IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,568,570
Granted Patent B1
US 12,568,570 · App. 18/178,747 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Electronic devices for controlling lights

Inventors: James Siminoff (Pacific Palisades, CA); Michael V. Recker (Gaithersburg, MD); Ryan David Hruska (North Royalton, OH); David Brett Levine (Chagrin Falls, OH)
Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
H05B47/1965G08B13/196G08B15/00H05B41/39H05B45/10H05B47/11H05B47/115H05B47/155H05B47/16H05B47/197H05B47/1985G08B15/002
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,568,570
App. No.
18/178,747
Granted
Mar 3, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

The present disclosure describes a network device that is capable of coordinating the control of light emitters. For example, the network device may receive data indicating conditions for activating the light emitters. The network device may then receive sensor data generated by various sensors, such as motion sensors, light sensors, or a timer. Using the sensor data, the network device may determine that the conditions are satisfied and, in response, cause the light emitters to activate. To activate first light emitters, the network device may transmit a signal to an electronic device that causes the first light emitters to activate. The first light emitters may be powered by the electronic device. Additionally, to activate second light emitters, the network device may transmit signals to the second light emitters that include commands to activate.

Claims (40)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device, first identifier data associated with a light emitter;

receiving, at the electronic device, second identifier data associated with a user device;

receiving, by the electronic device from the user device, a first condition for causing the light emitter to operate in a first state;

associating, by the electronic device, the first condition with the first identifier data;

determining, by the electronic device, that the first condition is satisfied; and

based at least in part on the determining that the first condition is satisfied, sending, by the electronic device and to the light emitter, first instructions to cause the light emitter to operate in the first state.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the electronic device, sensor data generated by at least one sensor, wherein the determining that the first condition is satisfied is based on the sensor data.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the determining that the first condition is satisfied comprises at least one of:

determining, by the electronic device, that a current time is within a time period;

determining, by the electronic device, that an amount of ambient light is below a light threshold; or

determining, by the electronic device, that motion was detected by at least one sensor.

4 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the electronic device, that the first condition is no longer satisfied; and

based at least in part on the determining that the first condition is no longer satisfied, sending, by the electronic device to light emitter, second instructions to cause the light emitter to operate in a second state different from the first state.

5 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the electronic device from the user device, a second condition to be associated with the first identifier data;

determining, by the electronic device, that the second condition is satisfied; and

based at least in part on the determining that the second condition is satisfied, sending, by the electronic device, a command to operate the light emitter in the first state or a second state.

6 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the electronic device from the user device, a command to operate the light emitter in a second state; and

based at least in part on the receiving of the first instructions, sending, by the electronic device, a second instructions to cause the light emitter to operate in the second state.

7 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first state comprises at least one of:

an on state;

an off state;

a brightness level; or

a light color.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising, based at least in part on the receiving of the first identifier data and the second identifier data, associating the user device with the light emitter.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first identifier data or the second identifier data is received from a network device.

10 . An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations comprising:

receiving first identifier data associated with a light emitter;

receiving a first condition for causing the light emitter to operate in a first state;

associating the first condition with the identifier data;

determining that the first condition is satisfied; and

based at least in part on the determining that the first condition is satisfied, sending, to the light emitter, first instructions to cause the light emitter to operate in the first state.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first identifier data or the first condition is received from a user device.

12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is in communication with a network device, and wherein the at least one of the first identifier data or the first condition is received from a user device by the network device and relayed to the electronic device.

13 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the electronic device further comprises one or more sensor devices, and wherein the determining that the first condition is satisfied is based on sensor data obtained from the one or more sensor devices.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 6, 2023
From: SIMINOFF, JAMES; RECKER, MICHAEL V.; HRUSKA, RYAN DAVID; LEVINE, DAVID BRETT
To: AMAZON TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 062890/0723 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 16453083 · Jun 26, 2019
Continuation 15974434 · May 8, 2018
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