Patent Application
20240015871
The invention relates generally to wirelessly connected lights and more specifically to wirelessly connected lights that are synchronized to send a preset message.
Connected lights generally involve lights that are connected through a centralized processor that comprises a controller. This then senses the light requirement of a certain region, and then controls the lights of that region according to the requirement. In some instances, the controller is associated with one of the lights, which becomes a master light, and all other connected lights become a slave light.
Typically, connected lights involve connecting through the controller. The connection may then be routed through a communication network, which may even include the use of the internet or a mobile network. Thus, lights distributed across any location around the world may then be suitably connected to light up in a synchronized manner
Such connected lights are used in many situations. For example, connected lights are used in a restaurant wherein a light on a table is connected to a light in the kitchen, such that when the table light is turned on, the kitchen light is also turned on, thus indicating to the wait staff about a certain requirement. Similarly, friendship lamps that are suitably synchronized through the internet is also known in the art.
In all these instances, one of the lights is a master light, while the other connected lights are slave lights. Thus, the master light dictates the state of all the connected slave lights.
There is a need in the art for a set of connected lights that are non-specific in the direction of instructions whilst retaining all the connected lights in a synchronized state at all times.
In one aspect, the invention provides a connected set of lights comprising a plurality of lights, wherein each light comprises a housing to house a power source and an illumination panel powered by the power source, wherein each light is connected to the other lights directly wirelessly.
In another aspect, the invention provides a connected set of lights comprising a plurality of lights described herein, wherein each light is connected to the other lights directly wirelessly. Each light transmits its state to the other connected lights to synchronize the states of the connected lights.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of operating a set of connected lights, each light comprising a housing to house a power source and an illumination panel powered by the power source, wherein each light is connected to the other lights directly wirelessly, wherein each light comprises at least one sensor; operating a first light through the sensor to change its state, and automatically operating the other connected lights to synchronize their respective states.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood when the following detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout the drawings, wherein:
The definitions provided herein are to facilitate understanding of certain terms used frequently herein and are not meant to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” encompass embodiments having plural referents, unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing feature sizes, amounts, and physical properties used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the foregoing specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing the teachings disclosed herein.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.
As noted herein, in one aspect the invention provides a connected set of lights. Each light in the set of lights comprises a housing to house a power source and an illumination panel powered by the power source. The housing is made of a translucent plastic material known in the art that can provide diffused lighting when the illuminating panel is lit up. Further, each light is connected to the other lights directly wirelessly. The illumination panel comprises a set of lighting elements, which may be made from a single-colored LED lamps or a set of multi-colored LED lamps.
Each light is connected to the other lights through a direct wireless connection that is least one of Wi-Fi direct, Bluetooth, infrared, wireless wide area network (WWAN), wireless local area network (WLAN), RFID, Zigbee, and combinations thereof. Thus, each light comprises a transmitter and receiver such that it can transmit its state to the other connected lights, and receive the state from the other's lights also. In this manner, when one light is switched on to a specific color, the other connected lights are also switched on to the same color immediately.
The power source comprises at least one rechargeable battery. In some embodiments, the rechargeable battery can be recharged through a recharging port well-known in the art. One exemplary recharging port includes a USB port. Another exemplary recharging port includes wireless chargers. Other recharging ports are also known in the art and are contemplated to be within the scope of the invention.
Each light in the set of lights comprises at least one sensor, which may include at least one of a touch sensor, acoustic sensor, gesture sensor, motion sensor, and combinations thereof. In one exemplary embodiment, the lights comprise a touch sensor.
Once one of the lights is actuated by a sensor, the light then transmits its state to the other connected lights within the vicinity, following which the other connected lights also synchronize its state to the first light.
Each light in the connected set of lights is associated with a state. Each light transmits its state to the other connected lights to synchronize the states of the connected lights. In one exemplary embodiment, the state is one of on or off. Thus, all the lights may be in off state or they may be in an on state configured to glow in any color. In another exemplary embodiment, the state of the lights is on to glow in any one of multiple options of color . Thus, when one of the lights is switched on to a certain color, all the other connected lights are synchronized to that same color. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
Each light may further comprise attachment means at a suitable location on the light. This attachment means will enable the light to be attached to a particular location, such as a wall, on a table, on a door etc. Attachment means known in the art include, at least one of an adhesive backing, a magnetic back, double sided adhesive tape, hook and loop fastener (known commonly in the art as Velcro®), and the like, and combinations thereof.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method of operating the set of connected lights described in the invention to convey a preset message associated with every state of the lights. Thus, in this manner, the invention enables a method of conveying a preset message comprising associating at least one state of a light to the preset message by operating a first light through the sensor to enable one of the at least one state and synchronizing the state of the other connected lights to that of the first light, and consequently conveying the preset message.
State may include Off to indicate no message, On to indicate ‘Do Not Disturb’. Further, multiple states may be used to convey different messages. For example, a Red light may be used to indicate ‘Do Not Disturb’, Green light to indicate ‘Allow the next person’, Blue light to indicate ‘Out of Office’, and so on. Further, such lights can enable communication between individuals or groups of individuals. For example, one individual inside an office can tap the light to turn on green color that has pre-assigned a message “My current meeting is over”. Following this, another individual in possession of the other connected light can tap the light to turn on a blue color that has pre-assigned a message “I am sending the next person in.”
Different states may be enabled by different gestures. For example, a single tap may be used to turn on the light, two short double taps may be used to change light color, a long tap may be used to turn off, and so on. Alternately, a clap may be used to turn on the light, while two short claps may be used to change light color, three short claps may be used to turn off, and so on. More such variations in gestures, touches, acoustics etc. will become obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, and is envisioned to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.
Thus, the invention also provides a system of communicating between individuals or groups of individuals through the use of the connected lights, wherein the lights are connected to each other directly wirelessly. It would also become obvious to one skilled in the art that the illumination panel can be illuminated in such a way to spell words to convey messages.
The set of connected lights of the invention can find tremendous use in various situations, such as, but not limited to, offices to communicate between bosses and assistants, doctors' offices, hotel rooms, restaurants, and so on.
Thus, the invention provides a set of connected lights that synchronize their respective states by wirelessly connecting to each other directly. Once each state is assigned a predetermined message, the set of connected lights may be used to convey messages to each other. Further, the set of connected lights can also be used to communicate through a series of messages between individuals or groups of individuals.
While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications and changes will occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention.
