Diagnosing a problem occurring when controlling a lighting device based on lighting device grouping information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11937356-B2
Application number	US-202017440206-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 18, 2019
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

A method comprises receiving (222,224,226,232,234,236) information identifying power on/off-related behavior (e.g. shutdown moment and/or elapsed time) from each of the plurality of lighting devices and partitioning the plurality of lighting devices in groups of lighting devices, e.g. Group1: L1+L2 and Group2: L3, based on the received information. Each of the groups comprises only lighting devices with similar power on/off-related behavior. The method further comprises controlling (242) the lighting device in response to a user command, determining that a problem has occurred when controlling the lighting device, and identifying the group that comprises the lighting device. The method also comprises determining a power on/off state of at least one other lighting device in the identified group, determining diagnostic information based the determined power on/off states, and providing (243) the diagnostic information to the user. The diagnostic information indicates a likely cause for the problem.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control system for controlling a plurality of lighting devices, comprising at least four lighting devices, and partitioning said plurality of lighting devices into groups, said control system comprising:
at least one input interface;
at least one output interface; and
at least one processor configured to:
use said at least one input interface to receive information identifying power on/off-related behavior from each of said plurality of lighting devices,
partition said plurality of lighting devices in groups of at least two lighting devices based on said received information, each of said groups comprising only lighting devices with similar power on/off-related behavior,
use said at least one output interface to control a lighting device of said plurality of lighting devices in response to a user command,
determine whether a problem has occurred when controlling said lighting device,
identify one group of said groups, said one group comprising said lighting device,
determine a power on/off state of at least one other lighting device in said identified group,
determine diagnostic information based said determined power on/off states, said diagnostic information indicating a likely cause for said problem, and
use said at least one output interface to provide said diagnostic information to said user.

2. A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is configured to determine a further power on/off state of one or more further lighting devices of said plurality of lighting devices, said one of more further lighting devices being part of a further group of said groups, and determine said diagnostic information further based on said one or more further power on/off states.

3. A control system as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said one or more further lighting devices of which said further power on/off state is determined comprise at least one lighting device from each of said groups.

4. A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is configured to provide said diagnostic information using speech output.

5. A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is configured to use said at least one output interface to transmit one or more requests for at least part of said information identifying said power on/off-related behavior to one or more of said plurality of lighting devices.

6. A control system as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said at least one processor is configured to use said at least one output interface to transmit said one or more requests to said one or more of said plurality of lighting devices upon startup of said control system.

7. A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein information identifying said power on/off-related behavior received from one of said plurality of lighting devices comprises a time stamp indicating when said lighting device last turned off.

8. A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein information identifying said power on/off-related behavior received from one of said plurality of lighting devices comprises a duration indicating how long said lighting device has been turned on.

9. A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is configured to partition said plurality of lighting devices in said groups of lighting devices by:
determining a potential new group for lighting devices showing similar power on/off-related behavior,
increasing a counter associated with said new group each time said lighting devices show similar power on/off-related behavior, and
assigning said lighting devices to said new group when said counter reaches a minimum value.

10. A control system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said at least one processor is configured to determine a power on/off state of at least one other lighting device in said identified group by determining a power on/off state of all lighting devices in said identified group.

11. A method of controlling a plurality of lighting devices, comprising at least four lighting devices, and partitioning said plurality of lighting devices into groups, said method comprising:
receiving information identifying power on/off-related behavior from each of said plurality of lighting devices;
partitioning said plurality of lighting devices in groups of lighting devices of at least two lighting devices based on said received information, each of said groups comprising only lighting devices with similar power on/off-related behavior;
controlling a lighting device of said plurality of lighting devices in response to a user command;
determining whether a problem has occurred when controlling said lighting device;
identifying one group of said groups, said one group comprising said lighting device;
determining a power on/off state of at least one other lighting device in said identified group;
determining diagnostic information based said determined power on/off states, said diagnostic information indicating a likely cause for said problem; and
providing said diagnostic information to said user.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising determining a further power on/off state of one or more further lighting devices of said plurality of lighting devices, wherein said diagnostic information is further determined based on said one or more further power on/off states.

13. A method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said further lighting devices of which said further power on/off state is determined comprise at least one lighting device from each of said groups.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein said diagnostic information is provided using speech output.

15. A computer program or suite of computer programs comprising at least one software code portion or a computer program product storing at least one software code portion, the software code portion, when run on a computer system, being configured for enabling the method of claim 11 to be performed.

Assignees

• Signify Holding Bv

Inventors

• Squillace Jorge Gabriel
• Buyuksarac Serdar
• Magielse Remco
• Woltjer Ludolf Jan

Classifications

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/20 Primary

  Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection · CPC title

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• H05B47/22 Primary

  with communication between the lamps and a central unit · CPC title