Lamp monitoring and control system and method

• US 6,393,382 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2000
• Issued: 05/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lightronics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: A L Air Data Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Larry, Young, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASSOUAD, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US09/575,531
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 315/133, 340/870.16, 340/825.06, 455/422, 455/403, 455/423, 455/73
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit

Abstract

A system and method for remotely monitoring and/or controlling an apparatus and specifically for remotely monitoring and/or controlling street lamps. The lamp monitoring and control system comprises lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective lamp to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and at least one base station, coupled to a group of the lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of the base stations includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the status of a plurality of remote devices mounted on a light pole, comprising:

collecting monitoring data for each of the plurality of remote devices; and

individually transmitting the monitoring data for a particular remote device by free space broadcasting from a transmitter located substantially near a top of the light pole.

2. The method for monitoring of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting comprises:

randomizing a reporting start delay time;

further randomizing a reporting delta time; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data in accordance with the reporting start delay time and the reporting delta time.

3. The method for monitoring of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting comprises:

randomizing a TX channel; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data on the randomized TX channel.

4. The method for monitoring of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting comprises:

randomizing a TX channel; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data a first and a last time on a fixed TX channel and all other times on the randomized TX channel.

5. The method for monitoring of claim 2, wherein the step of randomizing is based on a serial number.

6. The method for monitoring of claim 2, wherein the step of further randomizing is based on a serial number.

7. The method for monitoring of claim 3, wherein the step of randomizing is based on a serial number.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring data comprises an ID field.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ID field has a unique value for each remote device mounted on a light pole.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the monitoring data further comprises a status field indicating a status of the remote device mounted on a light pole.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring data comprises a status field indicating a status of the remote device mounted on a light pole.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a wireless transmitter is used to individually transmit the monitoring data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmitter transmits the monitoring data point-to-point.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmitter comprises a radio frequency transmitter.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmitter further comprises a directional antenna to direct the transmission of the monitoring data.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless transmitter is configured for point-to-point communication.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring data is transmitted line-of-sight.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the device to be monitored is a lamp assembly and the transmitter is co-located with a monitoring device on the lamp assembly, and wherein the monitoring device collects the monitoring data.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the transmitter and monitoring device are plugged into the lamp assembly.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote devices comprise a lamp assembly, and wherein the transmitter is externally plugged into the lamp assembly.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the transmitter is plugged into the lamp assembly using one of a three prong plug and a four prong plug.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote devices comprise a lamp assembly, and wherein the monitoring data is collected by a monitoring device that externally plugs into the lamp assembly.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the monitoring device and the transmitter comprise a single device that plugs into the lamp assembly, and wherein the single device is plugged into the lamp assembly using one of a three prong plug and a four prong plug.

18. A method of monitoring a status of a plurality of remote devices mounted on a light pole, comprising:

collecting monitoring data for each of the plurality of remote devices; and

automatically transmitting monitoring data and control information for each of the plurality of remote devices from a transmitter located substantially near a top of the light pole in free space to a base station.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the monitoring data and control information is transmitted at random intervals.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the control information comprises a request to send signal to prevent data collision.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of remote devices and the base station comprise a wireless network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the wireless network comprises a radio frequency wireless network.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein a radio frequency transmitter is used to transmit the monitoring data and control information.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein each of the plurality of remote devices is configured to establish line-of-sight communication with the base station.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the device to be monitored is a lamp assembly and the transmitter is co-located with a monitoring device on the lamp assembly that collects the monitoring data.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the transmitter and monitoring device are plugged into the lamp assembly.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein the remote devices comprise at least one lamp assembly, and wherein the transmitter is externally plugged into the at least one lamp assembly.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the transmitter is plugged into the lamp assembly using one of a three prong plug and a four prong plug.

36. The method of claim 18, wherein each remote device comprises a lamp assembly, and wherein the monitoring data is collected by a monitoring device that externally plugs into the lamp assembly.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the monitoring device and the transmitter comprise a single device that plugs into the lamp assembly, and wherein the single device is plugged into the lamp assembly using one of a three prong plug and a four prong plug.

25. A method of automatically monitoring a status of a plurality of remote devices mounted on a pole, comprising:

collecting monitoring data for each of the plurality of remote devices;

establishing a wireless communication link between a transmitter located substantially near a top of the light pole and a base station configured to receive the monitoring data;

transmitting the monitoring data to the base station over the wireless communication link; and

terminating the wireless communication link with the base station.

38. The method of claim 25, wherein each device to be monitored is a lamp assembly and the transmitter is co-located with a monitoring device on the lamp assembly that collects the monitoring data.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the transmitter and monitoring device are plugged into the lamp assembly.

40. The method of claim 25, wherein each remote device comprises a lamp assembly, and wherein the transmitter is externally plugged into the lamp assembly.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the transmitter is plugged into the lamp assembly using one of three prong plug and four prong plug.

42. The method of claim 25, wherein each remote device comprises a lamp assembly, and wherein the monitoring data is collected by a monitoring device that plugs into the lamp assembly.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the monitoring device and the transmitter comprise a single device that plugs into the lamp assembly, and wherein the single device is plugged into the lamp assembly using one of a three prong plug and a four prong plug.