Lighting Fixtures Incorporating Rf Antennae

• US 20070252528A1
• Filed: 07/06/2005
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Eekamp, Cornelis, Vermuelen, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,741,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/34
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 3/04 characterised by materials, surface treatments or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/06 Means for the lighting or illuminating of antennas, e.g. for purpose of warning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/405 Radome integrated radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A lighting fixture, such as for street lighting, comprises an external housing (11) which has a radio frequency antenna (26, 26a, 27) integrally formed therewith. The RF antenna enables telemanagement signals to be passed to the lighting fixture, and for the telemanagement signals to be passed between lighting fixtures in a network. The RF antenna is ideally located in or on a translucent dome portion (14) of the lighting fixture which is invariably formed from a dielectric (non-conductive) material and therefore avoids undesirable RF shielding in at least preferred directions.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture (10) including an external housing (11) for confinement of a lamp (21) and electrical control system (20), the external housing including a first portion (14) thereof formed from electrically non-conductive material, the first portion having a radio frequency antenna (26, 26a, 27) integrally formed therewith.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the first portion (14) is formed from a translucent material through which optical output of the lighting fixture is directed.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the external housing (11) further comprises a second, substantially opaque, portion (12) confining electrical control systems of the lighting fixture.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 3 in which the opaque portion (12) is formed from metal.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the first portion (14) has a profile that allows line of sight to a lamp (21) within the housing in at least two opposing directions.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the antenna (26, 26a, 27) is configured to provide a high degree of directionality in a plane (16) substantially orthogonal to an illumination axis (17).

7. The lighting fixture of claim 6 in which the antenna (26, 26a, 27) is configured to provide a high degree of directionality in two opposite directions in the plane (16).

8. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the first portion (14) is formed from injection moulded polycarbonate material.

9. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the antenna (26, 26a, 27) is formed from a thin electrically conductive wire fixed into or onto the first portion.

10. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the antenna (26, 26a, 27) is embedded within the first portion (14).

11. The lighting fixture of claim 3 in which the first portion defines a dome shape extending from a lower rim (15) of the opaque portion (12), such that the antenna (26, 26a) is unshielded in at least a horizontal plane (16) extending through the antenna.

12. The lighting fixture of claim 1 in which the antenna (26, 26a) includes a plurality of elements (28).

13. The lighting fixture of claim 1 further including an RF transceiver (25) and a lamp control device (23, 24) coupled thereto, for receiving RF switching control signals and to control switching on and off a lamp (21) within the lighting fixture (10) in accordance with the control signals.

14. The lighting fixture of claim 1 further including an RF transceiver (25) for receiving signals from and transmitting signals to plural adjacent lighting fixtures.

15. The lighting fixture of claim 1 incorporated within a streetlight.

16. A street lighting system incorporating a plurality of lighting fixtures according to claim 1, the lighting fixtures being disposed in a row and presenting respective antenna (26, 26a, 27) such that the radiating faces thereof are directed to adjacent ones of the lighting fixtures.

17. The street lighting system of claim 16 in which each one of the plurality of lighting fixtures forms a node in an RF connected network, each comprising a switching control circuit (24, 28) for receiving switching control signals and passing said switching control signals to an adjacent lighting fixture in the network.