End of life prediction system for luminaire drivers

• US 10,159,134 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2017
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gooee Limited (Gooee Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Gooee Limited (Gooee Group Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Coombes, Simon, Hughes, Benjamin, Silverman, Shmuel, Couch, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US15/809,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20180070422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 315307, 315312, 315360
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/24 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/50 responsive to malfunctions or undesirable behaviour of LEDs; responsive to LED life; Protective circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/58 involving end of life detection of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/135 by determining the type of light source being controlled electrical parameters of light source being controlled H05B47/14
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods to predict a half-life or end of life for luminaire drivers are described. The drivers may include electronic drivers for light fixtures such as dimming controls that utilize electrolytic capacitors in the output circuit to smooth the output current and reduce changes in current amplitude. Half-life and end of life for the drivers may be predicted by monitoring failure variable indications of the driver and the luminaire light, including the light intensity depreciation of the light, and by evaluating the data from both the driver, light, and environment in which the driver and/or luminaire is installed to predict the most imminent half-life and/or end of life.

Claims

1. A system for predicting a lifespan of a luminaire driver, the system comprising:

a gateway configured to control at least one of a dimming level and a dimming control protocol of a dimming luminaire via a dimming control;

a sensor subsystem in data communication with the gateway and configured to collect data regarding at least one of luminaire color content and color intensity and at least one aspect of an environment in which the dimming luminaire is installed; and

,

a server in data communication with the gateway,

wherein the sensor subsystem is further configured to transmit collected data to the gateway,

the gateway is further configured to transmit collected data to the server and to measure and transmit to the server a current dimming level of the dimming luminaire at a time when the collected data is collected, and

the server is configured to calculate at least one of a half-life and an end of life for the driver based at least in part on the collected data and on the current dimming level of the dimming luminaire.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the half-life and the end of life calculations are based at least in part on a comparison of the collected data and associated dimming levels of the dimming luminaire over time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway is further configured to adjust at least one of the dimming level and the dimming control protocol of the dimming luminaire to extend at least one of the half-life and the end of life of the driver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor subsystem includes at least one color sensor configured to face the dimming luminaire directly and measure at least one of the color content and color intensity of the dimming luminaire and at least one environment sensor configured to face away or in a downward direction from the dimming luminaire and measure at least one of temperature, humidity, ambient light, and movement of light and objects in the environment.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the color sensor is at least one of a Red Green Blue (RGB) sensor and a Yellow Red Green Blue (YRGB) sensor.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the environment sensor measures the temperature of the environment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gateway is further configured to measure and transmit to the server a current dimming level of the dimming luminaire at a time when the temperature of the environment is measured and a result of the half-life and the end of life calculations is respectively a predictive, normalized half-life and end of life curve for the driver as a function of at least one of the temperature of the environment and the dimming level of the dimming luminaire.

8. A method for predicting a lifespan of at least one luminaire driver, the method comprising:

measuring with a sensor subsystem at least one of color content and color intensity of a dimming luminaire and at least one aspect of an environment in which the dimming luminaire is installed;

transmitting the sensor measurements to a server via a gateway in data communication with the sensor subsystem and server;

determining at the server at least one of a half-life and an end of life for a driver associated with the dimming luminaire, based at least in part on the sensor measurements;

measuring, with the gateway, a current dimming level of the dimming luminaire at a time when the sensor measurements are made;

transmitting the current dimming level from the gateway to the server; and

calculating the half-life and the end of life of the driver is based at least in part on the current dimming level of the dimming luminaire.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing the sensor measurements and associated dimming levels of the dimming luminaire over time as part of calculating the half-life and the end of life for the driver.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting with the gateway at least one of a dimming level and a dimming control protocol of the dimming luminaire to extend at least one of the half-life and the end of life of the driver.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising measuring with a color sensor configured to face the dimming luminaire directly at least one of color content and color intensity of the dimming luminaire and measuring with an environment sensor configured to face away or in a downward direction from the dimming luminaire at least one of temperature, humidity, ambient light, and movement of light and objects in the environment.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the color sensor is at least one of a Red Green Blue (RGB) sensor and a Yellow Red Green Blue (YRGB) sensor.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the environment sensor measures the temperature of the environment.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising measuring with the gateway a current dimming level of the dimming luminaire at a time when the temperature of the environment is measured, transmitting the current dimming level from the gateway to the server, and generating as part of the half-life and the end of life calculations a respective predictive, normalized half-life and end of life curve for the driver as a function of at least one of the temperature of the environment and the dimming level of the dimming luminaire.

15. A system for predicting a lifespan of a luminaire driver, comprising:

a gateway configured to control at least one of a dimming level and a dimming control protocol of a luminaire via a driver and to measure and transmit to the server a current dimming level of the luminaire at a time when the collected data is collected;

a sensor subsystem in data communication with the gateway and configured to collect data regarding at least one of the luminaire color content and color intensity and at least one aspect of an environment in which the luminaire is installed;

a server in data communication with the gateway; and

,

a luminaire and driver database in data communication with the server, wherein the luminaire and driver database is configured to receive and store the collected data,

wherein luminaire and driver database comprises the at least one of the color content and color intensity, the temperature of the environment, and the associated dimming levels of the luminaire over time,

wherein the server is configured to calculate at least one of a half-life and an end of life for the driver based at least in part on the collected data in the luminaire and driver database,

wherein the sensor subsystem includes a color sensor configured to face the luminaire directly and measure at least one of the color content and color intensity of the luminaire and an environment sensor configured to face away or in a downward direction from the luminaire and measure at least a temperature of the environment, and

wherein the half-life and the end of life calculations are based at least in part on a depreciation of the color content and color intensity of the luminaire and the associated temperature of the environment and the associated dimming levels of the luminaire over time, and a result of the half-life and the end of life calculations is respectively a predictive, normalized half-life and end of life curve for the driver as a function of at least one of the temperature of the environment and the dimming level of the luminaire.