Systems and methods of determining a type and feature set of a light source, and the control thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9532434-B2
Application number	US-201414585288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 27, 2016
Grant date	Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Systems and methods of the disclosed subject matter provide to detect the signature of a light source through either electrical signature on a circuit or external light signatures output by the light source, and a switch can change modes and features to match the capabilities of the connected light source. Embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide a light source, a sensor to determine a type of the light source, and a switch, including a processor, to determine a set of operations according to the determined type of light source, and to control the light source to perform a selected operation from the determined set of operations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a light source;
a sensor to determine a type of the light source; and
a switch, including a processor, to determine a set of operations according to the determined type of light source, wherein the determined set of operations includes a dimming operation range, and to control the light source to perform a selected operation from the determined set of operations.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor determined the type of light source from the group consisting of: a light emitting diode (LED) light source, a smart LED light source, a compact fluorescent light (CFL) source, and an incandescent light source.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor determines that the type of light source is a CFL light source according to the group consisting of: a mercury energy spike in an output spectrum of the light source, a radio frequency (RF) signature of an inductor of a circuit coupled to the light source, an arc strike at startup of the light source, and a power spike at startup of the light source.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processor of the switch determines a dimming operation of the CFL light source by reducing a voltage to the CFL light source, and the sensor determines if the CFL light source dims or flashes according to the reduced voltage.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor determines that the type of light source is a LED light source according to the group consisting of: a radio frequency (RF) signature of a transformer of a circuit coupled to the light source and a time period at which the light source begins using electricity from a power source.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the sensor determines the type of light source to be a LED light source when the time period at which the light source begins using electricity from the power source is less than 500 ms.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the processor of the switch determines a dimming operation of the LED light source by reducing a voltage to the LED light source, and the sensor determines if the LED light source dims according to the reduced voltage.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor determines that the type of light source is an incandescent light source according to the group consisting of: a temperature coefficient of resistance as the light source is turned on, and a measured electrical usage as the light source transitions to outputting full brightness over a predetermined time period.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined time period is selected from the group consisting of: 100 ms, 200 ms, 400 ms, 500 ms, and 700 ms.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor of the switch determines a wattage range to control the dimming of the light source according to the determined type of the light source.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor controls a selection of a dimmer type controllable by the switch according to the determined type of the light source.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor of the switch controls the light source electronically when the type of light source is determined to be from the group consisting of: a light emitting diode (LED) light source, a compact fluorescent light (CFL) source, and an incandescent light source.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor of the switch controls the light source via software when the light source is determined to be smart light source.

14. A method comprising:
determining, by a sensor, a type of light source;
determining, by a processor of a switch, a set of operations according to the determined type of light source, wherein the determined set of operations includes a dimming operation range; and
controlling, by the processor of the switch, the determined type of light source to perform a selected operation from the determined set of operations.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining the type of light source comprises:
determining the light source from the group consisting of: a light emitting diode (LED) light source, a smart LED light source, a compact fluorescent light (CFL) source, and an incandescent light source.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining the type of light source comprises:
determining that the light source is a CFL light source according to the group consisiting of: a mercury energy spike in an output spectrum of the light source, a radio frequency (RF) signature of an inductor of a circuit coupled to the light source, an arc strike at startup of the light source, and a power spike at startup of the light source.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
determining a dimming operation of the CFL light source by reducing a voltage to the CFL light source and determining if the CFL light source dims or flashes according to the reduced voltage.

18. The method of claim 14 , the determining the type of light source comprises:
determining that the light source is a LED light source according to the group consisting of: a radio frequency (RF) signature of a transformer of a circuit coupled to the light source and a time period at which the light source begins using electricity from a power source.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the determining that the light source is the LED light source when the time period at which the light source begins using electricity from the power source is less than 500 ms.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
determining a dimming operation of the LED light source by reducing a voltage to the LED light source and determining if the LED light source dims according to the reduced voltage.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the determining the type of light source comprises:
determining that the light source is an incandescent light source according to the group consisting of: a temperature coefficient of resistance as the light source is turned on, and a measured electrical usage as the light source transitions to outputting full brightness over a predetermined time period.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the predetermined time period is selected from the group consisting of: 100 ms, 200 ms, 400 ms, 500 ms, and 700 ms.

23. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
determining a wattage range to control the dimming of the light source according to the determined type of the light source.

24. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
controlling a selection of a dimmer type that is controllable by the switch according to the determined type of the light source.

25. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
controlling the light source electronically when the light source is determined to be from the group consisting of: a light emitting diode (LED) light source, a compact fluorescent light (CFL) source, and an incandescent light source.

26. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
controlling the light source via software when the light source is determined to be smart light source.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Keith David William

Classifications

• H05B45/14

  using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules · CPC title

• H05B47/105 Primary

  in response to determined parameters · CPC title

• H05B39/041

  the light-intensity of the source (H05B39/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B41/39

  continuously · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title