System for and method of commissioning lighting devices

• US 9,888,548 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huizenga, Charles, Paton, John Douglas, Smith, Zachary, Corr, Michael G., Sudini, Mahathi, Schmuckal, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Jason M
• Application Number:
  US14/869,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20160021723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources

Abstract

A lighting system for and method of commissioning LED light fixtures is disclosed. The LED light fixtures include a controller unit that is programmed with lighting firmware and an on-board 5 light sensor that is responsive to visible light signals from a light source. In operation, the light sensor is irradiated visible light signals and/or visible light sequences that instruct the LED light fixture via the controller unit to join a group, be locked into a group, run lighting programs and/or become un-locked from a group.

Claims

1. A method of commissioning lighting devices within a wireless lighting control network, the method comprising:

irradiating a light sensor on a first lighting device with a first visible light signal from a light source, the irradiating with the first visible light signal instructing the first lighting device to create a group and to broadcast group information to additional lighting devices within the wireless lighting control network;

irradiating a light sensor on one or more of the additional lighting devices within the wireless lighting control network with a second visible light signal, the irradiating with the second visible light signal instructing at least one of the one or more of the additional lighting devices to join the group; and

irradiating the light sensor on at least one of the first lighting device and the additional lighting devices with a third visible light signal, the irradiating with the third visible light signal closing the group, such that the first lighting device and the additional lighting devices within in the group cooperatively operate in response to a condition.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the lighting devices includes light fixtures and wherein a maximum light output of each of the light fixtures within the group is fixed by actuating a manual switch on one or more of the lighting devices within the group.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and the third visible light signals have different wavelengths.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first, the second and the third visible light signals are generated from a hand-held laser.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising irradiating a light sensor on a lighting device within the group with a visible light sequence from the light source, the irradiating with the visible light sequence from the light source instructing the lighting devices within the group to run one or more lighting programs stored in memory units on the lighting devices.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lighting devices within the group include one or more motion sensors.

7. A lighting system comprising:

light fixtures configured to cooperatively operate within a group in response to a condition and to communicate modes of operation over a wireless network, wherein each of the light fixtures includes a controller with a driver circuit for providing power to the light fixture, a controller circuit with a micro-processor, a memory unit and a light sensor for receiving visible light command signals that initiate firmware from the micro-processor to commission the light fixtures, wherein the light sensor differentiates mono-chromatic light of different wavelengths; and

a hand-held light source for generating the visible light command signals that irradiate the light sensor with different wavelengths, wherein at least one of the wavelengths initiates the firmware to join the light fixtures to the group and at least one of the wavelengths initiates firmware to lock the light fixtures into the group.

8. A method of commissioning lighting devices to join a group of light fixtures within a wireless network, the method comprising:

transmitting group information over the wireless network;

receiving the group information via radio transceivers on the light fixtures;

irradiating light sensors on each of the lighting devices with a first visible light signal, the irradiating with the first visible light signal instructing each of the lighting devices to join the group; and

irradiating at least one of the light sensors on the lighting devices with a second visible light signal, the irradiating with the second visible light signal closing the group, each of the lighting devices within the group cooperatively operating in response to a condition being generated from a hand-held light source, wherein at least one of the light sensors differentiates mono-chromatic light of different wavelengths.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein transmitting group information over the wireless network comprises actuating a momentary switch within the wireless network.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the lighting devices include light fixtures and wherein a maximum light output of each of the light fixtures within the group is fixed by actuating a momentary switch on one or more of the lighting devices within the group.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising irradiating a light sensor on a lighting device within the group with a visible light sequence from the light source, the irradiating with the visible light sequence from the light source instructing the lighting devices within the group to run one or more lighting programs stored in memory units on the lighting devices.

12. A light fixture comprising:

a light engine; and

a controller comprising;

a driver circuit for providing power to the light engine;

a controller circuit with a micro-processor having firmware coded for commissioning the light fixture to cooperatively operate with a group of lighting devices within a wireless lighting network; and

a light sensor for receiving command signals from a visible light source and initiating firmware from the micro-processor in response to the command signals to run and commission the light fixture to cooperatively operate with a group of lighting devices, wherein the light sensor differentiates mono-chromatic light of different wavelengths, and

wherein a first wavelength initiates firmware from the micro-processor to run and instruct the light fixture to cooperatively operate with the group of lighting devices and a second wavelength initiates firmware from the micro-processor to run and instruct the light fixture to be locked into the group.

13. The light fixture according to claim 12, further comprising a motion sensor for controlling power to the light engine based on detected motion.

14. The light fixture according to claim 12, further comprising a manual switch for initiating firmware from the micro-processor to set a maximum light output of the light fixture.

15. The light fixture according to claim 12, wherein the light sensor is further responsive to receiving a light sequence from the visible light source to initiate firmware on the micro-processor to run one or more lighting programs stored on a memory unit of the light fixture.

16. The light fixture according to claim 12, wherein the light sensor controls power to the light engine based on ambient light levels.

17. A lighting system, comprising:

light fixtures configured to cooperatively operate within a group in response to a condition and to communicate modes of operation over a wireless network, wherein each of the light fixtures includes a controller with a driver circuit for providing power to the light fixture, a controller circuit with a micro-processor, a memory unit and a light sensor for receiving visible light command signals that initiate firmware from the micro-processor to commission the light fixtures, wherein the light sensor differentiates mono-chromatic light of different wavelengths; and

a hand-held light source for generating the visible light command signals that irradiate the light sensor with different wavelengths, wherein at least one of the wavelengths initiates the firmware to join the light fixtures to the group and at least one of the wavelengths initiates firmware to lock the light fixtures into the group.

18. The lighting system according to claim 17, wherein the hand-held light source is a light emitting diode (LED) light of a mobile device.