LIGHTING FIXTURES AND METHODS OF COMMISSIONING LIGHTING FIXTURES

• US 20150061511A1
• Filed: 10/20/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Digital Lumens, Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Chemel, Brian J., Piepgras, Colin, Kondo, Steve T., Johnston, Scott D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,860,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/153
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/04 the power supply being a generator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/02 by movement of light sources in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/00 Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices F21V17/00, F21V19/00 take precedence; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q, stands for supporting apparatus or articles in general F16M11/00; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/15 specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/56 using liquid coolants F21V29/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 : by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 : by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 : Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention, a method and system is provided for commissioning improved intelligent, LED-based lighting systems. The LED based lighting systems may include fixtures with one or more LED light bars, integrated sensors, onboard intelligence to send and receive signals and control the LED light bars, and network connectivity to other fixtures.

Claims

1. An apparatus operably coupled to at least one lighting fixture to provide variable illumination to at least a portion of an environment, the at least one lighting fixture including at least one driver, to power the at least one lighting fixture according to at least one digital control signal provided by the apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a digital light agent (DLA), operably coupled to the at least one lighting fixture, to control the at least one lighting fixture in response to at least one change in the environment, the at least one DLA comprising;

(A) a DLA housing;

(B) at least one sensor, in mechanical association with the DLA housing, to provide at least one sensor signal representative of the at least one change in the environment;

(C) a memory, in mechanical association with the DLA housing, to store at least one rule governing a change in the variable illumination provided by the at least one lighting fixture based at least in part on the at least one change in the environment;

(D) a processor, in mechanical association with the DLA housing and operably coupled to the at least one sensor and to the memory, to generate the at least one digital control signal based on the at least one rule and the at least one sensor signal;

(E) an open modular sensor bus, in mechanical association with the DLA housing and operably coupled to the processor, to receive at least one digital reporting signal from the at least one lighting fixture and to provide the at least one digital control signal to the at least one lighting fixture.

2. A system for automated operation of at least one lighting fixture, the system comprising:

(A) a power management module to regulate a supply of electrical power to the at least one lighting fixture, the power management module including;

(A1) a power input unit to receive the electrical power from an external energy source,

(A2) a power output unit, operably coupled to the power input unit, to supply energy to the at least one lighting fixture,

(A3) meter circuitry, operably coupled to the power input unit and the power output unit, to sense (i) the electrical power received by the power input unit and (ii) the energy supplied to the at least one lighting fixture, and

(A4) a memory, operably coupled to the meter circuitry, to store a set of rules for regulating the supply of electrical power to the at least one lighting fixture; and

(B) a network interface, operably coupled to the power management module, to transmit data from the power management module to at least one other device.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

(C) at least one light management module, operably connected to the power management module, to trigger the power management module to regulate the supply of power from the power output unit to the at least one lighting fixture;

(D) at least one sensor, operably connected to the power management module, to provide information pertaining to an environment illuminated by the at least one lighting fixture and/or to usage of the at least one lighting fixture to the power management module; and

(E) a centralized controlling unit, operably connected to the power management module and the at least one light management module, to control operation of the power management module and the at least one light management module, the centralized controlling unit comprising;

(D1) a memory including a database for storing instructions relating the information pertaining to the environment and/or the usage of light management module to environmental patterns, contextual patterns, parameters, and/or the set of rules regulating the supply of electrical power to the at least one lighting fixture;

(D2) a microprocessor, operably coupled to the memory, to control the power management module and the light management module according to the instructions in the memory.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one light management module is configured to regulate at least one of intensity, color temperature, beam angle, or lens control of the at least one lighting fixture.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a power storage unit, operably coupled to the power input unit and to the power output unit, to store power received by the power input unit and to supply energy to the at least one lighting fixture via the power output unit.

6. A system coupled to a digital light agent (DLA) that controls at least one lighting fixture based on environmental and/or contextual patterns, the system comprising:

(A) a power conversion circuit, operably connected to the DLA, to receive power from an external energy source;

(B) input and output current and/or voltage sensors, operably connected to the power conversion circuit, to detect an overflow of current beyond a threshold level;

(C) input and/or output protection devices, operably coupled to the input and output current and/or voltage sensors, to reduce a current upon detection of the overflow of current by the input and/or output current and/or voltage sensing devices;

(C) a sensor, operably connected with the DLA, to facilitate the sensing of the environmental and/or contextual patterns;

(D) a memory, operably connected with the DLA, to store a database of lighting rules and/or parameters, the database including at least one of;

(D1) a demand response rules database including instructions to alter power consumption of the lighting fixture;

(D2) a third party rules database including instructions to control and manage operations and rights related to a third party;

or

(D3) an internal administration rules database including instructions to define activities performed by an internal administrator; and

(E) a network interface, operably connected with the DLA, to enable communication with a remote user;

wherein the DLA automates operations of the system based on at least one of;

the environmental and/or contextual patterns sensed by the sensor,

the lighting rules and parameters stored in the database, and

the communication with the remote user via the network interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sensor includes at least one of an occupancy sensor, an ambient light sensor, a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) sensor, a camera, a power metering device, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a lighting sensor, a touch sensor, a smell sensor, a voice sensor, a perception sensor, a fingerprint reader, a walking-style sensor, or a handshake sensor.