Scalable building control system, method, and apparatus

• US 9,854,653 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Crestron Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Ackmann, Evan, Jacobson, Douglas, Kumar, Russikesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Don
• Application Number:
  US15/420,818
• Time in Patent Office: 329 Days
• Field of Search: 315291
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements
• 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 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• 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 scalable lighting control system comprising a plurality of room lighting control systems each comprising a load controller electrically connected to a lighting load and one or more in-room devices, such as lighting control devices, occupancy sensors, and light sensors. Each in-room device is configured for transmitting room control messages to the load controller over a room wireless network. The scalable lighting control system further comprises a plurality of network bridges each configured for removably coupling to at least one load controller of a room lighting control system to connect the room lighting control system to a centralized wireless network. Each network bridge is configured for receiving centralized control messages over the centralized wireless network and transmitting the centralized control messages to the connected load controller. The load controller is configured for controlling the electrically connected lighting load in response to the room control messages and the centralized control messages.

Claims

1. A scalable lighting control system comprising:

an in-room device comprising;

a wireless network interface configured for transmitting room control messages over a room wireless network;

a load controller comprising;

a wireless network interface configured for receiving the room control messages from the in-room devices over the room wireless network;

a bridge interface; and

a power controller configured for electrically connecting to a lighting load; and

a network bridge configured for removably coupling to the load controller, the network bridge comprises;

a wireless network interface configured for receiving centralized control messages over a centralized wireless network; and

a load interface configured for connecting to the bridge interface of the load controller and transmitting the centralized control messages to the load controller;

wherein the load controller is configured for controlling the lighting load in response to the room control messages received from the in-room device and the centralized control messages received from the network bridge.

2. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the in-room device comprises a lighting control device including a user interface configured for receiving room control messages from a user.

3. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the in-room device comprises an occupancy sensor configured for detecting an occupancy status of a room and generating room control messages based on the detected occupancy status.

4. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the in-room device comprises a light sensor configured for detecting natural light intensities in a room and generating room control messages based on the detected natural light intensities.

5. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the load controller comprises a power supply configured for receiving power from a power source and powering the network bridge via the bridge interface.

6. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the power controller of the load controller comprises a switch configured for switching the connected lighting load on and off.

7. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the power controller of the load controller comprises a dimmer configured for providing a dimmed voltage output signal to the connected lighting load.

8. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the bridge interface of the load controller comprises a port and the load interface of the network bridge comprises a plug.

9. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the load interface of the network bridge comprises a port and the bridge interface of the load controller comprises a plug.

10. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the room wireless network comprises a peer-to-peer radio frequency mesh wireless network.

11. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the centralized wireless network comprises a radio frequency mesh wireless network.

12. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the load controller comprises a memory configured for maintaining a room status report comprising information about the lighting load and the in-room device.

13. The scalable lighting control system of claim 12, wherein the load controller transmits the room status report to the network bridge for transmission over the centralized wireless network.

14. The scalable lighting control system of claim 12, wherein the information about the lighting load and the in-room device comprises at least one of a channel of the room wireless network, type of the in-room device, type of available output and input of the in-room device, a number of in-room devices in a room, a number of lighting loads in the room, status of the lighting load, status of the in-room device, and any combinations thereof.

15. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the load controller comprises a housing comprising a threaded nipple configured for mounting the load controller to a junction box.

16. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the load controller comprises a recess, wherein the network bridge comprises a housing sized and shaped to be recessed within the recess of the load controller.

17. The scalable lighting control system of claim 16, wherein the network bridge is retained within the recess using hooks.

18. The scalable lighting control system of claim 16, wherein the recess comprises a port connected to the bridge interface and configured for receiving a plug connected to the load interface of the network bridge.

19. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the network bridge comprises a Bluetooth module configured for communication with a mobile device.

20. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1 further comprising a control processor configured for transmitting centralized control messages to the network bridge over the centralized wireless network.

21. The scalable lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the control processor is configured for connecting to a plurality of network bridges.

22. The scalable lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the control processor is connected to the centralized wireless network via one or more wireless gateways.

23. The scalable lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the load controller comprises a memory configured for maintaining a room status report comprising information about the lighting load and the in-room device, wherein the load controller transmits the room status report to the network bridge for transmission to the control processor over the centralized wireless network.

24. The scalable lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the control processor comprises a user interface configured for receiving centralized control messages from a user.

25. The scalable lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the control processor comprises a network interface configured for receiving centralized control messages from a remote server.

26. The scalable lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the control processor comprises a timeclock and a memory configured for storing a plurality of timed events, wherein the control processor generates centralized control messages for transmission to the network bridge based on the plurality of timed events.

27. The scalable lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the control processor is configured for transmitting a firmware update to the network bridge, wherein the network bridge is configured for receiving the firmware update and storing the firmware update as firmware images on a memory, wherein the network bridge transmits the firmware images to the load controller, wherein the load controller transmits the firmware images to the in-room device.

28. The scalable lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the room wireless network comprises a low latency low bandwidth wireless network configured for substantially real-time communication.

29. The scalable lighting control system of claim 28, wherein the centralized wireless network comprises latency and bandwidth higher than the latency and bandwidth of the room wireless network.

30. The scalable lighting control system of claim 28, wherein the centralized wireless network comprises a high latency high bandwidth wireless network configured for transmitting large amount of data over the centralized wireless network.

31. A method executed by a load controller of a scalable lighting control system, wherein the load controller comprises a wireless network interfaces configured for communicating over a room wireless network, a bridge interface configured for removably coupling to a network bridge, and a power controller configured for electrically connecting to a lighting load, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

receiving room control messages over the room wireless network from one or more in-room devices;

controlling the lighting load in response to the room control messages;

detecting a connection to the network bridge via the bridge interface, wherein the network bridge is configured for receiving centralized control messages from a centralized wireless network;

receiving the centralized control messages from the network bridge; and

controlling the lighting load in response to the centralized control messages.

32. A scalable lighting control system comprising:

a plurality of room lighting control systems each comprising;

one or more in-room devices each configured for transmitting room control messages over a room wireless network; and

a load controller configured for receiving the room control messages from the in-room devices over the room wireless network and controlling an electrically connected lighting load in response to the room control messages;

a plurality of network bridges each configured for removably coupling to at least one load controller of a room lighting control system to connect the room lighting control system as a node of a centralized wireless network, wherein each network bridge is configured for receiving centralized control messages over the centralized wireless network and transmitting the centralized control messages to a connected load controller, wherein the connected load controller is configured for controlling an electrically connected lighting load in response to the centralized control messages.

33. The scalable lighting control system of claim 32, wherein the one or more in-room devices comprise at least one of a lighting control device, an occupancy sensor, a light sensor, and any combinations thereof.

34. The scalable lighting control system of claim 32 further comprising a control processor configured for transmitting centralized control messages to the plurality of network bridges over the centralized wireless network.

35. The scalable lighting control system of claim 34, wherein the control processor is configured for transmitting a firmware update to the plurality of network bridges, wherein each network bridge is configured for receiving the firmware update and storing the firmware update as firmware images on a memory, wherein each network bridge transmits the firmware images to a connected load controller, wherein the connected load controller transmits the firmware images to the in-room device.

36. A scalable lighting control system comprising:

a plurality of room lighting control systems each comprising;

one or more in-room devices each configured for transmitting room control messages over a room wireless network; and

a load controller configured for receiving the room control messages from the in-room devices over the room wireless network and controlling an electrically connected lighting load in response to the room control messages;

a plurality of network bridges each configured for removably coupling to at least one load controller of a room lighting control system to connect the room lighting control system as a node of a centralized wireless network, wherein each network bridge is configured for receiving status information from a connected load controller and transmitting the status information over the centralized wireless network.

37. A scalable lighting control system comprising:

a plurality of room lighting control systems each comprising;

one or more in-room devices each configured for transmitting room control messages over a room wireless network; and

a load controller configured for receiving the room control messages from the in-room devices over the room wireless network and controlling an electrically connected lighting load in response to the room control messages;

a plurality of network bridges each configured for removably coupling to at least one load controller of a room lighting control system to connect the room lighting control system as a node of a centralized wireless network, wherein each network bridge is configured for transmitting messages between the centralized wireless network and a connected load controller.

38. A scalable lighting control system comprising:

a control processor connected via a wireless network interface to a centralized wireless network, wherein the control processor is configured for transmitting centralized control messages;

a plurality of room lighting control systems each comprising;

one or more in-room devices each comprising a wireless network interface configured for transmitting room control messages over a room wireless network;

a load controller comprising;

a wireless network interface configured for receiving the room control messages from the in-room devices over the room wireless network;

a bridge interface; and

a power controller configured for electrically connecting to a lighting load and configured for controlling the lighting load in response to the room control messages received from the in-room devices;

a plurality of network bridges each configured for removably coupling to at least one load controller of a room lighting control system to connect the room lighting control system to the control processor over the centralized wireless network, wherein each network bridge comprises;

a wireless network interface configured for receiving the centralized control messages from the control processor over the centralized wireless network; and

a load interface configured for connecting to a bridge interface of a load controller and transmitting the centralized control messages to the connected load controller;

wherein the connected load controller is configured for controlling an electrically connected lighting load in response to the centralized control messages received from the connected network bridge.

39. A scalable lighting control system comprising:

a lighting control device comprising;

a user interface configured for receiving room control messages from a user;

a load controller configured for electrically connecting to a lighting load; and

a wireless network interface configured for communicating over a room wireless network;

a dedicated network bridge power supply comprising;

a wireless network interface configured for communicating over the room wireless network;

a power supply; and

a bridge interface;

a network bridge configured for removably coupling to the dedicated network bridge power supply, the network bridge comprises;

a wireless network interface configured for receiving centralized control messages over a centralized wireless network; and

a load interface configured for connecting to the bridge interface for receiving power from the dedicated network bridge power supply and transmitting the centralized control messages to the dedicated network bridge power supply;

wherein the lighting control device is configured for controlling the lighting load in response to the room control messages received from the in-room devices and the centralized control messages received from the dedicated network bridge power supply.