Auto commissioning lighting fixture

• US 8,829,821 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chobot, Joseph P., Trainor, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, DAVID HUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/782,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20140167622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 315/224, 315/291, 315/307, 315/308, 315/312, 315/316, 315/294, 315/149, 315/158, 315/159, 315/293, 315/292, 315/297
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/026 intended to be recessed in a ceiling or like overhead structure, e.g. suspended ceiling
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 13/04 the elements being reflectors and refractors for vehicle rear lights F21S43/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/008 the casing being outside the housing of the lighting device
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0435 activated by remote control means
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0464 the sensor sensing the level of ambient illumination, e.g. dawn or dusk sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 7/0008 providing for indirect lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/40 Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/13 comprising an assembly of point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32257 the layer connector connecting to a bonding area disposed in a recess of the surface of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 : Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 : via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 : using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1985 : Creation of lighting zones or scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 : Commissioning of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to lighting fixtures for use in a lighting network where the lighting fixtures and other elements are able to communicate with each other via wired or wireless communication techniques. When the lighting network is being formed or modified, the lighting fixtures may be able to communicate with each other and automatically determine a single lighting fixture to act as a coordinator during a commissioning process. The lighting fixtures can exchange their communication addresses, such as MAC addresses, wherein the lighting fixture with the lowest (or highest) normal communication address becomes the coordinator. The coordinator may also be configured to assign short addresses to use for communications once the lighting network is formed instead of the longer MAC, or like, addresses. The short addresses can reduce routing overhead, and thus make the routing of messages including control information, sensor data, and the like, more efficient.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture having a first address and for use in a lighting network with a plurality of elements comprising:

a light source;

a communication interface; and

circuitry adapted to;

control the light source;

receive from a first remote lighting fixture a first join my network message including a second address for the first remote lighting fixture;

compare the first address with the second address; and

if the first address does not have a predefined relationship with the second address, recognize the first remote lighting fixture as a coordinator for the lighting network.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to, if the first address has the predefined relationship with the second address, set the lighting fixture as the coordinator for the lighting network.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to, if the first address has the predefined relationship with the second address, generate a short address for the first remote lighting fixture and send the short address to the first remote lighting fixture, the short address being shorter than the second address.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 3 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to send the first address to the first remote lighting fixture.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 3 wherein the first address is a MAC address.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to receive a first short address for the lighting fixture to use for communications within the lighting network wherein the first short address is shorter than the first address.

7. The lighting fixture of claim 6 wherein the first address is a MAC address.

8. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to:

receive from a second remote lighting fixture a second join my network message including a third address for the second remote lighting fixture;

compare the first address with the third address; and

if the first address does not have the predefined relationship with the third address, recognize the second remote lighting fixture as the coordinator for the lighting network.

9. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein if after the first join my network message is received and the first remote lighting fixture is recognized as the coordinator due to the first address not having the predefined relationship with the second address, the circuitry is further adapted to:

receive from a second remote lighting fixture a second join my network message including a third address for the second remote lighting fixture;

compare the first address with the third address; and

if the first address has the predefined relationship with the third address, set the lighting fixture as the coordinator for the lighting network.

10. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein when the lighting fixture is determined to be the coordinator for the lighting network after all routing elements in the lighting network have joined the lighting network, the circuitry is further adapted to assign short addresses to each non-routing element in the lighting network.

11. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the predefined relationship is the first address being less than the second address.

12. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the predefined relationship is the first address being greater than the second address.

13. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein when the lighting fixture is determined to be the coordinator for the lighting network after all elements in the lighting network have joined the lighting network, the circuitry is further adapted to effect delivery of instructions to the elements to initiate a grouping process, wherein the elements coordinate with each other to form a plurality of groups of elements.

14. The lighting fixture of claim 13 wherein the grouping process employs a lightcasting processing, wherein as one element emits a lightcast signal, other ones of the elements monitor the lightcast signal to determine lightcast data that is used to determine the plurality of groups of elements.

15. The lighting fixture of claim 14 wherein as the coordinator, the circuitry is further adapted to collect the lightcast data from the other ones of the elements.

16. The lighting fixture of claim 15 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to send to the other ones of the elements information that identifies a group to which each of the other ones of the elements is assigned.

17. The lighting fixture of claim 16 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to determine the information that identifies the group based on the lightcast data.

18. The lighting fixture of claim 16 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to send the lightcast data to a remote device, which will provide the information that identifies the group based on the lightcast data.

19. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the light source is a solid-state light source and the circuitry is further adapted to:

receive remote sensor data from at least one other lighting fixture; and

drive the light source based on the remote sensor data.

20. The lighting fixture of claim 19 further comprising a local sensor and wherein:

the circuitry is further adapted to determine local sensor data from the local sensor; and

the light source is driven by the circuitry based on both the remote sensor data and the local sensor data.

21. The lighting fixture of claim 20 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to send the local sensor data to the at least one other lighting fixture.

22. The lighting fixture of claim 19 further comprising a local sensor and wherein:

the circuitry is further adapted to determine local sensor data from the local sensor; and

send the local sensor data to the at least one other lighting fixture.

23. The lighting fixture of claim 22 wherein the local sensor is an ambient light sensor.

24. The lighting fixture of claim 22 wherein the local sensor is an occupancy sensor.

25. The lighting fixture of claim 19 wherein:

the circuitry is further adapted to receive an instruction from a remote entity; and

the light source is driven by the circuitry based on both the remote sensor data and the instruction.

26. The lighting fixture of claim 25 further comprising a local sensor and wherein:

the circuitry is further adapted to determine local sensor data from the local sensor; and

the light source is driven by the circuitry based on the remote sensor data, the local sensor data, and the instruction.

27. The lighting fixture of claim 19 wherein the light source is a solid-state light source.

28. A lighting fixture having a first address and for use in a lighting network with a plurality of elements comprising:

a light source;

a communication interface; and

circuitry adapted to;

control the light source;

receive from a first remote lighting fixture a first join my network message including a second address for the first remote lighting fixture;

compare the first address with the second address; and

if the first address does not have a predefined relationship with the second address;

recognize the first remote lighting fixture as a coordinator for the lighting network; and

receive a first short address for the lighting fixture to use for communications within the lighting network wherein the first short address is shorter than the first address.

29. The lighting fixture of claim 28 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to, if the first address has the predefined relationship with the second address:

set the lighting fixture as the coordinator for the lighting network; and

generate a second short address for the first remote lighting fixture and send the second short address to the first remote lighting fixture, the second short address being shorter than the second address.

30. A lighting fixture having a first address and for use in a lighting network with a plurality of elements comprising:

a light source;

a communication interface; and

circuitry adapted to;

control the light source;

receive from a first remote lighting fixture a first join my network message including a second address for the first remote lighting fixture;

compare the first address with the second address; and

if the first address has a predefined relationship with the second address, set the lighting fixture as a coordinator for the lighting network.