IP Library Granted Patent US 10,172,218
Granted Patent B2
US 10,172,218 · App. 15/714,350 · Granted Jan 1, 2019

Master/slave arrangement for lighting fixture modules

Inventors: Arnold Motley (Cary, NC); Joseph P. Chobot (Morrisville, NC); Daniel J. Pope (Morrisville, NC); John J. Trainor (Durham, NC); Michael James Harris (Cary, NC)
Assignee: Cree, Inc.
H05B37/0272H05B33/0809H05B33/0842H05B33/0854H05B37/02H05B37/0218H05B37/0254F21K9/62F21V5/04F21V7/00F21V29/70F21Y2115/10H05B37/0245
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,172,218
App. No.
15/714,350
Granted
Jan 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a lighting fixture that includes a driver module and at least one other module that provides a lighting fixture function, such as a sensor function, lighting network communication function, gateway function, and the like. The driver module communicates with the other modules in a master/slave scheme over a communication bus. The driver module is configured as a slave communication device, and the other modules are configured as master communication devices. As such, the other modules may initiate communications with the driver to send information to or retrieve information from the driver module.

Claims (28)

1. A switch module comprising:

a light sensor;

a communication interface;

a user interface; and

circuitry adapted to:

in a first mode:

determine that at least one of a plurality of lighting fixtures is entering a lightcast mode, in which the at least one of a plurality of lighting fixtures emits a first lightcast signal via a light source of the at least one of a plurality of lighting fixtures;

monitor for the first lightcast signal provided by the at least one of a plurality of lighting fixtures via the light sensor;

effect generation of lightcast data based on receipt of the first lightcast signal; and

send the lightcast data via the communication interface; and

in a second mode:

receive user input via the user interface; and

based on the user input, send an instruction to the at least one of a plurality of lighting fixtures via the communication interface to control a light output level of the at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

2. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the lightcast data is sent to the at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

3. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the lightcast data is sent to each lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

4. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the lightcast data is sent to a commissioning tool.

5. The switch module of claim 4 wherein the commissioning tool is connected to a personal computing device.

6. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to determine local sensor data from the light sensor.

7. The switch module of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to send the local sensor data to the at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

8. The switch module of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is further configured to control how to instruct the plurality of lighting fixtures to output light based on the local sensor data.

9. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the switch module further comprises an occupancy sensor and the switch module is further configured to determine occupancy information from the occupancy sensor.

10. The switch module of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is further configured to control how to instruct the plurality of lighting fixtures to output light based on the occupancy information.

11. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises switch circuitry adapted to determine whether the switch module should be on or off.

12. The switch module of claim 1 further comprising switch circuitry adapted to determine a dimming position of the switch module.

13. The switch module of claim 12 wherein the switch circuitry provides information based on the dimming position to the circuitry and the circuitry is further adapted to process the information.

14. The switch module of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to determine whether or not to send a command to the at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

15. The switch module of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to determine whether or not to send status information to the at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

16. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface that facilitates wireless communications with each lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2026
From: LUMEN ACQUISITION HOLDINGS, LLC
To: LED-IP MANAGEMENT, LLC
Reel/Frame 075624/0358 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2023
From: IDEAL INDUSTRIES LIGHTING LLC
To: FGI WORLDWIDE LLC
Reel/Frame 064897/0413 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2019
From: CREE, INC.
To: IDEAL INDUSTRIES LIGHTING LLC
Reel/Frame 049595/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2019
From: MOTLEY, ARNOLD; CHOBOT, JOSEPH P.; POPE, DANIEL J.; TRAINOR, JOHN J.; HARRIS, MICHAEL JAMES
To: CREE, INC.
Reel/Frame 049322/0595 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 15416764 · Jan 26, 2017
Continuation 13782096 · Mar 1, 2013
Continuation In Part 13589899 · Aug 20, 2012
Continuation In Part 13589928 · Aug 20, 2012
Provisional Application 61738749 · Dec 18, 2012
Provisional Application 61666920 · Jul 1, 2012
Related Publication 20180014394A1 · Jan 11, 2018