Modular lighting systems

• US 8,232,745 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2009
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Choi, Jacob Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Arpin, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US12/423,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20090267540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/297, 315307-309
• US Class Current: 315/308
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 2/005 of modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/04 intended only for mounting on a ceiling or the like overhead structures F21S8/02 takes precedence; details of ceiling bases F21V21/03
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/024 using a supplementary light source for emergency lighting
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 9/043 driven by wind power, e.g. by wind turbines
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 19/0015 Fastening arrangements intended to retain light sources
• 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 29/51 using condensation or evaporation of a fluid, e.g. heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/763 the planes containing the fins or blades having the direction of the light emitting axis
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/101 of tunnels or the like, e.g. under bridges
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/105 of arenas or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/40 Lighting for industrial, commercial, recreational or military use
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/407 for indoor arenas
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/15 Organic light-emitting diodes [OLED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• 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 47/155 : Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 : via data-bus transmission
• 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 designing improved intelligent, LED-based lighting systems. The LED based lighting systems may include fixtures with one or more of rotatable LED light bars, integrated sensors, onboard intelligence to receive signals from the LED light bars and control the LED light bars, and a mesh network connectivity to other fixtures.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture, comprising:

a light emitting diode (LED) lighting module, in mechanical association with a housing, to provide variable lighting to an environment; and

a power management module (PMM) mechanically associated with the housing, wherein the PMM includes;

a first processor to receive and log sensor data representing one or more conditions of the environment;

at least one power input to provide electrical power to the LED lighting module in accordance with a set of stored rules in a memory, wherein each of the stored rules corresponds to at least one of the one or more conditions of the environment; and

a data interface to provide the logged sensor data to a management module and to receive a changed rule from the management module, wherein the management module includes a second processor to;

analyze past patterns of the logged sensor data;

generate the changed rule based on the analysis of the past patterns of the logged sensor data; and

communicate the changed rule to the PMM via the data interlace,

wherein the PMM is configured to reduce energy consumption of the lighting fixture based on the changed rule.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the PMM is configured to store the logged sensor data in the memory, wherein the management module is situated within the housing, and wherein the PMM analyzes the sensor data stored in the memory over a period of time so as to generate the changed rule.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the PMM is configured to log the sensor data in the memory and then periodically transmit the sensor data to the management module, and wherein the management module is a central management module that is configured to transmit the changed rule to the lighting fixture.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one alighting system environmental information and lighting fixture performance information.

16. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the memory further stores information identifying the LED lighting module to be communicated to the PMM.

17. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the PMM controls the LED lighting module in accordance with the changed rule to change a level of the variable lighting so as to reduce energy consumption.

18. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the PMM controls the LED lighting module in accordance with the changed rule to change an operating status of the LED lighting module so as to reduce energy consumption.

19. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein the PMM controls the LED lighting module in accordance with the changed rule to change a voltage or current level of the LED lighting module so as to reduce energy consumption.

20. The lighting fixture of claim 1, wherein:

A) the PMM includes the memory with the stored rules;

B) one of the stored rules specifies a limit on energy utilization of the LED lighting fixture; and

C) the PMM controls the LED lighting module in accordance with the one of the stored rules specifying the limit on energy utilization of the LED lighting fixture so as to reduce energy consumption.

5. A networked lighting system, comprising:

a management system; and

a plurality of LED lighting fixtures to provide variable lighting to an environment, wherein each of the plurality of LED lighting fixtures includes a housing containing a power management module (PMM), wherein each PMM includes;

a first processor to receive and log sensor data representing one or more conditions of the environment;

a power input to provide electrical power to a corresponding LED lighting fixture in accordance with a set of stored rules, wherein each of the stored rules corresponds to at least one of the one or more conditions of the environment; and

a data interface to periodically communicate the logged sensor data to the management system and to receive a changed rule from the management system

wherein the management system includes a second processor to;

analyze past patterns of the communicated logged sensor data;

generate a rule change based on the analysis of the past patterns of the communicated logged sensor data; and

reduce energy consumption of at least one of the plurality of LED lighting fixtures in accordance with the rule change.

6. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the sensor data comprises at least one of lighting system environmental information and lighting system performance information.

7. The lighting system of claim 5, further comprising:

at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the first processor in at least one PMM and configured to provide the sensor data by measuring the one or more conditions of the environment according to a rule.

8. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the second processor of the management system analyzes the past patterns of logged data by comparing energy demand information with stored energy demand parameters according to a rule.

9. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the second processor of the management system reduces energy consumption by changing a level of the variable lighting provided by the at least one of the plurality of LED lighting fixtures based on the analysis of past patterns of logged data.

10. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein the second processor of the management system reduces energy consumption by changing an operating status of the at least one of the plurality of LED lighting fixtures based on the analysis of past patterns of logged data.

11. The lighting system of claim 5, wherein second processor of the management system reduces energy consumption by controlling a voltage or current level of the at least one of the plurality of LED lighting fixtures with the PMM contained in the housing of the at least one of the plurality of LED lighting fixtures.

12. A method of lighting an environment, the method comprising:

A) sensing one or more conditions of the environment with a first sensor in mechanical association with a light-emitting diode (LED) lighting module that provides variable lighting in accordance with a set of stored rules, wherein each of the stored rules corresponds to at least one of the one or more condition of the environment;

B) sensing the one or more conditions of the environment with a second sensor;

C) logging, in a memory, first data representing the one or more conditions sensed in A) and second data representing the one or more conditions sensed in B);

D) analyzing past patterns of the first data and the second data logged in C);

E) changing at least one rule in the set of stored rules based on the analysis of the past patterns of data in D); and

F) controlling the LED lighting module based at least in part on the at least one rule changed in E) so as to reduce energy consumption of the LED lighting module.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein D) includes:

comparing energy demand information with stored energy demand parameters according to a rule.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein F) includes changing a level of the variable lighting based on the at least one rule changed in E).

15. The method of claim 12, wherein F) includes changing an operating status, a voltage, and/or a current of the LED lighting module.