Devices, systems, and methods for maintaining luminaire color temperature levels in a gateway based system

• US 10,321,535 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• 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, Silverman, Shmuel, Couch, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Crystal L
• Application Number:
  US15/809,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20180098403A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2818 from a device located outside both the home and the home network access arrangements H04L12/2856; for remote control or remote monitoring of applications H04L67/025; arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless eletrical link G08C17/00; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with remote control systems H04M11/007
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/58 involving end of life detection of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• 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

The disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for adjusting and/or maintaining color temperature levels of luminaires. The luminaires may be Light Emitting Diode (LED)-based luminaires which are part of a smart illumination system. In certain exemplary embodiments, the disclosure includes a smart gateway device which is configured to control operation of a luminaire and is connected to a server, such as cloud server, over wired and/or wireless communication channels. The exemplary devices, systems, and methods adjust and maintain a color temperature of the luminaire according to desired or required specifications.

Claims

1. A system for controlling luminaire color temperature, comprising:

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

a sensor subsystem in data communication with the gateway; and

a server in data communication with the gateway and the sensor subsystem, wherein the sensor subsystem is configured to measure a current color intensity of the first luminaire, the server is configured to calculate a current color temperature of the first luminaire based at least in part on the current color intensity of the first luminaire, and the sensor subsystem is configured to communicate the current color intensity of the first luminaire to the server if the current color intensity of the first luminaire is outside of an expected color intensity range that is expected by the sensor subsystem, based at least in part on a first relationship determined by a comparison of a correlation between the current color intensity of the first luminaire and a current dimming level of the first luminaire and a correlation between a previous color intensity of the first luminaire, a previous dimming level of the first luminaire, and a previous color temperature of the first luminaire,

wherein the sensor subsystem is further configured to measure a current color intensity of the second luminaire, the server is configured to calculate a current color temperature of the second luminaire based at least in part on the current color intensity of the second luminaire, and the sensor subsystem is configured to communicate the current color intensity of the second luminaire to the server if the current color intensity of the second luminaire is outside of an expected color intensity range that is expected by the sensor subsystem, based at least in part on a second relationship determined by a comparison of a correlation between the current color intensity of the second luminaire and a current dimming level of the second luminaire and a correlation between a previous color intensity of the second luminaire, a previous dimming level of the second luminaire, and a previous color temperature of the second luminaire,

wherein the server is configured to correlate the first relationship and the second relationship to an overall color temperature of an illuminated environment in which the first luminaire and the second luminaire are installed and determine whether at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire, a current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire, the current dimming level of the second luminaire, and a current dimming control protocol of the second luminaire must be adjusted to generate a particular overall color temperature, based at least in part on the correlation between the first relationship and the second relationship to the overall color temperature, and, if so, instruct the gateway to adjust the at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire, the current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire, the current dimming level of the second luminaire, and the current dimming control protocol of the second luminaire to achieve the particular overall color temperature, and the gateway is configured to adjust the at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire, the current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire, the current dimming level of the second luminaire, and the current dimming control protocol of the second luminaire according to the instructions from the server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to calculate the current color temperature of the first luminaire based at least in part on a comparison of the current color intensity of the first luminaire and the current dimming level of the first luminaire to an initial color intensity of the first luminaire, an initial dimming level of the first luminaire, and an initial color temperature of the first luminaire.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second relationship is different than the first relationship.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first relationship and the second relationship respectively are represented by a first dimming curve and a second dimming curve, and the first dimming curve is different than the second dimming curve.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to calculate at least one of a half-life or end of life for the first luminaire based at least in part on at least one of a color intensity change over time of the first luminaire, a color temperature change over time of the first luminaire, and a comparison of the current color intensity of the first luminaire and the current dimming level of the first luminaire to a previous color intensity of the first luminaire and a previous dimming level of the first luminaire.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the color temperature change over time of the first luminaire is determined by comparing the current color temperature of the first luminaire to at least one of a previously calculated color temperature of the first luminaire and the correlation between the previous color temperature of the first luminaire, the previous dimming level of the first luminaire, and the previous color intensity of the first luminaire.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the server is further configured to instruct the gateway to adjust at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire and the current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire to maintain a constant color temperature or range of color temperatures of the first luminaire, based at least in part on the calculated half-life or end of life.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the previous color intensity of the first luminaire is an initial color intensity of the first luminaire and the previous dimming level of the first luminaire is an initial dimming level of the first luminaire.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the previous color intensity of the second luminaire is an initial color intensity of the second luminaire and the previous dimming level of the second luminaire is an initial dimming level of the second luminaire.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor subsystem includes at least one up looking color sensor configured to measure the color intensity of the first luminaire.

11. A method for controlling luminaire color temperature, comprising:

measuring with a sensor subsystem a current color intensity of a first luminaire and a current color intensity of a second luminaire;

transmitting the current color intensity of the first luminaire or the current color intensity of the second luminaire from the sensor subsystem to a server in data communication with the sensor subsystem, if the corresponding current color intensity of the first luminaire or the current color intensity of the second luminaire is outside of an expected color intensity range that is expected by the sensor subsystem, based at least in part on a first relationship determined by a comparison of a correlation between the current color intensity of the first luminaire and a current dimming level of the first luminaire and a correlation between a previous color intensity of the first luminaire, a previous dimming level of the first luminaire, and a previous color temperature of the first luminaire, and a second relationship determined by a comparison of a correlation between the current color intensity of the second luminaire and a current dimming level of the second luminaire and a correlation between a previous color intensity of the second luminaire, a previous dimming level of the second luminaire, and a previous color temperature of the second luminaire;

correlating the first relationship and the second relationship to an overall color temperature of an illuminated environment in which the first luminaire and the second luminaire are installed;

calculating with the server at least one of a current color temperature of the first luminaire, based at least in part on the current color intensity of the first luminaire, and a current color temperature of the second luminaire, based at least in part on the current color intensity of the second luminaire;

determining with the server whether at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire, a current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire, the current dimming level of the second luminaire, and a current dimming control protocol of the second luminaire must be adjusted to generate a particular overall color temperature, based at least in part on the correlation between the first relationship and the second relationship to the overall color temperature, and, if so, instructing a gateway, by the server, to adjust at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire, the current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire, the current dimming level of the second luminaire, and the current dimming control protocol of the second luminaire; and

adjusting with the gateway at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire, the current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire, the current dimming level of the second luminaire, and the current dimming control protocol of the second luminaire according to the instructions from the server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein calculating current color temperature of the first luminaire is based at least in part on comparing the current color intensity of the first luminaire and the current dimming level of the first luminaire to an initial color intensity of the first luminaire, an initial dimming level of the first luminaire, and an initial color temperature of the first luminaire.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising calculating at least one of a half-life or end of life for the first luminaire based at least in part on at least one of a color intensity change over time of the first luminaire, a color temperature change over time of the first luminaire, and comparison of the current color intensity of the first luminaire and the current dimming level of the first luminaire to a previous color intensity of the first luminaire and a previous dimming level of the first luminaire.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the color temperature change over time of the first luminaire is determined by comparing the current color temperature of the first luminaire to at least one of a previously calculated color temperature of the first luminaire and the correlation between the previous color temperature of the first luminaire, the previous dimming level of the first luminaire, and the previous color intensity of the firsts luminaire.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising instructing the gateway, by the server, to adjust at least one of the current dimming level of the first luminaire and the current dimming control protocol of the first luminaire to maintain a constant color temperature or range of color temperatures of the first luminaire, based at least in part on the calculated half-life or end of life.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the previous color intensity of the first luminaire is an initial color intensity of the first luminaire and the previous dimming level of the first luminaire is an initial dimming level of the first luminaire.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the previous color intensity of the second luminaire is an initial color intensity of the second luminaire and the previous dimming level of the second luminaire is an initial dimming level of the second luminaire.