Learning luminaire and a learning control device for a luminaire

• US 9,538,621 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helvar Oy Ab (Helvar Merca Oy Ab)
• Original Assignee: Helvar Oy Ab (Helvar Merca Oy Ab)
• Inventors: Jusln, Henri, Bjrkgren, Max
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Monica C
• Application Number:
  US14/640,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20150264781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A technique for controlling a luminaire using a controller preprogrammed to cause the luminaire to carry out a predefined action as a response to an occurrence of a predefined triggering condition is provided. The technique comprises storing, into a memory, status indications received in the status indication messages from the other devices, analyzing the stored status indications in an attempt to identify a sequence of one or more status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, and reprogramming, in response to identifying a sequence of status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, the controller to cause the luminaire to initiate or to carry out a preparatory action for carrying out said predefined action as a response to reception of said identified sequence of status indications.

Claims

1. A control device of a luminaire comprising:

a controller for controlling operation of the luminaire, the controller preprogrammed to cause the luminaire to carry out a predefined action as a response to an occurrence of a predefined triggering condition,

a communicator part for wireless communication with other devices, the communicator part configured to receive status indication messages from the other devices, said status indication messages carrying information regarding operational status of the other devices, and

an adaptation part for adjusting the operation of the controller in accordance with received status indication messages, the adaptation part configured to

store, into a memory, status indications received in the status indication messages from the other devices,

analyze the stored status indications in an attempt to identify a sequence of one or more status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, and

reprogram, in response to identifying a sequence of status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, the controller to cause the luminaire to initiate or to carry out a preparatory action for carrying out said predefined action as a response to reception of said identified sequence of status indications.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein

the communicator part is configured to transmit status indication messages, and the controller is configured to cause the communicator part to transmit a status indication message in response to an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition.

3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to cause the communicator part to transmit a status indication message according to a predetermined schedule.

4. The control device according to claim 1,

wherein the predefined action comprises changing or adjusting the light output of the luminaire, and

wherein the predefined triggering condition comprises an environmental parameter observed at the luminaire meeting a predefined condition.

5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the status indication message comprises:

a device identification that identifies the device transmitting the message, and

a status indication that indicates the value of an environmental parameter observed in the device transmitting the message.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation part is configured to consider two candidate sequences of status indications to represent two occurrences of the same sequence in response to said two candidate sequences including the same status indications.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation part is configured to consider two candidate sequences of status indications to represent two occurrences the same sequence in response to said two candidate sequences including the same status indications in the same order.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation part is configured to consider two candidate sequences of status indications to represent two occurrences the same sequence in response to said two candidate sequences including the same status indications in the same order and with similar or essentially similar time differences to the respective occurrence of said predefined triggering condition.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation part is configured to consider a candidate sequence of status indications to be a repeatedly occurring one in response to at least a predetermined percentage of occurrences of said predefined triggering condition being preceded by the candidate sequence.

10. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation part is configured to reprogram the controller to cause the luminaire to carry out said predefined action as a response to reception of said identified sequence of status indications.

11. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the adaptation part is configured to reprogram the controller to:

carry out a preparatory action that facilitates execution of the predefined action as a response to reception of said identified sequence of status indications, and

carry out said predefined action as a response to an occurrence of a predefined triggering condition.

12. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a detector part for detecting other luminaires in proximity of the luminaire, the detector part comprising

a signaling part for outputting a signaling sequence during which the light output level from the luminaire as varied according to a predetermined pattern,

an observation part for capturing the light level variations during the signaling sequence output from another luminaire, and

an analyzer part for defining a ranking order of the other luminaires in proximity on basis of the captured light level variations.

13. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the signaling part is configured to:

cause the communication portion to transmit an announcement message indicating a beginning of said signaling sequence, wherein the announcement message comprises a luminaire identification that identifies the luminaire, and

cause the luminaire to vary the light output level from the luminaire according to said predetermined pattern.

14. A control device according to claim 12, wherein the observation part is configured to:

receive an announcement message indicating a beginning of said signaling sequence, wherein the announcement message comprises a luminaire identification that identifies the luminaire,

capture, by a light sensor, a sequence of light level indications during said signaling sequence that follows said announcement message,

store, into the memory, said luminaire identification together with the captured sequence of light level indications, and

analyze the stored sequences of light level indications captured on basis of signaling sequences output from a plurality of other luminaires to determine a ranking order therebetween as a decreasing average light level of the sequence.

15. The control device according to claim 12, wherein the adaptation part is configured to analyze the stored status indications in view of the determined ranking order.

16. A luminaire comprising a control device according to claim 1.

17. A method for operating a control device of a luminaire, the control device comprising:

a controller for controlling operation of the luminaire, the controller preprogrammed to cause the luminaire to carry out a predefined action as a response to an occurrence of a predefined triggering condition, and

a communicator part for wireless communication with other devices, the communicator part configured to receive status indication messages from the other devices, said status indication messages carrying information regarding operational status of the other devices,

the method comprising;

storing, into a memory, status indications received in the status indication messages from the other devices,

analyzing the stored status indications in an attempt to identify a sequence of one or more status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, and

reprogramming, in response to identifying a sequence of status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, the controller to cause the luminaire to initiate or to carry out a preparatory action for carrying out said predefined action as a response to reception of said identified sequence of status indications.

18. A non-transitory memory storing a computer program for operating a control device of a luminaire, the control device comprising:

a controller for controlling operation of the luminaire, the controller preprogrammed to cause the luminaire to carry out a predefined action as a response to an occurrence of a predefined triggering condition, and

a communicator part for wireless communication with other devices, the communicator part configured to receive status indication messages from the other devices, said status indication messages carrying information regarding operational status of the other devices,

the computer program including one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the control device to at least perform the following;

store, into the memory, status indications received in the status indication messages from the other devices,

analyze the stored status indications in an attempt to identify a sequence of one or more status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, and

reprogram, in response to identifying a sequence of status indications that repeatedly precede an occurrence of said predefined triggering condition, the controller to cause the luminaire to initiate or to carry out a preparatory action for carrying out said predefined action as a response to reception of said identified sequence of status indications.