Apparatus and method employing sensor-based luminaires to detect areas of reduced visibility and their direction of movement
AssigneePhilips Lighting Holding B.V.
InventorsTalmai Brandão De Oliveira, Jianfeng Wang, Dave Alberto Tavares Cavalcanti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and system that relies on visibility detectors deployed on luminaires in outdoor lighting networks (OLNs) to independently treat and consolidate the sensed data in a fault-tolerant manner. By communicating with neighboring luminaires and/or with a centralized server, the invention is able to identify the position and direction of movement of areas of reduced visibility (e.g. fog). This information can then be used to alert drivers who are approaching the identified area.
Claims23
A method for providing visibility alerts, said method using at least one Outdoor Lighting Network (OLN) comprising a plurality of lighting units at least two of which are in communication with each other, wherein a plurality of visibility detectors are each in communication with at least one of the lighting units, said method comprising:
- monitoring by each visibility detector a geographical area;
- receiving monitoring data from two or more of the visibility detectors;
- deriving a consolidated estimate of visibility conditions pertaining to a combined geographical area defined by the monitored geographical areas associated with two or more visibility detectors;
- determining direction and speed of an area of reduced visibility area using the consolidated estimate of visibility conditions;
- and,
- transmitting information pertaining to said estimated visibility conditions and/or area of reduced visibility.
A system for providing visibility alerts, said system comprising:
- at least one Outdoor Lighting Network (OLN) comprising a plurality of lighting units, at least two of which being in communication with each other;
- a plurality of visibility detectors, each in communication with at least one of the lighting devices, and each capable of monitoring a geographical area;
- a data analysis engine for receiving monitoring data from two or more of the visibility detectors and for deriving a consolidated estimate of visibility conditions pertaining to a combined geographical area defined by the monitored geographical areas associated with two or more visibility detectors, and determining direction and speed of area of reduced visibility area using the consolidated estimate of visibility conditions;
- and,
- a communication module for transmitting information pertaining to said estimated visibility conditions and/or area of reduced visibility.
A system for providing alerts pertaining to one or more environmental conditions, said system comprising:
- at least one Outdoor Lighting Network (OLN) comprising a plurality of lighting units, at least two of which being in communication with each other;
- a plurality of detectors, each in communication with at least one of the lighting devices, and each capable of monitoring an environmental condition associated with a geographical area;
- a data analysis engine for receiving monitoring data from two or more of the visibility detectors and for deriving a consolidated estimate of said one or more environmental conditions pertaining to a combined geographical area defined by the monitored geographical areas associated with two or more detectors, and determining direction and speed of area of reduced visibility area using the consolidated estimate of visibility conditions;
- and,
- a communication module for transmitting information pertaining to said estimated environmental conditions and/or area of reduced visibility.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.