Means and apparatus for control of remote electronic devices

• US 7,778,635 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2003
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Musco Corporation
• Inventors: Foster, Michael B., Marsh, Ryan A., Rivera, Antonio, Tippett, Walter R., Cooley, Patrick K., Crookham, Joe P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, KIET M
• Application Number:
  US10/603,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20040056775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,610 Days
• Field of Search: 455/416.1, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/425, 700/92, 362/85, 362/233, 362/345, 315/312, 340/825.36, 340/825.69, 705/14, 174/45.R
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

An apparatus to control remote devices or equipment via existing cellular telephone networks. The apparatus receives information from a customer concerning a specific function, which the customer wants to perform at the remote equipment. A Central Control receives this information from the customer and correlates the function to a specific cellular telephone MIN number, which has been pre-programmed in a computer at the Central Control. The MIN number is then sent to a cellular provider. The cellular provider then transmits the MIN number to an antenna, which transmits the MIN number to a remote equipment controller at the remotely located equipment. The remote equipment controller then takes the a part of the MIN and gives these numbers to a PLC at the remote equipment controller. The PLC then memory maps the part of the MIN to a specific function to be carried out by the remote equipment controller. Then the remote equipment controller carriers out specified functions at the remote equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for centrally controlling wide-area lighting at a plurality of remote, widely-dispersed different sites to be illuminated comprising:

a) a plurality of wide area lighting systems each on-site at a different site, each on-site wide area lighting system comprising;

i. a plurality of arrays of lighting fixtures;

ii. each array comprising a set of high intensity light sources and ballast circuits adapted to be switched to connect or disconnect to a relatively high voltage power source;

b) a central control system comprising;

i. an off-site central controller including a database of events and conditions related to arrays of each wide-area lighting system and a component adapted to issue data related to a function of the corresponding wide-area lighting system and an event or condition for the wide-area lighting system or an array of the lighting system, the database of events and conditions for each wide-area lighting system being changeable at the off-site central controller;

ii. a plurality of on-site remote devices, one for each wide-area lighting system, a said remote device operably connected to each set of light sources and ballast circuits of arrays of the wide-area lighting system;

iii. a communication link adapted to communicate data from the central controller to any remote device of a corresponding wide-area lighting system of the plurality of remote controllers according to the database of events and conditions at the off-site central controller;

so that the database of the off-site central controller, can control one or more functions of arrays of remote, widely dispersed lighting systems.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the database comprises a schedule of events.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the central device is a computer or network of computers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the remote device comprises a digital controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wide-area lighting system comprises sports lighting or security lighting.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communications link comprises a wide-area network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the remote device includes a cellular receiver.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said data comprises instructions.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said instructions include one or more of the set comprising turn on, turn off.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said instructions corresponds to a schedule related to time and/or date.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said communication link is adapted to communicate data from a remote device to the central controller.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said data from the remote device to the central controller comprises information.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said information is related to one or more of the set comprising status related to the wide-area lighting system, and status related to a condition at the location of the wide-area lighting system.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a component to revise said database.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said component to revise said database comprises a data entry device connected to central controller.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said component to revise said database comprises a remote communications device connected to said central controller.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said remote communications device comprises a device which can communicate data to the central device through a communication link.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the communication link comprises one of the set comprising a wide-area network and a telephone network.