Systems and methods for reducing network traffic in a lighting system

• US 10,524,335 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2018
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Synapse Wireless Incorporated (Mcwane Incorporated)
• Inventors: Thorington, Johnny, Mabry, James Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US16/142,874
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 315152, 315312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0221 power availability or consumption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• 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

Systems and methods are provided for reducing network traffic in a lighting system. A server computer can calculate the energy consumption of the light sources in the lighting system based on the settings of the lights sources implemented by the server computer and power usage data for the light sources. By calculating the energy consumption at the server computer based on the implemented settings and the power usage data, the server computer does not have to receive communications from the controllers of the light sources indicating the power usage or energy consumption of the light source. The power usage data for the light sources can be updated to enable the server computer to provide more accurate energy consumption information for the lighting system.

Claims

1. A lighting control system, comprising:

a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled in a network;

a plurality of lighting modules, each lighting module of the plurality of lighting modules comprising a node of the plurality of nodes and at least one light source connected to the node, the at least one light source operable to generate visible light to illuminate an area, wherein each lighting module of the plurality of lighting modules is configured to generate data for the at least one light source, the data including power usages of the at least one light source for corresponding lighting configurations of the at least one light source; and

a server communicatively coupled to the plurality of nodes, the server configured to receive, from each of the lighting modules of the plurality of lighting modules, the data for the at least one light source generated by the lighting module, the server configured to determine an energy consumption for the at least one light source of one or more lighting modules of the plurality of lighting modules based on the data for the at least one light source provided by the one or more lighting modules.

2. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to identify at least one lighting event for the at least one light source of the one or more lighting modules, the at least one lighting event having an event lighting configuration for the at least one light source, and the server is configured to retrieve the power usage for the at least one light source during the at least one lighting event corresponding to the event lighting configuration and determine the energy consumption for the at least one light source of the one or more lighting modules based on the retrieved power usage for the at least one light sources during the at least one lighting event.

3. The lighting control system of claim 2, wherein the event lighting configuration includes a dim setting for the at least one light source.

4. The lighting control system of claim 2, wherein the at least one lighting event includes a lighting event associated with at least one of activation of a wall switch, activation of a photocell, or activation of a motion sensor.

5. The lighting control system of claim 2, wherein the at least one lighting event occurs in response to control instructions to the lighting module from the server, wherein the control instructions include the event lighting configuration.

6. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein each lighting module of the plurality lighting modules is configured to generate the data for the at least one light source by implementing a plurality of lighting configurations at the at least one light source and measuring the power usage of the at least one light source for each of the plurality of lighting configurations.

7. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein each lighting module of the plurality lighting modules is configured to periodically generate new data for the at least one light source and provide the new data to the server via the network.

8. The lighting control system of claim 7, wherein each lighting module of the plurality lighting modules is configured to generate the new data in response to one or more of a predetermined schedule, a startup of the lighting control system, provisioning changes at the at least one light source, or ambient environmental changes at the at least one light source.

9. A method for determining energy consumption by a lighting system, the method comprising:

generating, by a lighting module, data for a light source, wherein the light source is operable to generate visible light to illuminate an area and the data includes a plurality of power usages for the light source corresponding to a plurality of lighting configurations for the light source;

communicating, by the lighting module, the generated data for the light source to a server via a network, wherein the network comprising a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled, the lighting module comprising a node of the plurality of nodes, and the light source being coupled to the node of the lighting module;

determining, by the server, an energy consumption of the light source based on the data for the light source provided by the lighting module; and

calculating, by the server, the energy consumption of the lighting system based on the determined energy consumption of the light source.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the energy consumption of the light source includes:

Identifying, by the server, at least one lighting event for the light source, the at least one lighting event having an event lighting configuration for the light source;

retrieving, by the server, the power usage for the light source corresponding to the event lighting condition in the data; and

determining the energy consumption for the light source during the at least one lighting event based on the retrieved power usage.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying the at least one lighting event includes determining a dim setting for the light source associated with the event lighting configuration.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying the at least one lighting event includes determining an activation of at least one of a wall switch, a photocell, or a motion sensor.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifying the at least one lighting event includes identifying a control instruction to the lighting module from the server, wherein the control instruction includes the event lighting configuration.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the generating the data includes:

implementing a lighting configuration of the plurality of lighting configurations at the light source;

measuring the power usage of the light source at the implemented lighting configuration; and

storing information related to the implemented lighting configuration and the measured power usage.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating the data further includes repeating, for each lighting configuration of the plurality of lighting configurations, the implementing the lighting configuration, the measuring the power usage of the light source, and the storing information.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising periodically repeating the generating data for the light source and the communicating the generated data for the light source to the server.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the periodically repeating occurs in response to one or more of a predetermined schedule, a startup of the lighting system, provisioning changes at the light source, or ambient environmental changes at the light source.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

repeating, for each light source in the lighting system, the generating the data for the light source, the communicating the generated data for the light source and the determining the energy consumption of the light source; and

wherein the calculating the energy consumption of the lighting system includes calculating the energy consumption for the lighting system with the determined energy consumptions for the lights sources in the lighting system.

19. A lighting control system, comprising:

a plurality of nodes communicatively coupled in a network;

a plurality of lighting modules, each lighting module of the plurality of lighting modules comprising a node of the plurality of nodes and at least one light source connected to the node, the at least one light source operable to generate visible light to illuminate an area, wherein each lighting module of the plurality lighting modules is configured to measure a power usage of the at least one light source; and

a server communicatively coupled to the plurality of nodes, the server configured to receive a plurality of measured power usages from the plurality of lighting modules, the server configured to determine an energy consumption for the plurality of lighting modules based on the received plurality of measured power usages from the plurality of lighting modules, and wherein the server is configured to reduce traffic in the network by receiving the plurality of measured power usages from the plurality of lighting modules in corresponding data that correlates power usages of the at least one light source for a corresponding lighting module with lighting configurations of the at least one light source for the corresponding lighting module such that the server determines energy consumption with the corresponding data and information regarding lighting configurations of the light sources of the plurality of lighting modules located at the server.

20. The lighting control system of claim 19, wherein the server is configured to send instructions to each lighting module of the plurality of lighting modules to prevent the plurality of lighting modules from sending messages to the server that include a power usage measurement for the at least one light source based on operation of the at least one light source.

21. A lighting control system, comprising:

a lighting controller coupled to a light source for controlling a brightness of light illuminated by the light source;

a sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of power consumed by the light source, wherein the lighting controller is configured to determine, based on power data from the sensor, a power profile of the light source, the power profile indicative of power consumed by the light source for a plurality of lighting configurations of the light source;

a wireless network, wherein the lighting controller is configured to transmit the power profile through the wireless network; and

a server configured to communicate with the lighting controller through the wireless network, the server configured to receive the power profile and to transmit commands having dim settings to the lighting controller through the wireless network, wherein the lighting controller is configured to control the brightness of the light illuminated by the light source based on the dim settings, the server further configured to track lighting configurations of the light source over time based on the dim settings, wherein the server is configured to calculate a value indicative of power consumption of the light source over time based on the tracked lighting configurations and the power profile.