Resource control system with local reallocation

• US 9,506,962 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2013
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell Lighting Incorporated (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Litecontrol Corp. (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yon, Jeremy W., Ogg, Jeremy W., Pierce, Marc D., Wilnick, Jean-Denis, Dranchak, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta, Kidest
• Application Number:
  US13/986,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20140336838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 700/17, 700/86, 700/91, 700/276, 700/286, 700/295, 705/2, 705/7.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/133 by using digital technique
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

Example aspects of the present disclosure allow an end user to determine how a finite amount of a measurable resource is allocated among the various balanceable and feature zones of control defined within the overall measurable resource control system, and which can be implemented using a wide variety of hardware/components. A control program allows the end user unprecedented flexibility and control to determine how the resource is allocated among the various zones or types of resource use within the application, as long as the total resource consumed does not exceed the predetermined/predefined total maximum allowable resource. When the end user adjusts a feature or balanceable zone level, the control program adjusts the other balanceable zones based on predefined algorithms, when necessary, to ensure that the maximum measurable resource consumed by the system does not exceed the predetermined/predefined overall maximum resource allocation.

Claims

1. A control system for controlling allocation of power in a lighting system, the control system comprising:

a first control interface configured to control operation of at least one first light source in a feature zone;

a plurality of second control interfaces, each second control interface associated with one of a plurality of balanceable zones, each second control interface configured to control operation of at least one second light source in its associated balanceable zone;

a power monitor configured to monitor an overall power consumption by the at least one first light source in the feature zone and the at least one second light source in each of the plurality of balanceable zones;

a master control unit in communication with the first control interface and the plurality of second control interfaces, the master control unit configured to execute a control program to allocate power among the feature zone and the plurality of balanceable zones based at least in part on the overall power consumption such that when the overall power consumption is at an allowable limit, an increase in power consumption by one of the plurality of balanceable zones results in a decrease in power consumption by another of the plurality of balanceable zones without affecting power consumption by the feature zone.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein the master control unit is configured to execute a control program to independently control power consumption of the feature zone without competition from the plurality of balanceable zones.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein the master control unit is in communication with a user interface.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a feature zone load adjustment mechanism associated with the feature zone, a general load adjustment mechanism, and a balanceable zone load adjustment mechanism associated with each of the plurality of balanceable zones.

5. The control system of claim 4, wherein the general load adjustment mechanism is configured to control a total power provided to the plurality of balanceable zones.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein the master control unit is configured to execute a control program to receive a request for an increase in power consumption by the feature zone via the feature zone load adjustment mechanism and in response to the request, to adjust the general load adjustment mechanism such that an overall power consumption does not exceed the allowable limit.

7. The control system of claim 6, wherein the master control unit is configured to adjust a power consumption by one or more of the balanceable zones based at least in part the general load adjustment mechanism.

8. The control system of claim 6, wherein one or more of the feature zone load adjustment mechanism, the general load adjustment mechanism, and the balanceable zone load adjustment mechanism associated with each of the plurality of balanceable zones comprises a slider.

9. The control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one first light source is a primary light source for the space.

10. The control system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the feature zone or the plurality of balanceable zones comprises a nested control system.

11. The control system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the feature zone or the plurality of balanceable zones is lockable.

12. The control system of claim 1, wherein the power monitor is configured to monitor power delivered by a power source to the at least one first light source in the feature zone and the at least one second light source in each of the plurality of balanceable zones.

13. A method for allocating power in a lighting system for a space, comprising:

receiving, by the one or more master control units, data indicative of an overall power consumption by one or more first light sources in a feature zone and one or more second light sources in each of a plurality of balanceable zones;

receiving, by one or more master control units, data indicative of a request to adjust power consumption associated with the one or more first light sources in the feature zone;

in response to receiving the data indicative of the request to adjust power consumption by the one or more first light sources in the feature zone, adjusting, by the one or more master control units, power consumption associated with the one or more second light sources in one or more of the balanceable zones such that the overall power consumption does not exceed an allowable limit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving, by the one or more master control units, data indicative of a request to adjust power consumption by the one or more second light sources in at least one of the plurality of balanceable zones;

adjusting, by the one or more master control units, power consumption among the plurality of balanceable zones such that the overall power consumption does not exceed the allowable limit and such that the power consumption by the one or more first light sources in the feature zone is maintained.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein adjusting, by the one or master control units, power consumption among the plurality of balanceable zones comprises increasing power consumption associated with a first balanceable zone and decreasing power consumption associated with a second balanceable zone.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the data indicative of a request to adjust power consumption by one or more first light sources is received from a feature zone load adjustment mechanism presented in a user interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the feature zone load adjustment mechanism comprises a slider.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the data indicative of overall power consumption is received from a power monitor configured to configured to monitor power delivered by a power source to the one or more first light sources in the feature zone and the one or more second light sources in each of the plurality of balanceable zones.