Network operation center for a light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers

• US 7,546,167 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• 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: Gibler, Zachary S., Henderson, David A., Darnell, Charles J., Walters, Jeff D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US11/518,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/83
• 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 network operation center for a light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers. 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. A method for managing a plurality of luminaires, comprising:

receiving, by a network server, third-party information delivered from a network formed by a plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, each networked intelligent luminaire manager being coupled to an associated luminaire of a plurality of luminaires and configured to monitor the associated luminaire, wherein the third-party information originates from an RF device that joins the network formed by the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, wherein the RF device wirelessly transmits the third-party information to at least one of the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers;

storing, by the network server, the received third-party information; and

routing, by the network server, the received third-party information to a first computer associated with an operator of the RF device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the network server, a command from the a second computer associated with an operator of a particular luminaire, wherein the command is to turn-on a particular luminaire;

storing, by the network server, the command; and

routing, by the network server, the command via the network to a particular networked intelligent luminaire manager coupled to the particular luminaire, wherein responsive to the command, the particular network intelligent luminaire manager is operative to direct the particular luminaire to turn on.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the third-party information includes electric meter data, gas meter data, or water meter data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the network server, status information associated with a particular luminaire, wherein the status information is received from the network formed by the plurality of networked luminaire managers;

determining, by the network server based upon the received status information, that the particular luminaire is not functioning properly;

sending, by the network server, an alarm to a second computer associated with an operator of the particular luminaire.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alarm comprises location information for the particular luminaire.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the alarm comprises time of failure information for the particular luminaire.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the alarm comprises type of failure information for the particular luminaire.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending, by the network server, billing information to the first computer associated with the operator of the RF device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the RF device initiates joining the network formed by the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers by transmitting a signal from the RF device to at least one networked intelligent luminaire manager that is in proximity to the RF device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the network server, a location of the RF device based upon a known location of at least one networked luminaire manager that is in proximity to the RF device.

11. A system, comprising:

a network formed by a plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, each networked intelligent luminaire manager being coupled to an associated luminaire of a plurality of luminaires and configured to monitor the associated luminaire, wherein an RF device is operative to join the network formed by the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, wherein the RF wireless device is further operative to wirelessly transmit third-party information to at least one of the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers; and

a network server, wherein the network is operative to deliver the third-party information to the network server, and wherein the network server is operative to route the third-party information to a first computer associated with an operator of the RF device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the network server is further operative to:

receive a command from a second computer associated with an operator of a particular luminaire, wherein the command is to turn-on a particular luminaire; and

route the command via the network to a particular networked luminaire manager coupled to the particular luminaire, wherein responsive to the command, the particular network intelligent luminaire manager is operative to direct the particular luminaire to turn on.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the third-party information includes electric meter data, gas meter data, or water meter data.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the network server is further operative to:

receive status information associated with a particular luminaire, wherein the status information is received from the network formed by the plurality of networked luminaire managers;

determine, based upon the received status information, that the particular luminaire is not functioning properly;

send an alarm to a second computer associated with an operator of the particular luminaire.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the alarm comprises location information for the particular luminaire.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the alarm comprises time of failure information for the particular luminaire.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the alarm comprises type of failure information for the particular luminaire.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the network server is further operative to send billing information to the first computer associated with the operator of the RF device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the RF device initiates joining the network formed by the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers by transmitting a signal from the RF device to at least one networked intelligent luminaire manager that is in proximity to the RF device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the network server is further configured to determine a location of the RF device based upon a known location of at least one networked luminaire manager that is in proximity to the RF device.