Commissioning mechanism for wireless lighting groups

• US 10,212,792 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2018
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fabriq, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fabriq, Ltd.
• Inventors: Reh, Jeffrey G., O'Kelley, Matthew B.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Monica C
• Application Number:
  US15/924,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20180288858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for creating functional lighting groups. The apparatus includes one or more wireless devices and a commissioning device. The one or more wireless devices are coupled together via a line voltage, and are configured to enter a grouping mode responsive to commands sent over a wireless network, and are configured to send messages over the wireless network indicating that they have been power cycled via the line voltage. The commissioning device is coupled to the one or more wireless devices over the wireless network, and is configured to send the commands, and is configured to receive the messages, and is configured to create a functional lighting group comprising the one or more wireless devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus for creating functional lighting groups, the apparatus comprising:

one or more wireless devices coupled together via a line voltage, configured to enter a grouping mode responsive to commands sent over a wireless network, and configured to send messages over said wireless network indicating that they have been power cycled via said line voltage; and

a commissioning device, coupled to said one or more wireless devices over said wireless network, configured to send said commands, and configured to receive said messages, and configured to create a functional lighting group comprising said one or more wireless devices.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commissioning device comprises one or more application programs executing thereon.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commissioning device comprises a laptop computer.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commissioning device comprises a tablet computer.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commissioning device comprises a smartphone.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commands direct that said line voltage be autonomously switched off and then back on.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commands direct that said line voltage be manually switched off and then back on.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said commands direct that said line voltage be manually switched off and then back on via said multimode wireless switch.

8. An apparatus for creating functional lighting groups, the apparatus comprising:

one or more wireless devices coupled together via a line voltage, configured to enter a grouping mode responsive to commands sent over a wireless network, and configured to send messages over said wireless network indicating that they have been power cycled via said line voltage;

a commissioning device, coupled to said one or more wireless devices over said wireless network, configured to send said commands, and configured to receive said messages, and configured to create a functional lighting group comprising said one or more wireless devices; and

a multimode wireless switch, coupled to said line voltage, configured to enter said grouping mode responsive said commands, and configured to switch said line voltage off and then back on.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said commissioning device comprises one or more application programs executing thereon.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said commissioning device comprises a laptop computer.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said commissioning device comprises a tablet computer.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said commissioning device comprises a smartphone.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said commands direct that said multimode wireless switch autonomously switch said line voltage off and then back on.

15. A method for creating functional lighting groups, the method comprising:

coupling one or more wireless devices together via a line voltage, wherein the one or more wireless devices enter a grouping mode responsive to commands sent over a wireless network, and wherein the one or more wireless devices send messages over the wireless network indicating that they have been power cycled via the line voltage; and

via a commissioning device, sending the commands, receiving the messages, creating a functional lighting group comprising the one or more wireless devices.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the commissioning device comprises one or more application programs executing thereon.

17. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the commissioning device comprises a tablet computer.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the commissioning device comprises a smartphone.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the commands direct that the line voltage be autonomously switched off and then back on.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the commands direct that the line voltage be manually switched off and then back on.