Systems and methods for outdoor luminaire wireless control

• US 10,568,191 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2019
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Imaging Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Express Imaging Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Vendetti, Donald Arthur, Dolf, Richard, Reed, William G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Jimmy T
• Application Number:
  US16/440,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20190394862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 250 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/088 with lighting device mounted on top of the standard, e.g. for pedestrian zones
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 15/01 Housings, e.g. material or assembling of housing parts F21V15/02 takes precedence housings forming signs or letters G09F13/04
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/045 the sensor receiving a signal from a remote controller
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• 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 leverage the wireless communication capability present in wireless-enabled luminaires where the lamps include a short-range wireless transceiver and can be controlled by a smart appliance. The wireless capability of a luminaire may be paired with a compatible wireless interface system (e.g., adapter system) that allows for control of the luminaire via plug-in or hard-wired photocontrols and wireless network lamp control nodes. An adapter system may be provided that replaces a standard wired receptacle of a luminaire. The adapter system may include a wired interface to the luminaire which provides power to the wireless adapter system. The wireless adapter system may include a receptacle interface that receives a plug of a control node, such as photocontrol or a networked control node. The wireless adapter system may also include a wireless interface circuit that communicates control, status or other data between the connected control device and the luminaire.

Claims

1. A secondary communications network node to operate luminaires in conjunction with a primary network control node, the primary network control node which includes a first primary network control node radio that provides wireless communications with a remotely located central management system via a primary communications network, the secondary communications network node comprising:

a housing;

a secondary communications network radio housed by the housing, the secondary communications network radio which provides wireless communications with at least one of;

a number of wireless light sources or a number of wireless luminaires via a secondary communications network, the secondary communications network distinct from the primary communications network;

at least one processor housed by the housing, the at least one processor communicatively coupled to the secondary communications network radio; and

a primary network control node interface comprising a physical interface to physically couple the primary network control node to the secondary communications network node and a communications interface to communicatively couple the first primary network control node radio with the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node when the primary network control node is physically coupled to the secondary communications network node via the primary network control node interface.

2. The secondary communications network node of claim 1, the secondary communications network node further comprising:

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

wirelessly send data or instructions to the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires via the secondary communications network.

3. The secondary communications network node of claim 1, the secondary communications network node further comprising:

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

wirelessly receive data or instructions from the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires.

4. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein in operation the secondary communications network radio enables power switching to, and power measurement of, the at least one of wireless light sources or wireless luminaires by the control node.

5. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein in operation the at least one processor:

receives, via the primary network control node interface, at least one of instructions or data; and

causes the secondary communications network radio to wirelessly send the received at least one of instructions or data to the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires, via the secondary communications network, in a format that is readable by the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires.

6. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein in operation the at least one processor:

receives, via the secondary communications network radio, at least one of instructions or data from the at least one of wireless light sources or wireless luminaires; and

sends, via the primary network control node interface, the received at least one of instructions or data to the primary network control node.

7. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein in operation the at least one processor:

addresses communications to specific ones of the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires.

8. The secondary communications network node of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one of an analog dimming receiver or a digitally addressable lighting interface (DALI) transceiver.

9. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein the primary network control node is separate and distinct from the secondary communications network node, and the primary network control node interface of the secondary communications network node is one of a 5-pin receptacle interface or a 7-pin receptacle interface that mates with a physical node interface of the primary network control node.

10. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein the primary network control node is separate and distinct from the secondary communications network node, and the primary network control node interface of the secondary communications network node is a hardwired interface.

11. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein the primary network control node interface of the secondary communications network node is a standard-based receptacle.

12. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein secondary communications network node that is mountable at least one of:

inside a housing of a luminaire fixture, to a top of the housing of the luminaire fixture, or to a pole that supports the luminaire fixture.

13. The secondary communications network node of claim 1, the secondary communications network node further comprising:

at least one nontransitory processor-readable storage medium operatively coupled to the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node and storing an aggregate status for a plurality of wireless light sources or wireless luminaires of the at least one of;

a number of wireless light sources or a number of wireless luminaires.

14. The secondary communications network node of claim 13 wherein the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node provides the aggregate status for the plurality of wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires as a single operational status for a group to the first primary network control node radio via the primary network control node interface for wireless transmission to the central management system via the primary communications network, the group consisting of the plurality of wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires.

15. The secondary communications network node of claim 13 wherein the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node provides the aggregate status for the plurality of wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires as a single aggregate power draw for a group to the first primary network control node radio via the primary network control node interface for wireless transmission to the central management system via the primary communications network, the group consisting of the plurality of wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires.

16. The secondary communications network node of claim 1 wherein the a secondary communications network radio provides wireless communications with at least one mobile communications device, and the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node controls the at least one of the number of wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires based at least in part on the wireless communications with the at least one mobile communications device.

17. A method of operating a secondary communications network node for operating luminaires in conjunction with a primary network control node, the primary network control node which includes a first primary network control node radio that provides wireless communications with a remotely located central management system via a primary communications network, the method comprising:

providing a secondary communications network node comprising a housing;

a secondary communications network radio housed by the housing, the secondary communications network radio which provides wireless communications with at least one of;

a number of wireless light sources or a number of wireless luminaires via a secondary communications network, the secondary communications network distinct from the primary communications network;

at least one processor housed by the housing, the at least one processor communicatively coupled to the secondary communications network radio; and

a primary network control node interface comprising a physical interface to physically coupled the primary network control node to the secondary communications network node and a communications interface to communicatively couple the first primary network control node radio with the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node when the primary network control node is physically coupled to the secondary communications network node via the primary network control node interface;

receiving by the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node, via the primary network control node interface, at least one of instructions or data; and

causing, by the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node, the secondary communications network radio to wirelessly send data or instructions to the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires via the secondary communications network.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

receiving by the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node, via the primary network control node interface, at least one of instructions or data includes receiving at least one of instructions or data provided to the primary network control node by a central via a cellular network; and

causing the secondary communications network radio to wirelessly send data or instructions to the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires via the secondary communications network includes causing the secondary communications network radio to wirelessly send data or instructions via a short range radio.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, via the secondary communications network radio, at least one of instructions or data from two or more of the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires; and

sending, via the primary network control node interface, the received at least one of instructions or data to the primary network control node.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor via the primary network control node interface, at least one of instructions or data; and

causing, by the at least one processor, the secondary communications network radio to wirelessly send the received at least one of instructions or data to two or more of the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires in a format that is readable by the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the primary network control node interface of the adapter system comprises one of a 5-pin receptacle interface or a 7-pin receptacle interface, and physically and communicatively coupling the primary network control node to the secondary communications network node comprises physically and communicatively coupling a plug of the primary network control node to the one of the 5-pin receptacle interface or the 7-pin receptacle interface.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein communicatively coupling the primary network control node to the secondary communications network node comprises physically and communicatively coupling the primary network control node to the secondary communications network node via a hardwired interface.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein providing a secondary communications network node comprises mounting the secondary communications network node to a non-legacy luminaire fixture, and causing the secondary communications network radio to wirelessly send data or instructions to the at least one of the wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires via the secondary communications network includes causing the secondary communications network radio to wirelessly send data or instructions to respective wireless light source of each of a plurality of legacy luminaire fixtures.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

wirelessly communicating with at least one mobile communications device via the secondary communications network radio; and

controlling, via the at least one processor of the secondary communications network node, the at least one of the number of wireless light sources or the wireless luminaires based at least in part on the wireless communications with the at least one mobile communications device.