Luminary control systems

• US 8,853,965 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Twisthink L.L.C.
• Inventors: Bouws, Brent, Guthrie, Warren E., Burel, Pat, Dykema, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US13/017,489
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• Field of Search: 315/130, 315/291, 315/294, 315/307, 315/308, 315/312, 315/324, 315/360
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/285 Arrangements for protecting lamps or circuits against abnormal operating conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• 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 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/29 Circuits providing for substitution of the light source in case of its failure
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system and method for detecting light fixture failure and for enhancing energy efficient operation of multiple light fixtures. The system includes multiple light control modules and a gateway. The light control modules alert the gateway of a bulb or ballast failure based on light fixture power consumption. The light control module can indicate a sudden failure, a slow failure, a striating failure, a stuck relay failure and a start-up failure. The light control modules can include a photo-sensor and an occupancy sensor for measuring brightness and occupancy, respectively, in the vicinity of one or more light fixtures. The gateway can distribute operating instructions to the light control modules based on changes in the ambient temperature and based on the power consumption of nearby light fixtures.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a plurality of light fixtures, comprising:

a light control module associated with each of the plurality of light fixtures, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the plurality of light fixtures and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the plurality of light fixtures, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being less than an average of a plurality of prior power consumption values to indicate a sudden failure.

2. A system for monitoring a plurality of light fixtures, comprising:

a light control module associated with each of the plurality of light fixtures, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the plurality of light fixtures and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the plurality of light fixtures, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being less than a predetermined percentage of a prior power consumption value to indicate a slow failure.

3. A system for monitoring a plurality of light fixtures, comprising:

a light control module associated with each of the plurality of light fixtures, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the plurality of light fixtures and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the plurality of light fixtures, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein;

the microcontroller is operable to determine a standard deviation over multiple power consumption values; and

the failure message is in response to the standard deviation being greater than a threshold standard deviation to indicate a striating failure.

4. A system for monitoring a plurality of light fixtures, comprising:

a light control module associated with each of the plurality of light fixtures, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the plurality of light fixtures and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the plurality of light fixtures, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being within a range of a previous power consumption value after a change in operational state to indicate a stuck relay failure.

5. A system for monitoring a plurality of light fixtures, comprising:

a light control module associated with each of the plurality of light fixtures, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the plurality of light fixtures and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the plurality of light fixtures, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being outside a range of a baseline value upon light fixture start-up.

6. A light monitoring system for a plurality of light fixtures operable between a first state and a second state, comprising:

a plurality of light control modules each including a photo-sensor for detecting a brightness level in the vicinity of an associated light fixture, the plurality of light control modules adapted to generated an output based on the detected brightness level;

a gateway adapted to receive the output from the plurality of light control modules and including a controller to determine an average based on each received output, wherein the gateway transmits an operating instruction based on a comparison of the average with a predetermined reference value.

7. The light monitoring system of claim 6 wherein the operating instruction includes changing from the first operating state to the second operating state in response to the average of each received output being less than the reference value.

8. The light monitoring system of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of light control modules is connected between a mains supply and a separate one of the plurality of light fixtures.

9. The light monitoring system of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of light control modules is adapted to measure the power consumption of a separate one of the plurality of light fixtures to determine a light fixture failure.

10. The light monitoring system of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of light control modules includes an occupancy sensor for determining an occupancy event in the vicinity of an associated light control module.

11. The light monitoring system of claim 10 wherein the gateway is adapted to distribute operating instructions to the plurality of light control modules in response to a minimal number of detected occupancy events within a predetermined period of time.

12. A light monitoring system for a plurality of light fixtures operable between a first state and a second state, comprising:

a plurality of light control modules each including an occupancy sensor for detecting an occupancy event in the vicinity of an associated light fixture, the plurality of light control modules adapted to generated an output based on the occupancy event;

a gateway adapted to receive the output from the plurality of light control modules and adapted to determine the number of occupancy events within a first predetermined period of time, wherein the gateway distributes a first operating instruction to the plurality of light control modules in response to greater than a first number of occupancy events being detected within the first predetermined period of time.

13. The light monitoring system of claim 12 wherein the first operating instruction includes changing from the first state to the second state.

14. The light monitoring system of claim 13 wherein the gateway is further adapted to distribute a second operating instruction to the plurality of light control modules in response to less than a second number of occupancy events being detected within a second predetermined period of time.

15. The light monitoring system of claim 14 wherein the second operating instruction includes changing from the second state to the first state.

16. The light monitoring system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of light control modules is adapted to measure the power consumption of a separate one of the plurality of light fixtures to determine a light fixture failure.

17. The light monitoring system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of light control modules includes a photo-sensor for measuring a brightness level in the vicinity of an associated light control module.

18. The light monitoring system of claim 12 wherein each of the plurality of light control modules is connected between a mains supply and a separate one of the plurality of light fixtures.

19. A system comprising:

a light fixture including a plurality of luminaries;

a light control module associated with the light fixture, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the light fixture and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the light fixture, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being less than an average of a plurality of prior power consumption values to indicate a sudden failure.

20. A system comprising:

a light fixture including a plurality of luminaries;

a light control module associated with the light fixture, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the light fixture and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the light fixture, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being less than a predetermined percentage of a prior power consumption value to indicate a slow failure.

21. A system comprising:

a light fixture including a plurality of luminaries;

a light control module associated with the light fixture, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the light fixture and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the light fixture, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein;

the microcontroller is operable to determine a standard deviation over multiple power consumption values; and

the failure message is in response to the standard deviation being greater than a threshold standard deviation to indicate a striating failure.

22. A system comprising:

a light fixture including a plurality of luminaries;

a light control module associated with the light fixture, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the light fixture and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the light fixture, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being within a range of a previous power consumption value after a change in operational state to indicate a stuck relay failure.

23. A system comprising:

a light fixture including a plurality of luminaries;

a light control module associated with the light fixture, the light control module being adapted to determine a power failure based on the power consumption of the light fixture and being further adapted to transmit a corresponding power failure message, wherein the light control module includes;

a current and voltage sensing circuit to measure a current and a voltage provided to the light fixture, and

a microcontroller to determine a power consumption value based on the measured current and the measured voltage; and

a gateway adapted to receive the power failure message from the light control module and adapted to generate an output based on the received power failure message, wherein the failure message is in response to the power consumption value being outside a range of a baseline value upon light fixture start-up.