Providing power to remote emergency light fixtures

• US 9,328,883 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Mangiaracina, Anthony Audenzio, Hetrick, Westly Davis, Bragg, Daniel Leland
• Primary Examiner(s): Jager, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US13/465,763
• Time in Patent Office: 1,457 Days
• Field of Search: 315/130
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/00 Lighting devices intended for fixed installation F21S9/00, F21S10/00 take precedence; using a string or strip of light sources F21S4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/00 Circuit arrangements for emergency or stand-by power supply, e.g. for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A remote emergency light system provides a base unit that is electrically coupled to one or more remote emergency light fixtures using cables. The base unit may provide power to each of the remote emergency light fixtures using the cables to activate the remote emergency light fixtures during an emergency condition. Alternatively, the base unit may provide a trickle charge to one or more remote emergency light fixtures when each of the remote emergency light fixtures includes an energy charging device. The base unit may be configured to communicate with the remote emergency light fixtures and determine when a trickle charge should be sent to a remote emergency light fixture, when a trickle charge should be stopped for a remote emergency light fixture, and/or when an energy charging device needs to be replaced. The cables can meet the requirements for Class 2 circuits as defined by the National Electric Code.

Claims

1. A system for providing emergency egress lighting, comprising:

a base unit electrically coupled to an AC power source, wherein the base unit is configured to receive power from the AC power source and send output power, and wherein the base unit is further configured to generate a plurality of communication signals;

a plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures comprising a first emergency light fixture and a second emergency light fixture, wherein the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures is electrically coupled in series to one another and to the base unit, wherein the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures are positioned in an area remote from the base unit, wherein the first emergency light fixture operates using, at least in part, a first energy storage device of the first emergency light fixture, wherein the second emergency light fixture operates using, at least in part, a second energy storage device of the second emergency light fixture, wherein the first energy storage device and the second energy storage device receive the output power from the base unit;

a first class 2 cable having a first end electrically coupled to the base unit and a second end electrically coupled to the first emergency light fixture; and

a second class 2 cable having a first end electrically coupled to the first emergency light fixture and a second end electrically coupled to the second emergency light fixture,

wherein the first class 2 cable delivers the output power and the plurality of communication signals from the base unit to the first emergency light fixture, wherein the second class 2 cable delivers the output power and the plurality of communication signals to the second emergency light fixture, and wherein the first class 2 cable and the second class 2 cable meet a standard for Class 2 circuits set forth in Article 725 of the National Electric Code,

wherein the first emergency light fixture and the second emergency light fixture operate based on the plurality of communication signals.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a junction box disposed electrically between the base unit and the first emergency light fixture, wherein the first class 2 cable has a first end coupled to the base unit and a second end coupled to the junction box; and

a third class 2 cable having a first end coupled to the junction box and a second end coupled to the first emergency light fixture.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures further comprises a third emergency light fixture electrically coupled to the base unit, wherein the third emergency light fixture is electrically coupled in parallel to the first emergency light fixture and the second emergency light fixture.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first emergency light fixture manipulates the output power into a type and level of energy used by the first energy storage device, and wherein the output power supplied by the base unit through the first class 2 cable provides a trickle charge to the first energy storage device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first energy storage device is removable and replaceable.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the first energy storage device is a battery.

7. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a hardware processor, wherein the base unit executes on the hardware processor and is further configured to;

determine that an energy level of the first energy storage device is less than a lower energy level threshold; and

provide, in response to determining that the energy level is less than the lower energy level threshold, the trickle charge to the first energy storage device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first emergency light fixture comprises an emergency light.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first emergency light fixture is an exit sign.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first emergency light fixture is an egress light.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the output power supplied by the base unit to the first emergency light fixture comprises a trickle charge and an operating charge.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the trickle charge is a periodic amount of power delivered to the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures.

13. A method for determining a charge status of a plurality of energy storage devices of a plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures, the method comprising:

providing a base unit electrically coupled to a source of AC power;

electrically coupling the base unit to the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures using a cable, wherein each of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures comprises an energy storage device of the plurality of energy storage devices;

transmitting a power signal by the base unit to the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures using the cable, wherein the power signal charges each energy storage device of the plurality of energy storage devices;

transmitting a first communication signal to the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures from the base unit through the cable, wherein the first communication signal is received by each of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures, wherein the first communication signal instructs each emergency light fixture to determine a charge status of the energy storage device; and

receiving a second communication signal from the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures by the base unit using the cable,

wherein the second communication signal indicates the charge status of the plurality of energy storage devices of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures.

14. The method of claim 13, the method comprising:

receiving, by the base unit, an outage signal indicating that a main power source has failed;

sending a third communication signal to the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures through the cable, wherein the third communication signal is an activation signal; and

activating the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures using the third communication signal.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving at the base unit a low charge signal from at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures, wherein the low charge signal is a communication signal signifying that an energy level of an energy storage device within the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures is below a low energy level threshold,

transmitting, in response to the low charge signal, a third communication signal to the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures, wherein the third communication signal comprises electrical power in the form of a trickle charge,

wherein the trickle charge increases an energy level stored within the energy storage device of the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving at the base unit, after sending the third communication signal, a fourth communication signal from at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures through the cable, wherein the fourth communication signal comprises a fully-charged signal indicating that the energy level stored within the energy storage device of the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures exceeds an upper energy level threshold; and

stopping transmission of the third communication signal from the base unit to the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures through the cable in response to the fourth communication signal.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

measuring an amount of time between receiving the fourth communication signal and the low charge signal;

determining that the amount of time is less than a time threshold; and

sending a notification that the energy storage device of the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures needs to be replaced.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the third communication signal transmitted to the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures from the base unit comprises a trickle charge.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the trickle charge is a periodic amount of power delivered to the at least one of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein each emergency light fixture of the plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures comprises a control circuit that receives the first communication signal, determines the charge status of the energy storage device, and generates the second communication signal.

21. An emergency light fixture among a plurality of series-connected emergency light fixtures, comprising:

an energy storage device;

a first cable receiver configured to receive a first class 2 cable, wherein the first class 2 cable is electrically coupled to a base unit, wherein the base unit is electrically coupled to an AC power source, wherein the base unit generates output power using the AC power and a plurality of communication signals; and

a second cable receiver configured to receive a second class 2 cable, wherein the second class 2 cable is electrically coupled to another emergency light fixture of the plurality of series-connected light fixtures,

wherein the output power received at the first cable receiver is altered to provide a charge signal to the energy storage device, wherein the charge signal is generated from the output power,

wherein the charge signal is further sent along the second class 2 cable from the second cable receiver to an additional energy storage device of the additional emergency light fixture, wherein the plurality of communication signals sent by the base unit is received at the first cable receiver using the first class 2 cable and provides instructions for operating the energy storage device, and

wherein the plurality of communication signals is further sent along the second class 2 cable from the second cable receiver to the additional energy storage device of the additional emergency light fixture, wherein the plurality of communication signals further provides instructions for operating the additional energy storage device.

22. The emergency light fixture of claim 21, wherein the first cable receiver and the second cable receiver are electrically in series.