Luminaire diagnostic and configuration identification system

• US 20040124786A1
• Filed: 02/24/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Acuity Brands, Inc.
• Inventors: Morrissey, Joseph F. Jr., Murphy, Thomas A., Liben, Martin W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,841,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A diagnostic and configuration identification system (40) for an electrical device and a photocontroller (10) which automatically turns the electrical device on and off in response to ambient light levels. A detector (32) senses the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on. A processor (54) is responsive to the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on and programmed to detect a cycling fault condition based on the load drawn by the electrical device and to provide an indication of a cycling fault condition according several possible programming configurations. When no cycling or other fault condition is detected, the processor (54) determines the cycling fault condition indication configuration and then outputs a code signal indicative of the programming configuration.

Claims

1. A diagnostic and configuration identification system comprising:

an electrical device;

a photocontroller for automatically turning the electrical device on and off in response to ambient light levels;

a detector for sensing the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on; and

a processor responsive to the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on and programmed to;

detect a fault condition based on the load drawn by the electrical device and to provide an indication of said fault condition according to one of a plurality of configurations,

when no fault condition is detected, to determine the configuration of the processor, and

then output a signal indicative of the indicated configuration.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the configuration is uniquely identified and the processor reads the identity to determine the configuration.

3. The system of claim 1 in which one said configuration includes a routine which turns the electrical device off when a fault condition is detected, the photocontroller also including a light turned on by the processor when a fault condition is detected.

4. The system of claim 1 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the electrical device on when a fault condition is detected.

5. The system of claim 1 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the electrical device off when a fault condition is detected.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the fault condition programming determines whether the load drawn by the electrical device is greater than a predetermined threshold when the electrical device is on and also determines whether the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is off is less than the predetermined threshold.

7. The system of claim 6 in which the processor outputs a signal indicative of the identified configuration only when both the load drawn by the electrical device is greater than a predetermined threshold when the electrical device is on and when the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is off is less than a predetermined threshold.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the fault condition programming further detects the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is on at times t₁ and t₂, calculates the load difference, determines whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, and provides an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration when the load difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.

9. The system of claim 8 in which the fault condition programming further counts the number of times the load difference exceeds the predetermined threshold and provides an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration when the count exceeds a predetermined threshold.

10. The system of claim 1 in which the fault condition programming further detects whether the load is drawn by the electrical device when it is off and provides an indication of a fault condition according to a said configuration when a load is drawn by the electrical device when it is off.

11. The system of claim 1 in which the fault condition programming further detects whether the electrical device remains continuously on or off for greater a predetermined time threshold and provides an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration in response.

12. The system of claim 1 in which the microprocessor and the detector are integral with the photocontroller.

13. The system of claim 1 in which the electrical device is a street lamp.

14. A diagnostic and configuration identification system comprising:

an electrical device;

a photocontroller for automatically turning the electrical device on and off in response to ambient light levels; and

a processor programmed to detect a fault condition and provide an indication of said fault condition according to one of a plurality of configurations, and, when no fault condition is detected, to output a signal indicative of the indicated configuration.

15. The system of claim 14 further including a detector for sensing the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on and wherein the processor is responsive to the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on.

16. The system of claim 14 in which each configuration is uniquely identified and the processor reads the identity to determine the configuration.

17. The system of claim 14 in which one said configuration includes a routine which turns the electrical device off, the photocontroller also including a light turned on by the processor when a fault condition is detected.

18. The system of claim 14 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the electrical device on when a fault condition is detected.

19. The system of claim 14 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the electrical device off when a fault condition is detected.

20. The system of claim 14 in which the fault condition programming determines whether the load drawn by the electrical device is greater than a predetermined threshold when the electrical device is on and determines whether the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is off is less than the predetermined threshold.

21. The system of claim 20 in which the processor outputs a signal indicative of the configuration only when both the load drawn by the electrical device is greater than a predetermined threshold when the electrical device is on and when the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is off is less than a predetermined threshold.

22. The system of claim 14 in which the fault condition programming further detects the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is on at times t₁ and t₂, calculates the load difference, determines whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, and provides an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration when the load difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.

23. The system of claim 22 in which the fault condition programming further counts the number of times the load difference exceeds the predetermined threshold and provides an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration when the count exceeds a predetermined threshold.

24. The system of claim 14 in which the fault condition programming further detects whether the load is drawn by the electrical device when it is off and provides an indication of a fault condition according to a said configuration when a load is drawn by the electrical device when it is off.

25. The system of claim 14 in which the fault condition programming further detects whether the electrical device remains continuously on or off for greater a predetermined time threshold and provides an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration in response.

26. The system of claim 14 in which the microprocessor and the detector are integral with the photocontroller.

27. The system of claim 14 in which the electrical device is a lamp.

28. A diagnostic and configuration identification system comprising:

an electrical device;

a photocontroller for automatically turning the electrical device on and off in response to ambient light levels;

a detector for sensing the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on; and

a processor responsive to the load drawn by the electrical device when it is on and programmed to;

detect a fault condition based on the load drawn by the electrical device, and

when no fault condition is detected, to output a signal in response.

29. The system of claim 28 in which the processor is further programmed to detect whether the load drawn by the electrical device is greater than a predetermined threshold when the electrical device is on and detects whether the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is off is less than a predetermined threshold.

30. The system of claim 28 in which the processor is further programmed to provide an indication of a fault condition according one of a plurality of configurations and, when no fault condition is detected during testing, to identify the specific programming configuration of the processor.

31. The system of claim 30 in which each configuration is uniquely identified and the processor reads the identity to determine the configuration.

32. The system of claim 30 in which one said configuration includes a routine which turns the electrical device off, the photocontroller also including a light turned on by the processor when a fault condition is detected.

33. The system of claim 30 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the electrical device on when a fault condition is detected.

34. The system of claim 30 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the electrical device off when a fault condition is detected.

35. The system of claim 28 in which the processor is programmed to determine whether the load drawn by the electrical device is greater than a predetermined threshold when the electrical device is on and determines whether the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is off is less than the predetermined threshold.

36. The system of claim 35 in which the processor outputs a signal during testing only when both the load drawn by the electrical device is greater than a predetermined threshold when the electrical device is on and when the load drawn by the electrical device when the electrical device is off is less than a predetermined threshold.

37. A luminaire diagnostic and configuration identification system comprising:

a photocontroller for automatically turning a lamp on and off in response to ambient light levels;

a detector for sensing the load drawn by the lamp when it is on; and

a processor, inside the photocontroller or coupled thereto and responsive to the load drawn by the lamp when it is on, programmed to;

detect a fault condition based on the load drawn by the lamp by detecting whether the load drawn by the lamp is greater than a predetermined threshold when the lamp is on and whether the load drawn by the lamp when it is off is less than the predetermined threshold,

provide an indication of a fault condition according to one of a plurality of configurations, and

when no fault condition is detected, to determine the configuration and then output a code indicative of the indicated configuration.

38. The system of claim 37 in which each configuration is uniquely identified and the processor reads the identity to determine the configuration.

39. The system of claim 37 in which one said configuration includes a routine which turns the lamp off, the photocontroller also including a light turned on by the processor when a fault condition is detected.

40. The system of claim 37 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the lamp on when a fault condition is detected.

41. The system of claim 37 in which one said configuration includes a routine which permanently turns the lamp off when a fault condition is detected.

42. The system of claim 37 in which the processor is programmed to determine whether the load drawn by the lamp is greater than a predetermined threshold when the lamp is on and to determine whether the load drawn by the lamp when the lamp is off is less than the predetermined threshold.

43. The system of claim 42 in which the processor outputs a code indicative of the configuration only when both the load drawn by the lamp is greater than a predetermined threshold when the lamp is on and when the load drawn by the lamp when the lamp is off is less than a predetermined threshold.

44. The system of claim 37 in which the processor is programmed to detect the load drawn by the lamp when the lamp is on at times t₁ and t₂, calculate the load difference, determine whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, and provide an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration when the load difference exceeds the predetermined threshold.

45. The system of claim 44 in which the processor is programmed to count the number of times the load difference exceeds the predetermined threshold and provide an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration when the count exceeds a predetermined threshold.

46. The system of claim 37 in which the processor is further programmed to detect whether a load is drawn by the lamp when it is off and to provide an indication of a fault condition according to a said configuration when a load is drawn by the lamp when it is off.

47. The system of claim 37 in which the processor is further programmed to detect whether the lamp remains continuously on or off for greater a predetermined time threshold and to provide an indication of a fault condition according to one said configuration in response.

48. The system of claim 37 in which the code is the Morse code for the fault condition.

49. A diagnostic and configuration identification system comprising:

a lamp;

a photocontroller for automatically turning the lamp on and off in response to ambient light levels;

a detector for sensing the load drawn by the lamp when it is on; and

a processor responsive to the load drawn by the lamp when it is on and configured to;

detect a cycling condition based on the load drawn by the lamp and to provide an indication of said cycling condition according to one of a plurality of programming configurations, the processor further configured to detect other fault conditions and, when no fault condition is detected, to determine the programming configuration, and then output a signal indicative thereof.