Method and system for the wireless remote control of marker lights

• US 8,174,408 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carmanah Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Carmanah Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Johnston, Brock, Bulman-Fleming, Jon, Wilmott, Allister James, Ducharme, Timothy R., Nordstrom, Frederic Anthony, Goodeve, Donald Munro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees, Edny
• Application Number:
  US12/296,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20090058681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,855 Days
• Field of Search: 340945-948, 340951-956, 340/960, 340/972, 340/980, 340/10.32, 340/10.4, 362/555, 362/559
• US Class Current: 340/947
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/20 Arrangement of optical beacons
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A system for wirelessly controlling marker lights comprising a remote controller comprising a transmitter and one or more marker lights. Each of the marker lights comprise a receiver and processing means, and each of the marker lights have a configuration mode in which the processing means is adapted to cause the receiver to wirelessly receive data from the transmitter. This data comprises one or more group identifiers to assign one or more groups to the marker light. In addition, the processing means of each of the marker lights is adapted to cause the receiver to wirelessly receive one or more commands from the transmitter for controlling the operation of the marker light. The processing means is adapted to carry out the command when the commands comprise the same one or more group identifiers that correspond to the one or more groups to which the marker light was assigned.

Claims

1. A system for wirelessly controlling marker lights comprising:

a remote controller comprising a transmitter,

a plurality of marker lights, each said marker light comprising a receiver and a processor, and each said marker light having a configuration mode, wherein upon entry into said configuration mode, said processor is adapted to cause said receiver to wirelessly receive configuration data from said transmitter, said configuration data comprising one or more group identifiers to assign one or more groups to each said marker light and wherein upon exit from said configuration mode, said processor is adapted to cause said receiver to cease accepting said configuration data, and

wherein said processor of each said marker light is adapted to cause said receiver to wirelessly receive one or more commands from said transmitter for controlling the operation of said marker light, and said processor is adapted to carry out said commands when said commands comprise the same one or more group identifiers that correspond to said one or more groups to which said marker light was assigned.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each said marker light further comprises a switch to control said configuration mode.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said switch is adapted to allow for entry into said configuration mode.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said switch is a pushbutton.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein each said marker light is adapted to exit from said configuration mode after the earlier of:

the lapse of a preset interval of time after entering said configuration mode, and

said receiver receiving one of said group identifiers.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said preset interval of time is 5 minutes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each said marker light further comprises a power supply.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said power supply comprises one or more batteries.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more batteries are charged by energy collected by one or more solar panels.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each said marker light comprises an illumination source.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said illumination source comprises one or more of the following light sources:

visible light source, near-infrared light source, and far-infrared light source.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each said marker light further comprises switch means to control the intensity of light emitted by said illumination source.

13. A system for wirelessly controlling marker lights comprising:

a remote controller comprising a transmitter,

a plurality of marker lights, each said marker light comprising a transceiver and a processor, and each said marker light having a configuration mode, wherein upon entry into said configuration mode, said processor is adapted to cause said transceiver to wirelessly receive configuration data from said transmitter, said configuration data comprising one or more group identifiers to assign one or more groups to each said marker light and wherein upon exit from said configuration mode, said processor is adapted to cause said transceiver to cease accepting said configuration data, and

wherein said processor of each said marker light is adapted to cause said transceiver to wirelessly receive one or more commands from said transmitter for controlling the operation of said marker light, and said processor is adapted to carry out said commands when said commands comprise the same one or more group identifiers that correspond to said one or more groups to which said marker light was assigned.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each said marker light further comprises a switch to control said configuration mode.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said switch is adapted to allow for entry into said configuration mode.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein said switch is a pushbutton.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein each said marker light is adapted to exit from said configuration mode after the earlier of:

the lapse of a preset interval of time after entering said configuration mode, and said transceiver receiving one of said group identifiers.

18. A system for wirelessly controlling marker lights comprising:

a remote controller comprising a central transceiver,

a plurality of marker lights, each said marker light comprising a transceiver and a processor, and each said marker light having a configuration mode, wherein upon entry into said configuration mode, said processor is adapted to cause said transceiver to wirelessly receive configuration data from said central transceiver, said configuration data comprising one or more group identifiers to assign one or more groups to each said marker light and wherein upon exit from said configuration mode, said processor is adapted to cause said transceiver to cease accepting said configuration data, and

wherein said processor of each said marker light is adapted to cause said transceiver to wirelessly receive one or more commands from said central transceiver for controlling the operation of said marker light, and said processor is adapted to carry out said commands when said commands comprise the same one or more group identifiers that correspond to said one or more groups to which said marker light was assigned.

19. A method of wirelessly controlling a marker light, the method comprising the steps of:

said marker light being placed into a configuration mode, in which said marker light commences wirelessly receiving configuration data from a remote controller, said configuration data comprising one or more group identifiers to assign one or more groups to said marker light;

said marker light exiting said configuration mode, in which said marker light ceases accepting said configuration data

said remote controller wirelessly transmitting to said marker light one or more commands to control the operation of said marker light; and

said marker light carrying out said commands when said commands comprise the same one or more group identifiers that correspond to said one or more groups to which said marker light was assigned.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of said marker light exiting said configuration mode occurs after the earlier of:

the lapsing of a preset interval of time after said marker light entering said configuration mode, and

said marker light receiving one of said group identifiers.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said preset interval of time is 5 minutes.

22. A method of wirelessly controlling a plurality of marker lights, the method comprising the steps of:

each of said plurality of marker lights being placed into a configuration mode, in which each of said plurality of marker lights commences wirelessly receiving configuration data from a remote controller, said configuration data comprising one or more group identifiers to assign one or more groups to each of said plurality of marker lights;

each of said plurality of marker lights exiting said configuration mode, in which each of said plurality of marker lights ceases accepting said configuration data

said remote controller wirelessly transmitting to said marker lights one or more commands to control the operation of said marker lights; and

each of said plurality of marker lights carrying out said commands when said commands comprise the same one or more group identifiers that correspond to said one or more groups to which each of said plurality of marker lights was assigned.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of each of said plurality of marker lights exiting said configuration mode occurs after the earlier of:

the lapsing of a preset interval of time after each of said plurality of marker lights entering said configuration mode, and

each of said plurality of marker lights receiving one of said group identifiers.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said preset interval of time is 5 minutes.

25. A method of wirelessly assigning a sequence to a plurality of marker lights, the method comprising the steps of:

a first marker light transmitting a sequence number identification request to a remote controller;

said remote controller transmitting a sequence number to said first marker light;

said remote controller incrementing said sequence number; and

each of one or more subsequent marker lights consecutively performing the steps of;

each subsequent marker light transmitting a sequence number identification request to said remote controller;

said remote controller transmitting a sequence number to said each subsequent marker light; and

said remote controller incrementing said sequence number.