Master/slave arrangement for lighting fixture modules

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9795016-B2
Application number	US-201715416764-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2017
Priority date	Jul 1, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a lighting fixture that includes a driver module and at least one other module that provides a lighting fixture function, such as a sensor function, lighting network communication function, gateway function, and the like. The driver module communicates with the other modules in a master/slave scheme over a communication bus. The driver module is configured as a slave communication device, and the other modules are configured as master communication devices. As such, the other modules may initiate communications with the driver to send information to or retrieve information from the driver module.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A switch module comprising:
a light sensor;
a communication interface;
a user interface; and
circuitry adapted to:
in a grouping mode:
determine that a given lighting fixture of a plurality of lighting fixtures is entering a lightcast mode, in which the given lighting fixture emits a first lightcast signal via a light source of the given lighting fixture to group lighting fixtures;
via the light sensor, monitor for the first lightcast signal provided by the given lighting fixture;
effect generation of grouping data for the given lighting fixture based on receipt of the first lightcast signal; and
send the grouping data for the given lighting fixture to at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures; and

in a control mode:
receive user input via the user interface; and
based on the user input, send an instruction to at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures via the communication interface to control a light output level of the group.

2. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the grouping data is used, at least in part, for grouping the lighting fixture with one or more of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

3. The switch module of claim 2 wherein the circuitry is adapted to send the grouping data to a remote entity, which will determine how to group the plurality of lighting fixtures, and receive information identifying a group to which the lighting fixture belongs.

4. The switch module of claim 2 wherein the circuitry is adapted to send the grouping data to one of the plurality of lighting fixtures that will determine how to group the plurality of lighting fixtures.

5. The switch module of claim 1 wherein, if the first lightcast signal is detected, the grouping data is indicative of a relative signal strength of the first lightcast signal.

6. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to determine local sensor data from the light sensor.

7. The switch module of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to send the local sensor data to at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

8. The switch module of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is further configured to control how to instruct the plurality of lighting fixtures to output light based on the local sensor data.

9. The switch module of claim 1 wherein the switch module further comprises an occupancy sensor and the switch module is further configured to determine occupancy information from the occupancy sensor.

10. The switch module of claim 9 wherein the circuitry is further configured to control how to instruct the plurality of lighting fixtures to output light based on the occupancy information.

11. A switch module comprising:
a light sensor;
a communication interface;
a user interface; and
circuitry adapted to:
in a grouping mode:
determine that a lighting fixture of a plurality of lighting fixtures sends a lightcast signal to other lighting fixtures of the plurality of lighting fixtures; and
effect generation of grouping data for lighting fixtures of the plurality of lighting fixtures based on receipt of the lightcast signal where a group is formed with the plurality of lighting fixtures and the switch module based on the grouping data; and

in a control mode:
control a light output level of the group based on an input received via the circuitry.

12. The switch module of claim 11 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to, in the grouping mode:
determine that a given lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures is entering a lightcast mode, in which the given lighting fixture emits a first lightcast signal via a light source of the given lighting fixture to group lighting fixtures; and
via the light sensor, monitor for the first lightcast signal provided by the given lighting fixture.

13. The switch module of claim 11 wherein the grouping data is used, at least in part, for grouping the lighting fixture with one or more of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

14. The switch module of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is adapted to send the grouping data to a remote entity, which will determine how to group the plurality of lighting fixtures, and receive information identifying a group to which the lighting fixture belongs.

15. The switch module of claim 13 wherein the circuitry is adapted to send the grouping data to one of the plurality of lighting fixtures that will determine how to group the plurality of lighting fixtures.

16. The switch module of claim 11 wherein, if the first lightcast signal is detected, the grouping data is indicative of a relative signal strength of the first lightcast signal.

17. The switch module of claim 11 wherein the circuitry is further adapted to determine local sensor data from the light sensor.

18. The switch module of claim 17 wherein the circuitry is further configured to control how to instruct the plurality of lighting fixtures to output light based on the local sensor data.

19. The switch module of claim 11 wherein the switch module further comprises an occupancy sensor and the switch module is further configured to determine occupancy information from the occupancy sensor.

20. The switch module of claim 19 wherein the circuitry is further configured to control how to instruct the plurality of lighting fixtures to output light based on the occupancy information.

Assignees

• Cree Inc

Inventors

• Motley Arnold
• Chobot Joseph P
• Pope Daniel J
• Trainor John J
• Harris Michael James

Classifications

• F21V5/04 Primary

  of lens shape · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• F21V7/00

  Reflectors for light sources (characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505) · CPC title

• F21V29/70

  characterised by passive heat-dissipating elements, e.g. heat-sinks · CPC title

• H05B47/175

  by remote control · CPC title