Year-Round Decorative Lights With Selectable Color Schemes And Associated Methods

Abstract

A decorative lighting apparatus has user-selectable color schemes for a variety of different applications. In one illustrative embodiment, a selective illumination of two or more light colors in accordance with a first sports team color scheme is provided in response to a first user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand, a selective illumination of two or more light colors in accordance with a second sports team color scheme is provided in response to a second user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand, and a selective illumination of two or more light colors in accordance with a third sports team color scheme is provided in response to a third user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand. The sports team color schemes may be for soccer teams, football teams, or baseball teams, as examples.

1 . A decorative lighting apparatus, comprising:
 at least three independently-controlled lines;   an alternating current (AC) plug for supplying electrical power to lights on the at least three independently-controlled lines;   the at least three independently-controlled lines including:
 a first independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a first plurality of lights with a red color; 
 a second independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a second plurality of lights with a green color; 
 a third independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a third plurality of lights with a white color; 
   a housing which carries a decorating selector to provide a plurality of user-selectable switch settings,   a controller to control the illumination of a different color scheme in the lights for each user-selectable switch setting;   the different color schemes comprising:
 a first color scheme consisting of the color white; 
 a second color scheme comprising the colors red and green which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus; 
 a third color scheme comprising the colors red and white which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus; and 
 a fourth color scheme comprising the colors green and white which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus. 
   
   
   
       2 . The decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fourth independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a fourth plurality of lights with an orange color; and   wherein a fifth color scheme comprises the color orange.   
   
   
       3 . The decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fourth independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a fourth plurality of lights with a blue color; and   wherein a fifth color scheme comprises the color blue.   
   
   
       4 . The decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fourth independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a fourth plurality of lights with a blue color; and   wherein a fifth color scheme consists of the colors red, white, and blue which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus.   
   
   
       5 . The decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fourth independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a fourth plurality of lights with a blue color;   wherein a fifth color scheme consists of the colors red, white, and blue which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus; and   wherein a sixth color scheme consists of the colors red, white, and green which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus.   
   
   
       6 . The decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 wherein a fifth color scheme comprises the colors red, white, and green which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus.   
   
   
       7 . The decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a flexible translucent rope; and   the at least three independently-controlled lines being disposed within the flexible translucent rope.   
   
   
       8 . A year-round decorative lighting apparatus, comprising:
 a structure;   at least three independently-controlled lines carried on the structure;   the at least three independently-controlled lines including:
 a first independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a first plurality of lights with a first color; 
 a second independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a second plurality of lights with a second color; 
 a third independently-controlled line which provides for an illumination of a third plurality of lights with a third color; 
   a housing which carries a decorating selector to provide a plurality of user-selectable switch settings;   a controller to control the illumination of a different holiday color scheme in the lights for each user-selectable switch setting;   the different holiday color schemes comprising:
 a New Year's holiday color scheme consisting of the color white; 
 a Christmas holiday color scheme comprising the colors red and green which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus; 
 a Valentine's holiday color scheme comprising the color red; and 
 a St. Patrick's Day holiday color scheme comprising the color green. 
   
   
   
       9 . The year round decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 wherein the Valentine's holiday color scheme comprises the colors red and white which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus; and   wherein the St. Patrick's Day holiday color scheme comprises the colors green and white which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus.   
   
   
       10 . The year-round decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a color scheme consisting of the colors red, white, and green which are simultaneously illuminated in the decorative lighting apparatus.   
   
   
       11 . The year-round decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the structure further includes:
 a skeletal structure of metal or plastic on which the lights are carried.   
   
   
       12 . The year-round decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a two or three dimensional structure which includes:
 a skeletal structure of metal or plastic on which the lights are carried; and   wherein the first color comprises red, the second color comprises green, and the third color comprises blue.   
   
   
       13 . The year-round decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the structure further includes:
 a decorative ball on which the lights are carried.   
   
   
       14 . The year-round decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first color comprises red, the second color comprises green, and the third color comprises blue. 
   
   
       15 . The year-round decorative lighting apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first-color comprises red, the second color comprises green, and the third color comprises white. 
   
   
       16 . A method of providing operation for a decorative lighting strand comprising the acts of:
 providing for a selective illumination of two or more light colors in the decorative lighting strand in accordance with a first sports team color scheme, in response to a first user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand;   providing for a selective illumination of two or more light colors in the decorative lighting strand in accordance with a second sports team color scheme, in response to a second user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand, and   providing for a selective illumination of two or more light colors in the decorative lighting strand in accordance with a third sports team color scheme, in response to a third user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising:
 providing for a selective illumination of two or more light colors in the decorative lighting strand in accordance with a fourth sports team color scheme, in response to a fourth user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand.   
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the first, second, and third sports team color schemes comprises football team color schemes. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the first, second, and third sports team color schemes comprises baseball team color schemes. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the first, second, and third sports team color schemes comprises soccer team color schemes. 
   
   
       21 . A method of providing operation for a decorative lighting strand comprising the acts of:
 providing for a selective illumination of two or more light colors in the decorative lighting strand in accordance with a first country flag color scheme, in response to a first user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand;   providing for a selective illumination of two or more light colors in the decorative lighting strand in accordance with a second country flag color scheme, in response to a second user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand; and   providing for a selective illumination of two or more light colors in the decorative lighting strand in accordance with a third country flag color scheme, in response to a third user switch setting of the decorative lighting strand.