Lighting network with autonomous commissioning

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8928232-B2
Application number	US-201313903330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2013
Priority date	May 28, 2013
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

Networked intelligent lighting devices and other elements connected to the network of a lighting system are readily adaptable to desirable networking arrangements as well as logical functional groups, for example by each storing communication provisioning data and/or configuration data for logically associating system elements into one or more groupings or sub-networks. The exemplary systems and system elements may also enable such enhanced network arrangement via autonomous discovery and device commissioning.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
intelligent system elements, each respective intelligent system element comprising:
a communication interface configured to enable communication via a network link; and
a processor coupled to communicate via the communication interface and the network link intelligent system element and configured to control operations of the respective intelligent system element, wherein:
each of a plurality of the intelligent system elements includes a light source and is configured to operate as a lighting device,
at least one of the intelligent system elements either includes a user interface element and is configured for lighting control or includes a detector and is configured as a sensor, and
the processor of the respective intelligent system element is configured to cause the respective intelligent system element to implement functions, including functions to:
automatically exchange communications with one or more others of the intelligent system elements to autonomously establish a logical network arrangement of the respective intelligent system element with the one or more others of the intelligent system elements; and
to automatically cooperate with the one or more others of the intelligent system elements to provide controlled lighting for a service area.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
each respective intelligent system element further comprises a memory accessible to the processor; and
the function to automatically exchange communications with one or more others of the intelligent system elements implemented by the respective intelligent system element comprises functions to:
send a signal identifying the respective intelligent system element to each of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements;
receive from each of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements a signal identifying a respective one of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements; and
store each received identification of another of the intelligent system elements in the memory.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor of the respective intelligent system element is configured to cause the respective intelligent system element to implement further functions, including functions to:
send information identifying capabilities of the respective intelligent system element to each of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements; and
receive and store in the memory of the respective intelligent system element information identifying capabilities of each of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements in association with the stored identification of each of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processor of the respective intelligent system element is configured to cause the respective intelligent system element to implement further functions, including functions to:
determine relative proximity of the one or more other intelligent system elements to the respective intelligent system element;
prioritize a listing of identifications of the one or more other intelligent system elements stored in the memory based on the determined relative proximity of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements; and
based on the listing prioritized based on relative proximity, select the identification of at least one of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements, to establish a logical network association of the respective intelligent system element with the at least one of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements as the logical network arrangement.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the processor of the respective intelligent system element is configured to cause the respective intelligent system element to implement further functions, including functions to:
prioritize a listing of the one or more other intelligent system elements stored in the memory based on the received information identifying capabilities of each of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements; and
based on the listing prioritized based on capabilities, select the identification of at least one of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements, to establish another logical network association of the respective lighting device with at least one of the one or more others of the intelligent system elements.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the exchange of communications is via one or more links of the network.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the exchange of communications includes at least some modulated light or sound transmission and reception.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the exchange of communications includes:
communications via one or more links of the network; and
at least some modulated light or sound transmission and reception.

9. A lighting device comprising:
a light source;
a communication interface configured to enable communication via a network link;
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the light source and the communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to operate the device to implement functions including functions to:
send a signal identifying the lighting device to each of one or more other elements of a lighting system;
receive from each of the one or more others elements: an identification of a respective one of the one or more other lighting system elements and information about operational capabilities of each respective one of the one or more other lighting system elements;
prioritize a list of identifications of the one or more other lighting system elements, based on the received capability information about the capabilities of the one or more other lighting system elements; and
store in the memory at least a portion of the prioritized list of identifications and information about capabilities of other lighting system elements corresponding to identifications included in the stored portion of the prioritized list, in such a manner as to establish a logical sub-network arrangement of the lighting device and other lighting system elements including at least some communication via the network link to automatically cooperate to provide controlled lighting for a service area.

10. A lighting controller comprising:
a user input device;
a communication interface configured to enable communication via a network link;
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the user input device and the communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to operate the controller to implement functions including functions to:
send a signal identifying the lighting controller to each of one or more lighting devices;
receive from each of the one or more lighting devices: an identification of a respective one of the one or more lighting devices and information about operational capabilities of each respective one of the lighting devices;
prioritize a list of identifications of the one or more lighting devices, based on the received information about the capabilities of the one or more lighting devices; and
store in the memory at least a portion of the prioritized list of identifications and information about capabilities of each of the lighting devices corresponding to an identification included in the stored portion of the prioritized list, in such a manner as to establish a logical sub-network arrangement of the lighting controller and one or more lighting devices including at least some communication via the network link to automatically cooperate to provide controlled lighting for a service area.

11. A sensor device comprising:
a detector;
a detector in

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Aggarwal Januk
• Rogers Jason
• Ramer David P
• Rains Jr Jack C

Classifications

• H05B47/18

  via data-bus transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/199

  Commissioning of light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title