Abstract:
A lighting system is disclosed which provides dynamic lighting control of each light on a rail lighting system. The lighting system is able to change settings of each light within a track lighting or rail lighting system based on motion, user preferences, lighting conditions, or security parameters. Light intensity and color can be set and scheduled based on user control and programming. Optical sensors may also be used to provide control input for the track lighting or rail lighting.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Field of the Invention 
       [0001]    This invention relates to wireless tracks or rails used to power and control auxiliary devices connected to the track or rail. 
       Background of the Invention 
       [0002]    Track lighting systems are well-known for use in interior decorating, display cases, and many other uses. Typical track lighting systems use a track having an interior channel with electrical conductors within the interior channel. Light fixtures usually include two tangs that are inserted into the track interior channel and twisted until contact is made with the electrical conductors. The tracks are normally mounted to a wall or ceiling by mounting screws. 
         [0003]    Presently, in an installation with track lighting like in a restaurant, art gallery, or restaurant, etc., a single wall dimmer or dimmer pack is connected to one or more circuits in a lighting track. This method of connection allows all line voltage lights connected to the lighting track to be dimmed by the same amount if the same wattage lamps are used in the lights. This setup is appropriate in a situation where equal light levels are desired. However, when different levels of light are desired, the end-user must use different wattage lamps and be limited by the set lamp wattages available for a particular lamp holder, or must run multiple lighting tracks in the same space and dim accordingly. This arrangement sets limitations on the end-user and limits their creative flexibility in lighting design. 
         [0004]    At times there arises a need for individual dimming control of separate and discrete line voltage lights, without having to run more cables and power lines or lighting tracks to each light. 
         [0005]    Existing track lighting systems only supply power to devices but do not allow for dynamic wireless control of lighting or other devices mounted to the track. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art and, in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available apparatus and methods. Accordingly, apparatus and methods in accordance with the invention have been developed to provide wireless control of devices and lighting along a track or rail. The features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
         [0007]    A wireless rail system for providing power and control to auxiliary devices on the rail is disclosed. Such a system includes a one or more channels mounted to a structural building component forming a rail. Auxiliary devices on the rail communicate with each other and user devices. Each of the auxiliary devices are addressable either wirelessly or by a parallel bus within the rail. The auxiliary devices are connected and disconnected from the rail by rotating approximately 90 degrees. 
         [0008]    A lighting system is disclosed which is able to provide dynamic lighting control of each light on a rail lighting system. The lighting system is able to change settings of each light within a track lighting or rail lighting system based on motion, user preferences, lighting conditions, or security parameters. Light intensity and color can be set and scheduled based on user control and programming. Optical sensors may also be used to provide control input for the track lighting or rail lighting. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a wireless track or rail with attached auxiliary devices in accordance with the invention; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a wireless track or rail with attached auxiliary devices in accordance with the invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a wireless track or rail with attached auxiliary devices in accordance with the invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a wireless track or rail with attached auxiliary devices in accordance with the invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side view of a wireless track or rail with a detached auxiliary device in accordance with the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side view of a wireless track or rail with an attached auxiliary device in accordance with the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a wireless track or rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of a wireless track or rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 9 a  and 9 b    are side views of wireless tracks or rails with an attached and detached rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 10 a  and 10 b    are cross-sectional views of a wireless track or rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 11  is a front view of a wireless track or rail with attached auxiliary devices in accordance with the invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 12  is a front view of a wireless track or rail with attached auxiliary devices in accordance with the invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 13  is a front view of a wireless track or rail with attached auxiliary devices in accordance with the invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 14  is a bottom view of a wireless track or rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 15  is a flow chart of a wireless track or rail communication system in accordance with the invention; 
           [0025]      FIG. 16  is a top perspective view of a wireless track or rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0026]      FIG. 17  is a top perspective view of a wireless track or rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0027]      FIGS. 18 a  and 18 b    are 90 degree in-plane rotational views of a wireless track or rail in accordance with the invention; 
           [0028]      FIG. 19  is a view of various hardware components that may be used in a motorized lifting device in accordance with the invention; and 
           [0029]      FIG. 20  is a view of various hardware components that may be used in a motorized lifting device in accordance with the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0030]    It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, may be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, as represented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of certain examples of presently contemplated embodiments in accordance with the invention. The presently described embodiments will be best understood by reference to the drawings. 
         [0031]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a structure  100  with a wireless track or rail  106  is shown attached to a ceiling of the structure. The structure  100  may be a home, garage, workshop, shed, office building, pavilion, tent, etc. The wireless rail  106  has a first power supply  102  which feeds parallel power to the rail  106  by way of bus lines. The first power supply  102  may supply high voltage such as 120 volts or 240 volts, and may additionally or alternatively supply low voltage power such as 5 volts, 12 volts, 24 volts, and/or 48 volts to the parallel bus lines of rail  106 . The first power supply  102  may also supply alternating current (AC) and/or direct current (DC) to the parallel bus lines of rail  106 . Auxiliary devices  104 ,  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114 , and  116  are shown connected to rail  106 . Each of the auxiliary devices may include a second power supply which is removable attached to the rail along with the auxiliary device itself. Each auxiliary device may also include a wireless communication module for both wireless communicating with other auxiliary devices and with user device  118 . Each communication module may use a single or multiple communication technologies in combination. For instance, controller  104  may use a WiFi or SureFi signal to communicate with a user device or network and also use Bluetooh to simultaneously communicate with other auxiliary device connected to the rail. Controller may also use bus lines as an antenna to wirelessly communicate with user device  118  or another wireless device not on the rail and/or other auxiliary devices on the rail which may or may not share a direct electrical connection to a common antenna bus line. Auxiliary devices on the rail may be used to auto-tune a common bus antenna on the rail by providing dynamic reactance to the common bus antenna on the rail. A common bus antenna may be a ground line, power line, or data line of the rail bus. Digital and analog control signals may also be transmitted along a ground line, power line, or data line of the rail bus. Auxiliary devices along the rail may communicate by bus line or by wireless transmission or by a combination of both. User device  118  may be a laptop, cellular telephone, ipad, ipod, or any other device capable of wire communication. Auxiliary devices may include controllers, computers, monitors, lighting, power receptacles for all types of power and voltage levels, cameras, microphones, speakers, fans, heaters, air conditioners, appliances, transceivers, wireless memory storage, lifters, air compressors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, alarms, security systems, home automation controllers, and/or motion sensors. 
         [0032]      FIG. 2  shows an example of a wireless rail  214  installed in an attic area  202 . Wireless rail  214  is bolted to joists  204  using fasteners  206 . The wireless rail is bolted to joists for increased load capacity. In  FIG. 2 , a user  210  used his cellular telephone to lower wench  218  allowing stairs  212  to become accessible. His cellular phone may have used Wifi or Bluetooth to communicated with controller  220  or directly with wench  218 . Next user  210  desires to lower platform  208  and access items on the platform. The user then uses his cellular phone to lower two wenches simultaneously to lower platform  208 . The user also uses his cellular phone to control the attic light which is located on wireless rail  214 . Controller  220  may include a wireless memory storage and allow computers and other auxiliary devices along with the auxiliary devices on the wireless rail to use the memory. 
         [0033]    For example, user  210  may store 10,000 home videos on the wireless memory storage located on the wireless rail in the attic space and my retrieve the videos on demand from within the user&#39;s home or office. The rail provides a convenient source of power and accessibility for all devices on the wireless rail. 
         [0034]      FIG. 3 , shows two wireless rail segments  312  and  314  joined at  304 . These rail segments may have reinforced side edges to accommodate weight and positioning needs. This rail is a powered by a wall outlet  302  and may have an additional transformer in area  306  for supplying low voltages in addition to a high voltage of the wall outlet. Controller  308  may include the ability to address each of the auxiliary components on the rail and allow access to device  310  of all auxiliary devices. 
         [0035]      FIG. 4 , shows a wireless rail with a controller  416  and lights  404 ,  406 ,  408 ,  410 , and  412 . The lights may be any combination of LEDs, florescent, incandescent, halogen, neon, or mercury vapor lights. The lights may each have controllers built in to each of the light bases which allow for control of the color, intensity or radiation pattern of the light transmitted. Each of the lights may include a wireless transceiver for communicating with each other and with controller  416  and with user device  418 . Each light may use communicate a first wireless signal and second wireless signal. The first wireless signal may be a long range or a short range signal. The second wireless signal may be a long range or short range signal. One or more control signals may be transmitted by way of bus lines of the wireless rail. Each light on the rail may send or receive one or more wireless signals using one or more antennas which may be common data bus lines, power lines or ground lines on the rail bus. Controller  416  may include a motion sensor, optical sensor, camera, or microphone for enabling dynamic control of the lights on the rail. For example, a person may walk across a room and lights may turn on or increase in brightness based on a direction of motion of the person. A camera or optical sensor may detect a change of lighting in a room due to cloud cover and automatically increase specific lights based on a predetermined lighting threshold in a specific area of a room. Each light may be removable by turning the light  90  degrees. Each light may be individual configured by a user or home owner according to user preferences. A user lighting schedule may be set for each individual light or for a group of lights. Each light may communicate directly with a user or with controller  416  wirelessly. Each light may additionally or alternatively be addressed by controller  416  allowing access to each light from a user device or a remote location over the internet. 
         [0036]      FIG. 5 , shows a wireless rail  502  with an inner bracket  506  and wireless rail bus lines  508 ,  510 ,  512 , and  514 . Auxiliary device  528  is connected to rail  502  by inserting the auxiliary device into the rail track and turning the auxiliary device  90  degrees. When auxiliary device  528  is inserted into the rail, bus lines  508 ,  510 ,  512 , and  514  are connected to  516 ,  518 ,  520 , and  522  of auxiliary device  528 . Wireless rail  502  may be mounted to a wall, stud, joist, or other structural member by way of fastener  504 . Fastener  504  would be installed with inner bracket  506  removed. 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  shows a plant  640  being lifted by lifter  638  which is installed in wireless rail  606 . Wireless rail  606  is attached to ceiling  600  by fasteners  604 . The plant may be lowered by a user to water the plant. Also shown in  FIG. 6  are wire connections  614 ,  628 ,  632 , and  630  between lifting device  638  and the bus lines. Here we have a power line, a ground line, a data line and a common antenna. The common antenna line is used to communicated with other wireless auxiliary devices on the wireless rail and/or a user device. A user device may include a Wifi router, cellular telephone, user computer, or other cloud based user access point. Wireless rail  606  may be formed of steel, plastic, carbon fiber, or other suitable material for holding auxiliary devices. Heavy auxiliary devices such as lifer  638  may include a weight bearing member  640  for directly distributing weight of the auxiliary device onto a portion of the wireless rail  606 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 7  shows wireless rail  702  with mounting options  708 , 706 , and  710 . Mounting hole  706  is used to mount wireless rail  702  when the inner bracket holding the bus lines has been removed. The inner bracket may have protrusions  704  which separated the bus lines. 
         [0039]      FIG. 8  shows a mounting option of wireless rail  808 . Wireless rail  808  is mounted to studs  802  along a wall. Holds  810  are used to secure wireless rail  808  to studs  802 ,  804 , and  806 . 
         [0040]      FIGS. 9 a  and 9 b    show male connectors  908 ,  910 ,  912 , and  914  and female connectors  916 ,  918 ,  920  and  922  of the two rail segments  902  and  904 . The connections of rail segments provide continuous continuity of the bus lines shown at  906 . 
         [0041]    In  FIGS. 10 a  and 10 b   , a rail is used as an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio waves. A long rail may have advantages in receiving and transmitting electromagnetic waves especially between auxiliary devices on the rail. In  FIG. 10 b   , wireless communication signals  1004  and  1006  are being transmitted from two different bus lines at the same time. 
         [0042]      FIG. 11  shows a built-in wireless transmitter  1102  built-in to the wireless rail. Here the wireless transmitter  1102  is transmitting a first signal  1112  from a circuit board within the transmitter  1102  using a PCB antenna and transmitting a second signal  1104  using the rail as a second antenna. 
         [0043]    In  FIG. 12 , an air compressor is mounted to the wireless rail  1218 . The wireless rail  1218  is located in garage. Other auxiliary devices are also mounted to the rail and controlled by user device  1216 . Power supply  1202  here is wired to line voltage within the garage. Controller  1204  has a short range wireless signal and controls and addresses devices on wireless rail  1216  while controller  1206  is a long range wireless transceiver which communicates with cell towers miles away. Controller  1206  is also addressed by controller  1204  allowing a user device to remotely monitor an area by way of camera  1210 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 13  shows long range and short range wireless transceivers built into wireless rail  1304 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 14  shows one or more channels  1402 ,  1404 ,  1406 ,  1408 ,  1410 ,  1412 ,  1414 ,  1416 , and  1418  connected to form a rail. This rail may be formed by mounting each channel to a stud, joist, ceiling or structural wall member. 
         [0046]      FIG. 15  show a block diagram for control of auxiliary devices on the wireless rail. At  1502  power is supplied to the rail. One or more controllers are powered at  1506 . The one or more controllers look for a command to be sent to activate or enable a device on the wireless rail. A signal is sent from a user device at  1504 . The signal is received and interpreted at  1506  by one or more devices on the wireless rail. A command is sent to a specific device on the wireless rail for performing a specific function at  1508 . At  1512  the device on the wireless rail performs the function. The device sends a conformation of the performed function to the mobile device and/or one or more controllers. 
         [0047]      FIG. 16  shows a perspective view of a wireless rail  1602  with an inner bracket  1604  and an end cap  1606 . 
         [0048]      FIG. 17  show an area  1704  which is curved inward. This curved inward portion provides a space for a fastener to attach rail  1702  to a structural component. Grooves  1706  provide an area for retaining bus wires. 
         [0049]      FIGS. 18 a  and 18 b    show 90 degree in-plane rotations of an auxiliary component  1826  within a rail. Wires  1806  and  1808  come into contact with end portions  1822  and  1810  when device  1826  is rotated and locked into the rail track. 
         [0050]      FIG. 19  shows a lifer device mounting bracket which may be used in connection with the wireless rail. Mounting bracket  1904  may be used around the rail with the rail mounted on an inside portion of the track and above lifter  1910 . Lifting device  1910  includes a pair of flanges  1914  and  1906 . The flanges  1914  and  1906  may enable the lifting device  1910  to be quickly and easily connected to a bracket  1904  with pins, bolts, or other fasteners at position  1902 . Mounting bracket  1904  may be attached to a ceiling joist, wall stud, or other structural member. The flanges  1914  and  1906  may also allow the lifting device  1910  to be quickly and easily removed or attached to another bracket in a different location. Thus, the lifting device  1910  may be configured for quick and easy attachment and removal from ceilings, walls, or the like. 
         [0051]      FIG. 20  shows a lifter device  2010  mounted with in mounting bracket  2004 . Areas  2012 ,  2014 ,  2006 , and  2008  may serve to provide power to lifting device  2010  by way of a wireless rail which is located in area  2016 . 
         [0052]    The apparatus and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from their spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.