Methods for communication between a lighting node and a controller

• US 8,787,765 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2012
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumenetix, Inc. (ERP Power, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lumenetix, Inc. (ERP Power, LLC)
• Inventors: Weaver, Matthew D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Danny
• Application Number:
  US13/655,738
• Publication Number:
  US 20130049605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 362/276
• US Class Current: 398/127
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A method for communication between a lighting node and a controller is described. One embodiment of the method includes transmitting a command from the controller based on a target illumination profile stored on the controller to the lighting node utilizing a controller radio device and receiving the command from the controller at the lighting node utilizing a node radio device. The method may also include generating illumination having a spectral content from the lighting node utilizing at least a light emitting diode; and receiving the spectral content from the lighting node at the controller utilizing an optical sensor.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a controller and a lighting node, the method comprising:

transmitting a command via a controller radio device of the controller to the lighting node for the lighting node to match a target illumination profile stored on the controller, the target illumination profile indicating a color coordinate or a color temperature, wherein the controller is a portable remote controller;

receiving the command at the lighting node utilizing a node radio device and storing the target illumination profile on the lighting node; and

generating illumination from the lighting node to match the target illumination profile by;

producing a spectral content by the lighting node with at least a light emitting diode; and

sensing the spectral content from the lighting node at the controller utilizing an optical sensor while the spectral content is produced; and

transmitting the sensed spectral content from the optical sensor as feedback to the lighting node until the spectral content on the lighting node matches the target illumination;

wherein said producing of the spectral content is adjusted based on the feedback of the sensed spectral content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the optical sensor of the controller for the lighting node when the controller is oriented toward the lighting node.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the command from the controller by the lighting node to another lighting node.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the command by the controller from an external system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the spectral content includes blocking out an external spectral content not from the lighting node.

6. A method of operating a lighting node, the method comprising:

providing illumination from the lighting node;

communicating identification information of the lighting node to a controller via a node radio device configured for radio communication with the controller;

receiving a command for the lighting node to match a target color profile from the controller, wherein the controller is portable and physically separate from the lighting node;

receiving a spectral content of the illumination via feedback from the controller having an optical sensor oriented toward the lighting node; and

adjusting the illumination to match the target color profile from the controller utilizing the feedback.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising controlling the illumination from the controller the spectral content and the target color profile.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising controlling remotely illumination of another lighting node based upon the spectral content detected by the controller of the lighting node.

9. A method for communicating between a controller and a lighting node to control illumination of the lighting node, the method comprising:

communicating a color adjustment command to the lighting node via a controller radio device of the controller for the lighting node to match a target illumination characteristic stored on the controller by;

transmitting the color adjustment command to the lighting node for the lighting node to match the target illumination characteristic;

sensing a spectral content produced by the lighting node with an optical sensor oriented toward the lighting node; and

transmitting the sensed spectral content from the optical sensor as feedback to the lighting node until the spectral content on the lighting node matches the target illumination.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising registering a node identifier of the lighting node based on the sensed spectral content.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising registering a node identifier via a node radio device.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising powering the controller with a mobile power supply independent of the lighting node.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a command, a color profile, or a combination thereof at the controller from an external system.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating a color profile or a command via the controller radio device to another controller.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying the lighting node by registering a group identifier of the lighting node with the controller.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating the color adjustment command to a neighbor lighting node via a node radio device of the lighting node in response to receiving the color adjustment command from the controller radio device.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein communicating the color adjustment command includes communicating to all lighting nodes within a radio range of the controller radio device with a group identifier registered to the controller.

18. A method for communicating between a lighting node and a controller for calibration, the method comprising:

storing a first calibrated illumination characteristic of the lighting node on the controller;

determining a decalibration state of the lighting node by sensing illumination provided by the lighting node with an optical sensor of the controller oriented toward the lighting node and comparing the sensed illumination with the first calibrated illumination characteristic; and

calibrating illumination produced by the lighting node from the controller to match the first calibrated illumination characteristic by;

transmitting a calibrating command to the lighting node for the lighting node to match the first calibrated illumination characteristic;

sensing illumination characteristic from the lighting node at the controller utilizing the optical sensor while calibrating; and

transmitting the illumination characteristic from the optical sensor as feedback to the lighting node until the illumination characteristic on the lighting node matches the first calibrated illumination characteristic.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein sensing the illumination includes sensing with the optical sensor on the controller configured to sense red, green, blue, and white light individually.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising performing a background automatic color calibration of the lighting node when the controller is within a mesh network range of the lighting node.