Lighting Module Theme Control Over Two-Wire Power Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lighting systems require separate wires for power and data transmission, leading to increased installation costs and complexity, and lack efficient methods for simultaneously controlling multiple lighting modules without individual programming.
Innovation Solution
A lighting system that uses a two-wire path for power and data transmission, enabling lighting modules to be uniquely addressable and programmable for different lighting themes, including ON/OFF times, color, and intensity, through a data encoded power signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate wires are used for power and data transmission in lighting systems, then reliable power supply and data communication are achieved, but installation costs and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines power transmission and data communication into a single wire pair, eliminating the need for separate data wires. The lighting controller and lighting modules share the same wire infrastructure for both power delivery and digital communication, directly reducing wiring complexity and installation costs while maintaining reliable operation
Solution Approach 2:
The wire pair serves multiple functions simultaneously: delivering AC power to lighting modules and transmitting control data bidirectionally. This multi-functional approach replaces what would traditionally require separate dedicated wires for power and data, simplifying the overall system architecture
2Ease of operation
If traditional timer boxes control all lights in unison, then simple timing control is achieved, but flexibility and individual module control are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the lighting system into individually addressable modules, each with a unique address. This segmentation allows the controller to send targeted commands to specific modules or groups, enabling independent control of each lighting module while maintaining the ability to control the entire system uniformly when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates bidirectional communication where lighting modules can acknowledge and respond to control commands. This feedback mechanism enables reliable transmission of individual module control signals through the shared wire pair, allowing flexible addressing and control of specific modules without compromising overall system simplicity
3Manufacturing precision
If lighting modules are individually programmed, then precise control is achieved, but time consumption and programming complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements pre-configured lighting themes stored in the lighting modules' memory. These themes represent pre-programmed lighting patterns and settings that can be instantly activated without requiring real-time individual programming of each module, significantly reducing setup time while maintaining precise control over lighting parameters
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic modification of lighting parameters such as ON/OFF timing, color, color temperature, and intensity through digital commands transmitted over the wire pair. This parameter-based control approach enables precise adjustment of lighting characteristics without requiring physical reconfiguration or complex individual module programming
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting system includes control adapters and a lighting controller that sends commands and data over an AC power line to power and control the lamps associated with the control adapters. Lighting themes are uniquely programmable color and intensity that are applied to a collection of control adapters to achieve different lighting modes instantly, without the delay that programming each control adapter individually incurs. The plurality of control adapters receive theme lighting information over the power line and store the theme information in memory. The lighting controller sends a single command to the collections of the control adapter groups to apply the theme or a multiple of themes to run in sequence as a pattern. Each control adapter retrieves and applies the theme information associated with the pattern.