Streetlight controllers

• US 8,588,942 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2013
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cimcon Lighting Incorporated (Quantela, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cimcon Lighting Incorporated (Quantela, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THUY V
• Application Number:
  US13/744,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20130181636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/9, 700/19, 700/20, 340/3.1, 340/3.43
• US Class Current: 700/9
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/00 Fastening of light sources or lamp holders fastening electric light source solely by the coupling device H01R33/00 ; special means for attaching candle to candle holder F21V35/003
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting

Abstract

The subject matter included in this disclosure can be embodied in an apparatus that includes a computing device having memory and a processor. The processor can be configured to establish a wireless connection with a streetlight controller that communicates with a streetlight, initiate transmission of a set of parameters related to commissioning the streetlight, and receive, from the controller, status and identification information associated with the streetlight.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a handheld computing device comprising;

memory configured to store machine-readable instructions;

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

establishing a wireless connection with a streetlight controller that communicates with a streetlight,

initiating transmission of a set of parameters related to commissioning the streetlight, and

receiving, from the streetlight controller, status and identification information associated with the streetlight;

a first dedicated button for initiating establishment of the wireless connection with the streetlight controller; and

a second dedicated button for triggering the initiation of the transmission of the set of parameters related to the commissioning of the streetlight.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handheld computing device further includes a third dedicated button that triggers an activation of the streetlight.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handheld computing device is also configured to:

establish a wireless connection with a particular gateway device;

initiate transmission of a set of parameters related to configuring the particular gateway device; and

receive status and identification information associated with the particular gateway device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system for assigning location data to the streetlight controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a barcode reader for identifying the streetlight controller.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wireless connection is established with the streetlight controller based on determining that a strength of a first signal received from the streetlight controller is greater than a strength of a second signal received from another streetlight controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the set of parameters related to commissioning the streetlight includes information for updating a clock in the streetlight controller.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to receive information to update commissioning information.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the information to update the commissioning information includes a software update.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the information to update commissioning information includes a firmware update.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the set of parameters includes parameters to control the streetlight controller.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to initiate a transmission to reset some of the parameters following a maintenance operation on the streetlight.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first dedicated button is configured to trigger a set of pre-programmed instructions for initiating the establishment of the wireless connection.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handheld computing device further comprises a screen that displays one or more parameters related to the commissioning of the streetlight in response to receiving the status and identification information associated with the streetlight.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handheld computing device is configured to perform functionalities of a server that communicates with the streetlight controller, upon determining that a communication between the server and the streetlight controller has failed.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handheld computing device establishes the wireless connection with the streetlight controller, initiates transmission of the set of parameters related to the commissioning of the streetlight, and receives the status and identification information without depending on a connectivity of the streetlight controller with either a server or a gateway device.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handheld computing device is configured to select the streetlight controller based on global positioning system (GPS) data measured by the handheld computing device.

26. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the handheld computing device is further configured to:

measure strength of radio-frequency (RF) power received from a set of gateway devices that includes the particular gateway device; and

select the particular gateway device based on determining that the strength of the RF power received from the particular device is greater than the strength of the RF power received from other gateway devices in the set.

18. A computer-readable storage device storing software comprising instructions executable by a computing device which, upon execution, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

establishing, in response to receiving a triggering signal from a first dedicated button on the computing device, a wireless connection with a streetlight controller that communicates with a streetlight;

initiating, in response to receiving a triggering signal from a second dedicated button on the computing device, transmission of a set of parameters related to commissioning the streetlight; and

receiving, from the streetlight controller, status and identification information associated with the streetlight.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 wherein the wireless connection is established with the streetlight controller based on determining that a strength of a first signal received from the streetlight controller is greater than a strength of a second signal received from another streetlight controller.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 wherein the set of parameters related to commissioning the streetlight includes information for updating a clock in the streetlight controller.

21. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 further comprising instructions for receiving information to update commissioning information.

22. The computer-readable storage device of claim 21 wherein the information to update the commissioning information includes a software update.

23. The computer-readable storage device of claim 21 wherein the information to update commissioning information includes a firmware update.

24. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 wherein the set of parameters includes parameters to control the streetlight controller.

25. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18, further comprising instructions for initiating a transmission to reset some of the parameters following a maintenance operation on the streetlight.

27. The computer-readable storage device of claim 18 further comprising instructions for:

establishing a wireless connection with a particular gateway device;

initiating transmission of a set of parameters related to configuring the particular gateway device; and

receiving status and identification information associated with the particular gateway device.

28. The computer-readable storage device of claim 27 further comprising instructions for:

measuring strength of radio-frequency (RF) power received from a set of gateway devices that includes the particular gateway device; and

selecting the particular gateway device based on determining that the strength of the RF power received from the particular device is greater than a strength of the RF power received from other gateway devices in the set.

29. A handheld computing device comprising:

memory configured to store machine-readable instructions;

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising;

establishing a first wireless connection with a particular streetlight controller that communicates with a streetlight, and a second wireless connection with a particular gateway device associated with a network of streetlight controllers, the network of streetlight controllers including the particular streetlight controller,

initiating transmission of a first set of parameters related to commissioning the particular streetlight over the first wireless connection, and transmission of a second set of parameters related to commissioning the gateway device over the second wireless connection,

receiving, from the particular streetlight controller, status and identification information associated with the streetlight, and

receiving, from the gateway device, status and identification information associated with the gateway device;

a first dedicated button for initiating establishment of the wireless connection with the streetlight controller;

a second dedicated button for triggering the initiation of the transmission of the set of parameters related to the commissioning of the streetlight, and a third dedicated button that triggers an activation of the streetlight; and

a third dedicated button for triggering activation of the streetlight.