Out of band diagnostics and maintenance

A first lighting system element comprising:

• a dual-band wireless radio communication interface system configured for two way wireless communication for:
• any-to-many communication, over a wireless lighting control network communication band, of control and systems operations information, during illumination operation and during control network operation over the wireless lighting control network communication band;
• and
• point-to-point communication, over a wireless out of band communication channel different from the wireless lighting control network communication band, of information other than the control and systems operations information, concurrently with at least some communications over the wireless lighting control network communication band;
• a processor;
• a memory accessible to the processor;
• and
• programming in the memory which configures the processor to:
• transmit an advertisement packet via the wireless out of band communication channel to a mobile device;
• establish an out of band connection with the mobile device via the wireless out of band communication channel;
• receive, over the established out of band connection via the wireless out of band communication channel, an indication of an ancillary function to be performed, the ancillary function to be performed relating to the first lighting system element, another lighting system element or a lighting control network via the wireless lighting control network communication band;
• perform the indicated ancillary function;
• and
• after performing the indicated ancillary function, terminate the out of band connection between the first lighting control device and the mobile device.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a memory embodying programming instructions, wherein execution of the programming instructions by a processor configures the processor to perform functions, including functions to:

• receive, from one of a plurality of lighting system elements, an advertisement packet via a wireless out of band channel, the wireless out of band channel:
• being used for ancillary functions not directly related to lighting operations of the lighting system;
• and
• being separate and distinct from a band of a wireless lighting control network connecting the plurality of lighting system elements;
• establish, while lighting operations of the lighting system continue to be performed via the wireless lighting control network, an out of band connection with the one lighting system element via the wireless out of band channel;
• select an ancillary function to be performed by the one lighting system element, the ancillary function to be performed relating to the one lighting system element, another lighting system element or the wireless lighting control network;
• send, to the one lighting system element and over the established out of band connection via the wireless out of band channel, an indication of the ancillary function to be performed, the ancillary function being one of a diagnostic function and a maintenance function;
• receive, from the one lighting system element and over the established out of band connection via the wireless out of band channel, a result of performance of the ancillary function;
• and
• upon receipt of the result, terminate the established out of band connection.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a memory embodying programming instructions, wherein execution of the programming instructions by a processor configures the processor to perform functions, including functions to:

• transmit an advertisement packet via a wireless out of band communication channel of a dual-band wireless radio communication interface system configured for two way wireless communication for:
• any-to-many communication, over a wireless lighting control network communication band of the dual-band wireless radio communication interface system, of control and systems operations information, during illumination operation and during control network operation over the lighting control network communication band;
• and
• point-to-point communication, over the wireless out of band communication channel, of information other than the control and systems operations information, concurrently with at least some communications over the lighting control network communication band;
• establish an out of band connection via the wireless out of band communication channel;
• receive, over the established out of band connection via the wireless out of band communication channel, an indication of an ancillary function to be performed, the ancillary function to be performed:
• relating to the first lighting system element, another lighting system element or a wireless lighting control network connecting a plurality of lighting system elements via the wireless lighting control network communication channel;
• and
• being one of a diagnostic function and a maintenance function;
• perform the indicated ancillary function;
• and
• after performing the indicated ancillary function, terminate the out of band connection between the first lighting control device and the mobile device.