REMOTE MONITORING AND CONTROL OF LED BASED STREET LIGHTS

• US 20100271178A1
• Filed: 04/28/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dialight Corporation (Dialight PLC)
• Original Assignee: Dialight Corporation (Dialight PLC)
• Inventors: AHMAD, RIZWAN
• Granted Patent: US 8,598,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/44 Testing lamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/25 using a mesh network, e.g. a public urban network such as public lighting, bus stops or traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for remotely monitoring and controlling a light emitting diode. In one embodiment, the method includes establishing a two-way communication path via a communication module to a central office, wherein said communication module is coupled to said LED based street light and sending information related to the LED based street light to the central office via the two-way communication path.

Claims

1. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling a light emitting diode (LED) based street light, comprising:

establishing a two-way communication path via a communication module to a central office, wherein said communication module is coupled to said LED based street light; and

sending information related to said LED based street light to said central office via said two-way communication path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one control signal from said central office via said two-way communication path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one control signal comprises at least one of:

a signal to remotely turn off said LED based street light, a signal to turn on said LED based street light, a signal to adjust a brightness of said LED based street light or a signal to request an on demand health check of said LED based street light.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said communication module communicates via at least one of:

a 900 megahertz (MHz) spread spectrum band, a ZigBee protocol, a power line communication protocol, a cellular protocol, a satellite communication protocol, a paging communication protocol or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said two-way communication path traverses at least one public network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said two-way communication path traverses an advanced metering infrastructure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises at least one of:

reporting information or diagnostic information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said reporting information comprises at least one of:

a burn time, a fault with a time-stamp, a number of ignitions, an amount of kilo-watt hours (KWH) usage, a number of functioning LEDs within said LED based street light, a light output factor of said LED based street light or a light degradation factor of said LED based street light.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said diagnostic information comprises at least one of:

a fixture malfunction or a photo controller failure.

10. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling at least one light emitting diode (LED) based street light, comprising:

establishing a two-way communication path with said at least one LED based street light via a communication module coupled to said LED based street light; and

receiving information related to said at least one LED based street light via said two-way communication path.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting at least one control signal to said at least one LED based street light via said two-way communication path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one control signal comprises at least one of:

a signal to remotely turn off said LED based street light, a signal to turn on said LED based street light, a signal to adjust a brightness of said LED based street light or a signal to request an on demand health check of said LED based street light.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said information comprises at least one of:

reporting information or diagnostic information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said reporting information comprises at least one of:

a burn time, a fault with a time-stamp, a number of ignitions, an amount of kilo-watt hours (KWH) usage, a number of functioning LEDs within said LED based street light, a light output factor of said LED based street light or a light degradation factor of said LED based street light.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said diagnostic information comprises at least one of:

a fixture malfunction or a photo controller failure.

16. A method for remotely monitoring and controlling at least one light emitting diode (LED) based street light, comprising:

establishing a two-way communication path with said at least one LED based street light via a communication module coupled to said at least one LED based street light;

establishing a two-way communication path with a central office;

collecting information related to said at least one LED based street light via said two-way communication path with said at least one LED based street light; and

transmitting said collected information to said central office via said two-way communication path with said central office.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving at least one control signal from said central office; and

transmitting said at least one control signal to said at least one LED based street light.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said at least one control signal comprises at least one of:

a signal to remotely turn off said LED based street light, a signal to turn on said LED based street light, a signal to adjust a brightness of said LED based street light or a signal to request an on demand health check of said LED based street light.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said information comprises at least one of:

reporting information or diagnostic information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said reporting information comprises at least one of:

a burn time, a fault with a time-stamp, a number of ignitions, an amount of kilo-watt hours (KWH) usage, a number of functioning LEDs within said LED based street light, a light output factor of said LED based street light or a light degradation factor of said LED based street light.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said diagnostic information comprises at least one of:

a fixture malfunction or a photo controller failure.