Outdoor lighting fixtures control systems and methods

• US 8,476,565 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Verfuerth, Neal R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, DON J
• Application Number:
  US13/223,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20120038281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 250/205, 250/221, 315/77, 315/312, 362/460, 362/538, 340/917, 340907-910
• US Class Current: 250/205
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/086 with lighting device attached sideways of the standard, e.g. for roads and highways
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0442 activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21W 2131/103 of streets or roads
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/36 Controlling
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/72 in street lighting

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention relates to a system for operating a plurality of streetlights in response to motion from a vehicle. The system includes a sensor associated with at least one of the streetlights and configured to detect the presence of a moving vehicle and to provide a signal representative of the moving vehicle. The system further includes a radio frequency transceiver associated with each of the streetlights. The system yet further includes processing electronics configured to receive the signal representative of the moving vehicle from the sensor and to cause the radio frequency transceiver to transmit a command to one or more of the plurality of the streetlights to change lighting states along a pathway for the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for illuminating an outdoor area, comprising:

a first outdoor lighting fixture;

a first control circuit for the first outdoor lighting fixture;

a first radio frequency transceiver coupled to the first control circuit via a wired communications link;

a sensor associated with the first outdoor lighting fixture, wherein the sensor is configured to detect motion in the outdoor area and to provide a sensor output indicating that the sensor has detected motion in the outdoor area to the first control circuit for the first outdoor light;

a second outdoor lighting fixture;

a second control circuit for the second outdoor lighting fixture; and

a second radio frequency transceiver coupled to the second control circuit via a wired communications link,

wherein the first control circuit is configured to cause the first radio frequency transceiver to send data wirelessly to the second outdoor lighting fixture in response to the sensor output indicating that the sensor associated with the first outdoor lighting fixture has detected motion in the outdoor area;

wherein the second control circuit is configured to use the data sent by the first radio frequency transceiver to determine whether to change lighting states,

wherein the second control circuit is configured to cause the second radio frequency transceiver to transmit a new data message to additional outdoor lighting fixtures in response to reception of the data from the first radio frequency transceiver, and

wherein the additional outdoor lighting fixtures comprise control circuits configured to use the new data message sent by the second radio frequency transceiver to determine whether to change lighting states.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second outdoor lighting fixture comprises a first ballast and a second ballast, and wherein changing lighting states comprises activating at least one of the first ballast and second ballast.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the second control circuit is configured to hold one of the first ballast and the second ballast in an activated state by default and to activate the other ballast in response to the data sent by the first radio frequency transceiver and used by the second control circuit to determine whether to change states.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the second control circuit is configured to hold one of the first ballast and the second ballast in an activated state according to a schedule and when no data representative of motion in the outdoor area has been received within a predetermined time period;

and

wherein the second control circuit is configured to cause both the first and second ballast to activate in response to receiving data representative of motion from the first radio frequency transceiver.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to receive the data from the first radio frequency transceiver and to provide the data to the second control circuit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second radio frequency transceiver is configured to retransmit the data representative of motion for use by the additional outdoor lighting fixtures, and wherein the new data message comprises the data representative of motion received from the first radio frequency transceiver.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the second control circuit is configured to determine an identifier to include with the new data message based on information identifying the outdoor lighting fixture that last transmitted the data sent by the first radio frequency transceiver.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second control circuit is configured to determine the identifier to include with the new data message by looking up the identifier to include with the new data message using an identifier of the data sent by the first radio frequency transceiver.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data sent by the first radio frequency transceiver includes an indication of time.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second control circuit is communicably coupled to a second sensor and wherein the second sensor is at least one of a motion sensor and a camera, and wherein the second control circuit is further configured to determine at least one of a speed, a direction, or a next lighting fixture.