Modular Smart Trim for Recessed Lighting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrating wireless and sensing capabilities into recessed lighting fixtures is challenging due to the physical location of power supplies, making it difficult to add or replace components like motion sensors, microphones, and speakers without replacing the entire lighting fixture.
Innovation Solution
A modular smart trim system that can be detachably attached to recessed lighting fixtures, featuring a processor, sensors, and communication components, which receives power and communication signals through a dedicated interface, allowing for easy addition or replacement of features without requiring significant work on the lighting fixture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If components are integrated with a lighting fixture housing, then the lighting fixture can provide wireless and sensing capabilities, but the components become permanently dedicated and require replacement of the entire lighting fixture or significant work to replace the integrated component
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the lighting fixture into separate modular components: a housing with light source and a detachable trim with wireless and sensing capabilities. This segmentation allows the trim to be independently replaced without replacing the entire lighting fixture, resolving the contradiction between capability integration and ease of repair.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the trim dynamically attachable and detachable from the housing through a mechanical interface. This dynamic connection enables easy replacement of the trim module to update or repair wireless and sensing components without permanent integration, solving the replacement difficulty while maintaining capability integration.
2Reliability
If power supplies are located deep within a ceiling, then the lighting fixture can be properly positioned, but it becomes difficult to place wireless, sensor, audio, and video components that need to be close to the ceiling or exposed to the surface below
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the power supply function (located deep in the ceiling within the housing) from the wireless and sensing components (located in the detachable trim). This segmentation allows the trim to be positioned close to the ceiling surface where it needs to be for optimal operation, while the power supply remains in its reliable deep ceiling location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a mechanical interface and electrical connections as intermediaries between the housing (with power supply) and the trim (with wireless components). This intermediary connection enables the trim to be easily attached and detached, allowing component placement optimization without compromising power supply reliability.
3Ease of manufacture
If a modular detachable trim system is used, then components can be easily added or replaced without significant work, but the connection interface and power transmission requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the mechanical interface to serve multiple functions simultaneously: mechanical attachment, electrical power transmission, and data communication. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed and simplifies the overall system despite the modular design, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A trim for a lighting fixture includes a trim structure, a processor disposed on the trim structure, and an interface electrically coupled to the processor. A power is provided to the processor from a power source of the lighting fixture via the interface.