IMAGING SERVICE USING OUTDOOR LIGHTING NETWORKS

• US 20140198216A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Zhai, Hongqiang, Challapali, Kiran Srinivas, Cavalcanti, Dave Alberto Tavares, Wang, Jiangeng
• Granted Patent: US 10,070,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control

Abstract

A system and methods to provide imaging service using outdoor lighting networks. The system uses outdoor lighting networks to manage/control video/image sensors connected to the network, e.g. hosted at lighting units, and coordinates the capture of useful video/image data associated with events. The system also provides an information search platform for users to retrieve only the relevant video/image data associated with events of interest. Furthermore, the system controls when and how to retrieve video/image data at lighting units across the whole network according to user requests, the priority of the events, and available bandwidth.

Claims

1. An outdoor lighting network (OLN) comprising:

lighting units equipped with capabilities to communicate with other lighting units 12 in the OLN, said lighting units comprising;

a. a storage device,

b. a control module for controlling various lighting unit functions, and

c. a communication module;

an imaging device, the imaging device configured to communicate with the communication module of at least one of the lighting units;

a sensor module, the sensor module configured to communicate with the communication module of at least one of the lighting units; and

,

a lighting manager that communicates with and controls the lighting units, wherein in the lighting manager includes a list of predetermined events that trigger the lighting units data collection by image device;

wherein the control module assigns a n event type and a priority to the collected data and automatically sends the collected data of selected events or a predetermined priority to the lighting manager.

2. The OLN of claim 1 wherein said sensor module comprises devices that are selected from the group consisting of occupancy detectors, motion detectors, environmental sensors, alcohol sensors, detectors of signals transmitted from cars, speed detectors, medical alert receivers, temperature sensors, fire alarm signals and combinations thereof

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. A method to coordinate and control data collection of events from imaging devices 204 controlled through an OLN, said OLN having lighting units and a lighting manager, at least one of the lighting units being in communication with a sensor module;

the method comprising;

requesting by the lighting manager that one or more of the imaging devices record data based on predetermined trigger events being detected by the sensor module,

assigning an event type and a priority to the collected data and automatically sending the collected data of selected events or a predetermined priority to the lighting manager 18.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the trigger event is selected from a group of predefined events consisting of detected movements by a car and/or a pedestrian, smoke detected by a smoke sensor, the presence of alcohol detected by alcohol sensor;

detected signals emanting from cars, speed detection, medical alert signals, environmental sensors, temperature sensors, fire alarms, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of:

processing one or more requests from authorized users to control lighting performance and

contolling lighting performance in accordance with said requests.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising processing requests from authorized users to record data in emergency situations.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising processing requests to neighboring lighting units to obtain data of an abnormal lighting unit to thereby help in diagnostics.

10. The method of claim 5 further comprising controlling imaging sensors in the sensor module to obtain data with low quality/resolution at certain time instants;

and to obtain data with higher quality upon the detection of a trigger event.

11. A method to coordinate and control data collection of events from imaging devices controlled through an OLN, said OLN having lighting units, a lighting manager 18, and an information database;

at least one of the lighting units being in communication with a sensor module;

the method comprising;

obtaining image data from one or more of the imaging devices, the image data related to a predetermined event detected by the sensor module;

recording in a storage device located at or near the lighting unit, the image data and related information pertaining to the predetermined event;

assigning an event type and a priority to the image data and automatically sending the image data of selected events or a predetermined priority to the lighting manager; and

collecting in the OLN information database the recorded image data and related information.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said recording step further comprises a memory management function which in the event the storage device is at or near capacity as new data is being stored, deletes either downloaded or old imaging data according to the assigned priority.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing an information platform where users or other systems can search and access the image data and related information pertaining to specific events.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising enabling a user to search for imaging data based on type of event, time, and location parameters.

17. The method of claim 15 comprising:

generating a user request to the lighting manager based on the user description of the event; and

,

searching by the lighting manager for imaging data in the OLN information database and in the storage devices of one or more lighting units that meets the user request criteria.

20. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing by the lighting manager event reports to users based on the image data and related information and according to pre-defined users'"'"' interests; and

,

processing user requests for more detail pertaining to items contained in the event reports.

12. (canceled)

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the collecting step comprises the lighting manager chooses imaging data with higher priorities which satisfy certain requirements set by authorized users to be transmitted from lighting units to the lighting manager using the OLN infrastructure.

13. (canceled)

19. (canceled)