detail above, using the disclosed embodiments, there is considerable flexibility, adaptability, and opportunity for customization to meet the specific needs of various parties under numerous circumstances.
The present invention has been described in particular detail with respect to specific possible embodiments. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced in other embodiments. For example, the nomenclature used for components, capitalization of component designations and terms, the attributes, data structures, or any other programming or structural aspect is not significant, mandatory, or limiting, and the mechanisms that implement the invention or its features can have various different names, formats, or protocols. Also, particular divisions of functionality between the various components described herein are merely exemplary, and not mandatory or significant. Consequently, functions performed by a single component may, in other embodiments, be performed by multiple components, and functions performed by multiple components may, in other embodiments, be performed by a single component.
In addition, the operations shown in the figures, or as discussed herein, are identified using a particular nomenclature for ease of description and understanding, but other nomenclature is often used in the art to identify equivalent operations.
Therefore, numerous variations, whether explicitly provided for by the specification or implied by the specification or not, may be implemented by one of skill in the art in view of this disclosure.
This application is a divisional of Betz et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/736,769, filed on May 4, 2022, entitled “HANGING LIQUID LAMP,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if it were fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17736769 | May 2022 | US |
| Child | 18346062 | US |
