Light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers

• US 20070085702A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Acuity Brands, Inc.
• Inventors: Henderson, David, Walters, Jeff, Darnell, Charles, Gibler, Zachary, Holland, William, Minarczyk, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,603,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.20
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• 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 light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers. A plurality of networked luminaire managers, each collocated with a respective luminaire, monitor the status of their respective luminaires. The luminaire managers include transmitters for transmitting status information about their respective luminaires such as, for example, a lamp out condition upon occurrence of such a lamp out condition, to a network server. The network server forwards the received status information from the networked luminaire managers to a computer of an owner/operator of the plurality of luminaires. The luminaire managers communicate with each other, whereby they form a network.

Claims

1. A management system for managing a plurality of luminaires, comprising:

a plurality of intelligent luminaire managers, each intelligent luminaire manager being collocated with an associated luminaire and configured to monitor and transmit status information for the associated luminaire, the status information including at least an indication of a lamp out condition upon occurrence of a lamp out condition; and

a network server within a network operation center for receiving transmitted status information from the plurality of intelligent luminaire managers and for communicating at least a portion of the status information to a computer of an operator of the plurality of luminaires.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each intelligent luminaire manager includes a wireless radio frequency receiver and transmitter that receives and re-transmits status information signals from selected intelligent luminaire managers.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of networked luminaire managers form a peer-to-peer communications network.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of networked luminaire managers form a mesh communications network.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a master control that receives status information signals from selected intelligent luminaire managers and transmit status information signals over a communication link.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a master control that receives status information signals from selected intelligent luminaire managers and transmits status information signals over a cellular telephony communication link.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a master control that receives status information signals from selected intelligent luminaire managers and transmits status information signals over a satellite communication link.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the network server transmits data to a particular intelligent luminaire manager indicating when a lamp of the luminaire associated with the particular luminaire is to be turned on.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the network server transmits data to a particular intelligent luminaire manager indicating when a lamp of the luminaire associated with the particular luminaire is to be turned off.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a hand-held activation device that is used to communicate with a first intelligent luminaire manager when the first intelligent luminaire manager is put into service.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein received status information is communicated to a maintenance work order program.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each luminaire manager, comprises:

a luminaire condition sensing and diagnostic circuit that monitors selected currents and voltages of a luminaire; and

a microprocessor, coupled to the luminaire condition sensing and diagnostic circuit, that receives signals from the luminaire condition sensing and diagnostic circuit and generates status information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor generates a control signal that operates a relay.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the relay controls power.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the microprocessor generates a control signal that operates a solid state switching device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the solid state switching device controls power.

17. A computer-based method for managing a plurality of luminaires, wherein each luminaire is monitored and controlled by an associated intelligent luminaire manager, the method comprising:

monitoring a status of each of a plurality of luminaires, wherein each luminaire is monitored using an associated microprocessor-based intelligent luminaire manager;

periodically communicating the status of each of the luminaires to a computer in communication with the intelligent luminaire managers; and

using a first intelligent luminaire manager to turn-on and turn-off a lamp of a first luminaire based on data transmitted to the first luminaire manager by the computer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring a status of a lamp.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring startup of the lamp in order to predict whether the lamp is about to fail.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring a status of a fixture.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the monitoring step includes monitoring startup of the fixture in order to predict whether the fixture is about to fail.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

using a second luminaire manager to receive information transmitted by a third party radio frequency device; and

communicating the information to the computer.