System for the monitoring and maintenance of remote autonomously powered lighting installations

• US 9,236,762 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clear Blue Technologies, Inc. (Clear Blue Technologies International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Clear Blue Technologies, Inc. (Clear Blue Technologies International, Inc.)
• Inventors: John, Tuerk, Tuerk, Miriam, Windrim, Mark, Yafaoui, Ahmad
• Primary Examiner(s): Charioui, Mohamed
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUAN, JOHN CHUNYANG
• Application Number:
  US13/507,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20130338947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 702/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/088 Aspects of digital computing
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/40 Testing power supplies testing photovoltaic devices H02S50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/08 Three-wire systems; Systems having more than three wires
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 1/10 Parallel operation of dc sources
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00002 characterised by monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00006 characterised by information or instructions transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated power network element or electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00016 using a wired telecommunication network or a data transmission bus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/28 The renewable source being wind energy wind motors F03D
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2300/40 wherein a plurality of decentralised, dispersed or local energy generation technologies are operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/381 Dispersed generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007 Regulation of charging or discharging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 : by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 : with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 : Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 : Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/76 : Power conversion electric or electronic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 40/70 : Smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the energy generation sector
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 10/123 : the energy generation units being or involving renewable energy sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 : the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/12 : characterised by data transport means between the monitoring, controlling or managing units and monitored, controlled or operated electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 : using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A system of monitoring and/or maintaining remotely located autonomously powered lights, security systems, parking meters, and the like is operable to receive data signals from a number of the devices, and provide a comparison with other similar devices in the same geographic region to detect a default condition of a particular device, and/or assess whether the defect is environmental or particular to the specific device itself. The system includes memory for storing operating parameters and data, and outputs modified control commands to the devices in response to sensed performance, past performance and/or self-learning algorithms. The system operates to provide for the monitoring and/or control of individual device operating parameters on an individual or regional basis, over preset periods.

Claims

1. A maintenance monitoring system for monitoring an operating status of electrical loads and operating parameters of a plurality of autonomously powered discrete devices, said discrete devices being disposed as part of an array located at a first geographic region, the system further including a processing device provided in a second geographic region remote from said first region,

each discrete device comprising at least one associated electrical load, a generator for generating electricity, a battery for storing electricity produced by said generator and providing electric power to said at least one associated electrical load, a device controller for regulating or controlling a flow of electric power from said generator to said battery and from said battery to said at least one associated electrical load, and a data transmission assembly operable to transmit output data representative of operating parameters of battery storage or discharge performance and the at least one associated electrical load,

memory for storing said output data of each said discrete device in said array,

the processing device being actuabie to:

compile said output data stored in said memory to determine a regional operating profile for said array for average battery storage or discharge performance over a selected period of time,

compile said output data stored in said memory to determine device operating profiles for a selected one of said discrete devices for device battery storage or discharge performance over said selected period of time,

compare at least one said regional operating profile and at least one of said device operating profiles, and

output a data signal if the compared at least one of said device operating profiles falls outside a predetermined threshold difference from the at least one said regional operating profile, the output data signal being selected to provide a distinction between operation anomalies resulting from environmental conditions and operation anomalies that result from a hardware failure and being indicative of a potential maintenance requirement for said selected discrete device, and said predetermined threshold difference being adjustable on the basis of one or more of a performance history of the maintenance monitoring system, a seasonal performance history of the array, and/or an operating history of the discrete devices, and

wherein said processing device is operable to effect transmission of testing signals to said discrete devices so as to cause said discrete devices to perform voltage tests and/or short circuit tests.

2. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 1, wherein each discrete device includes a plurality of said electrical loads,

the electrical loads comprising at least one of an LED light, is security camera, a bicycle charging stand, or parking meter.

3. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the data transmission assembly is operable to receive and transmit to said device controller input device control signals far controlling power output of said generator or said battery.

4. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the generator includes a photovoltaic generator comprising a plurality of solar panels.

5. The maintenance monitoring system or claim 1, wherein the generator comprises a combination wind/solar generator including at least one wind turbine and at least one solar panel.

6. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one regional operating profile comprises at least one first operation profile,

the memory stores further output data representative of the operating parameters of battery storage or discharge performance of a plurality of said discrete devices provided as part of a further array, said further array being disposed at a third geographic region remote from said first geographic region,

the processing device being actable to compile said further output data to determine second regional operating profiles for said further array, and compare the second regional operating profiles and at least one selected from the group consisting of said first regional operating profile and at least one of said device operating profiles.

7. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the discrete devices comprise solar powered lamp posts and the at least one associated load includes at least one light.

8. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 3, wherein the processing device is operable to output input device control signals to the selected discrete device in response to the output data signal.

9. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the output data signal is indicative of at least one of a fault and/or failure of at least one of said generator, said battery and said at least one associated electrical load in the selected discrete device.

10. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 8 comprising a plurality of further arrays located in further geographic regions remote from said first geographic region, each further array comprising a plurality of associated autonomously powered discrete devices,

said memory storing further output data representative of the operating parameters of the power generation performance and the battery storage and discharge performance of the associated discrete devices,

the processing device operable to compile some or all of the further output data from said further arrays over a second selected period of time to determine further regional operating profiles,

compare the regional operating profile with selected ones of said further regional operating profiles, and

output a further data signal if the regional operating profile falls outside a predetermined threshold difference from the selected further regional operating profiles.

11. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said processing device is further operable to effect a transmission of programming signals to the device controller of said selected discrete device to modify at least one operating configuration selected from the group consisting of a configuration of said generator, a charging schedule of said battery, a level of power flowing to said at least one associated electrical load, and an operating schedule of said at least one associated electrical load.

12. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the autonomously powered discrete devices comprise security installations and the at least one associated load is selected from the group consisting of a video sensing camera, an infrared light sensor, and a motion detector.

13. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined threshold difference is adjustable on the basis of both the seasonal performance history of the array and the operating history of the discrete devices.

14. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said output data signal is provided as an indication of scheduled maintenance and/or inspection requirements of said selected discrete device.

15. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said discrete devices are selected from the group consisting of parking meters, charging stations, bike rental platforms, display boards, environmental sensors, and telecommunication installations.

16. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said discrete devices in said array further comprises environmental sensors for detecting at least one environmental parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature, air movement, and light intensity, said data transmission assembly being further operable to transmit data representative of said at least one environmental parameter for storage in said memory.

17. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data transmission assembly comprises a transmitter selected from the group consisting of Zigbee, cellular, Ethernet, and WiFi.

18. The maintenance monitoring system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said output data signal is selected to provide an indication of an operation anomaly resulting from improper installation of said selected discrete device.

19. A maintenance monitoring system for a solar light installation, the system comprising:

a solar light array comprising a plurality of discretely powered solar light poles operationally disposed in a first geographic region,

a processing assembly being disposed in a second geographic region remote from said first region, and

memory,

each solar light pole having a power generator including at least one photovoltaic panel, a light providing an electrical load, a battery for receiving and storing electricity generated by the at least one photovoltaic panel, a pole controller for controlling power charging and discharge of the battery and at least one of operating time and intensity of said light, at least one sensor selected from the group consisting of an anemometer, a photovoltaic sensor, a pollution sensor, a wind vane, an environmental sensor and a battery temperature sensor and a data transmission assembly operable to wirelessly communicate output data both from said at least one sensor and data representative of battery charging and discharge performance,

the memory provided for storing the output data for each light pole in the solar light array,

the processing assembly being actuable to;

compile said output data stored in said memory to determine a regional operating profile for said array for at least one selected from the group consisting of aggregate battery storage and discharge performance over a selected period of time,

compile said output data stored in said memory to determine device operating profiles for a selected one of said discrete solar light poles for battery storage or discharge performance over said selected period of time,

compare at least one said regional operating profile and at least one of said device operating profiles, and

output a data signal if the compared at feast one of said device operating profiles falls outside a predetermined threshold difference from the at least one said regional operating profile, the output data signal being selected to provide a distinction between operation anomalies resulting from environmental conditions and operation anomalies that result from a hardware failure and being indicative of a potential maintenance requirement for said selected discrete solar light pole,

wherein said predetermined threshold difference is adjustable on the basis of one or more of a performance history of the maintenance monitoring system, a seasonal performance history of the array, and/or an operating history of the selected discrete solar light pole, and

wherein said processing assembly is further operable to effect transmission of testing signals to said discrete solar light poles so as to cause said discrete solar light poles to perform voltage tests and/or short circuit tests.

20. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 19, wherein the pole controller is a programmable controller, the processing assembly operable to transmit programme instructions to the data transmission assembly to re-programme the pole controller of at least one a said solar light poles, and

the aggregate battery storage or discharge performance is calculated as one or more of an average performance, a mean performance, a median performance, and is projected trend performance.

21. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 20, wherein the processing assembly is operable to transmit said programme instructions to the selected solar light pole in response to the output data signal.

22. The maintenance monitoring system of claim 21, wherein the solar light array comprises at least ten said solar light poles, and said first geographic region comprises an area of at least 0.5 hectares, the processing assembly and memory being disposed at geographic regions at least 100 km from the first geographic region.

23. A system for monitoring an operating status of a plurality of autonomously powered discrete devices, said discrete devices selected from one or more of the group consisting of light poles, security camera installations, parking meters, charging stations, bike rental platforms, display boards, environmental sensors, and telecommunication installations, said discrete devices being disposed in an array located at a first geographic region, the system futher including a processing assembly provided at a second geographic region remote from said first geographic region,

each discrete device comprising a plurality of associated electric loads, a generator for generating electricity, a battery for storing electricity produced by said generator and providing electric power to said plurality of associated electric loads, a device controller for controlling a flow of charging electric power from said generator to said battery and discharge power from said battery to said plurality of associated electric loads, and a data transmission assembly,

the data transmission assembly being operable to transmit output data representative of operating parameters of storage or discharge performance of the battery and load status of the plurality of associated electric loads,

memory for storing said output data from each said discrete device in said array, and

the processing assembly being operable to:

compile said output data stored in said memory to determine regional operating profiles for aggregate battery storage or discharge performance of said array over a selected period of time,

compile said output data stored in said memory to determine device operating profiles for a selected one of said discrete devices for device battery storage or discharge performance for the selected device over said selected period of time,

compare at least one of said regional operating profiles and at least one of said device operating profiles, and

output a data signal if the compared at least one of said device operating profiles falls outside a predetermined threshold difference from the at least one of said regional operating profiles, the output data signal being selected to provide a distinction between operation anomalies in said discrete device resulting from environmental conditions and operation anomalies that result from hardware failure, said predetermined threshold difference being adjustable on the basis of one or more of a performance history of the system, a seasonal performance history of the array, and/or an operating history of the discrete devices, and

wherein said processing assembly further being, operable to effect transmission of testing signals to said discrete devices no as to cause said discrete devices to perform voltage tests and/or short circuit tests.

24. The monitoring system of claim 23, wherein the plurality of associated electric loads comprise at least one of an LED light, is security camera, a bicycle charging stand, a parking meter, a display, and a wireless telecommunication transmitter, and

the battery storage or discharge performance is calculated as one or more of an average performance, a mean performance, a median performance, and a projected trend performance.

25. The monitoring system of claim 24, wherein the data transmission assembly is operable to receive and transmit to said device controller input device control signals for controlling power output of said generator or said battery, the generator including at least one solar panel and at least one wind turbine generator.

26. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the memory stores further output data representative of the operating parameters of the battery store and/or battery discharge performance of a plurality of said discrete devices provided in a further array, said further array being disposed at a third geographic region remote from both of said first and second geographic regions,

the processing assembly being actuable to compile said further output data to determine additional regional operating profiles for said further array, and compare the additional regional operating profiles and at least one selected from the group consisting of said regional operating profiles and the compared at least one of said device operating profiles.

27. The monitoring system as claimed in claim 23, wherein said processing assembly is further operable to effect a transmission of programming signals to the device controller of said selected discrete devices to modify at least one operating configuration selected from the group consisting of a configuration of said generator, a charging schedule of said battery, a level of power flowing to at least one said associated electric loads, and an operating schedule of at least one of said associated electric loads.

28. The monitoring system of claim 23, wherein said predetermined threshold difference is adjustable on the basis of both the seasonal performance history of the array and the operating history of the discrete devices.