DALI commissioning tools and methods for implementing

• US 20150084547A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 03/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verified Energy LLC
• Original Assignee: Verified Energy LLC
• Inventors: Yeh, Thomas I., Sheehan, David W.
• Application Number:
  US14/038,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20150084547A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5053 Lease time; Renewal aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

The present invention provides for a system that: automatically detects new DALI ballasts that join a lighting network, automatically detects sensor inputs on devices that reside on a lighting network, automatically configures the DALI short addresses on a DALI devices on the lighting network to ensure each ballast and device is uniquely addressed, automatically sets configuration parameters on a newly detected DALI ballast or whenever the DALI controller or lighting network manager role globally adjusts ballast configuration, and masquerades non-DALI ballasts as a native DALI ballast such that they can be integrated into a DALI lighting system transparently.

Claims

1. A DALI compatible lighting control system comprising:

a DALI controller;

a first two wire bus;

a master module;

at least one slave module;

at least one slave device;

and at least one lamp bank;

wherein each slave module identifies at least one of said slave devices and requests the master module to provide an address for the slave device;

said master module maintains a list of all addresses; and

said master module assigns a unique address for the slave device.

2. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 1 further comprising a second two wire bus wherein the master module and at least one slave module communicate via a wireless communication protocol.

3. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 2 wherein at least one slave device is a non-DALI compliant device.

4. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 3 wherein the non-DALI compliant slave device is connected to one of said slave modules;

said slave module masquerades said slave device as a DALI compliant slave device.

5. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 1 further comprising at least one slave device newly installed on the system wherein the system automatically detects the newly installed slave device.

6. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 5 wherein the master module assigns a DALI short address to the newly installed slave device;

said short address being unique to the newly installed slave device.

7. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 6 wherein configuration parameters for the newly installed slave device are automatically set.

8. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 1 wherein configuration of all slave devices are updated upon global reconfigurations of the DALI controller.

9. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor wherein the system automatically detects the sensor.

10. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 9 wherein the sensor is connected to one of the slave modules via a cable.

11. The DALI compatible lighting control system of claim 9 wherein the sensor is connected to one of the slave modules via a special connector.

12. A method for commissioning at least one slave device on a DALI lighting control system;

the method comprising the steps of;

A slave module recognizing a slave device;

The slave module requesting an address from a master module;

The master module determining whether the requested address is unique within the DALI lighting control system; and

Upon determining that the requested address is unique, the master module sending a message back to the slave module indicating that the address is approved.

13. A method for commissioning at least one sensor on a DALI lighting control system;

the method comprising the steps of;

A slave module recognizing a sensor;

The slave module requesting an address from a master module;

The master module determining whether the requested address is unique within the DALI lighting control system; and

Upon determining that the requested address is unique, the master module sending a message back to the slave module indicating that the address is approved.