# US 10,375,801 B2 · Network of lights and operating method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,375,801 B2 - Document ID: US10375801B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/525,255 - Filed: 2015-11-10 - Published: 2018-10-04 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-10 - Assignees: Schreder S.A. - Applicants: Schreder - Inventors: Helmut Schröder; Daniel Brand; Didier Wellens - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375801B2 ## CPC - H04B 10/11: Arrangements specific to free-space transmission, i.e. transmission through air or vacuum - H04W 4/38: for collecting sensor information - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H05B 47/175: by remote control - H05B 47/19: via wireless transmission - H05B 47/198: {Grouping of control procedures or address assignation to light sources} - H04W 84/18: Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks - Y02B 20/72: in street lighting - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups via the short-distance network takes place on a different frequency band than normal operation within a group. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups (A,B), when the sensor information is related to an event, is carried out subject to at least one of: the spatial and temporal occurrence of the event. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein each control module comprises a near-field communication module. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the short-distance network is a mesh network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of selecting, with the server, the control modules for exchanging data relevant to multiple groups, irrespective of the group. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein different frequency bands of the short-distance network are used for communication within a group during normal operation and for transmitting data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups to a control module of an adjacent group. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein a same antenna is used for the different frequency bands. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of; an infrared sensor, a movement sensor, a sound sensor and a vibration sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups, when the sensor information is related to an event, is carried out subject to at least one of: the spatial and temporal occurrence of the event. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of selecting, with the server, the control modules for exchanging data relevant to multiple groups, irrespective of the group. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising using different frequency bands of the short-distance network for communication within a group during normal operation and for transmitting data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups to a control module of an adjacent group. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, further comprising using a same antenna for the different frequency bands. ### Claim 14 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. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The network of lights according to claim 14, wherein the transmission of data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups via the short-distance network takes place on a different frequency band than normal operation within a group. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The network of lights according to claim 14, wherein, when the sensor information is related to an event, transmission of data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups is carried out subject to at least one of: the spatial and temporal occurrence of the event. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The network of lights according to claim 14, further configured for selecting, with the server, the control modules for exchanging data relevant to multiple groups, irrespective of the group. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The network of lights according to claim 14, wherein different frequency bands of the short-distance network are used for communication within a group during normal operation and for transmitting data based on sensor information of relevance for multiple groups to a control module of an adjacent group. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The network of lights according to claim 18, wherein a same antenna is used for the different frequency bands. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The network of lights according to claim 14, wherein the at least one sensor is at least one of; an infrared sensor, a movement sensor, a sound sensor and a vibration sensor.