Managing streetlights

• US 9,345,111 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cimcon Lighting Incorporated (Quantela, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cimcon Lighting Incorporated (Quantela, Inc.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Owens, Douglas W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chen, Jianzi
• Application Number:
  US14/215,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20140197745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 315/88, 315/89, 315/90, 315/93, 315/120, 315/119, 315/121, 315/129, 315/130, 315/131, 315/132, 315/133, 315/185.R, 315/192, 315/292, 315/293, 315/294, 315/295, 315/291, 315/297, 315/299, 315/300, 315/301, 315/302, 315/307, 315/312, 315/360, 315/361
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/00 Fastening of light sources or lamp holders fastening electric light source solely by the coupling device H01R33/00 ; special means for attaching candle to candle holder F21V35/003
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/444 Spatial browsing, e.g. 2D maps, 3D or virtual spaces
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting

Abstract

This disclosure describes systems and techniques for managing streetlights. The subject matter included in this document is embodied in a method that includes receiving, at a computing device, information representative of a location and status of a streetlight included in a network of streetlights. The method also includes presenting a representation of the streetlight in a graphical user-interface in accordance with the received location and status information, and receiving information representing a selection of the streetlight for inclusion in a group of streetlights from the network. The method further includes initiating delivery of one or more control signals to the group of streetlights.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, information representative of a location and status of a streetlight included in a network of streetlights;

identifying a plurality of streetlights from the network for inclusion in a group of streetlights, wherein the group of streetlights is identified to achieve a particular level of illumination in a surrounding ground area where the group of streetlights is located, wherein the particular level of illumination in the surrounding ground area is estimated based on geographic features of the surrounding ground area; and

initiating delivery of one or more control signals to the group of streetlights.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each streetlight in the group of streetlights is identified based on at least one of the location of the streetlight, a time of day, a time of year, and one or more geographic features of an area in which the streetlight is located.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the geographic features as user-inputs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the group of streetlights is identified based on one or more parameters associated with the group, the parameters being selected from a set including:

location of neighboring trees or buildings, lamp wattages, lamp life, and lamp light patterns.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more control signals are initiated based on user-defined conditional logic related to the received location and status information from one or more streetlights.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each streetlight in the group is identified to also achieve a particular energy consumption level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more control signals can be configured to activate the group of streetlights upon detecting motion in the area.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular level of illumination is estimated based also on locations of one or more obstructions that prevent light from one or more streetlights in the plurality of streetlights from reaching the surrounding ground area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic features include changes in elevations in the surrounding ground area.

10. A system comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive information representative of a location and status of a streetlight included in a network of streetlights;

identify a plurality of streetlights from the network for inclusion in a group of streetlights, wherein the group of streetlights is identified to achieve a particular level of illumination in a surrounding ground area where the group of streetlights is located, wherein the particular level of illumination in the surrounding ground area is estimated based on geographic features of the surrounding ground area; and

initiate delivery of one or more control signals to the group of streetlights.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify each streetlight in the group of streetlights based on at least one of the location of the streetlight, a time of day, a time of year, and one or more geographic features of an area in which the streetlight is located.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify the group of streetlights based on one or more parameters associated with the group, the parameters being selected from a set including:

location of neighboring trees or buildings, lamp wattages, lamp life, and lamp light patterns.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more control signals are initiated based on user-defined conditional logic related to the received location and status information from one or more streetlights.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to identify each streetlight in the group to also achieve a particular energy consumption level.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more control signals can be configured to activate the group of streetlights upon detecting motion in the area.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive the geographic features as user-inputs.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the particular level of illumination is estimated based also on locations of one or more obstructions that prevent light from one or more streetlights in the plurality of streetlights from reaching the surrounding ground area.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the geographic features include changes in elevations in the surrounding ground area.

19. A computer-readable storage device storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computing devices which, upon execution, causes the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving information representative of a location and status of a streetlight included in a network of streetlights;

identifying a plurality of streetlights from the network for inclusion in a group of streetlights, wherein the group of streetlights is identified to achieve a particular level of illumination in a surrounding ground area where the group of streetlights is located, wherein the particular level of illumination in the surrounding ground area is estimated based on geographic features of the surrounding ground area; and

initiating delivery of one or more control signals to the group of streetlights.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the particular level of illumination is estimated based also on locations of one or more obstructions that prevent light from one or more streetlights in the plurality of streetlights from reaching the surrounding ground area.