LED traffic signal fault logging system and method

• US 9,524,641 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumination LLC, GE Lighting Solutions LLC (Savant Systems, LLC)
• Original Assignee: GE Lighting Solutions LLC (Savant Systems, LLC)
• Inventors: Neser, Morn, Nguyen, Truong-Khoa, Essiambre, Benoit, Poirier, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US13/053,735
• Publication Number:
  US 20120242507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.45, 340/907, 340/931, 340/458, 340/332, 340/815.4, 315/119, 315/129, 315/160, 315/291, 362/478, 362/800
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/095 Traffic lights
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/58 involving end of life detection of LEDs
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/24 Circuit arrangements for protecting against overvoltage
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/28 Circuit arrangements for protecting against abnormal temperature

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring operating parameters of traffic lamps. A traffic lamp includes one or more memory modules and a controller. The controller receives data pertaining to one or more operating parameters of the traffic lamp and logs the one or more operating parameters to the one or more memory modules using the received data. The controller may log the one or more operating parameters to the one or more memory modules upon detection of a fault in the one or more operating parameters.

Claims

1. A traffic lamp comprising:

one or more light sources;

one or more memory modules;

one or more sensors; and

a controller that;

receives data pertaining to one or more operating parameters of the traffic lamp,

wherein the received data including data from the sensors;

logs at least one of the one or more operating parameters to the one or more memory modules using the received data if the one or more operating parameters are not within acceptable limits;

further logs the at least one of the one or more operating parameters to the one or more memory modules of the traffic lamp at a regular interval; and

disables the traffic lamp if the one or more operating parameters are not within acceptable limits.

2. The traffic lamp of claim 1, wherein the memory includes one or more personality parameters, wherein the controller controls the traffic lamp according to the one or more personality parameters.

3. The traffic lamp of claim 2, wherein the controller controls the light sources according to at least one of the one or more personality parameters.

4. The traffic lamp of claim 1, wherein the controller calculates present values of at least one of the one or more operating parameters.

5. The traffic lamp of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating parameters include one or more of light source current, light source voltage, input voltage, input frequency, total input power, power supply voltages, operating temperature, operating life, and options boards condition.

6. The traffic lamp of claim 1, wherein the controller monitors the operating parameters of the traffic lamp for faults and disables the traffic lamp if a fault is detected.

7. The traffic lamp of claim 6, where said traffic lamp further comprises:

a fuse, wherein said controller disables the traffic lamp by blowing the fuse.

8. The traffic lamp of claim 1, wherein the controller logs at least one of the one or more parameters to the one or more memory modules using a cyclical buffering scheme.

9. The traffic lamp of claim 8, wherein the cyclical buffering scheme includes:

dividing data in the one or memory modules into one or more pages; and

,

writing log data to one of the one or more pages up to a predetermined number of times and then moving to a different one of the one or more pages.

10. A method of monitoring operating parameters of traffic lamps performed by one or more processors, said method comprising:

receiving data pertaining to one or more operating parameters of a traffic lamp;

determining whether the one or more operating parameters are within acceptable limits;

logging at least one of the one or more operating parameters to one or more memory modules of the traffic lamp if the one or more operating parameters are not within acceptable limits;

further logging the at least one of the one or more operating parameters to the one or more memory modules of the traffic lamp at a regular interval; and

disabling the traffic lamp if the one or more operating parameters are not within acceptable limits.

11. The method according to claim 10, where the disabling includes blowing a fuse.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the logging uses a cyclical buffering scheme.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cyclical buffering scheme includes:

dividing data in the one or more memory modules into one or more pages; and

,

writing log data to one of the one or more pages up to a predetermined number of times and then moving to a different one of the one or more pages.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more operating parameters include one or more of light source current, light source voltage, input voltage, input frequency, total input power, power supply voltages, operating temperature, operating life, and options boards condition.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

controlling the traffic lamp according to the one or more personality parameters.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

calculating present values of at least one of the one or more operating parameters.

17. A method of monitoring operating parameters of a traffic lamp performed by one or more processors, said method comprising:

receiving data pertaining to one or more operating parameters of a traffic lamp;

determining whether the one or more operating parameters are within acceptable limits;

logging at least one of the one or more operating parameters to one or more memory modules of the traffic lamp if the one or more operating parameters are not within acceptable limits;

further logging the at least one of the one or more operating parameters to the one or more memory modules of the traffic lamp at a regular interval; and

disabling the traffic lamp if the one or more operating parameters are not within acceptable limits.