Lighted artificial tree with distributed lighting power and control

1. A lighted artificial tree having distributed electrical power and light control, comprising:

a first tree section including:

a first trunk portion defining a first end, a second end, and a defining a first trunk cavity;

a first plurality of branches attached at a first end to the first trunk portion and extending outward and away from the first trunk portion;

a first plurality of lighting elements distributed about the first plurality of branches;

a first wiring assembly for conducting electrical power, the first wiring assembly located at least partially within the first trunk cavity;

a first trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the first trunk cavity adjacent the first end of the first trunk portion, the first trunk electrical connector being in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, and including a first connector body and a first plurality of electrical terminals; and

a first controller in electrical communication with the first wiring assembly and the first trunk electrical connector;

a second tree section including:

a second trunk portion defining a first end, a second end, and a defining a second trunk cavity;

a second plurality of lighting elements;

a second wiring assembly for conducting electrical power, the second wiring assembly located at least partially within the second trunk cavity;

a second trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the second trunk cavity adjacent the first end of the second trunk portion, the second trunk electrical connector being in electrical connection with the second wiring assembly, and including a second connector body and a second plurality of electrical terminals;

a second controller in electrical communication with the second wiring assembly, the second trunk electrical connector and the second plurality of lighting elements, the second controller configured to selectively power the second plurality of lighting elements in response to light-control data received from the first controller;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that the first end of the first trunk portion couples to the first end of the second trunk portion, thereby causing the first plurality of electric terminals of the first trunk electrical connector to be in electrical connection with the second plurality of electrical terminals of the second trunk electrical connector such that electrical power and the light-control data may be transmitted from the first tree section to the second tree section.

2. The lighted artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first trunk electrical connector and the second trunk electrical connector each include four electrical terminals.

3. The lighted artificial tree of claim 2 , wherein two of the four electrical terminals are configured to transmit electrical power, and two of the four electrical terminals are configured to transmit the light-control data.

4. The lighted artificial tree of claim 2 , wherein alternating-current power is transmitted from the first trunk electrical connector to the second trunk electrical connector and direct-current power is transmitted from the first trunk electrical connector to the second trunk electrical connector.

5. The lighted artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first tree section further includes a third controller, the third controller in electrical communication with the first controller, the third controller receiving light-control data from the first controller, and selectively powering the first plurality of lighting elements based on the received light-control data from the first controller.

6. The lighted artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the second tree section further includes a fourth controller and a third plurality of lighting elements, the fourth controller receiving light-control data from the first controller and controlling the third plurality of lighting elements based on the light control data received from the first controller.

7. The lighted artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the first controller is located outside of the first trunk cavity.

8. The lighted artificial tree of claim 7 , wherein the first controller is mounted to the trunk portion below the first plurality of branches, such that no branches are below the first controller.

9. A lighted artificial tree having distributed electrical power and light control, comprising:

a first tree section including:

a first trunk portion defining a first trunk cavity;

a first plurality of branches attached at a first end to the first trunk portion and extending outward and away from the first trunk portion;

a first plurality of lighting elements distributed about the first plurality of branches;

a first wiring assembly for conducting electrical power and light-control data, the first wiring assembly located at least partially within the first trunk cavity;

a first trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the first trunk cavity adjacent the first end of the first trunk portion, the first trunk electrical connector being in electrical connection with the first wiring assembly, and including a first connector body and a first plurality of electrical terminals; and

a primary tree controller in electrical communication with the first wiring assembly and the first trunk electrical connector, the primary tree controller including a receiver for receiving wireless communication data from a remote-control device over a wireless network;

a second tree section including:

a second trunk portion defining a first end, a second end, and a defining a second trunk cavity;

a second plurality of lighting elements;

a second wiring assembly for conducting electrical power, the second wiring assembly located at least partially within the second trunk cavity;

a second trunk electrical connector located at least partially within the second trunk cavity adjacent the first end of the second trunk portion, the second trunk electrical connector being in electrical connection with the second wiring assembly, and including a second connector body and a second plurality of electrical terminals;

a first secondary controller in electrical communication with the second wiring assembly, the second trunk electrical connector and the second plurality of lighting elements, the second secondary controller configured to selectively power the second plurality of lighting elements in response to light-control data received from the primary controller;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that a first end of the first trunk portion couples to a first end of the second trunk portion, thereby causing the plurality of first electric terminals of the first trunk electrical connector to be in electrical connection with the second plurality of electrical terminals of the second trunk electrical connector such that electrical power and the light-control data may be transmitted from the first tree section to the second tree section.

10. The lighted artificial tree of claim 1 , wherein the receiver of the primary controller is located outside of the first trunk cavity.

11. The lighted artificial tree of claim 10 , wherein the receiver comprises an integrated circuit configured to operate at a radio frequency and an antenna, and the receiver is located below the first plurality of branches, such that all branches of the first tree portion are above the receiver.

12. The lighted artificial tree of claim 9 , wherein the primary controller is configured to receive a WiFi or Bluetooth wireless signal.

13. The lighted artificial tree of claim 9 , wherein the first plurality of electrical terminals of the first trunk electrical connector comprises four electrical terminals.

14. The lighted artificial tree of claim 13 , wherein two of the four electrical terminals are electrically connected to two conductors of the first wiring assembly, the two conductors of the first wiring assembly configured to conduct electrical power, and two of the four electrical terminals are electrically connected to the primary controller and are configured to transmit light-control data.

15. The lighted artificial tree of claim 9 , wherein the primary controller comprises a processor and a memory, the memory storing the light-control data.

16. A lighted artificial tree, comprising:

a first tree section including a trunk, wiring assembly and trunk electrical connector, the trunk of the first tree section having a first end and a second end;

a second tree section including a trunk, wiring assembly and trunk electrical connector, the trunk of the second tree section having a first end and a second end, and defining a cavity between the first end and the second end, at least a portion of the wiring assembly located within the cavity of the trunk of the second tree section, and in electrical connection with the trunk electrical connector of the second tree section;

a distributed light power and control system, including:

a primary controller including a processor,

a plurality of sub-controllers, each sub-controller including a processor, each of the plurality of sub-controllers in electrical communication with the primary controller;

a plurality of lighting elements, each of the plurality of lighting elements in direct electrical communication with one of the plurality of sub-controllers;

wherein the first tree section is configured to couple to the second tree section such that the first end of the trunk of the second tree section couples to the second end of the trunk portion of the first tree section, and the trunk electrical connector of the first tree section couples to the trunk electrical connector of the second tree section such that the first tree section is in electrical connection to the second tree section, and the primary controller is in electrical connection with each of the plurality of sub-controllers, and wherein each of the plurality of sub-controllers is configured to selectively power each of the plurality of lighting elements to create a lighting effect.

17. The lighted artificial tree of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of sub-controllers is mounted to one of a plurality of branches of the second tree section.

18. The lighted artificial tree of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of lighting elements includes a lighting control circuit and one or more light-emitting diodes.

19. The lighted artificial tree of claim 16 , wherein one or more of the plurality of sub-controllers includes a voltage regulation circuit for regulating the voltage to the plurality of lighting elements that are controlled by the one or more of the plurality of sub-controllers, the voltage regulation circuit adjusting the voltage to the plurality of controlled lighting elements in the event of a failure of one or more of the controlled lighting elements.

20. The lighted artificial tree of claim 16 , wherein each of the plurality of lighting elements includes a red-green-blue light-emitting diode, and is connected to one of the plurality of sub-controllers by four conductors, a terminal end of each of the four conductors each making a connection at each of the plurality of lighting elements.