Activation device for an intelligent luminaire manager

• US 7,529,594 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Darnell, Charles J., Gibler, Zachary S., Walters, Jeff D., Henderson, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US11/518,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20070057807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/19, 700/20, 700/65, 700/83, 702/188
• US Class Current: 700/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• 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

Abstract

A light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers and an activation device. A plurality of networked luminaire managers, each collocated with a respective luminaire, monitor the status of their respective luminaires. The luminaire managers include transmitters for transmitting status information about their respective luminaires and third-party devices to a network server. The network server forwards the received status information from the networked luminaire managers to a computer of an owner/operator of the plurality of luminaires and/or a third-party user. The luminaire managers communicate with each other, whereby they form a network.

Claims

1. An activation device for an intelligent luminaire manager, comprising:

a processor having a memory, wherein the processor forms a part of a personal data assistant host device;

a communication interface, coupled to the processor, having a transmitter and a receiver for communicating with an intelligent luminaire manager; and

a computer program stored in the memory,

wherein the computer program causes the activation device to transmit a unit identification query to an intelligent luminaire manager, receive a unit identification number from the intelligent luminaire manager, and store the received unit identification number in the memory.

2. The activation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a global positioning system receiver coupled to the processor,

wherein the computer program causes the activation device to transmit location coordinates to the intelligent luminaire manager.

3. The activation device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes a radio frequency transmitter and a radio frequency receiver.

4. The activation device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes an infrared frequency transmitter and an infrared frequency receiver.

5. The activation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface program stored in the memory that enables a user to enter data about a luminaire, the data being stored in the memory.

6. The activation device of claim 1, further comprising:

a bar code reader coupled to the processor for reading a bar code attached to the intelligent luminaire manager.

7. The activation device of claim 1, wherein the activation device uploads a luminaire diagnostics program stored in the memory to a memory of the intelligent luminaire manager.

8. An activation device for an intelligent luminaire manager, comprising:

a personal data assistant host device having a memory;

a communication interface, coupled to the personal data assistant host device, having a transmitter and a receiver for communicating with an intelligent luminaire manager; and

a computer program stored in the memory,

wherein the computer program causes the activation device to receive a unit identification number from the intelligent luminaire manager and store the received unit identification number in the memory.

9. The activation device of claim 8, further comprising:

a global positioning system receiver coupled to the personal data assistant host device.

10. The activation device of claim 8, wherein the communication interface includes a radio frequency transmitter and a radio frequency receiver.

11. The activation device of claim 8, wherein the communication interface includes an infrared frequency transmitter and an infrared frequency receiver.

12. The activation device of claim 8, further comprising:

a user interface program stored in the memory that enables a user to enter data about a luminaire, the data being stored in the memory.

13. The activation device of claim 8, further comprising:

a bar code reader coupled to the personal data assistant host device.

14. The activation device of claim 8, wherein the activation device uploads a luminaire diagnostics program stored in the memory to a memory of the intelligent luminaire manager.

15. An activation device for an intelligent luminaire manager, comprising:

a processor having a memory, wherein the processor forms a part of a personal data assistant host device;

a communication interface, coupled to the processor, having an infrared transmitter and an infrared receiver for communicating with an intelligent luminaire manager; and

a computer program stored in the memory that causes the activation device to store in the memory a unit identification number received from the intelligent luminaire manager.

16. The activation device of claim 15, further comprises:

a global positioning system receiver coupled to the processor.

17. The activation device of claim 15, further comprising:

a user interface program stored in the memory that enables a user to enter data about a luminaire, the data being stored in the memory.

18. The activation device of claim 15, further comprising:

a bar code reader coupled to the processor.

19. The activation device of claim 15, wherein the activation device uploads a luminaire diagnostics program stored in the memory to a memory of the intelligent luminaire manager.