AUTOMATED DISCOVERY OF A TOPOLOGY FOR LUMINAIRES

• US 20130221858A1
• Filed: 02/29/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Silberstein, Rebecca Lynn Braynard
• Application Number:
  US13/409,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20130221858A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/153
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

An ad-hoc luminaire-controlling system communicates with nearby luminaires to identify a luminaire cluster. During operation, the system detects light patterns emitted by one or more remote luminaires, and identifies the remote luminaires from the detected light patterns. The system then identifies a luminaire cluster that includes a local luminaire and one or more of the identified remote luminaires. A central or mobile luminaire-controlling system receives a cluster description from one or more luminaires, and determines a luminaire topology based on the received cluster descriptions. Each cluster description identifies a set of luminaires that are can see each other'"'"'s light. The central or mobile system can generate a state-modifying command for a set of target luminaires in a cluster based on the luminaire topology, and sends the state-modifying command to the target luminaires.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

detecting, by a luminaire-controlling device, light patterns emitted by one or more remote luminaires;

identifying the one or more remote luminaires from the detected light patterns; and

identifying a luminaire cluster that includes a local luminaire and one or more of the identified remote luminaires that can detect each other'"'"'s light patterns.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one of the remote luminaires involves:

determining a light signature of the detected light pattern corresponding to the remote luminaire;

determining that the determined light signature is different from other determined signatures; and

associating the determined light signature with the remote luminaire.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one of the remote luminaires involves:

determining a signal transmitted in the detected light pattern corresponding to the remote luminaire; and

determining, from the determined signal, a unique identifier that identifies the remote luminaire.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the luminaire cluster involves:

identifying an initial cluster that includes the local luminaire and the identified remote luminaires;

sending the initial cluster'"'"'s description to the remote luminaires in the initial cluster;

receiving a cluster description from one or more remote luminaires; and

identifying a refined cluster that includes a plurality of luminaires that can detectlight patterns from each other.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a presence of an object in a vicinity of the local luminaire;

activating the local luminaire; and

sending a light-activating signal to a remote luminaire in the cluster, wherein the light-activating signal causes the remote luminaire to activate.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining that an object'"'"'s presence has not been detected for a time duration;

determining that the remote luminaires in the cluster are not detecting a presence of an object; and

deactivating the local luminaire.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the light pattern includes a light-activating signal from a remote luminaire in the cluster; and

activating the local luminaire.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the luminaire cluster'"'"'s description to a remote computing device that determines a luminaire topology for a plurality of luminaires; and

receiving, from the remote computing device, a command that alters the local luminaire'"'"'s operating state.

9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a cluster description from one or more luminaires, wherein the cluster description identifies a set of luminaires that each other'"'"'s light patterns;

determining a luminaire topology based on cluster descriptions received from the one or more luminaires;

generating a state-modifying command for a target luminaire in a cluster based on the luminaire topology; and

sending the state-modifying command to the target luminaire.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein generating the state-modifying command is in response to at least one of:

receiving an updated operating state for a luminaire;

receiving a notification of an object'"'"'s presence detected by a luminaire;

receiving a command from a user; and

determining that a trigger condition has been satisfied.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a luminaire-detection module to detect light patterns emitted by one or more remote luminaires;

a luminaire-identifying module to identify the one or more remote luminaires from the detected light patterns; and

a cluster-identifying module to identify a luminaire cluster that includes a local luminaire and one or more of the identified remote luminaires that can detect each other'"'"'s light patterns.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein while identifying one of the remote luminaires, the luminaire-identifying module is further configured to:

determining a light signature of the detected light pattern corresponding to the remote luminaire;

determine that the determined light signature is different from other determined signatures; and

associate the determined light signature with the remote luminaire.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein while identifying a remote luminaire, the luminaire-identifying module is further configured to:

determine a signal transmitted in the detected light pattern corresponding to the remote luminaire; and

determine, from the determined signal, a unique identifier that identifies the remote luminaire.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein while identifying the luminaire cluster, the cluster-identifying module is further configured to:

identify an initial cluster that includes the local luminaire and the identified remote luminaires;

send the initial cluster'"'"'s description to the remote luminaires in the initial cluster;

receive a cluster description from one or more remote luminaires; and

identify a refined cluster that includes a plurality of luminaires that can detect light patterns from each other.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a presence-detection module to detect a presence of an object in a vicinity of the local luminaire;

a luminaire-controlling module to activate the local luminaire; and

an interfacing module to send a light-activating signal to a remote luminaire in the cluster, wherein the light-activating signal causes the remote luminaire to activate.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the presence-detection module is further configured to determine that an object'"'"'s presence has not been detected for a time duration;

wherein the interfacing module is further configured to determine that the remote luminaires in the cluster are not detecting a presence of an object; and

wherein the luminaire-controlling module is further configured to deactivate the local luminaire.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the interfacing module is further configured to determine that the light pattern includes a light-activating signal from a remote luminaire in the cluster;

and

wherein the luminaire-controlling module is further configured to activate the local luminaire.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the interfacing module is further configured to:

communicate the luminaire cluster'"'"'s description to a remote computing device that determines a luminaire topology for a plurality of luminaires; and

receive, from the remote computing device, a command that alters the local luminaire'"'"'s operating state.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a cluster description from one or more luminaires, wherein the cluster description identifies a set of luminaires that can detect each other'"'"'s light patterns;

determining a luminaire topology based on cluster descriptions received from the one or more luminaires;

generating a state-modifying command for a target luminaire in a cluster based on the luminaire topology; and

sending the state-modifying command to the target luminaire.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein generating the state-modifying command is in response to at least one of:

receiving an updated operating state for a luminaire;

receiving a notification of an object'"'"'s presence detected by a luminaire;

receiving a command from a user; and

determining that a trigger condition has been satisfied.