METHOD OF CONTROLLING A LIGHTING SYSTEM

• US 20110305200A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Fuhrmann, Peter, Aoun, Marc, Schoofs, Anthony Robert Andre
• Granted Patent: US 9,585,230 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of controlling a lighting system, the lighting system being arranged as a wireless network comprising a controller and a plurality of operating nodes arranged to communicate with each other, wherein the method comprises the steps of synchronizing the operating nodes with the controller, determining, from the plurality of operating nodes, a set of operating nodes that are located within a predetermined operating area, estimating a state-shift delay based on a maximum communication delay between the controller and the set of operating nodes located within the predetermined operating area, communicating the estimated state-shift delay to the plurality of operating nodes, and communicating a state-shift command to the plurality of operating nodes.

An advantage with the invention is that the visual artifact of the state-shift may be essentially removed as the time synchronization and timer interrupt alignment together with the estimated state-shift delay allows for the plurality of nodes to shift state at essentially the same time.

Claims

1. Method of controlling a lighting system, the lighting system being arranged as a network comprising a controller and a plurality of operating nodes arranged to communicate with each other, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

synchronizing the operating nodes with the controller;

determining, from the plurality of operating nodes, a set of operating nodes that are located within a predetermined operating area;

estimating a state-shift delay for the set of operating nodes located within the predetermined operating area;

communicating the estimated state-shift delay to the plurality of operating nodes; and

communicating a state-shift command to the plurality of operating nodes.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the state-shift delay is at least one of a state transition time for each operating node, and a maximum communication delay between the controller and the set of operating nodes located within the predetermined operating area.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein said network is wireless, wired or a combination thereof.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein the wireless network is a wireless mesh network.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the operating nodes is arranged to control a state-shift of at least one light source.

6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the state-shift command includes information as to controlling at least one of beam width, color, dimming, beam direction, and intensity of the light source.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least the set of operating nodes located within the predetermined operating area are adapted to take into account the state-shift delay during the execution of the state-shift command.

8. Method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined operating area comprises at least two non-adjacent areas.

9. Method according to claim 1, wherein the state-shift delay and the state-shift command are communicated simultaneously.

10. Method according to claim 1, wherein the state-shift command comprises an operation node-specific variable for creating a predetermined state-shift pattern.

11. Lighting system, comprising:

a controller, and

a plurality of operating nodes adapted to communicate with the controller,

wherein the controller is further adapted to;

initiate a synchronization procedure for synchronizing the plurality of operating nodes with the controller,

estimate a state-shift delay between the controller and a set of operating nodes located within a predetermined operating area,

communicate the maximum communication delay to the plurality of operating nodes, and

communicate a state-shift command to the plurality of operating nodes.

12. Lighting system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the operating nodes comprises control circuitry for controlling an electrical connection between a light source and a power supply.

13. Lighting system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the operating nodes comprises means for controlling an illumination property of a light source.