Automatic commissioning of digital addressable lighting control systems

• US 9,747,196 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2014
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Current Lighting Solutions, LLC (f/k/a GE Lighting Solutions, LLC) (American Industrial Partners)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Simonyi, Bulcsu, Schmidt, Gabor, Kovacs, Levente
• Primary Examiner(s): Alizada, Omeed
• Application Number:
  US14/169,885
• Publication Number:
  US 20150220428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0207 with multidimensional access, e.g. row/column, matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/52 using static devices in switching stages, e.g. electronic switching arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/54 in which the logic circuitry controlling the exchange is centralised
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

A lighting system according to various embodiments includes a lighting array having a plurality of luminaires and a plurality of sensors. The lighting system also includes a controller configured to operate in at least one from the group including (i) pre commissioning mode and (ii) a commissioning mode. The pre-commissioning mode matches one of the luminaires with a corresponding one of the sensors to create luminaire-sensor pairs and the commissioning mode determines a location of each of the luminaire-sensor pairs.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a lighting array including;

a plurality of luminaires;

a corresponding plurality of sensors; and

a controller configured to operate in at least one from the group including (i) pre commissioning mode and (ii) a commissioning mode;

wherein the pre-commissioning mode matches one of the luminaires with a corresponding one of the sensors based on a location of one of the luminaires and the corresponding sensor, the pre-commissioning creating luminaire-sensor pairs;

wherein the commissioning mode includes a pre-determined commissioning path comprising a layout of luminaire locations; and

wherein the controller, via the commissioning mode, (i) receives data when one of the plurality of sensors detects light, (ii) searches a list of stored addresses corresponding to the plurality of sensors, and (iii) identifies the luminaire-sensor pair locations along the commissioning path.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the the predetermined path includes a user following under luminaires to be commissioned.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein data is received as the user moves along the predetermined path and the sensors detect occupancy under the luminaires and in response determines the location of the luminaire-sensor pair by searching a list of addresses stored in the controller.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the data comprises current status data, wherein the current status data indicates current status information regarding at least one luminaire-sensor pair indicating a commissioned status or un-commissioned status, indicating sections of the a predetermined path as a commissioned status or an un-commissioned status, and indicating a current position of the user identified along the predetermined path.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the predetermined path is based upon calculations;

and

wherein the calculations are optimized to define a path that encounters an occupancy sensor having a the largest time lapse possible when there are overlapping sensor ranges transmitted from one of the plurality of sensors.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the calculations are optimized to determine a path having a shortest distance.

7. The system according to claim 5, wherein the calculations are optimized to include the least amount of turns possible within the predetermined path.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller, luminaires and sensors are configured to communicate through a network.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the matching includes pairing an address of each luminaire to an address of one sensor based on illumination level comparisons.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the enabling is based on data received corresponding to a computer-generated schematic of the a designated area;

a schematic identifying possible locations for each luminaire-sensor pair, an address matrix listing an address of each luminaire-sensor pairs, and a computer generated path, which traverses the designated area.

11. A method for commissioning a lighting system including a lighting array having a plurality of luminaires and a corresponding plurality of sensors, the lighting array disposed in a designated area to be illuminated, the method comprising:

performing via a controller at least one from the group including (i) a pre-commissioning phase and (ii) a commissioning phase;

wherein the pre-commissioning phase includes matching one of the luminaires with a corresponding one of the sensors based on a location of one of the luminaires and the corresponding sensor, the pre-commissioning creating luminaire-sensor pairs within the lighting array;

wherein the commissioning phase includes a pre-determined commissioning path comprising a layout of luminaire locations; and

wherein the controller, via the commissioning phase, (i) receives data when one of the plurality of sensors detects light, (ii) searches a list of stored addresses corresponding to the plurality of sensors, and (iii) identifies the luminaire-sensor pair locations along the commissioning path.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising defining a predetermined path that follows under to be commissioned;

wherein the matching includes pairing an address of each luminaire to an address of each single sensor based on illumination level comparisons; and

wherein the enabling is based on data received corresponding to a computer-generated schematic of the designated area which identifies possible location identifications for each luminaire-sensor pair, an address matrix listing an address of each luminaire-sensor pairs, and a computer generated path, which traverses the designated area.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving data as the controller moves along the predetermined path, detecting occupancy under the luminaires, and in response, determining the location of the luminaire-sensor pair by searching a list of addresses stored in the controller.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the data includes current status data, the current status data indicating current status information regarding at least one luminaire-sensor pair indicating a commissioned status or un-commissioned status, indicating sections of the computer-generated path as a commissioned status or an un-commissioned status, and indicating a current position of the controller identified along the pre-determined path.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined path includes calculations;

and wherein the calculations are optimized to define a path that encounters an occupancy sensor having the a largest time lapse possible when there are overlapping sensor ranges transmitted from a plurality of occupancy sensors.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein calculations of the computer generated path are optimized to determine a path having a shortest distance.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein calculations of the predetermined path are optimized to include the least amount of turns possible within the computer generated path.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the controller, luminaires and sensors are configured to communicate through a network.

19. An electronic system comprising:

an array of switches;

corresponding plurality of sensors; and

a controller configured to operate in at least one from the group including (i) pre commissioning mode and (ii) a commissioning mode;

wherein the pre-commissioning mode matches one of the switches with a corresponding one of the sensors based on a location of one of the arrays and the corresponding sensor, the pre-commissioning creating switch-sensor pairs;

wherein the commissioning mode includes a pre-determined commissioning path; and

wherein the controller, via the commissioning mode, (i) receives data when one of the plurality of sensors detects light (ii) searches a list of stored addresses corresponding to the plurality of sensors and (iii) identifies the switch-sensor pair locations along the commissioning path.

20. A method for commissioning an electronic system including an array of switches and a corresponding plurality of sensors, the method comprising:

performing via a controller at least one from the group including (i) a pre-commissioning phase and (ii) a commissioning phase;

wherein the pre-commissioning phase includes matching one of the switches with a corresponding one of the sensors based on a location of one of the switches and the corresponding sensor, the pre-commissioning creating switch-sensor pairs within the lighting array;

wherein the commissioning phase includes a pre-determined commissioning path; and

wherein the controller, via the commissioning mode, (i) receives data when one of the plurality of sensors detects light, (ii) searches a list of stored addresses corresponding to the plurality of sensors, and (iii) identifies the switch-sensor pair locations along the commissioning path.