Systems and methods for controlling outdoor luminaire wireless network using smart appliance

• US 10,098,212 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2018
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Imaging Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Express Imaging Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Vendetti, Donald Arthur, Reed, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tan, Vibol
• Application Number:
  US15/895,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20180235060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 238 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• 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 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/22 with access to wired networks
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• 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

Systems and methods which utilize luminaires that include wireless communication capabilities that allow the luminaires to be controlled by a wireless-enabled mobile system disposed proximate the luminaires. Control of a network of wireless-enabled luminaires is provided via a single mobile system utilizing wireless communication through at least one gateway luminaire without requiring connection between the luminaires and a central management system (CMS). Information sent to or collected from the luminaires through the mobile system may be transferred via a mobile network interface from or to a CMS. The luminaires may use their wireless communication ability to obtain data from nearby wireless sensors, which data may be collected by the mobile system from luminaires in the network of luminaires when the mobile system is positioned proximate at least one of the luminaires. The sensor data and/or other data may be uploaded to the central management system in a non-real-time period.

Claims

1. An illumination system, comprising:

a plurality of terminal luminaires, each of the terminal luminaires comprising;

at least one terminal luminaire processor;

at least one light source operatively coupled to the at least one terminal luminaire processor;

a terminal luminaire transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one terminal luminaire processor, in operation the terminal luminaire transceiver communicates via a first communications protocol; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one terminal luminaire processor and storing at least one of data or instructions;

a gateway luminaire comprising;

at least one gateway luminaire processor;

at least one light source operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor;

a first gateway luminaire transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor, in operation the first gateway luminaire transceiver communicates via the first communications protocol;

a second gateway luminaire transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor, in operation the second gateway luminaire transceiver communicates via a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol different from the first communications protocol; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor and storing at least one of data or instructions which, when executed by the at least one gateway luminaire processor, cause the at least one gateway luminaire processor to;

receive, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, at least one of instructions or data from at least one mobile system; and

send, via the first gateway luminaire transceiver, the received at least one of instructions or data to at least one of the plurality of terminal luminaires.

2. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of terminal luminaires communicate with other of the plurality of terminal luminaires using the first communications protocol via respective terminal luminaire transceivers.

3. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of terminal luminaires communicates with at least one gateway luminaire using the first communications protocol via respective terminal luminaire transceivers.

4. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the first and second communication protocols are wireless communications protocols, the first and second communications protocols have first and second ranges, respectively, and the first range is greater than the second range.

5. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the at least one gateway luminaire processor:

receives, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, at least one of commissioning data, decommissioning data, dimming level data, light schedule data, firmware update data or operational parameter data from the at least one mobile system.

6. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the at least one gateway luminaire processor:

receives, via the first gateway luminaire transceiver, at least one of instructions or data from at least one of the plurality of terminal luminaires; and

sends, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, the received at least one of instructions or data to the at least one mobile system.

7. The illumination system of claim 1, further comprising:

a mobile system comprising;

at least one mobile system processor;

a first mobile system transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one mobile system processor, in operation the first mobile system transceiver communicates via the second communications protocol; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one mobile system processor and storing at least one of data or instructions which, when executed by the at least one mobile system processor, cause the at least one mobile system processor to;

send, via the first mobile system transceiver, at least one of instructions or data to the gateway luminaire;

or

receive, via the first mobile system transceiver, at least one of instructions or data from the gateway luminaire.

8. The illumination system of claim 7 wherein the mobile system comprises:

a second mobile system transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one mobile system processor, wherein the at least one mobile system processor;

sends, via the second mobile system transceiver, at least one of instructions or data to at least one remote processor-based device;

or

receives, via the second mobile system transceiver, at least one of instructions or data from the remote processor-based device.

9. The illumination system of claim 8 wherein the second mobile system transceiver communicates via the first communications protocol.

10. The illumination system of claim 8 wherein the second mobile system transceiver communicates via a third communications protocol, the third communications protocol different from the first and second communications protocols.

11. The illumination system of claim 10 wherein the third communications protocol comprises a mobile telecommunications protocol.

12. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the at least one terminal luminaire processor:

receives, via the terminal luminaire transceiver, sensor data from at least one sensor; and

sends, via the terminal luminaire transceiver, the received sensor data to the gateway luminaire.

13. The illumination system of claim 12 wherein the at least one terminal luminaire processor:

stores the sensor data temporarily in the nontransitory processor-readable storage medium of the terminal luminaire.

14. The illumination system of claim 12 wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a noise sensor, or a gunshot detection sensor.

15. The illumination system of claim 14, further comprising:

a data storage device, comprising;

at least one data storage device processor;

a data storage device transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one data storage device processor; and

at least one data storage device nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one data storage device processor and storing at least one of data or instructions which, when executed by the at least one data storage device processor, cause the at least one data storage device processor to;

receive, via the data storage device transceiver, sensor; and

store the received sensor data in the at least one data storage device nontransitory processor-readable storage medium.

16. The illumination system of claim 1 wherein the at least one gateway luminaire processor:

receives, via the first gateway luminaire transceiver, sensor data from at least one of the terminal luminaires; and

sends, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, the received sensor data to the at least one mobile system.

17. The illumination system of claim 16 wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a noise sensor, or a gunshot detection sensor.

18. A method of operating an illumination system, the illumination system comprising a plurality of terminal luminaires each comprising a terminal luminaire transceiver which communicates via a first communications protocol and a gateway luminaire comprising first and second gateway transceivers which communicate via first and second communications protocols, respectively, the method comprising:

receiving, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, at least one of instructions or data from at least one mobile system via the second communications protocol; and

sending, via the first gateway luminaire transceiver, the received at least one of instructions or data to at least one of the plurality of terminal luminaires via the first communications protocol.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein receiving at least one of instructions or data from at least one mobile system comprises receiving at least one of commissioning data, decommissioning data, dimming level data, light schedule data, firmware update data or operational parameter data from the at least one mobile system.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, via the first gateway luminaire transceiver, luminaire information from at least one of the terminal luminaires, the luminaire information comprising at least one of identifier information, operational information, or maintenance information for at least one of the terminal luminaires; and

sending, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, the received luminaire information to the at least one mobile system.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, via the first gateway luminaire transceiver, at least one of instructions or data from at least one of the plurality of terminal luminaires; and

sending, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, the received at least one of instructions or data to the at least one mobile system.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

sending, via a first mobile system transceiver of a mobile system, at least one of instructions or data to the gateway luminaire via the second communications protocol;

or

receiving, via the first mobile system transceiver of the mobile system, at least one of instructions or data from the gateway luminaire via the second communications protocol.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

sending, via a second mobile system transceiver of the mobile system, at least one of instructions or data to at least one remote processor-based device;

or

receiving, via the second mobile system transceiver of the mobile system, at least one of instructions or data from the gateway luminaire.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein sending or receiving via the second mobile system transceiver comprises sending or receiving at least one of instructions or data via the first communications protocol.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein sending or receiving via the second mobile system transceiver comprises sending or receiving at least one of instructions or data via a third communications protocol, the third communications protocol different from the first and second communications protocols.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein sending or receiving via the second mobile system comprises sending or receiving at least one of instructions or data via the third communications protocol, the third communications protocol comprises a mobile telecommunications protocol.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving, via a data storage device transceiver communicatively coupled to a data storage device, sensor data; and

storing the received sensor data in at least one data storage device nontransitory processor-readable storage medium of the data storage device.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, via a terminal luminaire transceiver of one of the plurality of terminal luminaires, sensor data from at least one sensor; and

sending, via the terminal luminaire transceiver, the received sensor data to the gateway luminaire.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein receiving sensor data from the at least one sensor comprises receiving sensor data from at least one sensor which comprises at least one of:

a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a noise sensor, or a gunshot detection sensor.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, via first gateway luminaire transceiver, sensor data from at least one of the terminal luminaires; and

sending, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, the received sensor data to the at least one mobile system.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein receiving sensor data comprises receiving sensor data which originates from at least one of:

a motion sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon monoxide sensor, a noise sensor, or a gunshot detection sensor.

32. An illumination system, comprising:

a plurality of terminal luminaires, each of the terminal luminaires comprising;

at least one terminal luminaire processor;

at least one light source operatively coupled to the at least one terminal luminaire processor;

a terminal luminaire transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one terminal luminaire processor, in operation the terminal luminaire transceiver communicates via a first communications protocol; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one terminal luminaire processor and storing at least one of data or instructions;

a gateway luminaire comprising;

at least one gateway luminaire processor;

at least one light source operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor;

a first gateway luminaire transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor, in operation the first gateway luminaire transceiver communicates via the first communications protocol;

a second gateway luminaire transceiver operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor, in operation the second gateway luminaire transceiver communicates via a second communications protocol, the second communications protocol different from the first communications protocol; and

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one gateway luminaire processor and storing at least one of data or instructions which, when executed by the at least one gateway luminaire processor, cause the at least one gateway luminaire processor to;

receive, via the first gateway luminaire transceiver, at least one of instructions or data from at least one of the plurality of terminal luminaires; and

send, via the second gateway luminaire transceiver, the received at least one of instructions or data to at least one mobile system.