Outdoor lighting fixture and camera systems

• US 10,187,557 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Verfuerth, Neal R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Don
• Application Number:
  US14/083,299
• Publication Number:
  US 20140078308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,891 Days
• Field of Search: 250205, 250221, 2502221, 315149-159, 340555-557
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention relates to an outdoor lighting fixture that includes a ballast for controlling the amount of current provided to a lamp. The lighting fixture also includes a fixture housing at least partially surrounding the ballast and the lamp and a mounting system for holding the fixture housing to at least one of a wall and a pole. The lighting fixture yet further includes a camera coupled to the housing and a control circuit wired to the camera. The lighting fixture also includes a radio frequency transceiver wired to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to cause information from the camera to be wirelessly transmitted by the radio frequency transceiver.

Claims

1. An outdoor lighting fixture comprising:

a lighting device;

a fixture housing at least partially surrounding the lighting device;

a mounting system for holding the fixture housing to at least one of a wall and a pole;

a camera coupled to the housing;

a control circuit wired to the camera; and

a radio frequency transceiver wired to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit is configured to (a) cause information from the camera to be wirelessly transmitted by the radio frequency transceiver, (b) receive camera control instructions from a client device via the radio frequency transceiver, and (c) regulate in-use operation of the camera based on the camera control instructions.

2. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a power supply providing power to the lighting device, the camera, the control circuit and the radio frequency transceiver.

3. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 1, further comprising:

a motion sensor coupled to the outdoor lighting fixture and wired to the control circuit;

wherein the control circuit changes an operational state associated with the camera in response to a determination of motion, wherein the control circuit makes the determination of motion using a signal from the motion sensor.

4. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 3, wherein changing an operational state associated with the camera comprises at least one of powering-up the camera, storing video captured by the camera in a persistent memory device of the outdoor lighting fixture, marking the video, and transmitting the video to a remote source.

5. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 3, wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause an indication of motion to be transmitted to a remote source in response to the determination of motion.

6. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 5, wherein the control circuit and the radio frequency transceiver are configured to broadcast the indication of motion to a network of radio frequency transceivers associated with other outdoor lighting fixtures.

7. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 5, wherein the control circuit and the radio frequency transceiver are configured to transmit the indication of motion to the remote source with at least one of an outdoor lighting fixture identifier and a zone identifier associated with the outdoor lighting fixture.

8. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises a video streaming module configured to use the radio frequency transceiver to stream video information to a remote source.

9. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency transceiver is configured for peer-to-peer communication with other radio frequency transceivers of other outdoor lighting fixtures and wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the information from the camera to be wirelessly transmitted to the remote source via the peer-to-peer communication with the other radio frequency transceivers of the other outdoor lighting fixtures.

10. A kit for installing on an outdoor lighting fixture pole, comprising:

an outdoor lighting fixture configured for mounting to the outdoor lighting fixture pole and having a lighting device;

a radio frequency transceiver for wirelessly communicating lighting commands, camera control instructions, and lighting information to at least one of a remote source and a client device;

a camera for mounting to at least one of the outdoor lighting fixture and the outdoor lighting fixture pole; and

a control circuit for wiring to the camera and the radio frequency transceiver, the control circuit configured to (a) cause video information from the camera to be transmitted by the radio frequency transceiver, (b) receive camera control instructions from a client device via the radio frequency transceiver, and (c) regulate in-use operation of the camera based on the camera control instructions.

11. The kit of claim 10, further comprising:

a power supply providing power to the lighting device, the camera, the control circuit and the radio frequency transceiver.

12. The kit of claim 10, further comprising:

a motion sensor coupled to the outdoor lighting fixture and wired to the control circuit;

wherein the control circuit changes an operational state associated with the camera in response to a determination of motion, wherein the control circuit makes the determination of motion using a signal from the motion sensor.

13. The kit of claim 12, wherein changing an operational state associated with the camera comprises at least one of powering-up the camera, storing video captured by the camera in a persistent memory device of the outdoor lighting fixture, marking the video, and transmitting the video to a remote source.

14. The kit of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause an indication of motion to be transmitted to a remote source in response to the determination of motion.

15. The kit of claim 12, wherein the control circuit and the radio frequency transceiver are configured to broadcast the indication of motion to a network of radio frequency transceivers associated with other outdoor lighting fixtures.

16. The kit of claim 12, wherein the control circuit and the radio frequency transceiver are configured to transmit the indication of motion to the remote source with at least one of an outdoor lighting fixture identifier and a zone identifier associated with the outdoor lighting fixture.

17. The kit of claim 10, wherein the control circuit comprises a video streaming module configured to use the radio frequency transceiver to stream video information to a remote source.

18. The kit of claim 10, wherein the radio frequency transceiver is configured for peer-to-peer communication with other radio frequency transceivers of other outdoor lighting fixtures and wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the information from the camera to be wirelessly transmitted to the remote source via the peer-to-peer communication with the other radio frequency transceivers of the other outdoor lighting fixtures.

19. An outdoor lighting fixture having a radio frequency transceiver for communicating data information to a remote source, the outdoor lighting fixture comprising:

a camera;

a mount for holding the camera to at least one of the outdoor lighting fixture or a pole for the outdoor lighting fixture;

a control circuit wired to the camera and including memory for storing video from the camera; and

an interface for wiring the control circuit to the radio frequency transceiver of the outdoor lighting fixture;

wherein the control circuit is configured to (a) receive video information from the camera, (b) provide the video information to the radio frequency transceiver via the interface and for communication to the remote source, (c) receive camera control instructions from a client device via the interface and the radio frequency transceiver, and (d) regulate in-use operation of the camera based on the camera control instructions.

20. The outdoor lighting fixture of claim 19, wherein the camera is operable for capturing images, video, or images and video;

and wherein the control circuit is configured to cause the stored images, video, or images and video to be wirelessly transmitted by the radio frequency transceiver.