Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Plural series connected load devices – Christmas lights
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-15
2003-11-25
Ho, Tan (Department: 2821)
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Plural series connected load devices
Christmas lights
C315S18500S, C307S010400, C307S011000, C362S121000, C362S123000, C439S236000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06653797
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention involves an apparatus and method for controlling decorative lighting strings using a digital controller to synchronize different light groups on a plurality of decorative lighting strings. In particular, a control unit is added to each of a plurality of lighting strings, each light string having a plurality of light bulbs thereon. One control unit is configurable as a master control unit. The plurality of light strings are daisy chained together to form longer decorative strings. The remaining, daisy chained control units are configured as slave control units and are connected to the master control unit such that the illumination commands generated by the master control unit are distributed among the plurality of lighting strings. This distribution of illumination commands permits similar groups of light bulbs on each of the plurality of lighting strings to be synchronously controlled by the master control unit.
BACKGROUND
Numerous systems have been created that control the brightness or the on/off state of the lights that are part of either a decorative string of lights or a lighted holiday display. Most of these inventions describe a different method and apparatus for controlling the amount and duration of power applied to the bulbs or to the creation of different lighting sequences used to illuminate the bulbs of the light string.
As one example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,000 entitled Control Circuit of the Decorative Light Sets (“the Chou patent”) provides a digital control circuit for controlling the illumination sequence of a plurality of lamp bulbs to create a decorative light display. In particular, both of the control circuits in the Chou patent include an oscillator electrically coupled to each of two decoders. Each of the oscillators provides a different working frequency at which to drive their respective decoders, the outputs of which trigger the on/off (“blinking”) function of the associated lights through a switch control means. As a result, all the lamp bulbs on each of the plurality of light strings are toggled on and off according to lighting patterns provided by their associated decoders and at a variable rate determined by the output frequency of their associated oscillators.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,157 entitled Decorative String Lighting System (“the Yeh patent”) provides a light string that is particularly suited for decorating a Christmas tree. The light string of Yeh includes a control unit and a multiplicity of illuminators, each driven by a separate circuit power path. An integrated circuit controller is capable of individually activating each of the different power paths so as to control each group of similarly colored lights. Although a multiplicity of light bulb colors and types may be included on a single bus of power leads, the light string is long enough to cover a Christmas tree. Multiple individual light strings may be used to cover distances longer than that of a single light string. However, such a series of light strings would be without the ability to achieve synchrony between the illumination patterns produced by the control mechanisms of the individually controlled light strings.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,781 entitled Christmas Tree Lighting Control (“the Davis, Jr. patent”) provides an outlet extension cord having multiple outlets at a terminal end. Each of the outlets is powered by an individual power bus controlled by a different duty cycle controller. Thus, multiple strings of lights may be plugged into the extension outlets with each string receiving a different power duty cycle, thereby producing different flickering rates as between each string of lights. However, like the Yeh patent, such a series of light strings would be without the ability to achieve synchrony as between similar groups of light bulbs on the light strings, for example, the illumination of only the blue bulbs on each light string.
As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,587 entitled Programmable Lighting Control System for Controlling Illumination Duration and Intensity Levels of Lamps on Multiple Lighting Stings (“the Gray et al. patent”) describes a complex computer controlled system in which programmed light sequences, including light intensity variations, are driven by a central CPU to a multiple outlet extension arrangement. As with the Davis, Jr. patent, multiple power outlets are individually controlled by a sophisticated programmable processor. Thus, multiple strings of lights may be plugged into the extension outlets with each string controlled by a different power sequence, thereby producing different visual effects as between the light strings. However, like the Davis, Jr. patent, such a series of light strings would be without any capability to achieve synchrony between similar groups of light bulbs on each of the light strings.
Thus, the need exists to create a sequenced controller or digital control circuitry that controls a plurality of light stings, one of the light strings coupled to a master control unit, the remaining light strings coupled to the master control unit and the remaining controllers configured as slave control units. Such configuration permits the master controller unit to synchronously control a plurality of light strings on a individual, group-wise basis.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the invention includes a control unit for attachment to a light string. The light string has a plurality of lights, the plurality of lights are arranged as a plurality of sets of lights and each set of lights displays a single color. The control unit has a light driver coupled to the plurality of lights with a power bus for controlling power to the plurality of lights, and the power bus has individual power control signals for controlling power to each set of lights displaying the same color. A sequence controller is coupled to the light driver with a control bus, and the sequence controller generates a plurality of light control signals transmitted over the control bus, each light control signal operatively coupled by the light driver to one of the individual power control signals. A connector is coupled to the control bus and includes a set of transmitting leads for transmitting the control signals on the control bus outside of the control unit. The connector further includes a set of receiving leads for receiving control signals on the control bus from outside of the control unit; and a configuration selector. The configuration selector couples the sequence controller, the light driver and the transmitting leads so that the control signals from the sequence controller are routed over the control bus to the light driver and the transmitting leads in a first configuration. The configuration selector decouples the sequence controller from the light driver and couples the receiving leads to the light driver so that the control signals from the receiving leads are router over the control bus to the light driver in a second configuration.
In other aspects of the invention, the control unit of the invention further includes an AC to DC converter coupled to the light driver for supplying power to the light driver and may further include a pattern control knob coupled to the sequence controller for actuating the sequence controller to generate the light control signals. Also the configuration selector may include a connector plug for coupling with the connector where the connector plug includes the couplings of either the first or the second configurations. In another aspect of the invention, the sequence controller includes a microcontroller. Still further, the sequence controller includes a personal computer.
In another particularly preferred embodiment, the present invention for a system of synchronized lighting includes a plurality of light strings. Each light string has a plurality of lights, the plurality of lights are arranged as a plurality of sets of lights. Each set of lights displays a single color. A control unit is coupled to
McRae Michael M.
Puleo, Sr. Salvatore J.
Ho Tan
Johnson, Esq. LLC Brian K.
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