Adaptive energy performance monitoring and control system

• US 20070043540A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LED Roadway Lighting Ltd.
• Original Assignee: LED Roadway Lighting Ltd.
• Inventors: Kubek, Laurence, Wong, Carol, Cleland, Donald, McCarthy, Colleen, Duval, Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 8,433,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting

Abstract

A controller is configured for and a corresponding method of adaptive monitoring and control of a lighting system are suited for adaptively establishing lighting parameters on a fixture by fixture basis. The controller includes a communication interface configured to communicate with a multiplicity of light fixtures, a memory for storing software routines and information associated with each of the light fixtures; and a processor coupled to the memory and the communication interface and configured to execute the software routines and selectively communicate with at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures to adaptively establish lighting parameters for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures. A method of facilitating the monitoring and control of the light fixture includes controlling a lamp circuit to provide one of a multiplicity of light levels; assessing performance parameters of the light fixture; and communicating with a central server.

Claims

1. A controller configured for adaptive monitoring and control of a lighting system, the controller comprising:

a communication interface configured to communicate with a multiplicity of light fixtures;

a memory for storing software routines and information associated with each of the multiplicity of light fixtures; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the communication interface and configured to execute the software routines and selectively communicate with at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures to adaptively establish lighting parameters for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

2. The controller of claim 1 where the processor is further configured to adaptively establish lighting parameters for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures based on lighting information corresponding to the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

3. The controller of claim 2 where the processor is further configured to adaptively establish lighting parameters for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures based on lighting status information obtained from the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

4. The controller of claim 2 where the processor is further configured to adaptively establish a lighting level for and based on lighting status information obtained from the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures, where the lighting status information corresponds to the information associated with the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

5. The controller of claim 2 where the processor is further configured to adaptively establish different lighting parameters for at least a different one of the multiplicity of light fixtures based on different lighting information associated with the at least a different one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

6. The controller of claim 1 where the communication interface further comprises a wireless interface to the multiplicity of light fixtures.

7. The controller of claim 6 where the wireless interface further comprises a wireless network configured as a mesh network comprised of a plurality of transceivers associated with a corresponding plurality of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

8. The controller of claim 1 where the communication interface further comprises a wired interface to the multiplicity of light fixtures.

9. The controller of claim 1 where the communication interface provides a communication link to one or more gateways, where each gateway provides a communication link to one or more of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

10. The controller of claim 1 where the processor is further configured to selectively communicate with at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures to adaptively establish lighting levels for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures, where the lighting levels are based on a schedule for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

11. The controller of claim 10 where the lighting levels vary over three or more levels in accordance with a time of day.

12. The controller of claim 10 where the lighting levels correspond to a lighting application.

13. The controller of claim 10 where the lighting levels correspond to a type of surface to be illuminated.

14. The controller of claim 10 where the lighting levels correspond to an activity level associated with a type of surface to be illuminated.

15. The controller of claim 10 where the lighting levels correspond to an age of one or more components associated with each of the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

16. The controller of claim 10 where the lighting levels correspond to performance information obtained from each of the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

17. The controller of claim 10 where the lighting levels correspond to one or more weather conditions.

18. The controller of claim 1 where the processor is configured to selectively communicate with the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures to obtain performance related information associated with the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

19. The controller of claim 18 where the processor is configured to obtain performance information sufficient to determine power consumption of the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

20. A method of adaptively monitoring and controlling a lighting system, the method comprising:

selectively communicating with each of a multiplicity of light fixtures;

maintaining a data base containing information associated with each of the multiplicity of light fixtures; and

adaptively establishing lighting parameters for each of the multiplicity of light fixtures by the selectively communicating with each of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

21. The method of claim 20 where the adaptively establishing lighting parameters further comprises adaptively establishing lighting parameters for the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures based on lighting information corresponding to the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

22. The method of claim 21 where the adaptively establishing lighting parameters for the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures is based on lighting status information obtained from the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

23. The method of claim 21 where the adaptively establishing lighting parameters for the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures based on lighting status information further comprises establishing a lighting level for and based on lighting status information obtained from the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures, where the lighting status information corresponds to the information associated with each of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

24. The method of claim 21 where the adaptively establishing further comprises establishing different lighting parameters for a first and a second one of the multiplicity of light fixtures based on different lighting status information associated with the first and the second one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

25. The method of claim 20 where the selectively communicating comprises selectively communicating over a wireless interface to the multiplicity of light fixtures.

26. The method of claim 20 where the selectively communicating comprises selectively communicating over a wired interface to the multiplicity of light fixtures.

27. The method of claim 20 where the selectively communicating comprises selectively communicating over one or more gateways, where each gateway provides a communication link to one or more of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

28. The method of claim 20 where the selectively communicating further comprises selectively communicating with at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures to adaptively establish lighting levels for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures, where the lighting levels are based on a schedule for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

29. The method of claim 20 where the lighting levels for the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures vary over three or more levels in accordance with a time of day.

30. The method of claim 28 where the lighting levels correspond to at least one of a lighting application, a surface to be illuminated, an activity level associated with the surface to be illuminated and environmental conditions in the location of the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

31. The method of claim 28 where the lighting levels correspond to an age of one or more components associated with each of the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

32. The method of claim 28 where the lighting levels correspond to a measured output light level information obtained from each of the at least one of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

33. The method of claim 20 where the maintaining a data base further comprises maintaining a data base including configuration information for each of the multiplicity of light fixtures and including information obtained by the selectively communicating with each of the multiplicity of light fixtures to obtain performance related information associated with the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

34. The method of claim 33 where the maintaining a data base comprises obtaining performance information sufficient to determine power consumption of the each of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

35. The method of claim 33 where the maintaining a data base comprises maintaining a database including behavior of one or more components associated with each of the multiplicity of light fixtures.

36. A method of facilitating monitoring and controlling a light fixture, the method comprising:

controlling a lamp circuit to provide one of a multiplicity of light levels;

assessing performance parameters of the light fixture; and

communicating with a central server.

37. The method of claim 36 where the communicating with a central server further comprises sending one or more of the performance parameters to the central server.

38. The method of claim 36 where the communicating with a central server further comprises receiving lighting parameters from the central server and the controlling the lamp circuit is performed responsive to the lighting parameters.

39. The method of claim 36 where the controlling a lamp circuit to provide one of a multiplicity of light levels is responsive and adapted to the assessing performance parameters including measuring an output light level.

40. The method of claim 39 where the controlling a lamp circuit further comprises controlling the light circuit to change an actual output light level to approach a target output light level.

41. The method of claim 40 where the target output light level is obtained by the communicating with the central server.