Luminaire diagnostic system

• US 6,028,396 A
• Filed: 08/19/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dark T.O. Light
• Inventors: Seigel, Lucinda, Walters, Jeff, Morrissey, Joseph F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US08/914,661
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 315/119, 315/150, 315/307, 315/291, 315/308, 315/151
• US Class Current: 315/119
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection

Abstract

A luminaire diagnostic system including a lamp and a photocontroller for automatically turning the lamp on during periods of darkness and off during periods of daylight wherein the photocontroller includes detector circuitry for detecting the load drawn by the lamp, a microprocessor, responsive to detected load and programmed to predict a condition of the lamp such as a cycling event and/or lamp out condition based on the load drawn by the lamp, and an indicator such as a visual alarm for indicating the occurrence of the condition detected and/or a transmitter for transmitting the detected condition to a remote location. Also, upon cycle detection, the lamp may be turned off to prevent damage to fixture components.

Claims

1. A luminaire diagnostic system comprising:

a lamp; and

a photocontroller for automatically turning said lamp on during periods of darkness and off during periods of daylight, said photocontroller including;

means for detecting a load drawn by said lamp,

a microprocessor, responsive to said means for detecting and programmed to predict a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp, said microprocessor including a first routine which;

reads the load shortly after the lamp is turned on and then again after a predetermined time,

calculates the load difference, and

determines whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

means, responsive to said microprocessor, for indicating the occurrence of the condition detected.

2. A luminaire diagnostic system comprising:

a lamp; and

a photocontroller for automatically turning said lamp on during periods of darkness and off during periods of daylight, said photocontroller including;

means for detecting a load drawn by said lamp,

a microprocessor, responsive to said means for detecting and programmed to predict a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp, said microprocessor including a routine which;

calculates whether the load difference at predetermined times exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

counts the number of times the load difference exceeds said predetermined threshold; and

means, responsive to said microprocessor, for indicating the occurrence of the condition detected.

3. A luminaire diagnostic system comprising:

a lamp; and

a photocontroller for automatically turning said lamp on during periods of darkness and off during periods of daylight, said photocontroller including;

means for detecting a load drawn by said lamp,

a microprocessor, responsive to said means for detecting and programmed to predict a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp, said microprocessor including;

a first routine which;

reads the load shortly after the lamp is turned on and then again after a predetermined time,

calculates the load difference, and

determines whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

a second routine which;

calculates whether the load difference at predetermined times exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

counts the number of times the load difference exceeds said predetermined threshold, and

means, responsive to said microprocessor, for indicating the occurrence of the condition detected.

4. A luminaire diagnostic system comprising:

means for sensing a condition of the luminaire; and

means for providing an indication of the sensed condition, wherein said condition is that a lamp is out, the means for sensing including means for detecting the load on the lamp at two different times, one time proximate the time the lamp is turned on, and means for predicting a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp including means for calculating whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5. A luminaire diagnostic system comprising:

means for sensing a condition of the luminaire; and

means for providing an indication of the sensed condition, wherein said condition is that a lamp is out, the means for sensing including means for detecting the load on the lamp at two different times and means for predicting a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp including means for calculating whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold which is greater than zero to accommodate loads drawn by a capacitor.

6. A luminaries diagnostic system comprising:

means for sensing a condition of the luminaries; and

means for providing an indication of the sensed condition, wherein said condition is that a lamp is out, the means for sensing including means for detecting the load on the lamp at two different times and means for predicting a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp including means for calculating whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold, said means for providing an indication including a light which is illuminated when the load difference does not exceed said predetermined threshold.

7. A luminaries diagnostic system comprising:

means for sensing a condition of the luminaries; and

means for providing an indication of the sensed condition, wherein said condition is that a lamp is cycling, the means for sensing including means for detecting a load on the lamp at two different times and means for predicting a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp including means for calculating whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold and means for counting the number of times the load difference exceeds said predetermined threshold, said means for providing an indication including a light which is illuminated when the count exceeds a predetermined count threshold.

8. A method of diagnosing a condition of a luminaire including a lamp, the method comprising:

detecting a load drawn by the lamp;

predicting a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp, said predicting including implementing a first routine which;

reads the load shortly after the lamp is turned on and then again after a predetermined time,

calculates the load difference, and

determines whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

indicating the occurrence of the condition detected.

9. A method of diagnosing a condition of a luminaire including a lamp, the method comprising:

detecting a load drawn by the lamp;

predicting a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp, said predicting including implementing a routine which;

calculates whether the load difference at predetermined times exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

counts the number of times the load difference exceeds said predetermined threshold; and

indicating the occurrence of the condition detected.

10. A method of diagnosing a condition of a luminaire including a lamp, the method comprising:

detecting a load drawn by the lamp;

predicting a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn by the lamp, said predicting including;

implementing a first routine which;

reads the load shortly after the lamp is turned on and then again after a predetermined time,

calculates the load difference, and

determines whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

implementing a second routine which;

calculates whether the load difference at predetermined times exceeds a predetermined threshold, and

counts the number of times the load difference exceeds said predetermined threshold; and

indicating the occurrence of the condition detected.

11. A luminaries diagnostic method comprising:

sensing a condition of the luminaire; and

providing an indication of the sensed condition, wherein said condition is that a lamp is out, the step of sensing including detecting the load on that lamp at two different times, one time proximate the time the lamp is turned on, and calculating whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold.

12. A luminaries diagnostic method comprising:

sensing a condition of the luminaire; and

providing an indication of the sensed condition, wherein said condition is that a lamp is out, the step of sensing including detecting the load on that lamp at two different times and calculating whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold which is greater than zero to accommodate a load drawn by a capacitor.

13. A luminaries diagnostic method comprising:

sensing a condition of the luminaire; and

providing an indication of the sensed condition including transmitting a sensed condition to a location remote from the luminaire, wherein said condition is that a lamp is out, the step of sensing including detecting the load on that lamp at two different times and calculating whether the load difference exceeds a predetermined threshold.