Abstract:
A string light device employs a mobile device to control a string light thereof through a bluetooth connection module thereof. The mobile device is activated to switch to one of the display modes of the string light so as to operate the string light to exhibit a visual effect, such as blinking the string light according to rhythms of music or sounds or changing the luminance or color or the string light. Accordingly, users achieve to wirelessly control a string light by simply using a mobile device, such as a smart phone or a tablet personal computer.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a Christmas string light control system and a string light device thereof and more particularly to a Christmas string light control system and a string light device thereof capable of being controlled by a smart phone or a tablet personal computer (PC). 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    People usually string Christmas lights on Christmas trees as an ornament to celebrate Christmas and weave the Christmas lights through the Christmas trees to create festive atmosphere. Christmas string lights in early days have no particular design but are simply lit up to decorate the Christmas trees. 
         [0005]    To keep abreast with technical advancement, latest Christmas lights have been designed to turn on according to various display modes. With reference to  FIG. 7 , a conventional string light device has a string light  60 , a control module  70  and a power input module  80 . The control module  70  serves to control the string light  60  according to one of multiple display modes. The power input module  80  serves to acquire a mains power and outputs an operating power. The control module  70  is electrically connected to the string light  60 , and memorizes the display modes of the string light  60 . The selected display mode is activated to alternately light up the light bulbs on the string light  60 , display a different lighting pattern to suit the alignment of the string light  60 , regularly change luminance of the string light  60 , or demonstrate any visual effect that the string light is capable of displaying. The string light device then provides a visual effect based on the selected display mode when the control module  70  controls the string light  60  to operate according to the selected display mode. The power input module  80  is electrically connected to the control module  70  and the string light  60  to provide the operating power to the control module  70  and the string light  60 . 
         [0006]    If the control module memorizes multiple display modes, the conventional string light device must have a switch mounted on the control module for users to switch among the display modes. Thus, users must approach the string light device and then switch to a desired display mode. Such restriction certainly causes operational inconvenience in using the conventional string light device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    An objective of the present invention is to provide a Christmas string light control system and a string light device thereof allowing users to wirelessly control a string light thereof and exhibit a desired visual effect through the use of a mobile device. 
         [0008]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the Christmas string light control system has a string light, a control end device and a mobile device. 
         [0009]    The control end device is electrically connected to the string light and has a bluetooth connection module. 
         [0010]    The mobile device is wirelessly connected to the bluetooth connection module of the control end device, and transmits a wireless signal to the control end device for the control end device to control the string light according to a selected display mode. 
         [0011]    To achieve the foregoing objective, the string light device has a string light, a bluetooth connection module and a control module. 
         [0012]    The bluetooth connection module is adapted to wirelessly connect to a mobile device and receive a wireless command signal transmitted from the mobile device. 
         [0013]    The control module is electrically connected to the bluetooth connection module and the string light, and serves to control the string light according to a selected display mode. When receiving the wireless command signal transmitted from the mobile device, the bluetooth connection module converts the wireless command signal into the string light control command and transmits the string light control command to the control module. The control module then controls the string light according to the display mode mapped to by the string light control command. 
         [0014]    The power input module serves to acquire a mains power, convert the mains power into an operating power and output the operating power, and is electrically connected to and supplies the operating power to the control module, the bluetooth connection module and the string light. 
         [0015]    According to the foregoing technical measure, the string light device can be wirelessly connected to a currently popular mobile device, such as a smart phone or a tablet PC, through the bluetooth protocol, and the mobile device can be treated as a remote control to the string light device. Therefore, users can easily operate the string light device with their own mobile devices to perform different functions, such as blinking the string light according to rhythm of music or sounds, or changing the luminance or color of the string light. 
         [0016]    Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a Christmas string light control system in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a string light device of the Christmas string light control system in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a string light device of the Christmas string light control system in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a functional block diagram of the Christmas string light control system in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a functional block diagram of the string light device in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a functional block diagram of the string light device in  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  is a functional block diagram of a conventional string light device. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    With reference to  FIG. 1 , a Christmas string light control system in accordance with the present invention has a string light  10 , a mobile device  20 , and a control end device  30 . The control end device  30  is electrically connected to the string light  10  and may have a bluetooth connection module. The mobile device  20  may be a smart phone or a tablet PC. In the present embodiment, the mobile device  20  is a smart phone. The mobile device  20  is wirelessly connected to the bluetooth connection module of the control end device  30 , and transmits a wireless signal to the control end device  30  so that the control end device  30  can control the string light  10  according to a selected display mode to exhibit a different visual effect. 
         [0025]    With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a first embodiment and a second embodiment of a string light device of the Christmas string light control system in  FIG. 1  are shown. The second embodiment of the string light device differs from the first embodiment in that the second embodiment has multiple control end devices  30  and multiple string lights  10  and the control end devices  30  are detachably connected with the respective string lights  10  for users to expand the string lights  10  according to a display demand. 
         [0026]    From the foregoing, the major design concept of the Christmas string light control system of the present invention focuses on controlling the string light  10  to generate different visual effects through operation of a smart phone or a tablet PC. As the smart phone or the tablet PC functions as a remote control dedicated to control the string light  10 , it is unnecessary for manufacturers of the Christmas string light control system to manufacture dedicated remote control for controlling the string light  10  and for users to get dedicated remote control for controlling the string light  10 . To control the string light  10 , the users only need to directly operate a smart phone or a tablet PC. 
         [0027]    The second embodiment of the string light device further discloses that the control end devices  30  are detachably connected with the string lights  10  and the control end devices  30  can acquire the mains power from a common power plug  331  so that users can additionally mount or dismount the string lights  10  to reflect the need of expanding the string lights  10 . 
         [0028]    With further reference to  FIG. 1 , the Christmas string light control system has a string light  10 , a mobile device  20  and a control end device  30 . 
         [0029]    The string light  10  has multiple light bulbs  11  and an electric cable  12  connected with the light bulbs  11 . In the present embodiment, the string light  10  is mounted on a Christmas tree. However, the string light  10  includes but is not limited to the string light  10  of the present embodiment. The string lights that are used to embellish or decorate things to create festive atmosphere can be all considered as the string lights of the present invention. 
         [0030]    The mobile device  20  may be a smart phone or a tablet PC. In the present embodiment, the mobile device is a smart phone. With reference to  FIG. 4 , the mobile device  20  has a touch panel  21 , a bluetooth communication module  22  and a command generation module  23 . 
         [0031]    The touch panel  21  serves to display a frame and outputs an operation command according to a user&#39;s touch event. 
         [0032]    The bluetooth communication module  22  serves to transmit and receive wireless signals. In the present embodiment, the bluetooth communication module  22  may be a bluetooth communication module transmitting and receiving bluetooth signals or a Wi-Fi network module transmitting and receiving Wi-Fi signals. 
         [0033]    The command generation module  23  is electrically connected to the touch panel  21  and the bluetooth communication module  22 , controls the touch panel  21  to display a command input interface  211  for users to input, generates a string light control command according to the input conducted on the command input interface  211 , and transmits the string light control command to the bluetooth communication module  22 . The bluetooth communication module  22  converts the string light control command into a wireless command signal and transmits the wireless command signal. The command input interface  211  displayed on the touch panel  21  displays multiple functions for users to select to adjust the string light  10 , such as on and off states of the string light, an overall luminance, a blinking effect varying with music stored in the mobile device  20  or with a sound received by a microphone built in the mobile device  20  and the like according to the selected display mode of the string light  10 . When users select one of the functions, the command generation module  23  transmits a string light control command to the bluetooth communication module  22  according to the function selected by users. 
         [0034]    The control end device  30  has a bluetooth connection module  31 , a control module  32  and a power input module  33 . 
         [0035]    The bluetooth connection module  31  serves to wirelessly connect to the bluetooth communication module  22  of the mobile device  20  and pair with the bluetooth communication module  22  of the mobile device  20 . The bluetooth connection module  31  may be a bluetooth communication module for transmitting and receiving bluetooth signals or a Wi-Fi network module transmitting and receiving Wi-Fi signals. 
         [0036]    The control module  32  is electrically connected to the bluetooth connection module  31  and the string light  10 , and serves to control the string light  10  according to the selected display mode. When receiving the wireless command signal transmitted from the bluetooth communication module  22  of the mobile device  20 , the bluetooth connection module  31  converts the wireless command signal into the string light control command and transmits the string light control command to the control module  32 . The control module  32  then controls the string light  10  according to the selected display mode mapped to by the string light control command. 
         [0037]    The power input module  33  serves to acquire the mains power, converts the mains power into an operating power, and outputs the operating power. The power input module  33  is electrically connected to and supplies the operating power to the control module  32 , the bluetooth connection module  31  and the string light  10 . 
         [0038]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  5 , the first embodiment of the string light device is a combination of the control end device  30  and the string light  10 . In the present embodiment, the bluetooth connection module  31 , the control module  32  and the power input module  33  are mounted inside a housing  34 . The power input module  33  acquires the mains power through a plug  331  plugged in a receptacle  332  on the wall. 
         [0039]    The control module  32  has a micro-controller unit (MCU)  321 , a storage device  322  and a string light driver  323 . 
         [0040]    The MCU  321  is electronically connected to the bluetooth connection module  31  to receive the string light control command transmitted from the bluetooth connection module  31 . 
         [0041]    The storage device  322  is electronically connected to the MCU  321  and memorizes multiple display modes of the string light  10 . The display modes include but are not limited to the following functions. For example, the light bulbs  11  on the string light  10  are alternately lit, are lit to demonstrate a lighting pattern according to an alignment of the light bulbs  11 , are lit with the regularly varying overall luminance of the light bulbs  11 , or are lit to show any other visual effect that the string light is capable of displaying. 
         [0042]    The string light driver  323  is electronically connected to the MCU  321  and each light bulb  11  of the string light  10 , controls each light bulb  11  to turn on or turn off, and adjusts the luminance of each light bulb  11 . 
         [0043]    The MCU  321  receives the string light control command from the bluetooth connection module  31 , identifies a corresponding display mode in the storage device  322  according to the string light control command, and controls the string light driver  323  so that the string light  10  can be operated according to the selected display mode and demonstrate a different visual effect. 
         [0044]    Although the first embodiment of the string light device only discloses one string light  10 , persons with ordinary skill in the related art should be aware of that the plug  331  can be simultaneously connected to multiple string lights  10  and such embodiment also falls within the protection scope of the present invention. 
         [0045]    The second embodiment of the string light device is substantially the same as the first embodiment except that the string light  10  of the second embodiment has a string light connector formed on one end of the string light  10 , and the control end device  30  further has at least one control end connector electrically connected to the string light connector of the string light  10 . The at least one control end connector is electrically connected to the control module  32  and the power input module  33  of the control end device  30 . After the string light connector of the string light  10  is electrically connected to the at least one control end connector of the control end device  30 , the control module  32  of the control end device  30  then controls the string light  10 , and the power input module  33  of the control end device  30  provides an operating power to the string light  10 . 
         [0046]    As mentioned, the string light device of the present invention may have multiple string lights  10 . With reference to  FIGS. 3 and 6 , in the second embodiment of the string light device of the present invention, the control end device  30  has multiple control end connectors electrically connected to the respective string lights  10 . 
         [0047]    The power input module  33  of the control end device  30  remains to acquire the mains power from a plug  331 . 
         [0048]    In the present embodiment, the string light connector is a plug  13 , the control end connector of the control end device  30  is a receptacle  35 , and the receptacle  35  is electrically connected with the plug  13  of the string light  10 . 
         [0049]    The bluetooth connection module  31 , the control module  32  and the power input module  33  are mounted inside a housing  34 . When the plug  13  of the string light  10  is plugged in the receptacle  35  of the control end device  30 , the string light  10  is electrically connected to the control module  32  and the power input module  33  of the control end device  30 . 
         [0050]    The control module  32  of the second embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment and has an MCU  321 , a storage device  322  and a string light driver  323 . When being electrically connected to the control module  32 , the receptacle  35  is also connected to the string light driver  323  of the control module  32 . Hence, when the plug  13  of the string light  10  is plugged in the receptacle  35  of the control end device  30 , the string light  10  is electrically connected to the string light driver  323  of the control module  32  of the control end device  30 . 
         [0051]    Although  FIG. 1  does not disclose the second embodiment of the string light device, those with ordinary skill in the related art should be able to understand that the second embodiment of the string light device can be implemented in  FIG. 1  as well. 
         [0052]    Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.