Lighting fixture with enhanced security

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11856059-B2
Application number	US-202016932959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2020
Priority date	Feb 8, 2016
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A lighting fixture includes a solid-state light source, communications circuitry, a memory, and processing circuitry. The memory stores common security credentials, wherein the common security credentials are pre-installed during a factory calibration process. The processing circuitry is coupled to the solid-state light source, the communications circuitry, and the memory. The processing circuitry is configured to cause the solid-state light source to provide a desired light output. Further, the processing circuitry is configured to join a common network using the common security credentials, wherein only devices with the common security credentials are permitted to join the network.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting fixture comprising:
a solid-state light source;
communications circuitry; a memory storing pre-installed common security credentials, wherein the pre-installed common security credentials are pre-installed during a factory calibration process; and
processing circuitry coupled to the solid-state light source, the communications circuitry, and the memory and configured to:
cause the solid-state light source to provide a desired light output;
create a common lighting network using the pre-installed common security credentials, wherein only devices identified by light modulation sent from the first light fixture and with pre-installed common security credentials identical to the pre-installed common security credentials stored in the memory of the lighting fixture are permitted to join the common lighting network; and
communicate with devices of the common lighting network by modulating light from the solid-state light source.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein creating the common lighting network comprises authenticating lighting devices wishing to join the common lighting network based on the pre-installed common security credentials.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 2 wherein creating the common network further comprises assigning an address to the lighting devices wishing to join the common lighting network that are authenticated based on the pre-installed common security credentials.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
receive a command to create the common lighting network from a lighting device; and
create the common lighting network in response to the command.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 4 wherein the command is provided via the common lighting network.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 4 further comprising a light sensor, wherein the command is provided via the light sensor.

7. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein:
the processing circuitry is further configured to:
communicate with lighting devices in the common lighting network via the communications circuitry;
receive updated security credentials from a first lighting device via the communications circuitry and store the updated security credentials in the memory; and
in response to receiving the updated security credentials, cause the updated security credentials to be forwarded to a second lighting device in the common lighting network;

the second lighting device is configured to store the updated security credentials and in response to receiving the updated security credentials, cause the updated security credentials to be forwarded to an additional lighting device in the common lighting network; and
each additional lighting device in the common lighting network is configured to receive the updated security credentials from a first respective lighting device in the common lighting network, store the updated security credentials, and in response to receiving the updated security credentials, forward the updated security credentials to a second respective lighting device in the common lighting network in order to propagate the updated security credentials across the common lighting network.

8. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein:
the common lighting network is a first common lighting network; and
the processing circuitry is further configured to:
attempt to join a second common lighting network using the pre-installed common security credentials; and
create the first common lighting network using the pre-installed common security credentials when the attempt to join the second common lighting network is unsuccessful.

9. The lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein:
the processing circuitry is further configured to:
communicate with a first lighting device in the second common lighting network via the communications circuitry when the attempt to join the second common lighting network is successful;
receive updated security credentials from the first lighting device via the communications circuitry and store the updated security credentials in the memory; and
in response to receiving the updated security credentials, cause the updated security credentials to be forwarded to a second lighting device in the second common lighting network;

the second lighting device is configured to store the updated security credentials and in response to receiving the updated security credentials, cause the updated security credentials to be forwarded to an additional lighting device in the second common lighting network; and
each additional lighting device in the first common lighting network is configured to receive the updated security credentials from a first respective lighting device in the first common lighting network, store the updated security credentials, and in response to receiving the updated security credentials, forward the updated security credentials to a second respective lighting device in the first common lighting network in order to propagate the updated security credentials across the first common lighting network.

10. The lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to use the updated security credentials to communicate over the first common lighting network.

11. The lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the first lighting device authenticates the lighting fixture to allow the lighting fixture to join the second common lighting network.

12. The lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the updated security credentials are generated by the first lighting device.

13. The lighting fixture of claim 9 wherein the lighting fixture and the first lighting device form a Thread network.

14. The lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to attempt to join the second common lighting network using the pre-installed common security credentials by attempting to join the second common lighting network on each one of a number of different channels.

15. The lighting fixture of claim 8 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
attempt to join the second common lighting network using the pre-installed common security credentials by sending a request join message and waiting for a response; and
determine, prior to creating the first common lighting network, that the attempt to join the second common lighting network is unsuccessful by waiting a predetermined amount of time after sending the request join message.

16. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
communicate with a lighting device in the common lighting network; and
adjust the light output of the solid-state light source in response to communicating with the lighting device.

17. The lighting fixture of claim 16 wherein the lighting device indicates occurrence of an occupancy event.

18. The lighting fixture of claim 1 wherein creation of the common lighting network by the lighting fixture using the pre-installed common security credentials comprises:
modulating the light at a particular frequency;
each device that is added to the common lighting network detecting a given relative light intensity that is equal to or above a threshold value; and
the lighting fixture verifying the pre-installed common security credentials of each device that is added to the common lighting network.

19. A distributed lighting network, comprising:
a plurality of common lighting networks, the plurality of common lighting networks comprising a first common li

Assignees

• Ideal Ind Lighting Llc

Inventors

• Barile John
• Bryan Keith
• Deese Matthew Brian

Classifications

• H02J7/865

  Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply (H02J7/50 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05B47/199

  Commissioning of light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/198

  Grouping of control procedures or address assignation to light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/187

  using power over ethernet [PoE] supplies · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title