Systems and methods for controlling lighting conditions in a manufacturing environment

• US 10,383,196 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barnes, Daniel Josiah
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Thai
• Application Number:
  US16/146,840
• Time in Patent Office: 319 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• 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

A control system for a facility can automatically control lighting conditions in an area of a facility to prevent the accidental turning off of lights in the area while machines or equipment are operating in the area. The control system can use information from a compressed air system that provides compressed air to the machines in the area to determine if the machines are presently being used in the area. If the machines are being used, the control system can control the lighting conditions in the area to provide a appropriate level of lighting. If the machines are not being used in the area, the control system can control the lighting conditions in the area based on one or more occupancy sensors used to determine if a person is located in the area.

Claims

1. A control system for a facility, comprising:

at least one light source connected to a first node of a network, the at least one light source operable to generate visible light to illuminate an area of the facility having at least one pneumatic device;

at least one pneumatic sensor connected to a second node of the network, the at least one pneumatic sensor configured to measure a parameter corresponding to a flow of compressed gas in the area of the facility; and

a server connected to the network, the server configured to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source based on whether a person is located in the area of the facility, the server configured to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility based on the measured parameter corresponding to a flow of compressed gas in the area of the facility from the at least one pneumatic sensor.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to analyze information related to a production schedule for the at least one pneumatic device in the area of the facility, the production schedule indicating when the at least one pneumatic device is intended to be operational, the server is configured to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source based on the analyzed information related to the production schedule.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source to a first configuration when a person is determined to be in the area of the facility and to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source to a second configuration different from the first configuration when a person is determined to be absent from the area of the facility.

4. The control system of claim 1, further comprising at least one lighting sensor, the at least one lighting sensor configured to measure a parameter associated with the area of the facility, the server configured to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility based on the measured parameter from the at least one lighting sensor.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the server is configured to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility based on the measured parameter from the at least one lighting sensor when the server determines that no person is located in the area of the facility based on the measured parameter from the at least one pneumatic sensor.

6. The control system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to compare the measured parameter corresponding to the flow of compressed gas in the area of the facility from the at least one pneumatic sensor to a predetermined threshold value to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility.

7. The control system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to use machine learning techniques in conjunction with the measured parameter corresponding to the flow of compressed gas in the area of the facility from the at least one pneumatic sensor to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility.

8. A method for controlling lighting conditions in a facility, the method comprising:

measuring a first parameter associated with at least one pneumatic sensor within a pneumatic system;

determining a flow of compressed gas in an area of the facility based on the measured first parameter from the at least one pneumatic sensor;

determining whether at least one pneumatic device is operating in the area of the facility based on the determined flow of compressed gas;

measuring a second parameter associated with at least one lighting sensor within a lighting system;

determining whether a person is present in the area of the facility based on the measured second parameter from the at least one lighting sensor;

controlling a lighting configuration of at least one light source in the area of the facility based on the determined operation of the at least one pneumatic device; and

controlling the lighting configuration of the at least one light source in the area of the facility based on the determined presence of a person in the area of the facility when the determined operation of the at least one pneumatic device indicates that the at least one pneumatic device is not operating.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

analyzing information related to a production schedule for the at least one pneumatic device in the area of the facility, the production schedule indicating when the at least one pneumatic device is intended to be operational; and

controlling the lighting configuration of the at least one light source in the area of the facility based on the analyzed information related to the production schedule.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the controlling the lighting configuration of the at least one light source based on the determined operation of the at least one pneumatic device includes controlling the lighting configuration of the at least one light source to a first configuration in response to the determination that the at least one pneumatic device is operating.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the controlling the lighting configuration of the at least one light source in the area of the facility based on the determined presence of a person in the area of the facility includes:

controlling the lighting configuration of the at least one light source to the first configuration in response to the determination that a person is present in the area of the facility; and

controlling the lighting configuration of the at least one light source to a second configuration different from the first configuration in response to the determination that a person is not present in the area of the facility.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the measuring the first parameter associated with the pneumatic system includes measuring the flow of compressed gas in the pneumatic system for one of a predetermined time period or an instant in time.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining whether the at least one pneumatic device is operating in the area includes comparing the determined flow of compressed gas to a predetermined threshold value.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining whether at least one pneumatic device is operating in the area includes using machine learning techniques in conjunction with the determined flow of compressed gas to determine whether the at least one pneumatic device is operating.

15. A control system for a facility, comprising:

a plurality of nodes connected together in a network;

a server connected to the plurality of nodes, the server comprising a lighting control system and a pneumatic control system;

the pneumatic control system comprising;

at least one pneumatic device located in an area of the facility and connected to a pneumatic system to receive compressed gas;

at least one pneumatic sensor connected to a first node of the plurality of nodes, the at least one pneumatic sensor configured to measure a parameter corresponding to a flow of compressed gas to the at least one pneumatic device; and

a first processor configured to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility based on the measured parameter from the at least one pneumatic sensor; and

the lighting control system comprising;

at least one light source connected to a second node of the plurality of nodes, the at least one light source operable to generate visible light to illuminate the area of the facility;

at least one lighting sensor connected to the second node of the plurality of nodes, the at least one lighting sensor configured to measure a parameter corresponding to a person being present in the area of the facility;

a second processor configured to control a lighting configuration of the at least one light source in response to the determination from the first processor that a person is located in the area of the facility; and

the second processor further configured to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility based on the measured parameter from the at least one lighting sensor and configured to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source based on the determination of whether a person is located in the area of the facility when the first processor determines that the measured parameter from the at least one pneumatic sensor indicates a person is not located in the area of the facility.

16. The control system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first processor or the second processor is configured to analyze information related to a production schedule for the at least one pneumatic device, the production schedule indicating when the at least one pneumatic device is intended to be operational, the second processor is configured to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source based on the analyzed information related to the production schedule.

17. The control system of claim 15, wherein the second processor is configured to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source to a first configuration when a person is determined to be in the area of the facility and to control the lighting configuration of the at least one light source to a second configuration different from the first configuration when a person is determined to not be in the area of the facility.

18. The control system of claim 15, wherein the first processor is configured to compare the measured parameter from the at least one pneumatic sensor to a predetermined threshold value to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility.

19. The control system of claim 15, wherein the first processor is configured to use machine learning techniques in conjunction with the measured parameter from the at least one pneumatic sensor to determine whether a person is located in the area of the facility.

20. The control system of claim 15, wherein the at least one pneumatic sensor is configured to measure the flow of compressed gas to the at least one pneumatic device for one of a predetermined time period or an instant in time.