Video apparatus and method for identifying and commissioning devices

• US 9,197,842 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fabriq, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Fabriq, Ltd.
• Inventors: O'Kelley, Matthew B., Mast, Jeffrey E., Reh, Jeffrey G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, STEPHEN R
• Application Number:
  US13/946,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023335A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus

Abstract

An apparatus for concurrently identifying and commissioning devices including a video recording device and a gateway device. The video recording device records and processes video images of the devices, and determines identification information and a geolocation corresponding to each of the devices, where the geolocation is determined by combining known coordinates and dimensions of an object within the video images, and a location of each of the devices relative to the video recording device, and where the video images comprise unique encoded luminous transmissions simultaneously transmitted from the each of the devices. The gateway device is coupled to the video recording device and the devices, and the identification information, and commissions the each of the devices onto a network.

Claims

1. An apparatus for concurrently identifying and commissioning a plurality of devices, the apparatus comprising:

a video recording device, configured to record and process a plurality of video images of the plurality of devices, and configured to determine identification information and a geolocation corresponding to each of the plurality of devices, wherein said geolocation is determined by combining known coordinates and dimensions of an object within said plurality of video images, and a location of said each of the plurality of devices relative to said video recording device, and wherein said plurality of video images comprises unique encoded luminous transmissions simultaneously transmitted from said each of the plurality of devices; and

a gateway device, coupled to said video recording device and the plurality of devices, configured to receive said identification information, and configured to commission said each of the plurality of devices onto a network.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said each of the plurality of devices transmits said unique encoded luminous transmissions by modulating luminous emittance according to a coding scheme that is employed by said network.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein one or more of the plurality of devices comprise light fixtures that may be directed to emit electromagnetic transmissions in the visible spectrum.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein said video recording device comprises one or more application programs that are configured to demultiplex and decode said plurality of video images to determine said identification information.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said video recording device comprises a smart cellular telephone.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said video recording device comprises a tablet computer.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein said video recording device comprises:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, configured to provide positional information to said one or more application programs, whereby said one or more application programs determine an estimated physical location for said each of the plurality of devices.

8. An apparatus for concurrent identification and commissioning, the apparatus comprising:

a video recording device, configured to record and process a plurality of video images of a plurality of light fixtures, and configured to determine identification information and a geolocation corresponding to each of said plurality of light fixtures, wherein said geolocation is determined by combining known coordinates and dimensions of an object within said plurality of video images, and a location of said each of the plurality of light fixtures relative to said video recording device, and wherein said plurality of video images comprises unique encoded luminous transmissions simultaneously transmitted from said each of said plurality of light fixtures; and

a gateway device, coupled to said video recording device and said plurality of light fixtures, configured to receive said identification information, and configured to commission said each of said plurality of light fixtures onto a network.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein said each of said plurality of light fixtures transmits said unique encoded luminous transmissions by modulating luminous emittance according to a coding scheme that is employed by said network.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein one or more of said plurality of light fixtures comprise fluorescent light fixtures that may be directed to emit electromagnetic transmissions in the visible spectrum.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said video recording device comprises one or more application programs that are configured to demultiplex and decode said plurality of video images to determine said identification information.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said video recording device comprises a smart cellular telephone.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said video recording device comprises a tablet computer.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said video recording device comprises:

a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, configured to provide positional information to said one or more application programs, whereby said one or more application programs determine an estimated physical location for said each of said plurality of light fixtures.

15. A method for concurrently identifying and commissioning a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

recording and processing a plurality of video images of the plurality of devices to determine identification information and a geolocation corresponding to each of the plurality of devices, wherein the geolocation is determined by combining known coordinates and dimensions of an object within the plurality of video images, and a location of the each of the plurality of devices relative to the video recording device, and wherein the plurality of video images comprises unique encoded luminous transmissions simultaneously transmitted from the each of the plurality of devices; and

via a gateway device, receiving the identification information, and commissioning the each of the plurality of devices onto a network.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the each of the plurality of devices transmits the unique encoded luminous transmissions by modulating luminous emittance according to a coding scheme that is employed by the network.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein one or more of the plurality of devices comprise light fixtures that may be directed to emit electromagnetic transmissions in the visible spectrum.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, said recording and processing comprise executing one or more application programs that are configured to demultiplex and decode the plurality of video images to determine the identification information.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more application programs are disposed in a smart cellular telephone.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more application programs are disposed in a tablet computer.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein said recording and processing further comprise providing positional information to the one or more application programs, whereby the one or more application programs determine an estimated physical location for the each of the plurality of devices.