US 10,375,801 B2Granted

Network of lights and operating method thereof

AssigneeSchreder S.A.

InventorsHelmut Schröder, Daniel Brand, Didier Wellens

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Abstract

Described herein is method for operating and controlling a network of lights comprising a plurality of lights arranged in a number of groups (A, B) using a short-distance network. Each light includes a control module (23, 28) for controlling its normal operation and for short-distance communication over the short-distance network with a designated group controller (23′, 28′, 31, 32) and other control modules within the group. Each designated group controller (23′, 28′, 31, 32) is also operable for long-distance communication with a central server and transmits its own specific information as a control module as well as information received from other control modules within the group. Information relevant to more than one group can quickly be exchanged between adjacent groups over a long-distance network via the group controller of the adjacent groups, by-passing the central server, or directly over the short-distance connection to a control module of an adjacent group. Failure of a group controller (23′, 28′, 31, 32) can be managed by designating another control module (23, 28) within the group as a new group controller and the flexible short-distance network is re-formed around the new group controller.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of communication within a network of lights, the method including the steps of:

providing a network of lights comprising a plurality of lights, each light having a control module associated therewith, each control module comprising:
a long-distance communication module,
a short-distance communication module,
a geocoordinate module,
a controller, each control module being configured for providing a control output for controlling a driver of the light,
providing at least one sensor on at least one control module, the at least one sensor being configured for producing sensor information,
providing at least one server reachable via the long-distance communication module,
dividing the control modules into several groups of control modules,
selecting one of the control modules of each group as a group controller, with which all other control modules of the group can communicate via their short-distance communication modules,
forming a short-distance network with the control modules within the group via their corresponding short-distance communication modules,
transmitting, during normal operation of the network, from the group controller to the server, at least one of its own environmental, light and control module specific information, and the corresponding information received from the other control modules via the short-distance communication module, and
transmitting data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups in at least one of the following ways:
via the long-distance network from a first group controller to a second group controller, by-passing the server with subsequent transmission of the data based on sensor information from the second group controller to a control module of the group associated with the second group controller,
via the short-distance network from a group controller to a control module of an adjacent group, and
via the short-distance network from a control module of a group to a control module of an adjacent group.

12 more elements

A network of lights comprising:

a plurality of lights, each light having a control module associated therewith, each control module being configured for providing a control output for controlling a driver of an associated light and comprising:
a long-distance communication module,
a short-distance communication module,
a geocoordinate module,
a controller, and
at least one sensor;
and
at least one server reachable via the long-distance communication module of each control module,
the network of lights being configured for communication therewithin by:
dividing the control modules into several groups of control modules,
selecting one of the control modules of each group as a group controller,
with which all other control modules of the group communicate via their short-distance communication modules,
forming a short-distance network with the control modules within the group via their corresponding short-distance communication modules,
transmitting, during normal operation of the network, from the group controller to the server, at least one of its own environmental, light and control module specific information, and the corresponding information received from the other control modules via the short-distance communication module, and
transmitting data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups in at least one of the following ways:
via the long-distance network from a first group controller to a second group controller, by-passing the server with subsequent transmission of the data based on sensor information from the second group controller to a control module of the group associated with the second group controller,
via the short-distance network from a group controller to a control module of an adjacent group, and
via the short-distance network from a control module of a group to a control module of an adjacent group.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/525,255Filed 10 Nov 2015
Priority: EP 1419258210 Nov 2014
Published: US 2018/0288853 A14 Oct 2018
Granted: 6 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04B 10/11
Transmission systems employing electromagnetic waves other than radio-waves, e.g. infrared, visible or ultraviolet light, or employing…
H04W 4/38
Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes: for collecting sensor information
H04W 4/80
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: services using short range communication, e.g. near-field…
H05B 47/175
Controlling the light source: by remote control

Family

US 2018/0288853 A1Pre-grant publication · published 4 Oct 2018
US 10,375,801 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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