Networked lighting management

• US 9,307,621 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parello, John D., Potterf, Jason, Li, Xiaohang
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US14/563,396
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 315/312, 315/318, 315/292, 315/294, 315/297, 315/149, 713/300, 713/310
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

Techniques presented herein are directed to lighting management techniques supporting lighting functions of networked light fixtures. In accordance with one example, a light fixture in networked lighting system accepts a lighting request transmitted by a computing device. The light fixture determines whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message and performs one or more operations in response to the lighting request depending on whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accepting, at a light fixture in a networked lighting system, a lighting request, wherein the light fixture comprises a local processor and a plurality of light emitters;

determining, at the light fixture, whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message; and

performing, at the light fixture, one or more operations in response to the lighting request depending on whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the light fixture determines that the lighting request is a control message, performing one or more operations in response to the lighting request comprises:

extracting one or more light control settings from the lighting request; and

adjusting lighting attributes of one or more of the plurality of light emitters based on the one or more light control settings.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the light fixture determines that the lighting request is a query message, performing one or more operations in response to the lighting request comprises:

identifying, from the query message, one or more requested lighting attributes;

generating a query response that includes the requested lighting attributes; and

sending the query response to a computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lighting request is received from a device connected to the networked lighting system via a wireless connection with at least one light fixture in the networked lighting system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the wireless connection is a visible light communication connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting the lighting request comprises:

wirelessly receiving, at the light fixture, the lighting request directly from a computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accepting the lighting request comprises:

wirelessly receiving, at the light fixture, a first lighting request directly from a computing device, wherein the first lighting request is transparent to the light fixture;

forwarding the first lighting request to a switch; and

receiving a second lighting request from the switch, wherein the second lighting request is configured to cause the light fixture to determine whether the second lighting request is a control message or a query message and to cause the light fixture to perform one or more operations in response to the second lighting request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a computing device sends, via a network connection, the lighting request to a lighting management system of the networked lighting system, and wherein accepting the lighting request comprises:

receiving the lighting request from the lighting management system via the networked lighting system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the light fixture is a remote light fixture, and wherein accepting the lighting request comprises:

wirelessly receiving, at a local light fixture, a first lighting request directly from a computing device, wherein the first lighting request is transparent to the local light fixture;

forwarding the first lighting request to a switch; and

receiving, a the remote light fixture, a second lighting request from the switch, wherein the second lighting request is configured to cause the remote light fixture to determine whether the second lighting request is a control message or a query message and to cause the remote light fixture to perform one or more operations in response to the second lighting request.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more network interface devices;

a plurality of light emitters

a memory; and

a processor that;

accepts a lighting request,

determines whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message, and

performs one or more operations in response to the lighting request depending on whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the processor determines that the lighting request is a control message, the processor:

extracts one or more light control settings from the lighting request; and

adjusts lighting attributes of one or more of the plurality of light emitters based on the one or more light control settings.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the processor determines that the lighting request is a query message, the processor:

identifies, from the query message, one or more requested lighting attributes;

generates a query response that includes the requested lighting attributes; and

sends the query response to a computing device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is part of a networking lighting system, and wherein lighting request is received from a device connected to the networked lighting system via a wireless connection with at least one light fixture in the networked lighting system.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wireless connection is a visible light communication connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more network interface devices wirelessly receives the lighting request directly from a computing device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the one or more network interface devices wirelessly received a first lighting request directly from a computing device, wherein the first lighting request is transparent to the apparatus, and wherein the processor:

forwards the first lighting request to a switch; and

accepts a second lighting request from the switch, wherein the second lighting request is configured to cause the apparatus to determine whether the second lighting request is a control message or a query message and to cause the apparatus to perform one or more operations in response to the second lighting request.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is part of a networking lighting system, and wherein a computing device sends, via a network connection, the lighting request to a lighting management system of the networked lighting system, and wherein accepting the lighting request comprises:

receiving the lighting request from the lighting management system via the networked lighting system.

18. One or more computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

accept, at a light fixture in a networked lighting system, a lighting request, wherein the light fixture comprises a local processor and a plurality of light emitters;

determine, at the light fixture, whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message; and

perform, at the light fixture, one or more operations in response to the lighting request depending on whether the lighting request is a control message or a query message.

19. The computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein when the light fixture determines that the lighting request is a control message, the instructions operable to perform one or more operations in response to the lighting request comprise instructions operable to:

extract one or more light control settings from the lighting request; and

adjust lighting attributes of one or more of the plurality of light emitters based on the one or more light control settings.

20. The computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein when the light fixture determines that the lighting request is a query message, the instructions operable to perform one or more operations in response to the lighting request comprise instructions operable to:

identify, from the query message, one or more requested lighting attributes;

generate a query response that includes the requested lighting attributes; and

send the query response to a computing device.

21. The computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the lighting request is received from a device connected to the networked lighting system via a wireless connection with at least one light fixture in the networked lighting system.

22. The computer readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the wireless connection is a visible light communication connection.

23. The computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the instructions operable to accept the lighting request comprise instructions operable to:

wirelessly receive, at the light fixture, the lighting request directly from a computing device.

24. The computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the instructions operable to accept the lighting request comprise instructions operable to:

wirelessly receive, at the light fixture, a first lighting request directly from a computing device, wherein the first lighting request is transparent to the light fixture;

forward the first lighting request to a switch; and

receive a second lighting request from the switch, wherein the second lighting request is configured to cause the light fixture to determine whether the second lighting request is a control message or a query message and to cause the light fixture to perform one or more operations in response to the second lighting request.

25. The computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein a computing device sends, via a network connection, the lighting request to a lighting management system of the networked lighting system, and wherein the instructions operable to accept the lighting request comprise instructions operable to:

receive the lighting request from the lighting management system via the networked lighting system.

26. The computer readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the light fixture is a remote light fixture, and wherein the instructions operable to accept the lighting request comprise instructions operable to:

wirelessly receive, at a local light fixture, a first lighting request directly from a computing device, wherein the first lighting request is transparent to the local light fixture;

forward the first lighting request to a switch; and

receive, a the remote light fixture, a second lighting request from the switch, wherein the second lighting request is configured to cause the remote light fixture to determine whether the second lighting request is a control message or a query message and to cause the remote light fixture to perform one or more operations in response to the second lighting request.