Patent ID: 8378781

Claim:
A system comprising a plurality of lights, wherein: a. each light is comprising of a microcontroller and at least one light emitting device attached to said microcontroller b. said light has a serial data input line connected to said microcontroller and a serial data output line connected to said microcontroller c. said serial data input line is attached to either a controlling device or computer, if it is the first light in the chain, or the previous light in the chain if it is not the first light in the chain d. said serial data output line is attached to the next light in the chain when it is not the last light in the chain e. a method by which an identifying number is assigned to and stored in the first light's microcontroller, and subsequent identifying numbers are automatically assigned to all subsequent lights in the chain and stored in their microcontrollers f. a method of sending control information such as color or brightness to a particular light in the chain of lights by passing said information from one light to the next light in the chain until the identifying number in the control information matches the identifying number stored in the light's microcontroller g. a method by which a plurality of different brightness or color values are stored in a particular light's microcontroller by means of sending serial data commands along the chain of lights that identifies a particular light by its stored identification number h. a means for the light's microcontroller to switch the color or brightness of the light from one stored value to another stored value i. a means for delaying the amount of time between receiving the command to switch from one stored brightness or color value to another stored brightness or color value is dependent on the position of the light in the string of lights, such that all lights except the last light delay switching colors or brightness until the last light in the chain of lights receives the command to switch color or brightness.