Light fixture control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11291090-B2
Application number	US-202016930533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2020
Priority date	Jul 1, 2012
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

A fixture configuration module comprises a connector configured to be removably coupled with a light fixture. The fixture configuration module also comprises fixture control circuitry communicatively coupled to the connector and configured to control the light fixture to produce light in accordance with a range of a lighting parameter. The range includes at least a subset of values supported by the light fixture for producing light. The fixture configuration module further comprises range control circuitry communicatively coupled to the fixture control circuitry and configured to wirelessly receive the range at least while the connector is uncoupled from the light fixture, and designate the range to the fixture control circuitry while the connector is coupled to the light fixture.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fixture configuration module comprising:
a connector configured to be removably coupled with a light fixture;
fixture control circuitry communicatively coupled to the connector and configured to control the light fixture to produce light in accordance with a range of a lighting parameter including at least a subset of values supported by the light fixture for producing light; and
range control circuitry communicatively coupled to the fixture control circuitry and configured to:
wireles sly receive the range while the connector is coupled to or uncoupled from the light fixture; and
designate the range to the fixture control circuitry while the connector is coupled to the light fixture.

2. The fixture configuration module of claim 1 , wherein the range control circuitry is configured to receive the range via near-field communication (NFC) at least while the connector is uncoupled from the light fixture.

3. The fixture configuration module of claim 1 , further comprising a non-volatile memory configured to store a plurality of different ranges of the lighting parameter.

4. The fixture configuration module of claim 3 , wherein the range control circuitry is further configured to add the wireles sly received range to the plurality of different ranges stored in the non-volatile memory.

5. The fixture configuration module of claim 3 , wherein the non-volatile memory comprises:
a read only memory configured to store the plurality of different ranges; and
a programmable memory configured to store the wireles sly received range.

6. The fixture configuration module of claim 3 , further comprising user interface circuitry communicatively coupled to the fixture control circuitry, wherein the user interface circuitry is configured to add at least one further range to the plurality of different ranges stored in the non-volatile memory in accordance with received input.

7. The fixture configuration module of claim 6 , wherein the user interface circuitry comprises radio circuitry configured to receive the input via radio communication.

8. The fixture configuration module of claim 3 , wherein the range control circuitry is further configured to designate one of the plurality of different ranges by default.

9. The fixture configuration module of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of different ranges comprises a plurality of color temperature ranges and a plurality of brightness ranges.

10. The fixture configuration module of claim 1 , further comprising:
user interface circuitry communicatively coupled to the fixture control circuitry and configured to receive one or more values of the lighting parameter;
wherein the fixture control circuitry is configured to control the light fixture to produce the light at the one or more values of the lighting parameter received by the user interface circuitry that are within the range designated by the range control circuitry.

11. The fixture configuration module of claim 10 , wherein the user interface circuitry comprises radio circuitry configured to receive the one or more values of the lighting parameter via radio communication.

12. A method of controlling a light fixture, implemented by a fixture configuration module, the method comprising:
wireles sly receiving a range of a lighting parameter at least while a connector is uncoupled from the light fixture, wherein the range includes at least a subset of values supported by the light fixture for producing light; and
controlling the light fixture while coupled to the light fixture via the connector to produce light in accordance with the wirelessly received range.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein wirelessly receiving the range comprises receiving the range via near-field communication (NFC).

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
storing a plurality of different ranges of the lighting parameter in a non-volatile memory of the fixture configuration module; and
adding the wireles sly received range to the plurality of different ranges stored in the non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
storing the plurality of different ranges in a read only memory of the non-volatile memory; and
storing the wireles sly received range in a programmable memory of the non-volatile memory.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising adding at least one further range to the plurality of different ranges stored in the non-volatile memory in accordance with input received via user interface circuitry of the fixture configuration module.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising receiving the input via radio communication exchanged using radio circuitry of the user interface circuitry.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein controlling the light fixture comprises controlling the light fixture to produce the light in accordance with the wireles sly received range instead of one of the plurality of different ranges stored as a default range.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of different ranges comprises a plurality of color temperature ranges and a plurality of brightness ranges.

20. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving one or more values of the lighting parameter, wherein controlling the light fixture comprises controlling the light fixture to produce the light at the one or more values of the lighting parameter that are received and are within the range.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein receiving the one or more values of the lighting parameter comprises receiving the one or more values via radio communication.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing software instructions for controlling a programmable fixture configuration module, wherein the software instructions, when executed by processing circuitry of the programmable fixture configuration module, cause the programmable fixture configuration module to:
wirelessly receive a range of a lighting parameter at least while a connector is uncoupled from the light fixture, wherein the range identifies at least a subset of values supported by the light fixture for producing light; and
control the light fixture while coupled to the light fixture via the connector to produce light in accordance with the wirelessly received range.

Assignees

• Ideal Ind Lighting Llc

Inventors

• Bowser Robert
• Roberts John
• Liszt Kory
• Harris Michael James
• Pickard Paul

Classifications

• H05B47/1985

  Creation of lighting zones or scenes · CPC title

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/18

  via data-bus transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• F21V29/74

  with fins or blades · CPC title