Methods and apparatus for information management and control of outdoor lighting networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11026317-B2
Application number	US-201916660073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 18, 2013
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

The invention provides a light management information system for an outdoor lighting network system, having a plurality of outdoor light units each including at least one sensor type, where each of the light units communicates with at least one other light unit, at least one user input/output device in communication with at one or more of said outdoor light units, a central management system in communication with light units, said central management system sends control commands and/or information to one or more of said outdoor light units, in response to received outdoor light unit status/sensor information from one or more of said outdoor light units or received user information requests from said user input/output device, a resource server in communication with said central management system, wherein the central management system uses the light unit status/sensor information and resources from the resource server to provide information to the user input/output device and/or reconfigure one or more of the lights units.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light management system for a lighting network system, comprising:
a plurality of light units, at least one of said light units including at least one sensor type, where at least one of the light units communicates with at least one other light unit;
at least one user input/output device in communication with one or more of said light units; wherein the at least one user input/output device is adapted to send/receive wireless signals to/from the one or more of said plurality of outdoor light units, said wireless signals having a user identity;
a management system in communication with light units, said management system sends control commands to one or more of said light units, in response to received light unit status/sensor information from one or more of said light units;
a resource server in communication with said management system; wherein the resource server provides information, including at least one of news media & internet information, public transportation schedules, public safety reports, security reports, regulatory reports, traffic reports, weather reports, cellular telephone traffic reports and road condition reports;
wherein the management system uses the light unit status/sensor information and/or the information from the resource server to determine an event occurrence, and in response reconfigure one or more of the lights units or provide information to the at least one user input/output device or initiate a predetermined action;
wherein the sensor type is a light sensor and the received light unit status/sensor information is light reflection data from two or more light units, wherein the management system processes the light reflection data and compares the light reflection data to a light reflection reference point for the respective light units, and determines reflection anomalies that indicates the event occurrence.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the event occurrence is an abnormal road surface, a vehicle accident or inclement weather selected from the group consisting of one of rain, snow and ice.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined action is the management system scheduling a maintenance request in response to the event occurrence or notifies users using the user input/output device.

4. A light management system for a lighting network system, comprising:
a plurality of light units, at least one of said light units including at least one sensor type, where at least one of the light units communicates with at least one other light unit;
at least one user input/output device in communication with one or more of said light units; wherein the at least one user input/output device is adapted to send/receive wireless signals to/from the one or more of said plurality of outdoor light units, said wireless signals having a user identity;
a management system in communication with light units, said management system sends control commands to one or more of said light units, in response to received light unit status/sensor information from one or more of said light units;
a resource server in communication with said management system; wherein the resource server provides information, including at least one of news media & internet information, public transportation schedules, public safety reports, security reports, regulatory reports, traffic reports, weather reports, cellular telephone traffic reports and road condition reports;
wherein the management system uses the light unit status/sensor information and/or the information from the resource server to determine an event occurrence, and in response reconfigure one or more of the lights units or provide information to the at least one user input/output device or initiate a predetermined action; and
wherein the at least one sensor type is used to detect a tree branch or other vegetation in the vicinity of a light unit, and wherein the light unit determines whether to initiate a predetermined action.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the predetermined action is sending a message to the management system to schedule a maintenance request to remove or initiate a light emitter to inhibit growth/kill the tree branch or other vegetation.

6. A light management system for a lighting network system, comprising:
a plurality of light units, at least one of said light units including at least one sensor type, where at least one of the light units communicates with at least one other light unit;
at least one user input/output device in communication with one or more of said light units; wherein the at least one user input/output device is adapted to send/receive wireless signals to/from the one or more of said plurality of outdoor light units, said wireless signals having a user identity;
a management system in communication with light units, said management system sends control commands to one or more of said light units, in response to received light unit status/sensor information from one or more of said light units;
a resource server in communication with said management system; wherein the resource server provides information, including at least one of news media & internet information, public transportation schedules, public safety reports, security reports, regulatory reports, traffic reports, weather reports, cellular telephone traffic reports and road condition reports;
wherein the management system uses the light unit status/sensor information and/or the information from the resource server to determine an event occurrence, and in response reconfigure one or more of the lights units or provide information to the at least one user input/output device or initiate a predetermined action; and
wherein the resources from the resource server is driver fatigue/safety data and the management system used the driver fatigue/safety data to determine light and/or color levels in the light units.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the light and/or color levels in the light units are time varying.

8. A light management system for a lighting network system, comprising:
a plurality of light units, at least one of said light units including at least one sensor type, where at least one of the light units communicates with at least one other light unit;
at least one user input/output device in communication with one or more of said light units; wherein the at least one user input/output device is adapted to send/receive wireless signals to/from the one or more of said plurality of outdoor light units, said wireless signals having a user identity;
a management system in communication with light units, said management system sends control commands to one or more of said light units, in response to received light unit status/sensor information from one or more of said light units;
a resource server in communication with said management system; wherein the resource server provides information, including at least one of news media & internet information, public transportation schedules, public safety reports, security reports, regulatory reports, traffic reports, weather reports, cellular telephone traffic reports and road condition reports;
wherein the management system uses the light unit status/sensor information and/or the information from the resource server to determine an event occurrence, and in response reconfigure one or more of the lights units or provide information to the at least one user input/output device or initiate a predetermined action;
wherein the at least one sensor type tracks a user and provides an indicator using the user input/output device to enable the user to maintain a predetermined pace or time as the user travels and providing a virtual ghost runner, using one or more of the user input/output devices.

9. A

Assignees

• Signify Holding Bv

Inventors

• Chen Hongxin
• Cavalcanti Dave Alberto Tavares
• Gramza Marcin
• Jia Liang
• Li Qing
• Piotrowski Daniel J
• Szczerba Marek Zbigniew
• Szczodrak Marcin Krzysztof
• Zhao Qin
• Zhai Hongqiang
• Van Hartskamp Michael Alex
• Elixmann Martin
• Huang Zhong
• Ma Fulong
• Peng Xianneng
• Wang Jianfeng
• Yu Yi Qiang
• Challapali Kiran Srinivas

Classifications

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• H05B45/20 Primary

  Controlling the colour of the light · CPC title

• F21W2131/103

  of streets or roads · CPC title