Outdoor lighting fixtures control systems and methods

• US 10,694,605 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2019
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Verfuerth, Neal R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Williams, Don J
• Application Number:
  US16/268,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20190174608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention relates to a system for operating a plurality of streetlights in response to motion from a vehicle. The system includes a sensor associated with at least one of the streetlights and configured to detect the presence of a moving vehicle and to provide a signal representative of the moving vehicle. The system further includes a radio frequency transceiver associated with each of the streetlights. The system yet further includes processing electronics configured to receive the signal representative of the moving vehicle from the sensor and to cause the radio frequency transceiver to transmit a command to one or more of the plurality of the streetlights to change lighting states along a pathway for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A control module, comprising:

an interface configured to electrically and physically couple the control module to a light fixture, the light fixture comprising a dimmable light source and a light fixture housing, wherein the interface physically couples the control module to an exterior of the light fixture housing;

a control module housing;

a 2.4 GHz radio-frequency (RF) transceiver within the control module housing;

an antenna electrically coupled to the RF transceiver and tuned to facilitate RF communication at 2.4 GHz;

a microcontroller coupled to a memory device;

a photocell configured to detect an ambient light level;

wherein the control module is configured to control the dimmable light source and is operable to place the dimmable light source in an off state, in a dimmed state, and in a fully illuminated state,

wherein the RF transceiver and the microcontroller cooperate to facilitate remote configuration and monitoring of the control module,

wherein the RF transceiver and the microcontroller cooperate to transmit data to, and receive data from, one or more other control modules in a plurality of control modules, and

wherein the microcontroller is configurable, when programmed via the RF transceiver, to control the dimmable light source according to the detected ambient light level, according to a schedule, or according to the detected ambient light level and the schedule.

2. A control module according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor interface configured to communicatively couple the control module to an additional sensor.

3. A control module according to claim 2, wherein the additional sensor is a motion sensor.

4. A control module according to claim 1, further comprising a motion sensor communicatively coupled to a sensor interface, wherein the microcontroller is configurable to increase an output of the light source in accordance with at least the detected ambient light level and an indication of detected motion received from the motion sensor and, after a configured time period has elapsed with no indication of detected motion received from the motion sensor, to decrease the output of the light source.

5. A control module according to claim 4, wherein the microcontroller and the RF transceiver cooperate to transmit to one or more other control modules a signal indicating that the motion sensor detected the detected motion.

6. A control module according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is operable to monitor a number of times the light source is turned on, and to cooperate with the RF transceiver to transmit to another device an indication of the number of times.

7. A control module according to claim 1, further comprising a ballast, and wherein the microcontroller is operable to detect a ballast failure and cooperate with the RF transceiver to transmit to another device an indication of the ballast failure.

8. A control module according to claim 1, further comprising a ballast, and wherein the microcontroller is operable to detect a light source failure and cooperate with the RF transceiver to transmit to another device an indication of the light source failure.

9. A control module according to claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to monitor energy consumed by the light fixture and to cooperate with the RF transceiver to transmit to another device an indication of the energy consumed.

10. A system comprising a plurality of control modules according to claim 1, each of the plurality of control modules coupled to a corresponding light fixture.