LAMP MONITORING AND CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20020002444A1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Published: 01/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lightronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A.L. Air Data, Inc.
• Inventors: YOUNG, MICHAEL F., WILLIAMS, LARRY
• Granted Patent: US 6,415,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit

Abstract

A system and method for remotely monitoring and/or controlling an apparatus and specifically for remotely monitoring and/or controlling street lamps. The lamp monitoring and control system comprises lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective lamp to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and at least one base station, coupled to a group of the lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of the base stations includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

Claims

1. A lamp monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of lamps, comprising:

a plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective lamp of the plurality of lamps to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

at least one base station, coupled to a group of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

2. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein the ID field includes a lamp monitoring and control unit ID.

3. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein the ID field includes a base station ID.

4. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring data further includes a data field.

5. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 4, wherein the data field includes current data related to one of the plurality of lamps.

6. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 4, wherein the data field includes voltage data related to one of the plurality of lamps.

7. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units receives control information from at least one of said at least one base station.

8. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via an RF link.

9. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 8, wherein the RF link is in a frequency range of 218-219 MHz.

10. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein a group of said at least one base station is coupled together in a network topology.

11. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a main station, coupled to a group of said at least one base station, for receiving the monitoring data.

12. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of lamp monitoring and control units is staggered in time to avoid collisions.

13. The lamp monitoring and control system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of lamp monitoring and control units is staggered in frequency to avoid collisions.

14. A remote device monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of remote devices, comprising:

a plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective remote device of the plurality of remote devices to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

at least one base station, coupled to a group of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

15. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein the ID field includes a remote device monitoring and control unit ID.

16. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein the ID field includes a base station ID.

17. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring data further includes a data field.

18. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 17, wherein the data field includes current data related to one of the plurality of remote devices.

19. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 17, wherein the data field includes voltage data related to one of the plurality of remote devices.

20. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units receives control information from at least one of said at least one base station.

21. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via an RF link.

22. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 21, wherein the RF link is in a frequency range of 218-219 MHz.

23. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via a wire link.

24. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via a coaxial cable link.

25. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via a fiber optic link.

26. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein a group of said at least one base station is coupled together in a network topology.

27. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, further comprising:

a main station, coupled to a group of said at least one base station, for receiving the monitoring data.

28. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of remote device monitoring and control units is staggered in time to avoid collisions.

29. The remote device monitoring and control system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of remote device monitoring and control units is staggered in frequency to avoid collisions.

30. A base station for monitoring a plurality of lamps by receiving RF monitoring data having an ID field and a status field, comprising:

an RX antenna system for receiving the RF monitoring data;

a receiving system front end, coupled to said RX antenna system, for receiving the RF monitoring data and outputting received RF monitoring data;

a multi-port splitter, coupled to said receiving system front end, for receiving the received RF monitoring data and outputting split RF monitoring data;

a plurality of RX modems, coupled to said multi-port splitter, each for receiving and demodulating the split RF monitoring data and outputting a received data signal;

a computing system, coupled to said plurality of RX modems, for receiving the received data signal from each of said plurality of RX modems; and

an ID and status processing unit, within said computing system, for processing the ID field of the received data signal.

31. The base station of claim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit is software.

32. The base station of claim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit is coupled to a database for storing the ID field and the status field.

33. The base station of claim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit decodes the ID field and the status field of the received data.

34. The base station of claim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit passes the received data to a main station.

35. The base station of claim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit passes the received data to a further base station.

36. The base station of claim 30, wherein the received data is RS-232 data.

37. The base station of claim 30, wherein said computing system outputs control information to the plurality of lamps.

38. A method for monitoring the status of a plurality of lamps, comprising the steps of:

collecting monitoring data for the lamps; and

transmitting the monitoring data.

39. The method for monitoring of claim 38, wherein the step of collecting comprises the sub-steps of:

checking a daylight status and a lamp power to detect a first and a second status;

energizing the lamp when the first status is detected;

de-energizing the lamp when the second status is detected; and

using one of the first and second status as the monitoring data.

40. The method for monitoring of claim 38, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the sub-steps of:

randomizing a reporting start delay time;

further randomizing a reporting delta time; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data in accordance with the reporting start delay time and the reporting delta time.

41. The method for monitoring of claim 38, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the sub-steps of:

randomizing a randomized TX channel; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data on the randomized TX channel.

42. The method for monitoring of claim 38, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the sub-steps of:

randomizing a TX channel; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data a first and a last time on a fixed TX channel and all other times on the randomized TX channel.

43. The method for monitoring of claim 40, wherein the step of randomizing is based on a serial number.

44. The method for monitoring of claim 40, wherein the step of further randomizing is based on a serial number.

45. The method for monitoring of claim 41, wherein the step of randomizing is based on a serial number.

46. A method of making a lamp monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of lamps, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to at least one of the plurality of lamps for monitoring and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

coupling at least one base station to a group of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

47. A method of making a remote device monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of remote devices, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, each coupled to at least one of the plurality of remote devices for monitoring and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

coupling at least one base station to a group of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

48. A method of making a base station for monitoring a plurality of lamps by receiving RF monitoring data having an ID field and a status field, comprising the steps of:

providing an RX antenna system for receiving the RF monitoring data and outputting a received RF monitoring data;

coupling a multi-port splitter to said receiving system front end, for receiving the received RF monitoring data and outputting split RF monitoring data;

further coupling a plurality of RX modems to said multi-port splitter, each for receiving and demodulating the split RF monitoring data and outputting a received data signal;

further providing a computing system, coupled to said plurality of RX modems, for receiving the received data signal from each of said plurality of RX modems; and

arranging an ID and status processing unit, within said computing system, for processing the ID field of the received data signal.