Light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers that support third-party applications

• US 7,911,359 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Darnell, Charles J., Gibler, Zachary S., Walters, Jeff D., Henderson, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, ALBERT KANG
• Application Number:
  US11/518,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20070085701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,653 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07, 340/870.11, 340/870.16, 340/870.17, 340/539.1, 340/539.26, 340/3.1, 700/17, 700/83, 702/3, 702/130, 702/188, 709/217
• US Class Current: 340/870.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0853 by actively collecting configuration information or by backing up configuration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A light management system having networked intelligent luminaire managers. A plurality of networked luminaire managers, each collocated with a respective luminaire, monitor the status of their respective luminaires. The luminaire managers include transmitters for transmitting status information about their respective luminaires and third-party devices to a network server. The network server forwards the received status information from the networked luminaire managers to a computer of an owner/operator of the plurality of luminaires and/or a third-party user. The luminaire managers communicate with each other, whereby they form a network.

Claims

1. A management system for managing a plurality of luminaires, comprising:

a plurality of wirelessly networked intelligent luminaire managers that form a wireless mesh network, each intelligent luminaire manager being collocated with an associated luminaire and configured to individually monitor and control an operation of the associated luminaire, and wherein one or more of the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers further monitors for wireless third-party transmissions from a third-party radio frequency device and retransmits received third-party transmissions via the network, the third-party radio frequency device being located apart from any one of the plurality of wirelessly networked intelligent luminaire managers; and

a network server for receiving transmissions from the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers and for communicating information about received third-party transmissions to a computer, the third-party transmissions relating to broadcast warning information or weather monitoring data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein information about received third-party transmissions includes location information about the third-party device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein information about received third-party transmissions includes transmission time information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the third-party transmissions are encrypted.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the intelligent luminaire manager sends a signal to the third-party device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadcast warning information includes one or more of radiation alerts, chemical alerts, or smog alerts.

6. A communications system, comprising:

a radio frequency device that wirelessly transmits information; and

a computer for receiving information transmitted by the radio frequency device, wherein the radio frequency device wirelessly transmits information to a first intelligent luminaire manager that forms a part of a wireless mesh network of intelligent luminaire managers, the radio frequency device being located apart from any one of the plurality of networked intelligent luminaire managers, each intelligent luminaire manager being coupled to a street light and configured to individually monitor and control the street light, and wherein the first intelligent luminaire manager wirelessly transmits the information via the network of intelligent luminaire managers to a server, and the server transmits the information to the computer for receiving information transmitted by the radio frequency device, the information relating to broadcast warning information or weather monitoring data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first intelligent luminaire manager transmits location information about the radio frequency device to the server, and the server transmits the location information to the computer for receiving information transmitted by the radio frequency device.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the information is encrypted.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the first intelligent luminaire manager sends a signal to the radio frequency device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the broadcast warning information includes one or more of radiation alerts, chemical alerts, or smog alerts.