System and methods for operating a lighting device

1. A lighting device comprising:

a light source comprising a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs);

a control circuit configured to control the operation of the light source; and

a communication device positioned in communication with the control circuit;

wherein the communication device is configured to receive a transmission from a user device;

wherein the transmission comprises a data structure;

wherein the data structure comprises a show packet and an event packet;

wherein the show packet comprises an ID string and information regarding a number of event packets associated with the data structure;

wherein the event packet comprises information regarding a lighting spectrum, a fade type, a fade duration, and a hold duration; and

wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the light source to emit light transitioning from a present light emission having a present spectral power distribution to a light emission having spectral power distribution indicated by the lighting spectrum according to the fade type and fade duration, and to operate the light source to emit light having the spectral power distribution indicated by the lighting spectrum for a length of time indicated by the hold duration.

2. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the control circuit comprises a plurality of transition points; and wherein the control circuit is configured to operate the light source so as to transition the spectral power distribution of light emitted by the light source between at least one of the plurality of transition points and the spectral power distribution indicated by the lighting spectrum.

3. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein at least one of the plurality of transition points corresponds to a color of light emitted by an LED of the plurality of LEDs.

4. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein at least one of the plurality of transition points corresponds to a black body radiation curve color point.

5. The lighting device of claim 2 wherein the control circuit is configured to exclude at least one transition point of the plurality of transition points when transitioning from the present spectral power distribution to the spectral power distribution associated with the lighting spectrum.

6. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the data structure further comprises a repeat packet; wherein the event packet further comprises an indication as to whether the event packet is part of a repeat group; and wherein the repeat packet comprises information regarding repeating one or more event packets associated with the data structure.

7. The lighting device of claim 6 wherein the show packet further comprises information regarding the number of repeat packets associated with the data structure.

8. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the show packet further comprises information regarding a duration of the data structure.

9. The lighting device of claim 8 wherein the show packet further comprises information regarding an ending spectral power distribution to be emitted upon the reaching the duration of the data structure.

10. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the show packet further comprises information regarding a start time of the data structure.

11. The lighting device of claim 1 wherein the fade type is selected from the group consisting of linear fade, exponential fade, logarithmic fade, sinusoidal fade, fade through black, black body fade, and color wheel fade.

12. A method of operating a lighting device comprising a control circuit and a light source, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting light having an initial spectral power distribution;

receiving a data structure comprising a show packet and an event packet;

identifying the number of event packets associated with the data structure;

identifying a lighting spectrum, a fade type, a fade duration, and a hold duration associated with the data structure; and

operating the light source so as to emit light transitioning from the initial spectral power distribution to a light emission having a spectral power distribution indicated by the lighting spectrum, according to the fade type and fade duration, for a length of time indicated by the hold duration.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of determining a plurality of transition points responsive to each of the initial spectral power distribution, fade type, and spectral power distribution indicated by the lighting spectrum;

wherein the step of operating the light source comprises operating the light source so as to transition the spectral power distribution to at least one of the plurality of transition points.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the light source comprises a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs); and wherein at least one the plurality of transition points corresponds to a color of light emitted by an LED of the plurality of LEDs.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one of the plurality of transition points correspond to a block body radiation curve color point.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein at least one transition point of the plurality of transition points is excluded.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the data structure further comprises a repeat packet, the method further comprising the steps of:

identifying the number of repeat packets associated with the data structure;

identifying one or more event packets associated with the repeat packet; and

operating the light source responsive to the repeat packet.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising operating the light source according to a fade type selected from the group consisting of a linear fade, an exponential fade, a logarithmic fade, a sinusoidal fade, a fade through black, a black body fade, and a color wheel fade.

19. A method of operating a lighting device comprising a control circuit and a light source, the method comprising the steps of:

emitting light having an initial spectral power distribution;

receiving a data structure comprising a show packet and an event packet;

identifying the number of event packets associated with the data structure;

identifying a lighting spectrum, a fade type, a fade duration, and a hold duration associated with the data structure;

determining a plurality of transition points responsive to each of the initial spectral power distribution, fade type, and spectral power distribution indicated by the lighting spectrum; and

operating the light source so as to transition the spectral power distribution between operating the light source so as to emit light transitioning from the initial spectral power distribution to a light emission having a spectral power distribution indicated by the lighting spectrum, according to the fade type and fade duration, for a length of time indicated by the hold duration.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the data structure further comprises a repeat packet, the method further comprising the steps of:

identifying the number of repeat packets associated with the data structure;

identifying one or more event packets associated with a repeat packet; and

operating the light source responsive to the repeat packet.