LIGHTING FIXTURES AND METHODS OF COMMISSIONING LIGHTING FIXTURES

• US 20140285095A1
• Filed: 05/28/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM Sylvania Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Digital Lumens, Inc. (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Chemel, Brian J., Piepgras, Colin, Kondo, Steve T., Johnston, Scott D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/152
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/20 Light sources comprising attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 4/28 rigid, e.g. LED bars
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/02 the power supply being a battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/04 the power supply being a generator
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 14/02 by movement of light sources in vehicle head lamps F21S41/657
• 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 21/00 Supporting, suspending, or attaching arrangements for lighting devices F21V17/00, F21V19/00 take precedence; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q, stands for supporting apparatus or articles in general F16M11/00; Hand grips
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/15 specially adapted for power operation, e.g. by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/30 Pivoted housings or frames
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/56 using liquid coolants F21V29/51 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2103/10 comprising a linear array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2113/00 Combination of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• 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 47/12 : by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 : Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• 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

In embodiments of the present invention, a method and system is provided for commissioning improved intelligent, LED-based lighting systems. The LED based lighting systems may include fixtures with one or more LED light bars, integrated sensors, onboard intelligence to send and receive signals and control the LED light bars, and network connectivity to other fixtures.

Claims

1. A method of commissioning a first lighting fixture in a network of lighting fixtures with a handheld device, the first lighting fixture comprising a first receiver to receive wireless signals and an ambient light sensor to sense an amount of ambient light in the environment illuminated by the network of lighting fixtures, the method comprising:

A) storing, in the nonvolatile memory, address information representative of a unique first network address of the first lighting fixture;

B) receiving a commissioning signal from the handheld device via at least one of the first receiver and the ambient light sensor;

C) in response to the commissioning signal received in B), transmitting the address information stored in A) via a first wireless signal from the receiver in the first lighting fixture to at least one second lighting fixture in the network of lighting fixtures;

D) receiving a second wireless signal, via the first receiver, from the at least one second lighting fixture, the second wireless signal representative of a unique second network address of the at least one second lighting fixture;

E) generating a representation of the network of lighting fixtures based at least in part upon the first address information stored in A) and the second wireless signal received in D); and

F) assigning the first lighting fixture and the at least one second lighting fixture to respective zones in the network of lighting fixtures based at least in part upon the representation generated in E).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein A) comprises storing a media access controller (MAC) address associated with the first lighting fixture.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the handheld device comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant, a handheld mobile phone, a smartphone, or a purpose-built hardware commissioning tool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein C) comprises transmitting a radio-frequency signal, an infrared signal, and/or a visible light signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein C) comprises modulating visible light emitted by the first lighting fixture.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein D) comprises receiving a radio-frequency signal, an infrared signal, and/or a visible light signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein E) comprises displaying a rendering of a network connection between the first lighting fixture and the at least one second lighting fixture.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein F) comprises assigning the first lighting fixture to a first zone based on a location of the first lighting fixture.

9. A lighting fixture comprising:

a memory to store address information representative of a unique first network address of the first lighting fixture;

a receiver to receive a commissioning signal from a handheld device;

a processor, operably coupled to the memory and to the receiver, to generate a first wireless signal representing the first address information in response to the commissioning signal received by the receiver; and

a transmitter, operably coupled to the processor, to transmit the first wireless signal to at least one second lighting fixture in the network of lighting fixtures,

wherein the receiver is configured to receive;

(i) a second wireless signal from the at least one second lighting fixture, the second wireless signal representative of a unique second network address of the at least one second lighting fixture, and

(ii) an indication of an assignment of the lighting fixture to at least one zone in the network of lighting fixtures, the assignment being based at least in part on a representation of the network of lighting fixtures generated based at least in part upon the first address information stored in the memory and the second wireless signal received in by the receiver.

10. The lighting fixture of claim 9, wherein the first address information represents a media access controller (MAC) address associated with the first lighting fixture.

11. The lighting fixture of claim 9, wherein the handheld device comprises at least one of a personal digital assistant, a handheld mobile phone, a smartphone, or a purpose-built hardware commissioning tools.

12. The lighting fixture of claim 9, wherein the receiver comprises at least one of a radio-frequency receiver, an infrared receiver, or a visible light sensor.

13. The lighting fixture of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to modulate visible light emitted by the first lighting fixture.

14. The lighting fixture of claim 9, wherein the lighting fixture is configured to be assigned to a first zone for providing illumination and to a second zone for providing a warning signal.

15. A method of commissioning a first lighting fixture in a network of lighting fixtures, the first lighting fixture comprising a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), power management circuitry to supply power to the plurality of LEDs, and a sensor to sense light in the environment illuminated by the network of lighting fixtures, the method comprising:

A) connecting the first lighting fixture to an existing alternating current (AC) electrical power connection;

B) generating, with the power management circuitry, low-voltage electrical power from AC electrical power provided by the AC electrical power connection connected in A);

C) receiving, by the first lighting fixture, a signal to start a commissioning process;

D) modulating, in response to the signal received in C), the low-voltage electrical power generated in B) so as to vary an intensity of light emitted by the plurality of LEDs in a predetermined pattern;

E) sensing, with the sensor, a variation in intensity of light emitted by at least one second lighting fixture in the network of lighting fixtures;

F) generating a representation of the network of lighting fixtures based at least in part upon the variation in intensity sensed in E); and

G) assigning the first lighting fixture and the at least one second lighting fixture to respective zones in the network of lighting fixtures based at least in part upon the representation generated in F).

16. The method of claim 15, wherein B) comprises providing a portion of the low-voltage electrical power to at least one other electronic device in the network of lighting fixtures.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein C) comprises receiving at least one of radio-frequency radiation, infrared radiation, or visible radiation.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein C) comprises receiving the signal from at least one of a personal digital assistant, a handheld mobile phone, a smartphone, or a purpose-built hardware commissioning tool.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein F) comprises displaying a rendering of a network connection between the first lighting fixture and the at least one second lighting fixture.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein G) comprises assigning the first lighting fixture to a first zone based on a location of the first lighting fixture.