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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016286629-A1
Application number	US-201414777907-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 18, 2013
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

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

1 . A light management information system for an outdoor lighting network system, comprising:
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/or resources from the resource server to provide information to the user input/output device and/or reconfigure one or more of the lights units, wherein the at least one user input/output device sends/receives wireless signals to said the plurality of outdoor light units, said wireless signals having a user identity; said central management system having a user database for storing user related information, including user specified quests and relative location respective light unit.

2 . (canceled)

3 . (canceled)

4 . (canceled)

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the resource server includes cellular telephone traffic reports that are used to distinguish between vehicle and pedestrian traffic, and wherein one or more of the lights units are reconfigured based on the respective vehicle and pedestrian traffic intensity.

6 . (canceled)

7 . (canceled)

8 . (canceled)

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . (canceled)

12 . (canceled)

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the user database stores parking information in the vicinity of a respective light unit using at least one sensor type.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein, upon request, the user receives traffic information from the user database for a region in the location near the user or a region designated by the user using the user input/output device.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the traffic information is selected from the group consisting of travel routes/directions, detour information, parking information and road congestion.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein a user further receives, based on a user specified request, advertisements relative to the user location.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein user database maintains taxi request information for a user, and wherein a taxi request is made using the at least one user input/output device.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein a light unit communicates the taxi request to another light unit within a predetermined region and sends the taxi request to taxies within the predetermined region and/or the at least one user input/output device provides an indicator signal for a taxi/car service.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein central management system selects a taxi within the predetermined region if more than one taxi responds to the taxi request.

21 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined region is determined using a location of the taxi request using the light units and traffic status using the sensors.

22 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the light units is located in an access zone of a tunnel with an illumination pattern directed toward the tunnel entrance and the at least one sensor type is a traffic flow sensor and/or a light level sensor, wherein the central management system processes the traffic flow and light level sensor data from the at least one sensor type and/or data from resource server to determine a tilt angle for the light unit.

23 . A method of light management for outdoor lighting network system, the outdoor lighting network having a plurality of outdoor light units each including at least one sensor type and each outdoor light unit in communication with at least one other light unit, at least one user input/output device and a central management system in communication with the outdoor light units, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, in the central management system, status/sensor information from the at least one sensor type and resources from the resource server; sending, by the central management system, control commands to one or more of said outdoor light units, 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, wherein the at least one user input/output device sends/receives wireless signals to said the plurality of outdoor light units, said wireless signals having a user identity; storing user related information in a user database in said central management system, said information including user specified requests and relative location to a respective light unit.

24 . (canceled)

25 . (canceled)

26 . (canceled)

27 . The method of claim 23 , further including the steps of storing, in the user database, taxi request information for a user, and requesting a taxi using the at least one user input/output device.

28 . The system of claim 27 , furthering including the steps of communicating, using light unit, the taxi request to another light unit within a predetermined region and sending the taxi request to taxies within the predetermined region and/or the at least one user input/output device providing an indicator signal for a taxi/car service.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Chen Hongxin
• Cavalcanti Dave Alberto Tavares
• Challapali Kiran Srinivas
• Chraibi Sanae
• Jia Liang
• Rutgers Andrew Ulrich
• Yang Yong
• Van Hartskamp Michael Alex
• Aliakseyeu Dzmitry Viktorovich
• Li Hui
• Li Qing
• Ma Fulong
• Mason Jonathan David
• Meerbeek Berent Willem
• Mills John Brean
• De Oliveira Talmai Brandão
• Piotrowski Daniel J
• Shu Yuan
• Shlayan Neveen
• Szczodrak Marcin Krzysztof
• Yu Yi Qiang
• Huang Zhong
• Elixmann Martin
• Zhao Qin
• Peng Xianneng
• Wang Jianfeng
• Jiang Dan

Classifications

• F21S2/00 Primary

  Systems of lighting devices, not provided for in main groups F21S4/00 - F21S10/00 or F21S19/00, e.g. of modular construction · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B45/22

  using optical feedback · CPC title

• F21V5/045

  the lens having discontinuous faces, e.g. Fresnel lenses · CPC title

• F21V21/30

  Pivoted housings or frames · CPC title