Intelligent outdoor lighting control system

• US 6,441,565 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intelilite LLC
• Original Assignee: Intelilite LLC
• Inventors: Levy, Josef
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Wilson
• Application Number:
  US09/938,064
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 315/292-296, 315/360, 315/291, 315/312, 315/316, 315/324, 315/155, 315/159
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A new and improved outdoor lighting control system for an outdoor lighting system network for automatically sensing, conveying, and recording data relevant to the operation of the lighting system network so that both control and maintenance can be performed more efficiently. At each of plural lamp locations in the network, there is a controller module that receives electric power input and that supplies electric power to the remaining lamp locations. Each controller module has a first relay to deliver current to one or more outdoor illumination lamps at the controller module'"'"'s location and a second relay for switching electric power on to a succeeding lamp location. A first current sensor monitors current to the lamps at each lamp location, and a second current sensor monitors current to the remaining locations. The network'"'"'s power lines form portions of a bi-directional data link via which data is transmitted from each controller module to a command station, and vice versa.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a lighting system having a plurality of lamps, wherein each lamp in the plurality of lamps is coupled to a controller module, the method comprising:

sending a “

power on”

signal to a first controller module,

sending a “

lamp on”

command to the first controller module to turn on at least one lamp associated with the first controller module,

determining start times for each lamp component,

updating the operating logs using the start times,

receiving lamp data from the first controller module,

comparing the lamp data to a predetermined range of lamp data values,

logging a fault condition if the lamp data is beyond the predetermined range of lamp data values,

sending a “

diagnostic”

command to the first controller module,

receiving lamp data from the first controller module,

determining a fault condition by comparing the lamp data from the first controller module to predetermined values for the respective module, and

logging the fault condition when a fault conditioned is determined.

2. A method of controlling a lighting system having a plurality of lamps, wherein each lamp in the plurality of lamps is coupled to a controller module, the method comprising:

sending a “

power on”

signal to a first controller module,

sending a “

lamp on”

command to the first controller module to turn on at least one lamp associated with the first controller module,

determining start times for each lamp component,

updating the operating logs using the start times,

receiving lamp data from the first controller module,

comparing the lamp data to a predetermined range of lamp data values,

logging a fault condition if the lamp data is beyond the predetermined range of lamp data values,

updating the operating logs for a lamp associated with the controller module, and

updating the operating logs for ballast associated with the lamp.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the updating step further comprises updating the operating logs for a capacitor associated with the lamp.

4. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of controlling a lighting system having a plurality of lamps, wherein each lamp in the plurality of lamps is coupled to a controller module, comprising:

sending a “

power on”

signal to a first controller module,

sending a “

lamp on”

command to the first controller module to turn on at least one lamp associated with the first controller module,

determining start times for each lamp component,

updating the operating logs using the start times,

receiving lamp data from the first controller module,

comparing the lamp data to a predetermined range of lamp data values,

logging a fault condition if the lamp data is beyond the predetermined range of lamp data values,

sending a “

diagnostic”

command to the first controller module,

receiving lamp data from the first controller module,

determining a fault condition by comparing the lamp data from the first controller module to predetermined values for the respective module, and

logging the fault condition when a fault conditioned is determined.