Patent Publication Number: US-11029018-B2

Title: Diffuser vent retrofitted integrated lighting

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The current application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/844,477, filed on May 7, 2019, entitled “Diffuser Vent Retrofitted Integrated Lighting,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Conventional air vents may be dispersed throughout a structure. The locations of the conventional air vent may be suitable for providing illumination when an area around the air vent is dark. Illumination at night may provide mood lighting or added safeties (e.g., providing illumination to allow a person to avoid tripping over objects) and/or securities (e.g., detects or deters intruders). Although some conventional vents (e.g., bathroom fans) provide illumination, such vents are purchased with a built-in illumination system. Such vents are not designed to receive a retro-fitted illumination system. In addition, such vents require an outlet or separate electrical line to power such devices. Therefore, improvements in providing integrated lighting to conventional air vents may be desirable. 
     SUMMARY 
     This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the DETAILED DESCRIPTION. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     An aspect of the present disclosure includes an integrated lighting system including a casing configured to detacheably couple from a conventional air vent, a motion sensor configured to detect a presence of a person, a light source, and a processor configured to receive, from the motion sensor, an indication in response to the motion sensor detecting the presence of the person, and send, to the light source, an activation signal to activate the light source in response to receiving the indication. 
     Some aspects of the present disclosure includes an air vent including a louver and a retro-fitted integrated lighting system having a casing configured to detacheably couple from a conventional air vent, a motion sensor configured to detect a presence of a person, a light source, and a processor configured to receive, from the motion sensor, an indication in response to the motion sensor detecting the presence of the person, and send, to the light source, an activation signal to activate the light source in response to receiving the indication. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The features believed to be characteristic of aspects of the disclosure are set forth in the appended claims. In the description that follows, like parts are marked throughout the specification and drawings with the same numerals, respectively. The drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and certain figures may be shown in exaggerated or generalized form in the interest of clarity and conciseness. The disclosure itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative aspects of the disclosure when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example of an environment for retrofitting conventional air vents with integrated lighting in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a conventional air vent; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a conventional air vent with an example of a retrofitted integrated lighting in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an example of a retrofitted integrated lighting in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an example of a computer system in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a method for reporting a detection in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following includes definitions of selected terms employed herein. The definitions include various examples and/or forms of components that fall within the scope of a term and that may be used for implementation. The examples are not intended to be limiting. 
     The term “processor,” as used herein, can refer to a device that processes signals and performs general computing and arithmetic functions. Signals processed by the processor can include digital signals, data signals, computer instructions, processor instructions, messages, a bit, a bit stream, or other computing that can be received, transmitted and/or detected. A processor, for example, can include microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), state machines, gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described herein. 
     The term “bus,” as used herein, can refer to an interconnected architecture that is operably connected to transfer data between computer components within a singular or multiple systems. The bus can be a memory bus, a memory controller, a peripheral bus, an external bus, a crossbar switch, and/or a local bus, among others. 
     The term “memory,” as used herein, can include volatile memory and/or nonvolatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include, for example, ROM (read only memory), PROM (programmable read only memory), EPROM (erasable PROM) and EEPROM (electrically erasable PROM). Volatile memory can include, for example, RAM (random access memory), synchronous RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), and direct RAM bus RAM (DRRAM). 
     The term “operable connection,” as used herein, can include a connection by which entities are “operably connected”, is one in which signals, physical communications, and/or logical communications can be sent and/or received. An operable connection can include a physical interface, a data interface and/or an electrical interface. 
       FIG. 1  shows an air vent  120  installed in the floor. The air vent  120  can be installed in a floor, wall or ceiling. A person  102  using a handheld device  104  can use the handheld device to interact with the air vent  120 . The handheld device  104  may include a wireless device, a mobile phone, a cellular phone, a tablet computer, a personal digital assistant, a smartphone, or other portable devices capable of wireless communications. The handheld device  104  may be implemented as a computer system (example shown below). The environment  100  may include a room  110  including a conventional air vent  120 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the conventional air vent  120  may include a first set of louvers  122  and a second set of louvers  124 . The first set of louvers  122  may be stationary or adjustable. For example, each louver of the first set of louvers  122  may be individually adjustable. The second set of louvers  124  may be stationary or adjustable. For example, each louver of the second set of louvers  124  may be individually adjustable. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 3 , in some implementations, an example of the conventional air vent  120  retrofitted with integrated lighting may include the conventional air vent  120  having the first set of louvers  122  (removed for clarity), the second set of louvers  124 , one or more brackets  126 , and a surface  128 . The second set of louvers  124  may be rotatably coupled with the one or more brackets  126 . The second set of louvers  124  may be rotated into a first position parallel to the surface  128  to substantially obstruct air flow through the conventional air vent  120  and into a second position perpendicular to the first position to allow air flow through the conventional air vent  120 . 
     In some implementations, the conventional air vent  120  may be retrofitted with an integrated lighting system  350 . The integrated lighting system  350  may be detacheably coupled with the conventional air vent  120 . For example, the integrated lighting system  350  may be coupled with one of the second set of louvers  124  using an adhesive, such as glue, cement, paste, epoxy, adhesive tapes, double sided tapes or other known adhesives for coupling the integrated lighting system  350  with one of the second set of louvers. In another example, the integrated lighting system  350  may be coupled with one of the second set of louvers  124  using one or more internal or external magnets. The one or more internal/external magnets may be disposed on one or more sides of the integrated lighting system  350 . The one or more internal magnets may magnetically couple with one of the second set of louvers  124 . In yet another non-limiting example, the integrated lighting system  350  may be coupled with one of the second set of louvers  124  using one or more fasteners such as bolts, screws, nails, buckles, buttons, ties, clamps, clasps, clips, pins, hooks, latches, pegs, rings, rivets, anchors, staples, or straps. In some aspects of the present disclosure, the integrated lighting system  350  may be coupled with at least one of the one or more brackets  126  using one or more fasteners such as bolts, screws, nails, buckles, buttons, ties, clamps, clasps, clips, pins, hooks, latches, pegs, rings, rivets, anchors, staples, or straps. 
     In some implementations, the integrated lighting system  350  may include a narrow profile to minimize obstruction to air flow through the conventional vent  120 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 4 , the integrated lighting system  350  may include a casing  352 , one or more light emitting diodes  354 , a diffuser lens  356 , a motion sensor  360 , a photodetector  362 , a battery compartment  370 , and a microcontroller  380 . The casing  352  may contain the one or more light emitting diodes  354 , the diffuser lens  356 , the motion sensor  360 , the photodetector  362 , the battery compartment  370 , the microcontroller  380  and/or other components. The one or more light emitting diodes  354  may include compound semiconductor (e.g., gallium arsenide, gallium arsenide phosphide, gallium phosphide, aluminum gallium arsenide, aluminum gallium nitride, aluminum gallium indium phosphide, aluminum gallium indium nitride, aluminum gallium, aluminum phosphide, aluminum nitride, zinc selenide, indium gallium nitride, indium gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, or other elemental, molecular (e.g., II-VI or III-V compounds)) light emitting diodes and/or organic light emitting diodes. Other lights, such as fluorescent lights or incandescent lights, may also be used. The diffuser lens  356  may include a smoke or acrylic lens for dispersing the light originating from the one or more light emitting diodes  354 . The one or more light emitting diodes  354  may be configured to provide mood lighting to the room  110  (e.g., illuminating the one or more light emitting diodes  354  at 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, or other partial luminance intensity). 
     In some implementations, the motion sensor  360  may be a passive infrared (PIR) sensor, a microwave sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a tomographic motion detector, or a photo-detection circuit and/or logic. The motion sensor  360  may measure infrared radiations emitted from objects. The photodetector  362  may include a semiconductor sensor, a photovoltaic sensor, a thermal sensor, a photochemical sensor, or other suitable photo-detection sensors. The photodetector  362  may be configured to detect the intensity of light near the integrated lighting system  350 , such as the intensity of light in the room  110 . In certain examples, the photodetector  362  may include a detection range of up to 1 foot, 5 feet (ft), 10 ft, 20 ft, 30 ft, 50 ft, 100 ft, 200 ft, 500 ft, 1000 ft, or other ranges. 
     In some examples, when the photodetector  362  detects the intensity of light to be below a predetermined threshold and the motion sensor  360  detects the presence of the person  102 , the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may activate (e.g., from off to fully on) or increase (e.g., from mood lighting to fully on) the luminance intensity of the one or more light emitting diodes  354 . In other examples, when the photodetector  362  detects the intensity of light to be above a predetermined threshold and the motion sensor  360  detects the presence of the person  102 , the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may keep the one or more lighting emitting diodes  354  in the off state. 
     In some aspects, the integrated lighting system  350  may be powered by one or more batteries  372  stored in a battery compartment  370  of the casing  352 . The battery compartment  370  is configured to receive one or more batteries to power the integrated lighting system  350 . 
     In some aspects, the integrated lighting system  350  may be controlled by a microcontroller  380 . For example, the microcontroller  380  may include one or more processors, a memory, and/or a communications circuit. The microcontroller may be communicatively coupled with the motion sensor  360  and the one of more light emitting diodes  354 . The microcontroller  380  may receive electrical energy from the one or more batteries  372 . 
     During an example of operation, the conventional air vent  120  with the integrated lighting system  350  may be placed in a room, such as the room  110 . When the person  102  enters the room  110 , the motion sensor  360  may detect the presence of the person  102  (e.g., detecting infrared radiations emitted by the person  102 ) or an animal. In response to detecting the person  102 , the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may active the one or more light emitting diodes  354  to provide illumination. 
     In some examples, in response to detecting the person  102 , the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may active the one or more light emitting diodes  354  to provide illumination when the ambience in the room  110  is dark as detected by the photodetector  362  (e.g., late at night). 
     In some implementations, the motion sensor  360  may be configured such that an animal does not trigger the motion sensor  360 . For example, the animal may produce an infrared signature captured by the motion sensor  360 . The motion sensor  360  may determine that the signature of the animal is below a predetermined threshold, and may not trigger. The motion sensor  360  may partially or entirely protrude beyond the first set of louvers  122  when the integrated lighting system  350  is coupled with the conventional air vent  120 . 
     In other examples, the integrated lighting system  350  may utilize the communications circuit in the microcontroller  380  to wirelessly communicate with the handheld device  104 , or other devices. The communications circuit may include one or more antennas or antenna arrays, transceivers, receivers, transmitters, power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, and/or modems. When the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  detects the person  102  via the motion sensor  360 , the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may transmit, via the communications circuit, a signal to a receiving device, such as the handheld device  104  or other suitable devices such as an alarm panel, to indicate the detection of the person  102 . The signal may include an identifier associated with the conventional air vent  120  and/or the integrated lighting system  350 . In an implementation, the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may transmit, via the communications circuit, a low battery signal to the handheld device  104  indicating the one or more batteries  372  have reached a low battery status. 
     In another example, the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may receive, via the communications circuit, configuration information, software update information, intrusion alerts, or other information from the handheld device  104  or other suitable systems. 
     In some aspects of the present disclosure, the integrated lighting system  350  may be integrated into an alarm system (not shown). For example, the integrated lighting system  350  may function as a stand-alone motion detector monitoring a zone (e.g., the room  110 ). Upon detecting the person  102  using the motion sensor  360 , the microcontroller  380  of the integrated lighting system  350  may transmit (via the communications circuit) an alert signal to a “hub” of the alarm system (e.g., the handheld device  104  or an alarm panel) indicating a potential intrusion. The handheld device  104  or the alarm panel, for example, may alert an authority (e.g., local police, sheriff, on-site security company) of the potential intrusion. 
     In some implementations, the integrated lighting system  350  may be programmed, by the handheld device  104  and/or an application in the handheld device  104  for example, to activate the motion sensor  360  in response to receiving an activation command from the handheld device  104  or during certain time of the day (e.g., from 9 pm to 7 am). The application may set mood lighting, turn on-off air vents when dark, activate air vents at predetermined times, deactivate air vents at other predetermined times, and alert the authority. The application may be installed on the handheld device  104 , a stand-alone computer, and/or dedicated an alarm system such as an alarm panel. 
     Aspects of the present disclosures may be implemented using hardware, software, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. In an aspect of the present disclosures, features are directed toward one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. An example of such the computer system  500  is shown in  FIG. 5 . In some examples, the handheld device  104  may be implemented as the computer system  500  shown in  FIG. 5 . The handheld device  104  may include some or all of the components of the computer system  500 . In some aspects, the integrated lighting system  350  may be implemented as the computer system  500  shown in  FIG. 5 . The integrated lighting system  350  may include some or all of the components of the computer system  500 . 
     The computer system  500  includes one or more processors, such as processor  504 . The processor  504  is connected with a communication infrastructure  506  (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network). Various software aspects are described in terms of this example computer system. After reading this description, it will become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement aspects of the disclosures using other computer systems and/or architectures. 
     The computer system  500  may include a display interface  502  that forwards graphics, text, and other data from the communication infrastructure  506  (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display on a display unit  530 . Computer system  500  also includes a main memory  508 , preferably random access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory  510 . The secondary memory  510  may include, for example, a hard disk drive  512 , and/or a removable storage drive  514 , representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a universal serial bus (USB) flash drive, etc. The removable storage drive  514  reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit  518  in a well-known manner. Removable storage unit  518  represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, USB flash drive etc., which is read by and written to removable storage drive  514 . As will be appreciated, the removable storage unit  518  includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data. In some examples, one or more of the main memory  508 , the secondary memory  510 , the removable storage unit  518 , and/or the removable storage unit  522  may be a non-transitory memory. 
     Alternative aspects of the present disclosures may include secondary memory  510  and may include other similar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into computer system  500 . Such devices may include, for example, a removable storage unit  522  and an interface  520 . Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM)) and associated socket, and other removable storage units  522  and interfaces  520 , which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit  522  to computer system  500 . 
     Computer system  500  may also include a communications circuit  524 . The communications circuit  524  may allow software and data to be transferred between computer system  500  and external devices. Examples of the communications circuit  524  may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via the communications circuit  524  are in the form of signals  528 , which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by the communications circuit  524 . These signals  528  are provided to the communications circuit  524  via a communications path (e.g., channel)  526 . This path  526  carries signals  528  and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, an RF link and/or other communications channels. In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computer usable medium” are used to refer generally to media such as a removable storage drive  518 , a hard disk installed in hard disk drive  512 , and signals  528 . These computer program products provide software to the computer system  500 . Aspects of the present disclosures are directed to such computer program products. 
     Computer programs (also referred to as computer control logic) are stored in main memory  508  and/or secondary memory  510 . Computer programs may also be received via communications circuit  524 . Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system  500  to perform the features in accordance with aspects of the present disclosures, as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor  504  to perform the features in accordance with aspects of the present disclosures. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system  500 . 
     In an aspect of the present disclosures where the method is implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into computer system  500  using removable storage drive  514 , hard drive  512 , or communications interface  520 . The control logic (software), when executed by the processor  504 , causes the processor  504  to perform the functions described herein. In another aspect of the present disclosures, the system is implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components, such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of the hardware state machine so as to perform the functions described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s). 
     In one non-limiting example, the handheld device  104  may be implemented as the computer system  500  having the one or more processor, the main memory  508 , the display interface  502 , the display unit  530 , the communication infrastructure  506 , and the communications circuit  524 . 
     In other examples, the integrated lighting system  350  may be implemented as the computer system  500  having the one or more processor, the main memory  508 , and the communications circuit  524 . 
     Turning now to  FIG. 6 , a method  600  for reporting a detected intrusion may be performed by the handheld device  104 . 
     At block  602 , the method  600  may receive a first signal from an integrated lighting system detacheably coupled with an air vent, wherein the signal indicates a detection of a person. For example, the communications circuit (e.g., the communications circuit  524 ) and/or the processor (e.g., the one or more processors  504 ) of the handheld device  104  may receive a first signal from the integrated lighting system  350  indicating the detection of the person  102  by the motion sensor  360 . The integrated lighting system  350  may be coupled with the conventional air vent  120 . 
     At block  604 , the method  600  may transmit a second signal to a third party alerting the third party about the detection of the person. For example, the communications circuit (e.g., the communications circuit  524 ) and/or the processor (e.g., the one or more processors  504 ) of the handheld device  104  may transmit a second signal to an authority to alert the authority (e.g., police, sheriff, security, alarm monitoring organization, etc.) about the detection of the person  102 . In one example, the handheld device  104  may send an emergency text message to a server of a police station to report an intrusion. In another example, the handheld device  104  may automatically place a call to a sheriff station to report the detection of the person  102 . In some examples, the handheld device  104  may send an email to security personnel to alert the security personnel about the detection of the person  102  in the room  110 . In yet another example, the handheld device  104  may send a signal to an alarm monitoring company to report the detection of the person  102 . 
     It will be appreciated that various implementations of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.