Luminaires having a wireless antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726360-B1
Application number	US-201414496537-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A luminaire includes a housing defining an interior volume. The luminaire also includes a lamp within the interior volume and configured to emit light. Additionally, the luminaire includes a wireless antenna positioned within the interior volume, configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal along a first direction, and configured to be operatively coupled to an access point. The wireless antenna can be entirely within the interior volume. The luminaire can include a first reflective surface within the interior volume and configured to redirect the wireless signal. The lamp can be configured to be electrically coupled to a power inserter that powers the access point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A luminaire comprising:
a housing defining an interior volume of the luminaire;
a lamp within the interior volume and configured to emit light;
a first wireless antenna positioned within the interior volume, configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal along a first direction, and configured to be operatively coupled to an access point through a communication link separate from the wireless signal that the antenna transmits or receives;
a first reflective surface positioned within the interior volume and configured to redirect the wireless signal along the first direction; and
a second reflective surface positioned within the interior volume and configured to redirect a first light ray emitted from the lamp in a second direction, wherein the second reflective surface is planar and angled downward toward the ground from an inner side to an outer side.

2. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless antenna is positioned entirely within the interior volume.

3. The luminaire of claim 1 , further comprising a third reflective surface positioned within the interior volume and configured to redirect a second light ray emitted from the lamp in a third direction different than the second direction.

4. The luminaire of claim 3 , wherein the second reflective surface and the third reflective surface form a V shape.

5. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the second reflective surface is between the lamp and the first reflective surface.

6. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the second reflective surface is between the lamp and the first wireless antenna.

7. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the first direction is downward.

8. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless antenna is configured to be operatively coupled to the access point positioned outside the interior volume.

9. The luminaire of claim 8 , wherein the first wireless antenna is configured to be operatively coupled to the access point positioned in an enclosure on the ground.

10. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless antenna is configured to be operatively coupled to the access point positioned inside the interior volume.

11. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless antenna is a directional antenna.

12. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the first wireless antenna is an omnidirectional antenna or a dipost antenna.

13. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the lamp is an LED lamp.

14. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the LED lamp is configured to be electrically coupled to a power inserter that powers the access point.

15. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the luminaire is configured for outdoor roadway or street lighting, outdoor area or pathway lighting, outdoor flood lighting, or outdoor tunnel lighting.

16. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein:
the first wireless antenna is configured to transmit the wireless signal to an end-user computational device or receive the wireless signal from the end-user computational device; and
the access point is configured to couple the end-user computational device to a network.

17. The luminaire of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises a transparent or translucent surface, and wherein the lamp and the antenna are positioned such that the emitted light and the wireless signal pass through the transparent or translucent surface.

18. A luminaire comprising:
a housing defining an interior volume of the luminaire;
a lamp within the interior volume and configured to emit light;
a first wireless antenna positioned within the interior volume, configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal along a first direction, and configured to be operatively coupled to an access point through a communication link separate from the wireless signal that the antenna transmits or receives;
a first reflective surface positioned within the interior volume and configured to redirect the wireless signal along the first direction; and
a second reflective surface positioned within the interior volume and configured to redirect a first light ray emitted from the lamp in a second direction, wherein the second reflective surface is coupled to a first side of the housing.

19. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein the lamp is coupled to the first side of the housing.

20. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein the first side of the housing is a top side.

21. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein the first wireless antenna is coupled to a second side of the housing opposite the first side of the housing.

22. The luminaire of claim 21 , wherein the first side of the housing is a top side, and the second side of the housing is a bottom side.

23. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein the first wireless antenna is coupled to the first side of the housing.

24. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein the first wireless antenna is positioned entirely within the interior volume.

25. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein the housing further comprises a transparent or translucent surface, and wherein the lamp and the first wireless antenna are positioned such that the emitted light and the wireless signal pass through the transparent or translucent surface.

26. The luminaire of claim 18 , wherein:
the first wireless antenna is configured to transmit the wireless signal to an end-user computational device or receive the wireless signal from the end-user computational device; and
the access point is configured to couple the end-user computational device to a network.

27. A luminaire comprising:
a housing defining an interior volume of the luminaire;
a lamp within the interior volume and configured to emit light;
a first wireless antenna positioned within the interior volume, configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal along a first direction and a second direction, and configured to be operatively coupled to an access point through a communication link separate from the wireless signal that the antenna transmits or receives; and
a first reflective surface positioned within the interior volume and configured to redirect the wireless signal along the first direction and the second direction, wherein the first reflective surface is conical.

28. The luminaire of claim 27 , wherein the first reflective surface and the first wireless antenna are coaxial.

29. The luminaire of claim 27 , wherein the first wireless antenna is positioned entirely within the interior volume.

30. The luminaire of claim 27 , wherein the housing further comprises a transparent or translucent surface, and wherein the lamp and the first wireless antenna are positioned such that the emitted light and the wireless signal pass through the transparent or translucent surface.

31. The luminaire of claim 27 , wherein:
the first wireless antenna is configured to transmit the wireless signal to an end-user computational device or receive the wireless signal from the end-user computational device; and
the access point is configured to couple the end-user computational device to a network.

32. A luminaire comprising:
a housing defining an interior volume of the luminaire;
a lamp within the interior volume and configured to emit light;
a first wireless antenna positioned within the interior volume, configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal along a first directi

Assignees

• Csc Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Alexander Michael
• Anderson Robert
• Clark Alvin

Classifications

• F21Y2101/02

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21V7/0066

  specially adapted to cooperate with point like light sources; specially adapted to cooperate with light sources the shape of which is unspecified (F21V7/16 - F21V7/30 take precedence) · CPC title

• F21W2131/10

  Outdoor lighting · CPC title

• F21K9/54

  Mechanical Engineering · mapped topic

• F21V23/06 Primary

  the elements being coupling devices {, e.g. connectors} · CPC title