Abstract:
A multi-channel and feedback-controlled light apparatus has a transmitter unit and a receiver unit. The transmitter unit sends out a wireless signal through at least one channel to the receiver unit. When the receiver unit receives the wireless signal, the receiver unit correspondingly sends a response signal back to the transmitter unit. If the transmitter unit does not receive the response signal, the transmitter unit will switch to new channels to send the wireless signal to the receiver unit at new channels until the transmitter unit receives the response signal. Therefore, the receiver unit can correctly receive the wireless signal and overcomes the signal missing problem induced by channel interferences. The light apparatus increases the wireless signal transmission effect.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a light apparatus, and more particularly to a multi-channel and feedback-controlled light apparatus. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Wireless light control device is quite common nowadays. A wireless control device mainly comprises a transmitter module and a receiver module. The receiver module is electrically connected to a load device. The transmitter module is adapted to send out a wireless signal to the receiver module. When the receiver module receives the wireless signal, the receiver module activates the load device according to the wireless signal. Because the transmitter module wirelessly communicates with the receiver module without any cable, a user can use the wireless control device without considering or being limited by the layout of cables. 
         [0005]    In general, the radio frequencies of the transmitter module and the receiver module should match to each other, such that the receiver module is able to receive the wireless signals sent from the transmitter module. 
         [0006]    However, when an external device enters the wireless signal coverage of the conventional wireless control device, the wireless signal of the external device may interfere with the wireless signal of the transmitter module. As a result, the receiver module cannot correctly receive the wireless signal from the transmitter module and the use of the conventional wireless control device encounters obstacles. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An objective of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel and feedback-controlled light apparatus. The apparatus makes sure that the receiver unit can correctly receive the wireless signal from the transmitter unit, such that the receiver unit does not miss the wireless signal. 
         [0008]    The light apparatus of the present invention comprises a transmitter unit and a receiver unit. 
         [0009]    The transmitter unit has a wireless module and a transmission controller. The transmission controller sends out a wireless signal according to a light driving signal through at least one channel via the wireless module. When the transmission controller does not receive a response signal after the transmission controller sends out the wireless signal, the transmission controller switches to at least one new channel to send out the wireless signal at the new channel until the transmission controller receives the response signal. 
         [0010]    The receiver unit matches the transmitter unit and has a load circuit, a wireless module and a reception controller. The reception controller receives the wireless signal via the wireless module of the receiver unit and activates the load circuit according to the wireless control module. When the reception controller receives the wireless signal, the reception controller sends the response signal to the transmission controller. 
         [0011]    The light apparatus of the invention has obvious advantages as described below: 
         [0012]    1. Automatically confirm that the reception controller correctly receives the wireless signal from the transmitter unit: 
         [0013]    Because the reception controller sends the response signal to the transmission controller as long as the reception controller receives the wireless signal from the transmission controller, the transmission controller makes sure that the reception controller correctly receives the wireless signal based on the response signal. 
         [0014]    When the transmission controller does not receive the response signal, the reception controller may not have received the wireless signal. A possible reason is that the present channel is interfered. Hence, the transmission controller then switches to a new channel to send out the wireless signal again at the new channel. The transmission keeps executing the changing action to send out the wireless signals in the newly selected channel until the transmission controller receives the response signal from the reception controller. 
         [0015]    As a result, according to the response signal, the light apparatus of the invention automatically does a feedback-checking action and a channel-switching action to confirm that the reception controller correctly receives the wireless signal from the transmitter unit. The light apparatus of the invention overcomes the problem that the conventional receiver module may miss the wireless signal from the transmitter module. 
         [0016]    2. Increase the wireless signal transmission effect: 
         [0017]    The light apparatus of the present invention can operate at different channels. When a presently used channel is under interference, the transmission controller can immediately and automatically switches to a new channel to send out the wireless signal again at the new channel. Furthermore, the transmission controller confirms that the reception controller correctly receives the wireless signal based on the response signal. As a result, the signal missing rate in the present invention decreases. Therefore, the wireless signals can be effectively transmitted from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a circuit block diagram of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2A-2C  are a detailed circuit diagrams of the transmitter unit of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3A-3D  are detailed circuit diagrams of the receiver unit of the present invention; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is an operation diagram of the transmitter unit and the receiver unit of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a transmitter unit  10  and a receiver unit  20 . 
         [0023]    The transmitter unit  10  is adapted to be mounted on a host equipment, such as a truck. With reference to FIGS.  1  and  2 A- 2 C, the transmitter unit  10  has a power circuit  11 , a regulator circuit  12 , a filter circuit  13 , a transmission controller  14 , a wireless module  15  and a light indicator  16 . 
         [0024]    The power circuit  11  is adapted to be connected to a power supply of the host equipment. The power circuit  11  receives a working voltage from the power supply of the host equipment. 
         [0025]    The regulator circuit  12  has an input electrically connected to the power circuit  11  to receive the working voltage and regulates the working voltage. The regulator circuit  12  has an output electrically connected to the transmission controller  14  and the wireless module  15 . The regulator circuit  12  provides the regulated working voltage to the transmission controller  14  and the wireless module  15 . 
         [0026]    The filter circuit  13  is electrically connected to a signal source of the host equipment. For example, the signal source can be a control system of the truck. The signal source generates a light driving signal for activating the lights of the truck. The filter circuit  13  responds for filtering noises from the light driving signal. 
         [0027]    The light indicator  16  can be composed of seven-segment displays. 
         [0028]    The transmission controller  14  is electrically connected to the filter circuit  13 , the wireless module  15  and the light indicator  16 . The transmission controller  14  receives the light driving signal from the filter circuit  13  and generates a wireless signal according to the light driving signal. The transmission controller  14  emits the wireless signal via the wireless module  15  through one channel or multiple channels. Each channel has a particular communication frequency. 
         [0029]    The transmission controller  14  activates the light indicator  16  to display a symbol or number according to the light driving signal generated from the signal source. For example, when a user steps on a brake, the signal source generates the light driving signal indicating the braking action. The transmission controller  14  receives the light driving signal and activates the light indicator  16  to display “1” as an indication of the braking action. 
         [0030]    The receiver unit  20  is adapted to be mounted on a client equipment and matches the transmitter unit  10 , such as a towed trailer connected behind the truck. With reference to FIGS.  1  and  3 A- 3 D, the receiver unit  20  has a wireless module  21 , a load circuit  22 , a reception controller  23 , a power circuit  24 , a voltage detection circuit  25  and a registry button  26 . 
         [0031]    The load circuit  22  includes multiple LEDs (light emitting diode) and speakers. 
         [0032]    The reception controller  23  is electrically connected to the wireless module  21  and the load circuit  22 . The reception controller  23  receives the wireless signal generated from the transmitter unit  10  via the wireless module  21 . 
         [0033]    When the reception controller  23  receives the wireless signal, the reception controller  23  activates the load circuit  22  according to the wireless signal. For example, the load circuit  22  has a warning LED mounted on the back of the towed trailer. When the transmitter unit  10  generates the wireless signal for the braking action as mentioned above, the reception controller  23  activates the warning LED for indicating the braking action. 
         [0034]    The power circuit  24  is electrically connected to the wireless module  21 , the load circuit  22  and the reception controller  23  to provide a DC working voltage for them. In this embodiment, the power circuit  24  has a regulator  241 . The regulator  241  has an input adapted to be connected to a battery  242  or an external power supply. The regulator  241  converts a voltage from the battery  242  or the external power supply to the DC working voltage, such as DC3V. 
         [0035]    The voltage detection circuit  25  is electrically connected to the reception controller  23  and an input pin and output pin of the regulator  241 . The voltage detection circuit  25  has a first electric switch Q 1 , a second electric switch Q 2  and an LED  251 . When the potential of the battery  242  is not enough to activate the first electric switch Q 1 , the first electric switch Q 1  is turned OFF. The second electric switch Q 2  is then turned ON to activate the LED  251 . Therefore, the lighted LED  251  indicates that the battery  242  is running out soon. 
         [0036]    The registry button  26  is electrically connected to the reception controller  23 . When the registry button  26  is activated, the reception controller  23  receives the wireless signal through the wireless module  21  in the air from the transmitter unit  10 . The wireless signal has a recognition code. When the reception controller  23  receives the wireless signal, the reception controller  23  registers the recognition code. 
         [0037]    Therefore, when the reception controller  23  receives any wireless signal afterward, the reception controller  23  determines whether the wireless signal is generated from the transmitter unit  10  based on the recognition code. If the wireless signal is from the transmitter unit  10 , the reception controller  23  activates the load circuit  22  according to the wireless signal. If the wireless signal is not from the transmitter unit  10 , the reception controller  23  does not execute any action. 
         [0038]    The operating instance mentioned above is just an illustrative example. In practice, users can set the transmitter unit  10  and the receiver unit  20  at any equipment of interest to them. 
         [0039]    When the reception controller  23  receives the wireless signal from the transmitter unit  10 , the reception controller  23  not only activates the load circuit  22 , but also sends a response signal back to the transmission controller  14  via the wireless module  21 . When the transmission controller  14  receives the response signal, the transmission controller  14  confirms that the reception controller  23  correctly receives the wireless signal. 
         [0040]    The wireless signal generated from the transmitter unit  10  may be interfered by external transmission devices which use channels at the same or approximate frequency as the channel that the transmitter unit  10  uses. The receiver unit  20  then cannot receive the wireless signal, such that the reception controller  23  cannot activate the corresponding load circuit  22 . 
         [0041]    Because the reception controller  23  does not receive the wireless signal, the reception controller  23  does not send the response signal to the transmitter unit  10 . Therefore, the transmission controller  14  does not receive the response signal after the transmission controller  14  sends out the wireless signal. The transmission controller  14  cannot confirm whether the reception controller  23  receives the wireless signal or not. 
         [0042]    With reference to  FIG. 4 , when the transmission controller  14  does not receive the response signal, the transmission controller  14  sends out the wireless signal through other channels. 
         [0043]    For example, when the transmission controller  14  does not receive the response signal after the transmission controller  14  sends out the wireless signal at a first channel, the transmission controller  14  switches to use a second channel to replace the first channel and sends out the wireless signal at the second channel. 
         [0044]    For another example, when the transmission controller  14  does not receive the response signal after the transmission controller  14  operates at several channels including a first channel, a second channel, a third channel, a fourth channel and a fifth channel, the transmission controller  14  than switches to use new channels, including a sixth channel, a seventh channel, an eighth channel, a ninth channel and a tenth channel, to send out the wireless signal at the new channels. 
         [0045]    If the transmission controller  14  still does not receive the response signal, the reception controller  23  probably does not correctly receive the wireless signal. The transmission controller  14  then switches to new channels again to send out the wireless signal at new channels until the transmission controller  14  receives the response signal from the reception controller  23 . 
         [0046]    In conclusion, the reception controller  23  sends the response signal to the transmission controller  14  after the reception controller  23  receives the wireless signal. The transmission controller  14  makes sure that the reception controller  23  correctly receives the wireless signal according to the response signal. If the transmission controller  23  does not receive the response signal, the transmission controller  23  will keep sending out the wireless signal at different channels until the transmission controller  14  receives the response signal from the reception controller  23 , such that the reception controller  23  can correspondingly activate the load circuit  22  according to the light driving signal generated from the host equipment all the time.