Light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers

• US 8,260,575 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• 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: Walters, Jeff D., Darnell, Charles J., Gibler, Zachary S., Henderson, David A., Minarczyk, Michael M., Holland, William Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US13/193,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183, 702/185, 702/188, 340/286, 340/635, 340/870.02, 340/3.1, 700/17, 700/83, 315/119, 315/131
• US Class Current: 702/183
• 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 luminaire managers communicate with each other, whereby they form a network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more computers, information for a plurality of luminaires from a plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, each networked intelligent luminaire manager being coupled to an associated luminaire and configured to monitor and communicate a status of the associated luminaire;

storing, by the one or more computers, the received information, wherein at least a portion of the stored information is available for an operator of the plurality of luminaires; and

generating, by the one or more computers, an instruction to switch on one or more luminaires associated with one or more networked intelligent luminaire managers, wherein the instruction is generated based on the stored information and timing information provided by an internal clock of each respective networked intelligent luminaire manager.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computers, third party information originating from a radio frequency device, the third party information being received via one or more of the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

facilitating access, by the one or more computers, to the third party information by a second computer associated with an operator of the radio frequency device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more computers, a command to switch on a particular luminaire; and

routing, by the one or more computers, the command to the networked intelligent luminaire manager coupled to the particular luminaire.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting a flow of communications between two or more of the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending an alarm by the one or more computers if status information is received indicating that a particular luminaire of the plurality of luminaires is not functioning properly.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the sending step comprises:

sending location information for the particular luminaire.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the sending step comprises:

sending time of failure information for the particular luminaire.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the sending step comprises:

sending type of failure information for the particular luminaire.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing the received information; and

generating a report based on the analysis.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the generating step comprises:

generating a failure analysis report.

12. A method for managing a plurality of luminaires, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computers, information for a plurality of luminaires from a plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, each networked intelligent luminaire manager being coupled to an associated luminaire and configured to monitor and communicate a status of the associated luminaire;

receiving, by the one or more computers, a command to switch on a particular luminaire, the command based on timing information from an internal clock of a networked intelligent luminaire manager associated with the particular luminaire; and

routing, by the one or more computers, the command to the networked intelligent luminaire manager coupled to the particular luminaire, thereby enabling the networked intelligent luminaire manager to switch on the particular luminaire.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

sending an alarm if information is received indicating that a particular luminaire of the plurality of luminaires is not functioning properly.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

adjusting a flow of communications between selected networked intelligent luminaire manages.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

analyzing the received information; and

generating a report based on the analysis.

16. A system for a network operation center, comprising:

at least one database; and

at least one server in communication with the at least one database, wherein the main server is configured to enable the network operation center to;

receive information for a plurality of luminaires from a plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, each networked intelligent luminaire manager being coupled to an associated luminaire and configured to monitor and communicate a status of the associated luminaire;

store, in the at least one database, the received information, wherein at least a portion of the stored information is available for an operator of the plurality of luminaires, and

generate an instruction to switch on one or more luminaires associated with one or more networked intelligent luminaire managers, wherein the instruction is generated based on the stored information and timing information provided by an internal clock of each respective networked intelligent luminaire manager.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the main server is further configured to enable the network operation center to:

receive third party information originating from a radio frequency device, the third party information being received via one or more of the plurality of luminaires.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the main server is further configured to enable the network operation center to:

receive a command to switch on a particular luminaire; and

route the command to the networked intelligent luminaire manager coupled to the particular luminaire.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the main server is further configured to enable the network operation center to:

send an alarm if status information is received indicating that a particular luminaire of the plurality of luminaires is not functioning properly.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the alarm includes one or more of:

location information for the particular luminaire, time of failure information for the particular luminaire, or type of failure information for the particular luminaire.