Method for detecting earthquakes and locating epicentres by means of a network of lights

A method for detecting earthquakes and locating epicentres, the method including the steps of:

• providing a network of lights comprising a plurality of street lights, each street light having a control module associated therewith, each control module comprising:
• a long-distance communication module,
• a short-distance communication module,
• a geocoordinates module,
• a controller, each control module being operable for providing a control output for controlling a driver of the light,
• providing at least one sensor for detecting at least one of acceleration and seismic activity, in at least some of the control modules,
• providing at least one server reachable via the long-distance communication module,
• dividing the control modules into one or multiple control module groups based on at least one of:
• environmental, light and control module information provided by the control modules,
• selecting one of the control modules of each group as a group controller,
• forming a short-distance network with the group controller and the other control modules within the group, via respective short-distance communication modules,
• transmitting sensor information and geocoordinate information from the control modules to the associated group controller via the short-distance communication modules of the control modules,
• transmitting, during normal network operation, sensor information and geocoordinate information from the group controller of the groups to the at least one server via the long-distance module,
• analysing the sensor information and the geocoordinate information transmitted to the at least one server by the group controllers of the groups to extract earthquake epicentre information therefrom using the local distribution of the control modules, and
• determining on the server, in case of a failure of the group controller of a group, a new group controller and establishing the connections using the short-distance communication modules with the other control modules not defined as group controllers via the new group controller.