Multi-Zone Lighting Controller for Decorative Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users face significant effort and complexity in configuring and synchronizing decorative lighting displays across multiple illuminated decorations, such as trees, wreaths, and candy canes, especially during special occasions, as existing systems require manual connection and programming of individual lights in each area.

Innovation Solution

A multi-zone, multi-control, multi-color remote control system that uses a zone controller to independently control lighting zones, allowing for remote configuration and activation of lighting patterns and sequences, enabling flexible and reconfigurable decorative lighting displays across multiple zones from a single remote control.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If manual connection and programming of individual lights in each decoration is used, then each decoration can be controlled independently, but the user effort and time required to configure and synchronize multiple decorations increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of configuring decorative lighting displaysVSAvoidtime required to connect, configure, and activate display

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual decoration controls into a unified system where a single controller can manage multiple decorations simultaneously. The controller integrates programming capabilities that allow users to configure lighting patterns for multiple decorations through a single interface, eliminating the need to manually program each decoration separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The controller is designed with multi-functional capabilities to handle various decoration types (trees, wreaths, candy canes) with different lighting requirements. It provides universal programming functions that can adapt to different decoration configurations and lighting patterns, reducing the need for multiple specialized controllers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple individual controllers are used for each decoration zone, then each zone can be controlled independently, but the system complexity and number of components required increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to control multiple zones independentlyVSAvoidnumber of controllers and connections required

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The controller is divided into multiple independent zones, each capable of controlling a specific decoration or section. Each zone can be programmed and controlled independently through the single controller interface, providing zone-level independence without requiring separate physical controllers for each zone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Multiple zone control functions are merged into a single controller unit. The controller integrates multiple channel outputs that can be individually programmed while maintaining a unified control interface, reducing the total number of controllers needed in the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of manufacture

If predetermined illumination patterns are used in multiple decorations, then setup effort is reduced, but the ability to create coordinated and customized displays across multiple zones is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of setting up lighting displaysVSAvoidflexibility in creating customized lighting patterns

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The controller includes pre-programmed lighting patterns and sequences that can be quickly activated. These preliminary patterns provide immediate setup convenience while allowing users to later customize and modify the patterns to create coordinated displays across multiple zones according to their specific preferences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static predetermined patterns to dynamic customizable patterns. Users can modify the pre-programmed patterns through the controller interface to create coordinated displays across multiple zones, allowing the system to adapt from fixed configurations to flexible, customized lighting designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10834804B1Light display control system with remote control

Publication Date: 2020.11.10 NAT CHRISTMAS PROD LLC

AI summary

Apparatus and associated methods relate to configuring a decorative lighting zone with a zone controller adapted to independently control the lighting in the lighting zone, programming the zone controller to implement a lighting command received from a remote control, and automatically providing a remotely configurable lighting display in the lighting zone based on independently activating the lighting command in the zone controller. In an illustrative example, the lighting command may be a lighting sequence. The lighting zone may be, for example, a multi-color light displaying time-varying artificial tree lighting patterns. In some examples, the zone controller may be a multi-zone controller adapted to permit the remote control to independently program and activate multiple zones. Various examples may advantageously provide a multi-zone, multi-control, multi-color remote control system configured to provide flexible, reconfigurable decorative lighting patterns and sequences coordinated in multiple zones based on a single remote control configuring multiple multi-zone controllers.