Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02949128 2016-11-21
WIRELESS LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is
subject to
copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile
reproduction by
anyone of the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Canadian Intellectual
Property Office patent
files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
sR Et hFeE bReEnNe fCi tEoTf TO Rs .E LP rATEovisDi An aPl PL Applicationl C A
Tl O N S
= 10 This application claims
62/257,908, filed
November 20, 2015 (Attny. Docket No. RABL-503-P), the entirety of which is
hereby
incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
The present disclosure relates generally to control systems, and more
particularly to
wireless lighting control systems for remotely, locally, and automatically
monitoring and
= controlling lighting fixtures.
BACKGROUND
Various systems are known for remotely monitoring, wirelessly controlling or
automating
operation of electrical devices. For example, home. or building automation
systems may
facilitate automated control of various electrical devices, such as lighting
fixtures. That is,
various electrical devices may be configured to operate according to
predetermined schedules
or events, such as in response to time or other user preferences. Remote
monitoring or wireless
control of certain electrical devices is also offered, including the
monitoring or controlling of
electrical devices over a network using a mobile device. As the automation and
control,
including wireless control, of electrical devices becomes more popular and as
the desired
control becomes more complex, there is a need for robust device control
systems that are
relatively straightforward to install, configure, and use. Although some
relatively sophisticated
systems are available, they typically require extensive wiring and other
installation steps by
technicians specially trained in such systems and are expensive and complex to
install and
maintain. Further, security is increasingly a concern as wireless control and
remote monitoring
of electrical devices is provided over the Internet, providing an avenue for
nefarious intrusion not
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only to the lighting control system, but possibly to other data and systems
residing on a local
area network with the device control system.
The present disclosure is directed to one or more of the problems or issues
set forth
above.
SUMMARY
= In one aspect, the present disclosure includes a wireless lighting
control system. The
wireless lighting control system includes a cloud-based or other remote server
system
connected to a wide area network and having control software for configuring,
monitoring, and
controlling lighting fixtures at an organization's installation site. The
wireless lighting control
system also includes a wireless gateway located at the site and configured to
communicate with
the remote server via cellular communication. Wireless devices are in wireless
communication
with the gateway via a wireless mesh network, and at least some of the
wireless devices are
= configured to control one or more of the lighting fixtures. A mobile or
other user computer device
is connected to the wide area network and has a user interface enabling a user
to access the
server control software and control and configure the lighting fixtures
associated with wireless
devices at the site according to the user's granted permissions. Control
instructions entered on
the server through the user interlace are communicated from the server to the
wireless gateway
and then from the wireless gateway to the wireless devices.
Installation, commissioning, and configuration of a wireless gateway and
wireless
devices at the system installation site can be completed by a qualified
electrical contractor
without requiring training specific to the wireless lighting control system.
The site wireless
devices can include occupancy/vacancy and other condition sensors, daylight
harvesting
sensors, wall dimmers, touchscreens, and controllers. A controller may include
an actuator and
can be configured to switch power on and off, dim, and monitor power and other
conditions of a
lighting fixture and other lighting devices, for example, a motorized window
shade. A controller
can also be configured as a trigger that will monitor a non-system device or
third-party sensor
which is not part of the mesh network and relay data from the device or sensor
to the lighting
control system. Controllers and certain other wireless devices can also act as
a mesh network
repeater to extend the area encompassed by the installation site.
Once commissioned, the system enables easy configuration and control of
sensing,
dimming, automations, schedules, scenes, and monitoring of the site's lighting
fixtures and
associated devices. One or more light fixtures that will all behave in a like
manner form a "zone"
and are associated with a single or a common wireless device. An "area" can be
formed by a
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grouping of zones which are configured to respond together to a single event
or command, for
example, a schedule. A "scene" provides a collection of state change requests,
for example,
preset saved illumination levels for a zone or area. Monitoring can include
real-time and/or
archived measurement of status and power consumption reported from wireless
devices to the
=
remote server. Control, monitoring, and configuration changes can be easily
made by users via
a user interface accessible using a touchscreen control devices coupled to the
wireless mesh
network or a user computer device, for example, a mobile device, in
communication with the
remote server via a wide area network (WAN) such as the internet.
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved cloud-based wireless
lighting
control systems and methods.
= This summary is provided to introduce a selection of the concepts that
are described in
further detail in the detailed description and drawings contained herein. This
summary is not
intended to identify any primary or essential features of the claimed subject
matter. Some or all
of the described features may be present in the corresponding independent or
dependent
claims, but should not be construed to be a limitation unless expressly
recited in a particular
claim. Each embodiment described herein does not necessarily address every
object described
herein, and each embodiment does not necessarily include each feature
described. Other
= forms, embodiments, objects, advantages, benefits, features, and aspects
of the present
disclosure will become apparent to one of skill in the art from the detailed
description and
drawings contained herein. Moreover, the various apparatuses and methods
described in this
summary section, as well as elsewhere in this application, can be expressed as
a large number
of different combinations and subcombinations. All such useful, novel, and
inventive
combinations and subcombinations are contemplated herein, it being recognized
that the
explicit expression of each of these combinations is unnecessary.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Some of the figures shown herein may include dimensions or may have been
created
from scaled drawings. However, such dimensions, or the relative scaling within
a figure, are by
way of example, and not to be construed as limiting.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless device control system, according to
the present
disclosure;
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a controller for
use with
the wireless device control system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2B depicts an alternative cross-sectional shape that may be substituted
for the
controller shape shown in FIG. 2A;
FIG. 2C depicts another alternative cross-sectional shape that may be
substituted for the
controller shape shown in FIG. 2A;
FIG. 2D depicts the cross-sectional shape of the controller shown in FIG. 2A;
FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the controller of FIG. 2A;
FIG. 4A is a schematic block diagram of the exemplary controller of FIGS. 2A
and 3;
FIG. 4B is a power supply and power loss detection portion of the schematic
block
diagram of FIG. 4A;
FIG. 4C is a flowchart representing an exemplary method of detecting and
handling
power loss for a device of the wireless control device control system of FIG.
1;
FIG. 5A is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of an occupancy sensor
for
use with the wireless device control system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5B is a schematic block diagram of the exemplary occupancy sensor of FIG.
5A;
FIG. 6A is an exploded view of an exemplary embodiment of a daylight harvester
for use
with the wireless device control system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6B is a first portion of a schematic block diagram of the exemplary
daylight
harvester of FIG. 6A;
FIG. 6C is a second portion of a schematic block diagram of the exemplary
daylight
harvester of FIG. 6A;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart representing an exemplary method for commissioning a
site system
of the exemplary wireless device control system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating installation of a controller with electrical
junction boxes;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view illustrating installation of a set of controller
with an electrical
panel;
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FIG. 10A is a simplified diagram illustrating installation of a controller
having a first
controller configuration;
FIG. 10B is a simplified diagram illustrating installation of a controller
having a first
controller configuration;
= 5
FIG. 11 is an exemplary communication flow for device-to-device control
in the site
system of the wireless device control system of the present disclosure;
FIG. 12A is a flowchart representing an exemplary method for secure network
join for a
new device in the site system of the wireless device control system of the
present disclosure;
FIG. 12B is a flbwchart representing an exemplary method for secure network
rejoin for
a previously joined device in the site system of the wireless device control
system of the present
disclosure;
FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a touchscreen user
site
device for use with the wireless device control system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of a portion of the an exemplary wireless
device
control system illustrating the two-way indicate function;
FIG. 15 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating an area overview from a
front-end
user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 16 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a site overview with
notification
activities from a front-end user interface application according to the
present disclosure;
FIG. 17 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating site power usage and
demand view
from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 18A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a site overview from a
user site
device front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 18B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating user site device
configuration from
a user site device front-end user interface application according to the
present disclosure;
FIG. 18C is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a zone control view from
a user
computer device front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 19A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating site gateway
commissioning from a
back-end user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 19B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating device commissioning from
a back-
end user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 19C is an exemplary screen capture illustrating the indicate function for
a device
from a back-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
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FIG. 20 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating adding a user from a front-
end user
interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 21A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating creating an area from a
front-end
user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 21B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating selecting zones to be
assigned to
an area from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 21C is an exemplary screen capture illustrating assigning zones to an
area from a
front-end user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 22A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating selecting a scene for an
area from a
front-end user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 22B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating editing the scene of FIG.
22A from
a front-end user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 220 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating selecting a schedule for
an area
from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 22D is an exemplary screen capture illustrating changing the schedule of
FIG. 22C
= from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 22E is an exemplary screen capture illustrating further changing the
schedule of
FIG. 22C from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 23A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a device view from a
front-end user
interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 23B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a controller device
configuration
view from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
= FIG. 230 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a controller zone
configuration view
from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 23D is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a controller lost signal
configuration
view from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 24A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a automation view from a
front-end
user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 24B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a controller device
trigger and
= 30
automation configuration from a front-end user interface application
according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 240 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating adding conditions for a
controller
device trigger automation from a front-end user interface application
according to the present
disclosure;
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FIG. 24D is an exemplary screen capture illustrating selecting further
settings for a
controller device trigger automation from a front-end user interface
application according to the
present disclosure;
FIG. 25 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a multi-controller device
configuration
view from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure:
FIG. 26A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating adding a new global
schedule from
a front-end user interface application according to the present disclosure;
FIG. 26B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating selecting a scene for a
global
schedule from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 260 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating activating the new global
schedule
from a front-end user interface application according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 27A is an exemplary screen capture illustrating occupancy mode settings
for an
occupancy sensor device from a front-end user interface application according
to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 27B is an exemplary screen capture illustrating further occupancy mode
settings for
an occupancy sensor device from a front-end user interface application
according to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 270 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating vacancy mode settings for
an
occupancy sensor device from a front-end user interface application according
to the present
disclosure;
FIG. 27D is an exemplary screen capture illustrating further settings for an
occupancy
sensor device from a front-end user interface application according to the
present disclosure;
FIG. 28 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a daylight harvester
device
configuration view from a front-end user interface application according to
the present
disclosure; and
FIG. 29 is an exemplary screen capture illustrating a power demand response
configuration view from a back-end user interface application according to the
present
disclosure;
FIG. 30 is an exemplary document illustrating an energy report view according
to the
present disclosure.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the
disclosure,
reference will now be made to one or more embodiments, which may or may not be
illustrated in
the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will
nevertheless be
understood that no limitation of the scope of the disclosure is thereby
intended; any alterations
and further modifications of the described or illustrated embodiments, and any
further
applications of the principles of the disclosure as illustrated herein are
contemplated as would
normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure relates. At
least one embodiment
of the disclosure is shown in great detail, although it will be apparent to
those skilled in the
relevant art that some features or some combinations of features may not be
shown for the sake
of clarity.
Any reference to "invention" within this document is a reference to an
embodiment of a
family of inventions, with no single embodiment including features that are
necessarily included
in all embodiments, unless otherwise stated. Furthermore, although there may
be references to
benefits or advantages provided by some embodiments, other embodiments may not
include
those same benefits or advantages, or may include different benefits or
advantages. Any
benefits or advantages described herein are not to be construed as limiting to
any of the claims.
Likewise, there may be discussion with regards to "objects" associated with
some
embodiments of the present invention, it is understood that yet other
embodiments may not be
associated with those same objects, or may include yet different objects. Any
advantages,
objects, or similar words used herein are not to be construed as limiting to
any of the claims.
The usage of words indicating preference, such as "preferably," refers to
features and aspects
that are present in at least one embodiment, but which are optional for some
embodiments.
Specific quantities (spatial dimensions, temperatures, pressures, times,
force,
resistance, current, voltage, power, concentrations, wavelengths, frequencies,
heat transfer
coefficients, dimensionless parameters, etc.) may be used explicitly or
implicitly herein, such
specific quantities are presented as examples only and are approximate values
unless
otherwise indicated. Discussions pertaining to specific compositions of
matter, if present, are
presented as examples only and do not limit the applicability of other
compositions of matter,
especially other compositions of matter with similar properties, unless
otherwise indicated.
SYSTEM
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary wireless device control system 10, according
to the
present disclosure. Although a wireless lighting control system will be
described, it should be
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appreciated that the systems and methods described herein are applicable to
the automation,
monitoring, and/or control of a variety of devices or components in a variety
of environments.
The exemplary system 10 generally includes a server, or backend, system 12,
one or more site
systems 14, and various clients, also referred to throughout as user computer
devices, 16.
Exemplary site systems 14 may include all or portions, including indoor and/or
outdoor portions,
of a home, business, parking garage, street, worksite, or other location that
include a predefined
set of components, such as electrical devices or circuits, including, for
example, light fixtures, to
be monitored or controlled.
The server system 12 may include one or more servers, or computers, 18
including
typical computer components, such as a processor, memory, storage, display,
network
interface, and input/output device, for example. The processor, or processors,
may execute
unique sets of instructions, which may be implemented as computer readable
program code,
stored in memory or storage, such that the server system 12 is configured as a
special purpose
system. In particular, hardware, software, and particular sets of instructions
may transform the
server system 12, or portions thereof, into a lighting control server system,
as described herein.
As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the server system 12 may
also include any
combination of computer hardware and software that facilitates communication
with the site
systems 14 and user computer devices 16, and performance of the functions
described herein.
According to a specific implementation, all or portions of the server system
12 may be
cloud-based virtual servers, including a virtual private cloud-based service.
That is, for example,
the one or more servers 18 of the server system 12 may reside on the Internet,
for example,
rather than on a local computer. To be clear, the server system 12 may be
remote from the site
systems 14 and/or the user computer devices 16. For example, Digi Device
Cloud, offered by
Digi International, Inc., is a public cloud platform for device network
management that may be
used for all or portions of the server system 12. The server system 12 may
communicate with
the site systems 14 and the user computer devices 16 over a wide area network
(WAN), such
as the Internet 20 or a cellular network 22, and/or via a local area network
(LAN), for example.
Some embodiments in particular use cellular communication. Cellular
communication may be
quicker to set-up, more secure and/or more reliable than other available
communications
means, such as an installation site's broadband internet connection. By using
a cellular network,
embodiments of the present disclosure are able to keep out of the
organization's corporate
network, which can assist in mitigating accidental creation of back doors
through firewalls and
into the user's corporate network that could potentially be used to create a
security breach in the
organization's corporate network.
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Each site system 14 may generally include at least one gateway, or base
station, 24,
and one or more wireless devices 26, or device nodes, which are configured to
communicate
over a mesh network 28, or other similar local wireless network.
The gateway 24 may include a communications module 30 that facilitates
communication between the mesh network 28, or other wireless network, and the
WAN network
20 or 22. As such, the gateway 24 can facilitate communication between the
devices 26 of the
site system 14 and the server system 12. The gateway 24 may also include an
operations
module 32 for processing and/or communicating instructions (e.g., to devices
26) received from
the server system 12, as will be described in greater detail below. The
operations module 32
may also receive and/or process information from the devices 26. That is, the
gateway 24 may
run applications locally while also interfacing across the mesh network 28 for
WAN connectivity
to the server system 12. An exemplary gateway device may be, for example, the
XBee Zigbee
Gateway provided by Digi International, Inc.
Each device 26 may include a communications module 34, facilitating
communication
between the device 26 and the gateway 24 over a local wireless network, such
as the mesh
network 28. For example, the devices 26 may each include a radio transceiver,
such as a
XBee radio module for communicating using the ZigBee protocol, which is
related to IEEE
standards, including 802.15.4. The devices 26 may also include at least one
control module 36
for facilitating interaction between the device 26 and an associated
electrical component, such
as, for example, an electrical circuit. Devices 26 may also each be configured
to act as a
repeater, or router, such that it can also forward messages to other devices
26 and/or the
gateway 24.
Each site 14 may include a variety of different devices 26 managed by the
gateway 24
and connected to the mesh network 28. For example, according to one
implementation, a site
14 may include controllers 37, sensors, such as occupancy sensors, 38,
daylight harvesters 39,
and user site devices, such as touchscreens and wall dimmers, 43. Controllers
37, which will be
discussed in greater detail below, may include an actuator providing dimming
and/or ON/OFF
control for light fixtures 40, such as LED and/or fluorescent lights, on a
common electrical circuit
41. Controllers 37 may additionally or alternatively provide a power usage
measurement, as will
be described below. Further, controllers 37 may be configured to act an event
trigger by
detecting voltage and/or current to determine the state of a device, such as,
for example, a
room light switch or a light fixture having its own motion sensor, or other
sensor, to activate it.
Sensors 38 that are part of the system 10 may be configured to detect and
report the state of
motion sensors, for example occupancy/vacancy sensors, while daylight
harvesters 39 may
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include a light sensing circuit for measuring light and reporting measurements
and other data to
the system 10.
Each of the user computer devices, or clients, 16 may include a computing
device, such
as, for example, a personal computer, laptop computer, netbook computer,
tablet device, mobile
device, portable electronic device (FED), smart device, or cell phone
configured to
communicate with the server system 12 via WAN 20 or 22, or possibly with the
gateway 24, to
permit a user 42 to configure, monitor, and/or control devices 26 for a
particular site system 14.
That is, a user 42 may access a control program, or control logic, on the
server system 12
through an appropriate user interface using user computer device 16, which may
have web-
browsing abilities or may have a control application installed thereon. For
example, upon
requesting a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) address corresponding to a website
hosted by
the server system 12, a web page may be loaded in a web browser of one of the
client devices
16. That is, one of the servers 18 may be or may include a web server for
delivering web
content to the user 42 through one of the user computer devices 16 described
above.
Thereafter, the user 42 may be provided with an option of registering for or
accessing an
account.
The system 10 or, more specifically, the server system 12 may include a
plurality of
modules useful in carrying out the control and other strategies disclosed
herein. For example,
the server system 12 may include or utilize functionality expressed with
reference to an
organization account registration module 44, a user manager module 46, a
device manager
module 48, and a communications module 50, to name a few. It should be
appreciated that the
term "modules," as used herein, is for ease of explanation, rather than
limitation, and is intended
to represent certain related aspects or functionality of the wireless device
control system 10.
Each of the modules may represent a set of computer instructions, or computer
readable
program code, representing processes for performing specific tasks of the
wireless device
control system 10. The tasks may be performed using a processor, or
processors, and may
require the access or manipulation of data stored in a data repository 52.
The account registration module 44, which will be discussed in greater detail
below, may
facilitate the creation of accounts for organizations and/or users, such as
users 42, within the
system 10. For example, the registration module 44 may be used to collect data
input by users
42 and/or authorized administrators and/or customer service representatives
accessing the
wireless device control system 10 through one of various user computer devices
16. According
to some embodiments, the various user computer devices 16 may include any
suitable
electronic communication devices and/or workstations, such as, for example,
personal
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computers, laptop computers, netbook computers, tablet devices, mobile
devices, PEDs, smart
devices, and cell phones, as mentioned above. The account registration module
44 may be
used to collect various information, including, for example, personally
identifiable information,
such as, for example, name, address, and phone number.
The user manager module 46 may include and/or implement rules pertaining to
the
various users 42, or user types, of the system 10. For example, when one of
the users 42 is
registered, a user profile including user credentials, such as a username and
password, may be
created for the user 42 and stored in the data repository 52. The user manager
module 46 may
be configured to ensure that each user 42, as identified using the unique
credentials, is provided
with appropriate access and/or capabilities with regard to the system 10, as
will be discussed in
greater detail below. For example, the user manager module 46 may include an
association of
each user 42 to one or more sites, and may define appropriate permissions for
each user 42
relative to respective organization and/or respective site systems 14.
The wireless device control system 10 or, more specifically, the server system
12 may
include a database management system including one or more databases, such as
data
repository 52. The data repository 52 may store data, including the account
and user data
described above, useful in carrying out the strategies disclosed herein.
Although the data
repository 52 is illustrated as a component within the server system 12, it
should be appreciated
that the server system 12 may include any number of separate components or
systems,
including separate database(s), configured to communicate with one another in
a manner
consistent with the teachings disclosed herein.
The device manager module 48 may provide the main functionality of the server
system
12. For example, after account registration is completed and appropriate
organizations and/or
users are established in the system 10, the device manager module 48 may be
programmed
and/or configured to permit users 42 to remotely control and manage specific
associated site
systems 14. The device manager module 48 may also monitor and process data
from the data
repository 52, and/or acquired data, to facilitate configuration, monitoring,
and control of the site
systems 14, as will be described below. According to a specific example, the
device manager
module 48 may receive control information from users 42 via user computer
devices 16, store
the information in the data repository 52, and mirror the information to the
appropriate gateway
24 for implementation. According to some embodiments, the data repository 52
may be initially
populated with at least some default control data.
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DEVICES
As stated above, devices 26 of the wireless control system 10 and associated
site
lighting fixtures 40 may be controlled, monitored, and managed by users 42,
via user computer
devices 16 and user site devices 43. Generally speaking, devices 26 can act as
actuators,
causing changes in the environment (e.g., turning lights on or off), and/or
sensors, detecting
and/or responding to some input from the environment, such as movement or
light, at the
respective sites. Although not an exhaustive list, some exemplary devices 26
are described
further below and can include occupancy/vacancy and other condition sensors,
daylight
harvesting sensors, wall dimmers, touchscreens, and controllers. Standard
color coating of
wires is used in some embodiments to facilitate ease of installation by
electrical technicians.
CONTROLLER
Turning now to FIG. 2A, an exemplary controller 70, which may be similar to
controller
37 introduced above, may switch mains power to circuits, such as, for example,
circuit 41 of
FIG. 1, as well as provide a dimming interface for dimmable drivers and
ballasts. As an
example, the controller 70 may provide a 0-10V dimming interface. The remotely
controlled
controller device 70 may, thus, provide ON/OFF control, as well as dimming,
for light fixtures
installed on the same circuit. As used herein, "mains power" broadly refers to
power delivered to
a site or location, such as a house or building, from a utility company, and
power distributed
throughout the site or location, such as from a circuit breaker to a number of
branch circuits, for
example, 120 VAC power.
As will be described in greater detail below, controllers 70 may be installed
at a junction
box, as shown in FIG. 8, or directly in a breaker box or lighting panel, as
shown in FIG. 9. As
such, the controller 70 is provided with a uniquely shaped housing 72 to house
necessary
components and facilitate installation. In particular, the housing 72 includes
two halves 74, 76
secured together to define an elongate cylindrical shape, rounded on the sides
78, 80 and
flattened on the top 82 and bottom 84 (as shown in FIG. 2D). As a result, the
controller 70 can
be easily grasped, inserted, and rotated in the typically small amount of
space that exists at the
sides of electrical boxes. In particular, these boxes are typically installed
on a wall, or other flat
surface, and have relatively minimal depth. Embodiments of controllers 70
having the shape
disclosed herein and having a maximum diameter of 1.5 inches or less, can be
rotated for
threaded installation in the side of electrical boxes without encountering
interference from the
wall upon which the box is installed. Although a generally cylindrical cross-
sectional shape is
shown, it should be appreciated that alternative cross-sectional shapes, such
as triangular (as
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shown in FIG. 2B), square (as shown in FIG. 20), pentagonal, hexagonal,
octagonal, etc.,
cross-sectional shapes, may be used instead.
Wiring 86, for connecting the controller 70 to a mains power supply, extends
through a
sealing material 87, for example, potting material, within the interior of a
threaded installation
end 88 of the controller 70, and will typically be color coded using standard
electrical wiring
conventions to simplify installation for electrical technicians. For example,
a black wire can be
connected to the AC supply/hot line, a white wire can be connected to the AC
neutral line, a red
wire can be connected to a neutral line of a load to be switched, a red/white
wire can be
connected to a neutral line of a load to be power monitored or sensor to be
triggered on, and a
purple wire and a grey wire can be connected to a 0-10 VDC dimmer input of a
light fixture.
The housing 72 may also include a device identification button 90. According
to
exemplary functionality, pressing the device identification button 90 once
within a predetermined
period of time may highlight the controller device 70 in an application user
interface for the
device control system 10, which can be referred to as providing a "here I am"
indication to
system 10, which will be discussed in greater detail below. The button 90 may
also be
configured to perform various different functions depending on the length
and/or number of
times button 90 is depressed. For example, the button 90 may be pressed twice
within a
predetermined period of time to toggle the connected circuit ON/OFF. As
another example,
pressing the button 90 twice and holding the button 90 in the actuated
position may permit
manual selection of a dim level for the circuit, assuming dimming
functionality is available. As
still another example, holding the device identification button 90 in the
actuated position for 10
seconds may remove the controller device 70 from the network, such as, for
example, the mesh
network 28 of FIG. 1. As a further example, the device identification button
90, which is a
separate power indicator for some devices, may be illuminated when the
controller device 70 is
powered on, and may blink for a predetermined period of time when the
controller device 70 is
indicated from an application user interface for the system 10. As yet another
example, pressing
and holding the button 90 can result in the light fixture illumination
changing, for example,
ramping up and down, to enable easy identification of the fixture being
controlled by the
controller, which can be particularly helpful in situations where the
controller is installed at a
location remote to the location of the light fixture. These features and
others may be common
throughout all hardware on the system 10.
A status indicator 92, which may be a single LED (such as a multi-color LED,
e.g., a
Red/Green/Blue LED), may also be provided on the housing 72. According to one
implementation, the status indicator 92 may be green when connected to a
network, and may
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be blinking red when attempting to connect to a network. Status indicator 92
can also be
configured to alternate between two colors (e.g., green and red) when
connection to the
gateway and/or the mesh network is lost. Embodiments of the present disclosure
can also have
the lights under control of the controller either turn on, turn off, or blink
when the signal to the
mesh network is lost.
A plurality of LEDs may be provided to function as a signal strength indicator
94,
providing a visual indication of signal strength to, for example, the nearest
device in the network.
For example, three blue illuminated LEDs may represent good signal strength,
two illuminated
LEDs may represent acceptable signal strength, and one illuminated LED may
represent
unacceptable signal strength. It should be appreciated that the particular
means for
accomplishing this manual functionality and the particular visual indications
described are for
exemplary purposes only; variations may be implemented without deviating from
the scope of
the present disclosure.
As shown in FIG. 3, the two halves 74, 76 of the controller 70 may be secured
together
around a printed circuit board assembly 96. In particular, the housing 72 may
be formed by
joining the halves 74, 76 using ultrasonic welding. A locknut 98 may be
threaded around the
threaded installation end 88 of the controller 70. The main components of the
printed circuit
board assembly 96 providing the functionality for the controller 70 are shown
in a circuit
schematic block diagram 210 of FIG. 4A. As shown, the printed circuit board
assembly 96 may
generally include a radio module 212 (which may also be referred to as a
transceiver, for
example, part number XXB24-CZ7PIT-004, a Zigbee-Pro RF radio module available
from Digi
International of Minnetonka, MN), a power supply unit 214, a main processor
216 (which may be
a microcontroller), a dimmer module 218, a power monitoring module 220, and an
output
module 222, programmed by conventional standards to perform conventional
functionality
and/or functionality described herein. One or more of the modules 212, 214,
216, 218, 220, and
222 may be provided as a daughter board coupled with a main portion of printed
circuit board
assembly 96. Certain embodiments of controller 70 include a circuit board
assembly 96 with a
design layout that distributes the heat signature during operation to minimize
and/or prevent hot
spots and heat buildup, making the controller compatible with operation in
confined spaces
(which may be referred to a plenum compatibility). In some embodiments, the
controller is also
outdoor rated, e.g., it is designed to be compatible with various outdoor
ratings, such as IP 66.
As described above, the controller 70 may provide ON/OFF control and/or
dimming. As such,
the controller 70 may include a switchable relay (On/Off) and/or one zone of 0-
10V dimming
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output (0-100% at 16-bit resolution). As is customary with devices operating
on mesh networks,
the controller 70 may also be capable of functioning as a repeater.
The controllers 70 may also be configured to automatically perform a
predetermined
action in response to the detection of an emergency event. For example, all
actuators may be
programmed to switch power to corresponding circuits to a desired state in
response to the
occurrence of a certain event(s). In the context of a lighting system, for
example, the controllers
70, or other lighting actuators, may be configured to turn the lights ON if it
is determined that
communication between the controllers 70 and the gateway 24 is lost. In some
embodiments,
the controllers 70 may be set up to verify communication with the gateway 24
at a
predetermined frequency, referred to as a 'heartbeat' check. If verification
is not received, the
controllers 70 may be programmed to operate in "emergency mode," performing
the action
described above. It should be appreciated that alternative "emergencies" may
be detected or
indicated, and alternative responses may be configured.
For example, referring to FIG. 23D, a controller device configuration view of
a user
interface application provides a selection for the action to be taken in the
event communication
is lost with the gateway 24. In the illustrative example shown, the controller
70 is configured to
turn the lights on if it is determined that communication is lost between the
controller 70 and the
gateway 24.
In addition, the controller 70 may be capable of power usage measurements, via
the
power monitoring module 420, measuring power usage over a period of time or
detecting a
power event. In particular, the controller 70 may be capable of measuring
power supplied
through the controller 70 to a load. The power measurements may be used for
energy
monitoring and/or to initiate some event. That is, the controller 70 may
function as a trigger,
triggering some event to occur, based on the power measurements. According to
some
embodiments, a processor 416 (such as part number MSP43012041TRHBT, a
nnicrocontroller
available from Texas Instruments of Dallas, TX) provide the power measuring
capability, having
AC voltage and current input pins coupled to conditioning and/or protection
circuits provided by
power monitoring module 120. Monitoring measured power consumption of the
attached load
and reporting to the remote server 18 provides historical power consumption
data that is
available for viewing and downloading via the user interface, for example, as
shown in FIG. 17,
which illustrates an exemplary power usage and demand view of a user interface
application for
user device 16 or 43. Displayed site systems 14 can be selected to provide
live and historic
power usage and demand for areas and for zones. Additionally, reports of the
displayed and/or
additional power usage and demand data and analysis can be printed.
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Fault detection allows any power-measuring device 26, such as a controller 70
or
occupancy sensor 130, to infer an electrical fault in the device's switched
circuit, such as a light
fixture 40. This system is distinct from the device heartbeat check discussed
above that can
determine if a controller 24 has loss communication with the gateway 24 or is
otherwise offline.
The inference is computed by the server 18 by comparing historic power usage
and current or
most recent power measurement data. Similarly, once a zone is flagged as
faulted, the system
compares new reports to the pre-fault statistics in order to determine if the
cause of a fault, for
example, a burned out lamp or other problem with a light fixture 40, was
repaired.
The fault detection works by comparing a current non-instantaneous power
report with
historical non-instantaneous power reports (to detect failure) or with
recorded statistics on the
historical reports (to detect repair). Because the power usage changes with
the brightness (dim
level) of a light fixture 40, comparisons are only valid between power reports
collected under
identical dimming settings.
Power report comparison begins when a new power report arrives at the device
manager module 48 of server 18, including for example, data repository 52. If
the zone is
configured for reporting and if the light fixture 40 isn't already flagged as
faulted, then the testing
code is invoked against the new report. If test determines there is an issue,
an appropriate flag
for the zone is set so that follow-on actions can occur. Notification of the
fault for the zone can
be provided to a user computer devices 16 and/or user site devices 43, for
example as shown .
The testing to verify a flagged fault, includes a database 52 query for
historical, non-
instantaneous power reports from the same zone. The historical reports are
filtered so that
reports that correspond to different brightness settings or to indicate events
are removed. If
there are enough comparable reports after the filtering to establish a
baseline, then the mean of
the historical power levels is determined. For example, once this baseline is
established, a
zone's light fixture can be considered faulty if the power draw in the current
report differs by
more than a predetermined threshold, for example, ten percent.
If a zone is flagged as faulted, then the statistics on the preceding reports
that were
used for the inference are stored so that they can be used to determine if a
light fixture 40 is
repaired. From this point on, new reports that are determined to be comparable
are examined,
and if the power usage is consistent with the pre-fault conditions, the fault
status is automatically
removed. Also, if it is determined that a fixture 40 was repaired, a timestamp
is recorded so that
any of the low-power reports that were used to find the primary fault are not
factored in to future
calculations.
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In the case that a zone is flagged as having a potential fixture fault,
various follow on
events and/or notifications will alert the user. For example, in the control
view shown in FIG. 16,
a mark is displayed along a top of the view and with the zone or area listing
along the left,
indicating the fault. The user can click the mark to view and/or dismiss the
event.
In addition to the marks displayed in the control view an email or other
electronic
notification can be used to alert users and/or administrators when a fault has
occurred.
According to some embodiments, devices 26, including controllers 70 and celing
occupancy sensor 130, may be configured to provide a power loss
message/notification. For
example, the controller 70 is configured to, upon detection of the loss of
mains power, send a
packet to the gateway 24 indicating such. To do so, a capacitive circuit of
the controller 70
maintains sufficient power to send this last message to the gateway 24,
indicating power loss. If
the gateway 24 does NOT receive this message, it can be presumed that any loss
of
communication from the device 70 is due to a loss of reception rather than a
loss of power.
Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, the AC/DC power supply 214 of the controller 70
can
include two voltage regulators 440 and 460. A first stage voltage regulator
440 rectifies the AC
power 102 and 104 to DC and provides a first DC voltage output 442 and ground
444 of, for
example, about 12 VDC, and additionally or alternatively an isolated DC
voltage output 446 and
isolated ground 448 of, for example, about 12 VDC, for the 0-12 VDC dimming
module 218. A
second stage voltage regulator 460 provides a second DC voltage output 462,
for example,
about 3.3 VDC, and ground 464. The second DC voltage output 462 is coupled to
a capacitive
storage circuit 470 to continue to provide the second DC voltage output level
for a period of time
after AC power is lost. The radio module 212 and processor 216 are power by
the second DC
voltage output 462. A diode 450 is coupled between the two voltage regulators
440 with the
anode 450a coupled to the output 442 of the first stage voltage regulator 440,
and the cathode
450b is coupled to an input 452 of the second stage voltage regulator 460. The
diode prevents
the capacitive storage circuit 470 from discharging toward the first DC
voltage output 442 upon
loss of the AC power 102.
AC power loss is detected in two ways. First, AC power loss is detected by
monitoring
zero voltage crossing of the AC supply power 102. The processor 216 receives
the AC power
line 102 and 104 signals through power monitor 220 at AC input pins 480 and
480, which
enable the processor to measure instantaneous AC voltage. Upon the processor
216 triggers
AC power loss upon an absence of zero crossings detected over a specified
period of time, for
example, two or more zero voltage crossings during the period of time expected
for 60Hz AC
power, for example about 20 msec.
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The second way AC power loss is detected, or confirmed is be determining that
DC
voltage at the first DC voltage output 442 is lost. The processor 216 has an
input/output port
486 coupled to the first DC voltage output 442 to monitor whether the voltage
level at a junction
between the first DC stage 440 and the second DC stage 460 reflects that AC
power is provided
(if the first DC voltage level is detected) or if AC power is lost (if a lower
and/or declining DC
voltage level is detected). To aid the detection of power loss at first DC
voltage output 442, a
capacitor 458 is coupled across the node between the output 442 and the anode
of diode 450
and ground 448. Upon loss of AC power, the capacitor 458 will discharge
through associated
resistive voltage divider 459, which also provide a voltage detection level
across the capacitor
458 that is scaled appropriately for port 486 of the processor 216. To aid the
speed with which
power loss can be detected by the process 416 via port 486, it has been found
advantageous to
set port 486 as an output port, set the output low, for example, for a few
msecs., the set the port
to input in order to catch the rising side of the port threshold rapidly if
the voltage across
capacitor 458 is already low. In contrast, if port 486 is always an output and
capacitor 458 is
discharging, it can take about 100 msecs. longer to detect a low voltage state
at the descending
side of the port threshold.
An additional feature is an optional power supply split of the controller
circuitry
powered by the second DC stage 460 so that upon detection of power loss, power
can be
disconnected from part of the controller circuit 210 and power from the
capacitive supply 470
can continue to power only the portion of the control circuitry needed to
transmit a power loss
data message.
Referring to FIG. 4C, an exemplary method 400 of detecting power loss is
illustrated.
The method 400 can be provided by processor 216 of controller 70 and by the
respective
processors of other devices, including occupancy sensor 130. The method 400
begins in step
402. In step 404, the zero cross timer is reset. In step 406, the voltage of
the AC power signal is
measured. In step 408, it is determined whether the AC power is transiting
zero volts, either
ascending or descending. If a zero crossing is detected, method 400 continues
at step 404. If
zero crossing is not detecting, method 400 continues at step 410. In step 410,
the processor
216 determines if the zero cross timer is expired, for example, 20 msecs. has
elapsed. If the
timer is not expired, method 400 continues at step 406, else method 400
continues at step 412.
In step 412, the processor 216 can optionally turn off noncritical components
of the controller 70
to limit the drain of power from the capacitive power supply 470. In step 414,
the processor 216
stores configuration and other data in solid-state storage, for example, in a
flash memory device
that retains data after power loss and is associated with processor 216. In
step 416, the
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processor 216 provides a power loss message to radio module 212 to transmit to
gateway 24
via mesh network 28.
In step 418, the processor begins to verify AC power has been lost by checking
the first
DC voltage output 442 from first stage voltage regulator 440, for example,
across capacitor 458,
by setting port 486 to output. In step 420, the processor 216 port 486 is
pushed to a low state,
for example, for one or a few msecs. In step 422, the port 486 is set to
input. In step 424, the
processor 216 reads the state of port 48, which will reflect whether the first
DC voltage output
442 is still above or below the port 486 state threshold, as scaled by
resistors 459. In step 426,
if the state of port 48 reflects a low voltage, AC power has been lost and the
method 400
continues at step 428, else the method continues at step 430. In step 428, the
processor 216
waits for loss of power and a hard power up reset. If power was not lost, in
step 430, the
processor 216 performs a soft reset in order to continue the normal
functioning of controller 70.
In step 432, the method 400 is complete.
FIG. 10A illustrates a first configuration of a controller 70 and load/light
fixture 40 in
which a third party device 60, for example an existing occupancy sensor,
selective switches the
AC supply line for the light fixture 40 and controller 70 provides an AC
neutral line 114 for
measure the power used by load 40 and indicating when the light fixture 40 is
switched on and
off by the third-party device 60. FIG. 10B illustrates a second configuration
of a controller 70
and load/light fixture 40 in which the state of a third party device 60 is
sensed by the power
sensing module of controller 70, using a resistor R coupled between the switch
line of the third
party devices 60 and the sensed neutral line 114 of the controller 70, thus
configuring controller
70 as a trigger. Advantageously, a load/light fixture 40 can be switched and
dimmed by the
same controller 70 by connecting the load to the switch AC supply output 112
of the controller
70, and the 0-10VDC dimming output 118 and 120, if desired. Additionally, if
desired, as with
the occupancy sensor 130, the sensing of trigger 60 can be related to the
selection to power
light fixture 40, or the sensing and output of the controller 70 can be
independent and each
relate to other devices or events in the site system 14.
OCCUPANCY SENSOR
Turning now to FIG. 5A, another type of system device 26 is an occupancy
sensor 130,
which may be similar to the sensor 38 introduced above. The occupancy sensor
130 may
include top and bottom halves 132, 134 defining a generally cylindrical body
enclosing a printed
circuit board 136. The occupancy sensor 130 may be designed and configured for
installation
on or within an octagonal junction box in a ceiling; however, is not limited
to ceiling installations.
According to some embodiments, the sensor in occupancy sensor 130 may be a
passive
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infrared (PIR) sensor (which will typically have an associated sensor lens,
and which may be
used to detect motion, such as a motion sensor 530), a light sensor 532 (which
may detect
ambient light), a microphone 534 or other sound sensor (which may detect
audible sound as
well as sound above or below the spectrum detectable by humans), a power
sensor (capable of
measuring AC voltage and current) and/or an ambient temperature sensor 540,
including AID
converter 542. The occupancy sensor 130 is connected to a site network, such
as the mesh
network 28 of FIG. 1. The sensor may be used both for occupancy and vacancy
sensing. That
is, the occupancy sensor 130 may be configured to detect at least two events:
when motion is
sensed when the state was previously OFF, and when the stay-on period of time
has lapsed
after the last motion was sensed. As such, the occupancy sensor 130 may also
be referred to
as an occupancy sensor or a vacancy sensor.
In addition to the basic functionality, the occupancy sensor 130 of the
present disclosure
may include similar modules, and functionality, as the controller 70 described
above. In
particular, referring to the schematic block diagram 500 of FIG. 5B, and in
addition to a power
supply module 514, a processor 516 (e.g., a microcontroller), and an output
module 522, the
occupancy sensor 130 may also include a radio module 512 (such as a
transceiver), such as an
XBee radio module for communicating using the ZigBee protocol, a power
monitoring module
520, and, according to some embodiments, a dimmer module 518. These modules
may function
as described above with respect to the controller 70.
Some of the modules and/or sensors of occupancy sensor 130 may be connected
via an
IC2 bus 550 or other communication protocol to communication with processor
516, for
example, as shown for the light sensor 532, temperature sensor 540, and real-
time clock 544 of
block diagram 500.
The occupancy sensor 130 may include a relay 524 (such as a solid state or
electro-
mechanical relay) configured to switch mains power, as well as provide a
dimming interface for
dimmable drivers and ballasts, for fixtures installed on the same circuit. In
addition, the
occupancy sensor 130 may be capable of power usage measurements, measuring
power
usage over a period of time, or detecting a power event. Also, the occupancy
sensor 130 may
be configured to send a power loss message similar to that described above
with respect to the
controller 70. Further, the sensor and actuation mechanisms may be separately
addressable
and, thus, independently controlled, if desired, through the application user
interface for the
device control system 10.
Embodiments of the occupancy sensor 130 advantageously include a sensor
module,
including the motion sensor 530, light sensor 532, microphone 534, and
temperature 540, and
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an output module, including relay 524 and dimming module 518, that are
independently
programmable devices selectively programmed according to one or more specific
behaviors.
The behaviors for the sensor module and output module can be programed to act
or can be
programed to have completely unrelated, independent functions. For example,
one such
programmed behavior can be that the dimmer or relay only changes state if the
sensor module
detects a condition in combination with some other separately detected
condition, such as the
sensor module detecting the presence of a person and a separate condition,
such as the
position of a wall switch or the time of day being within a specific period.
Another such
programed behavior can be the relay has no relationship to the sensor, i.e.,
the dimmer or relay
is programmed to change state based on a separate condition, such as the
position of a wall
switch, the time of day, or a sensor separate from the device and its housing
(and possibly
located away from the device).
In some embodiments, a user may select the light fixture being
affected/controlled by the
sensor module. For example, the user may select whether the light fixture to
which the device is
attached and/or one or more remote light fixtures to which the device is not
attached illuminate
when the sensor module detects a person. In one example, the light fixture to
which the device
is attached can be operated according to the occupancy function (or the
vacancy function) as
described below based on the output of the sensor module. In a second example,
a remote light
fixture to which the device is not attached can be operated according to the
occupancy function
(or the vacancy function) as described below based on the output of the sensor
module.
In some embodiments, the wireless lighting system in which the occupancy
sensor
operates includes a system controller (gateway 24 and/or remote server 18)
storing the
programmable behaviors.
One of the programmable behaviors is optionally an occupancy function, which
may be
referred to as auto-on and auto-off control. Here, the processor sends a data
message to the
relay to illuminate at least one light fixture when the sensor detects a
triggering event (e.g., a
person entering the room in which the sensor is located), and wherein the
processor sends a
data message to the relay to extinguish the at least one light fixture when
the sensor detects a
second triggering event (e.g., a person no longer being in the room). In some
embodiments, a
timeout for the occupancy function can be specified, such as in minutes, by
the user. The
occupancy timeout specifies the time after the last detection of occupancy
before the space is
considered unoccupied. When the space is unoccupied the auto-off selection can
set a user-
configurable illumination level of 0-100%.
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One of the programmable behaviors is optionally a vacancy function, which may
be
referred to as manual-on and auto-off control. Here, the processor ignores the
device's sensor
(e.g., the processor will not send a data message to the relay when the sensor
detects a
triggering event such as a person entering a room) until receiving additional
data, such as data
from the wireless transceiver. In at least one embodiment, the processor sends
a data message
to the relay to illuminate at least one light fixture when the processor
receives data from the
wireless transceiver (i.e., the transceiver indicates to the processor that a
remote switch (e.g., a
standard-type wall-mounted light switch) has been actuated to turn the lights
on), and sends a
data message to the relay to extinguish the at least one light fixture when
the sensor detects a
triggering event (e.g., a person no longer being in the room).
In some embodiments, the vacancy function is similar to the occupancy
function, except
the processor will not send commands to illuminate one or more light fixtures
when the sensor
module detects a person in the room, but the programmer will instead send
output commands to
illuminate one or more light fixtures when a user actuates a remote switch
(which may be wired
or wirelessly connected to the device). When the sensor no longer detects a
person in the room,
the programmer will output a command to turn off the one or more light
fixtures either
immediately or after a preset delay. Moreover, if the sensor does not detect a
person, then
subsequently detects a person again within a user-selectable time (e.g., 2
minutes) the system
automatically turns the lights back on without requiring the user to actuate
the external switch.
As an example, when a person enters a room with one of these devices, the
person must
actuate a light switch to turn the lights on even though the sensor "sees" the
person. And, the
lights automatically turn off (either immediately or after a preset time)
after the person exits the
room. Then, if the person re-enters the room within a pre-set time (e.g.,
within 2 minutes), the
system will automatically turn the lights back on without requiring the user
to actuate the light
switch. However, if the person re-enters the room after the pre-set time
(e.g., after 2 minutes),
the system will not automatically turn the lights back on and will require the
user to actuate the
light switch.
The occupancy function, the vacancy function, and their parameters can be
selectable
configurations from a user interface. Additionally, in occupancy mode, the
microphone 534
sensing occupancy can turn the light fixture on. Additionally, in vacancy
mode, for a preset
period of time after the last motion sensor 530 activation, the microphone 534
sensing
occupancy will also turn the lights back on.
The functionality of a device 26 may be changed at different times of the day.
For
example, an occupancy sensor mounted at the entrance to an office space can
turn on the
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lights in the entrance area when the sensor detects a person during office
hours, but after hours
the sensor can turn on all the lights in the office area when the sensor
detects a person.
Similar to the controller 70 (and devices 26 in general), embodiment of the
occupancy
sensor are optionally capable of power monitoring, e.g., power usage
measurements of the
current flowing through the occupancy sensor and to the lights being
controlled by the
occupancy sensor, measuring power usage over a period of time, and/or
detecting a power
event. The device may also be configured to send a power loss message when the
device
detects a power loss.
The time interval used by the occupancy sensor to report to the gateway (e.g.,
power
consumption) can also be adjusted/set
The occupancy sensor 130 may also include user interface features and
functionality
similar to that of the controller device 70. In particular, the occupancy
sensor 130 may include a
device identification button 560, motion indicator 562 (such as a color-coded
light, e.g., green,
used to indicate when the sensor has detected a threshold level of motion,
sound, light,
temperature, etc.), power indicator 564, signal strength indicator 566, and
status indicator 568,
which may function as described above with respect to the controller 70.
Further, it should be
appreciated that functionality normally controlled at the device level for
conventional occupancy
sensors may be controlled through the application user interface for the
device control system
10, discussed below in greater detail. For example, on-time or stay-on period,
sensitivity, and
photosensitivity are some parameters that may be controlled through the
interface, according to
the present disclosure. The occupancy sensor 130 may also including power
consumption
monitoring like controller 70.
DAYLIGHT HARVESTER
Another exemplary system device 26 is a daylight harvester 150, shown in FIG.
6, which
may be similar to the daylight harvester 39 introduced above. The system 14
can be configured
to dim or switch light fixtures in response to light level measure by daylight
harvester 150. More
specifically, the daylight harvester is operated using open-loop control and
it reacts to different
sunlight levels, e.g., in a first mode the lights are illuminated and
extinguished when the light
sensor detects ambient light above/below a predetermined level. In another
open-loop control
mode, multiple thresholds are set and the lights are illuminated, dimmed, and
extinguished
depending on the ambient light sensed relative to the various thresholds. An
ambient light
sensor module 626 does not distinguish between daylight and room light;
therefore, it is
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important to position and angle the daylight harvester where it will maximize
receipt of daylight
for both powering the device and controlling the light fixtures based on
ambient light.
The daylight harvester 150 may generally include top and bottom halves 152,
154
defining a generally rectangular body enclosing a printed circuit board 156.
The daylight
harvester 150 may be wireless, operating off of solar power. In particular,
the daylight harvester
150 may include a solar cell 158 (e.g., a photovoltaic (PV) cell) that
converts energy from light
into electricity for storage and for powering the device 150. A typical
position for location of the
daylight harvester 150 during operation is in a location where it receives
direct sunlight, such as
being positioned on a window ledge.
As with the occupancy sensor 130 the daylight harvester 150 may include
similar
modules and functionality as, for example, the controller 70; however, to
conserve power, the
daylight harvester can provide single-direction information to the gateway 24,
and end device,
and may not function as a repeater in the mesh network 28.
The daylight harvester 150 may also include a light pipe 160 for transporting
or directing
ambient light to an ambient light sensor module 626 of the printed circuit
board 156. The light
sensor module 626 may be a digital light sensor module and may be used for
measuring
ambient light entering into a space through a window or skylight, as is known
to those skilled in
the art. The light sensor module 626 may take light readings at predetermined
intervals and
may, in turn, transmit light levels to the system 10, or more particularly the
gateway 24 of the
system 10, at predetermined intervals. For example, the daylight harvester 150
may take light
readings at one minute intervals and may transmit light levels at five minute
intervals. Additional
information may be gathered, stored, and/or transmitted. For example, the
daylight harvester
150 may be configured to transmit a run-time average, an average since the
last transmission,
and/or the most recent peak light level. Actuation of a button 612 provides
instantaneous light
level readings and transmission on demand.
The daylight harvester 150 can have at least two different power modes for
operation.
According to a first example mode, the daylight harvester 150 may be solar
powered, as
described above, operating solely off of solar power. As such, the daylight
harvester 150 may
be configured to enter a sleep mode, to conserve power, when the device 150 is
not measuring
and/or transmitting. Further, the daylight harvester 150 may completely cease
operating at
night, and begin to operate again when solar power is available by re-
commissioning itself and
reentering the wireless mesh network. Yet further, the daylight harvester 150
may be configured
to monitor the charge on the voltage bus and make decisions regarding whether
or not to
transmit data based on detected power levels. For example, if the power level
is low and
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insufficient to transmit data, the daylight harvester 150 may delay the
transmission of data for a
predetermined delay period or until the power increases beyond a predetermined
limit. An
advantage realized by embodiments of the daylight harvester that conserve
power is the ability
to use higher power communication devices (e.g., transceivers) to communicate
with the mesh
network and the gateway.
According to a second example mode of operation, the daylight harvester 150
may
receive power through a USB or micro-USB plug 162. When in the USB powered
mode, the
daylight harvester may remain on and connected to the network, such as mesh
network 28. The
second mode can be used to commission the daylight harvester 150 upon initial
installation.
A third mode of operation may include a hybrid power mode, including the use
of solar
power and USB power.
In at least one embodiment, which may be referred to as a single-trigger
embodiment,
room lighting will be turned off (or to a dimmed state) when the sensor
measures light levels
above a first predetermined threshold, and room lighting will be turned on
when the light sensor
detects light levels below a second predetermined threshold (which may be
equal to or different
than the first predetermined threshold).
In another embodiment, which may be referred to as a multi-trigger embodiment,
multiple light level thresholds may be used as triggering events for adjusting
room lighting. For
example, when sensed light levels exceed a first threshold, room lighting is
dimmed, and when
sensed light levels exceed a second/higher level, room lights are turned off.
Similarly, when light
levels fall below a third and/or fourth threshold, which may or may not be
equal to either the first
or second thresholds, room lighting is increased.
Embodiments of the daylight harvester may optionally be operated using open-
loop
control. For example, the daylight harvester will react to different sunlight
levels, e.g., the lights
are illuminated/extinguished/dimmed when the light sensor detects ambient
light above/below a
predetermined level.
Some embodiments of the daylight harvester may optionally be operated using
closed-
loop control logic. For example, when using an example closed-loop control
scheme the lights
are continually adjusted to maintain a particular light level in the room,
e.g., a feedback loop is
used to increase or decrease room lighting to achieve a preset level. When
operating a daylight
harvester using closed-loop control, the daylight harvester can be positioned
away from the
window and within the room to sense the light level where the ambient light
will most be used by
a person in the room (e.g., on or near a work surface). In this mode of
operation, it may be
advantageous to have the daylight harvester connected to a power source such
as USB power
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if the combination of room light and ambient light may not be sufficient to
power the daylight
harvester.
Since the daylight harvester is usable within a network with multiple light
fixtures, the
daylight harvester may be used to affect the illumination of multiple lights
in multiple locations.
Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, a first and second portion of block schematic
diagram
610A and 610B are shown. The exemplary embodiment of daylight harvestor 150
includes a
power management module 620 coupled to the solar cell 158, battery 621, and
capacitor
storage 622. For example, the power management module 620 efficiently acquires
and
manages energy and may include a single chip power management device such as
part number
bq25504 available from Texas Instruments of Dallas, TX. Radio module 624 for
communication
with mesh network 28 may be, for example, part number XXB24-Z7PIT-004, a
Zigbee-Pro RF
radio module available from Digi International of Minnetonka, MN.). The USB
power input
couples to a voltage regulator 623, for example, part number AP2127K-3.3TRG1,
available from
Diodes Inc., of Plano, TX. A processor 628 (such as part number
MSP430G2553IRHB32R, a
microcontroller available from Texas Instruments of Dallas, TX), provides
overall control of the
various other modules and provides input/output ports for indicators 614 and
616 and button
612. The ambient light sensor 626 can be, for example, part number TSL45315CL
available
from AMS-TAOS USA, Inc., of Plano TX.
GATEWAY
At least one gateway, such as gateway 24 above, is installed to communicate
with
devices 26 at a site 14. With continued reference to the system 10 of FIG. 1,
the gateway 24
manages the mesh network 28 and communicates with the server system 12. As
will be
described below, the gateway 24 ultimately controls the devices 26, with
control information
mirrored from the server system 12, with which users 42 and user computer
devices 16 directly
interact. According to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure, the
gateway 24
communicates with the server system 12 via cellular or, in some particular
embodiments,
machine-to-machine cellular. As such, the gateway 24 may be provided with a
subscriber
identity module (SIM) card for facilitating communication over a cellular
network, for example,
private, encrypted 3G cellular connection independent of any site networks.
This connection
may be maintained while the gateway 24 is powered on, and, by avoiding the use
of an
Ethernet, WiFi, or other shared internet connection, may be more secure than
alternative
communications means.
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Embodiments for packet routing through mesh network 28 include ad hoc network
routing where the shortest path from a device 26 to the gateway 24 is
continually updated and
used for communications. Still other embodiments utilize source routing where
a routing path
from a device 26 to the gateway is initially set and remains unchanged until
the routing path is
updated at a later (typically predetermined) time. Still other embodiments
will utilize ad hoc
rooting when there are a particular number of nodes in the mesh network 28
(e.g., 40 or less)
and will utilize source routing when there are a different number of nodes in
the mesh network
(e.g., >40 nodes).
ILLUMINATION PROTOCOLS
Referring to Fig. 11, other embodiments of the present disclosure can address
illumination latency issues using a point-to-point (device-to-device) control
scheme in which
packets containing commands are sent directly from one device 26 to another
device 26, rather
than having to route through the gateway 24. For example, a local user system
interface 43
(e.g., a tablet device) associated with mesh network 28 provides instructions
to the controller 70
for the light fixture 40. The user system device 43 will send the command
(e.g., on, off and/or
dim) packet directly to the controllers 70 for the light fixtures, i.e.,
bypassing the gateway 24,
then each controller 70 can send a response to the gateway 24 to inform the
gateway that the
command was received and/or a change in status of the controller (or light
fixture) had occurred.
Other devices such as occupancy sensors 130 and controllers 70 that are
configured in site
system 14 to control another device 26 can similarly employ point-to-point
packet routing and
control.
DEPLOYMENT PLAN
According to some embodiments, it may be desirable to test or validate device
installation locations at site 14 before installing. In embodiments where the
gateway 24
communicates via a cellular network, the gateway 24 is typically installed at
a location having a
good cellular signal. The devices 26 are also typically installed such that
they communicate with
the gateway 24, either directly or indirectly (such as through other devices
26 of the wireless
mesh network 28). With the devices 26 powered on, the installer can ensure
that the devices
have a "good" signal indication to ensure good communication with gateway 24.
If the signal is
unacceptable, the devices 26 may be relocated or additional devices may be
added between
the particular device 26 and the gateway 24.
INSTALLATION
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The installation of a site system 14 may be based on a deployment plan, if one
exists,
= and can begin with the locating and powering on of the gateway 24. Once
the gateway 24 is
powered on, it can be recognized by system 12 (either by the user taking
action, such as by
pressing a button on the gateway, or automatically without the need for user
input) and
associated with a user organization account. Devices 26 may then be mounted
and powered. In
alternate embodiments, devices 26 can be mounted and/or powered before
creating a user
organization account, powering on the gateway 24, or associating gateway 24
with a user
organization account. Devices 26 that are mains powered (AC power supply) are
typically
= designed to be inserted into a junction box or other similar enclosure.
As shown in FIG. 8, a
controller 70 may be mounted with switched mains power connected in a high
voltage area 170
and dimming control connected in a low voltage area 172. A controller 70
having dimming and
current sensing capabilities may be mounted and connected to mains power 180
and a load /
electrical device 182. Alternative wiring installations are shown in FIGS. 10A
and 10B.
A key aspect to the positioning of devices 26 is that adequate signal strength
the
gateway 24 or other device 26 of mesh network is provided as indicated by the
mesh network
signal strength indicators 94, as previously discussed. In some cases, one or
more additional
devices 26 may need to be installed to act simply as mesh network 28
repeaters, only serving to
relay packet traffic between devices 26 of the mesh network that otherwise
would lack adequate
signal strength for reliable communication.
Other devices 26, such as an occupancy sensor 130 (see, e.g., FIG. 5A) and
daylight
harvester 150 (see, e.g., FIG. 6A) may be mounted as per a deployment plan and
powered on.
For example, the occupancy sensor 130 may be connected to mains power in a
manner similar
= to that shown above with respect to the controller 70. Some embodiments
of the daylight
harvester 150 do not require mains power and may be powered using the USB port
162 or
using solar power for initial installation, as described above.
Address numbers or identification numbers may be provided for the gateway 24
and the
devices 26. Recording these numbers and, in particular, the association of the
device numbers
and the mounting locations, such as circuit, physical position or location,
etc., may be useful
during the commissioning process.
= 30
COMMISSIONING
Once the hardware has been mounted and powered on, it may be commissioned,
during
which the device enters the network and is identified by the server system 12.
In at least one
embodiment, the devices being mounted and powered on will self-commission,
greatly
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simplifying installation. For example, in at least one example embodiment, the
gateway 24 self-
commissions by automatically identifying itself to the device control system
10 and with a user
organization account.
Once one or more items of hardware of site system 14 (e.g., gateway 24 and/or
any
device 26) is mounted (or positioned) in the appropriate location and powered
on, the hardware
(e.g., gateway 24 and/or the device 26) will self-commission by automatically
initiating
communications with server system 12 (which for a device 26 will typically
occur by
communicating to system 12 via gateway 24) and identifying itself to server
system 12, which
may occur over a cellular telephone network as previously described.
When the devices 26 are powered on, they can wirelessly and automatically
attempt to
communicate with the gateway 24 via the mesh network 28. In particular, the
devices 26 can
identify themselves to the gateway 24 and the gateway 24 can inform the server
system 12 of
= the devices 26. See, e.g., step 714 of FIG. 7. According to some
embodiments, a proprietary
link key may be used to secure communications between the gateway 24 and
devices 26, even
during initial commissioning, for example, according to method 1200 shown in
FIG. 12A,
discussed further below.. When device 26 is powered an encrypted identity
package may be
repeatedly transmitted in order to seek to join mesh network 28. The identity
package may be
encrypted by the proprietary link key and may include an identification key
unique to each
individual device 26. The gateway 24 may receive and decrypt the identity
package for a
= 20
particular device 26. Of course, alternative methods of encryption
and/or authentication may be
used.
If identity package meets preset criteria in gateway 24, which may be updated
by server
18, the gateway 24 may perform the following: (1) allow device 26 to join mesh
network 28 and
transmit single acknowledgement message to device 26; (2) transmit updated
status information
to notify server 18 that the specific device 26 has joined. If device 26
receives the
acknowledgment message, (3) device 26 will stop transmitting the encrypted
identity package.
However, if the identity package does not meet preset criteria in gateway 24,
gateway 24 will
not execute either step (1) or (2) above.
The acknowledgment message typically includes a specific device 26 unique
identification key, so only the specific device 26 that has been recognized by
the gateway 24
and mesh network 28 is identified. The device 26 may be reset so that the
device begins
repeatedly transmitting an encrypted identity package, and manually reinitiate
steps 2-3 above
when a user 42 actuates physical switch 85 on device 26, for example,
controller 70, which may
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include actuating and holding switch 85 in actuated position for a
predetermined period of time,
such as, for example, at least 10 seconds.
Once the hardware of site system 14 has been installed, the hardware can be
associated with a user organization account for the device control system 10,
which may be
accomplished automatically, such as if an account has already been
established, or by an
administrator of server system 12.
Embodiments including hardware that self-commission greatly enhances the
usability of
these systems. The user need only power on the hardware (typically after
mounting and wiring
with light fixtures 40) to have the hardware communicate with server system 12
and have server
system 12 identify which specific device self-commissioned. As such, no
special training may be
required, other than potentially having an electricians certification
depending on local laws, to
have one or more devices fully integrated into the network and into an
operational system. In
situations where the user does not have a user organization account, the self-
commissioning
process speeds the installation process. In some embodiments, a user without
an organization
account can have an account established and have the device (e.g., a
controller) fully integrated
into the network within minutes (e.g., less than 1 minute in some embodiments,
and less than 5
minutes in other embodiments).
If registration has not yet occurred, it can occur at this point in the
process. To reiterate,
the gateway 24 may be associated with an account, such as, for example, by a
user or
administrator accessing or creating an account over the Internet.
Alternatively, a user may call a
customer service representative to assist in establishing a user account
and/or the
commissioning process. Yet alternatively, an interactive voice response system
may be
integrated with the device control system 10 to assist in the registration
and/or commissioning
process. Ultimately, as shown in a user interface 1900 of FIG. 19A, a gateway
identification
code 1906 for the gateway 24 is typically associated with a particular
organization account and
site, such as site system 14.
A flowchart 700 representing an exemplary method of commissioning and/or
configuring
a site, such as site system 14, is shown in FIG. 7. The method begins at a
START, step 702,
and proceeds to a first step, shown at step 704, in which registration occurs.
In particular, a
user, such as one of users 42, may access the server system 12 using an
appropriate interface,
such as a web-based or native application, to register and/or create an
organization account
and add users and/or administrators. Alternatively, an administrator may
register users 42 and
create user accounts. After registration, a gateway, such as gateway 24, may
be associated
with an organization account, at step 706. This may be accomplished by
entering a unique
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gateway identification number through the application, or other appropriate
interface, or the
gateway 24 may be pre-configured with an association to an existing account.
With the association in place, when the gateway 24 is powered on, at step 708,
the
gateway 24 may appear on a user interface of the user device, such as one of
the user
computer devices 16. Devices 26 may be designed such that upon power up they
automatically
attempt to register with the gateway 24 after they are powered on, at steps
710 and 712. That
= is, when a device 26 is powered on, it wirelessly and automatically
attempts to communicate
with the gateway 24. In particular, the device 26 identifies itself to the
gateway 24 and the
gateway 24 informs the server system 12 of the device 26, at step 714. In some
embodiments,
and as described below for methods 1200 and 1250, the gateway 24 may prevent
new devices
26 from using the proprietary link key to join the mesh network 28 unless a
customer service
representative and/or organization administrator has set the site system 14
and gateway 24 to
allow new devices to join. For example, referring to FIG. 19B, by selecting an
add devices mode
= 1906 on the user interface.
After devices 26 have joined the mesh network and registered with gateway 24
and
server system 12, the user 42 may then be able to manage devices 16 through
the user
interface, at step 716, as will be discussed below. Users 42 may have various
levels of access
and control with regard to a particular site and/or particular device 26.
After configuration, the
server system 12 communicates control instructions to the gateway 24, at step
718, and the
gateway 24 may execute the instructions, at step 720. Updates provided by the
user 42 may be
forwarded from the server system 12 to the gateway 24. In addition, the
gateway 24 may
receive various information from the device 26, and may send, or relay,
various updates to the
server system 12. Ultimately, the method proceeds to an END, at step 722.
After the device 26 communicates with the gateway 24 and the gateway 24
communicates information about the device 26 to the server system 12, the
device 26 may be
managed within a user interface. That is, with continued reference to FIG. 1
and additional
reference to FIG. 6, representations, such as, for example, graphical and/or
textual
representations, of the device 26 may be displayed on a user interface 1500 of
one of the user
computer devices 16, as shown for example in FIG. 15. Additionally, when a
user 42,
particularly an organizational administrator, logs into their account, all
sites, or site systems 14,
associated with the user 42 may be visible through the user interface as shown
in Figs. 20.
Referring again to FIG. 15, when the user 42 selects one of the sites, or site
systems 14,
entries representative of actual devices 26 are visible through the user
interface and include
information, such as unique device identifiers. The user 42 may enter
additional information
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about each device 26, such as a device location, description, and zone, using
the user interface
1900. To ascertain which entry in the user interface represents which physical
device 26, a user
input, such as an indicate selection button 2104 associated with a specific
one of the entries
2102 displayed on the user interface may be actuated, as shown in Fig. 21B. As
a result, an
indicator on the physical device 26 represented by that entry 2102 may be
modified in some
predetermined way to assist the user 42 in matching each entry 2102 to the
physical device 26
it represents. For example, an indicator may illuminate using a predetermined
duration and/or
pattern, or the load (light fixture) controlled by the device may be
repeatedly switched on/off or
dimmed/undimmed.
An additional and/or alternative device identification may include the user 42
actuating a
physical switch 85 of one of the device 26. This actuation may generate a
communication sent
by communication module 34 and be received by the gateway 24 of the site
system 14 and
communicated, along with the unique device identifier of the selected device
26, to the server
system 12. In addition, this actuation my change a state of a status indicator
92 on the device
26, for example, one or more LEDs may blink for a period of time or other
condition satisfied
subsequent to a physical switch 85 being actuated. In response, the device
entries 2102 as
shown in FIG. 21B, or other representation, in the user interface may be
changed to identify
which device entry 2102 corresponds to the selected device 26. For example,
the particular
device entry 2104 corresponding to the selected device 26 may be moved up to
the top of the
list, highlighted, or otherwise indicated, and may be pre-selected in
preparation for the user 42
to continue the commissioning process. As such, the user 42 may be assisted in
adding useful
and accurate information about the device 26 via the user interface.
Once the site system 14 is planned and deployed, and the device 26 is properly
commissioned, the user 42 may begin remotely managing and controlling the
device 26. When
a user 42 logs into their account, all sites, or site systems 14, associated
with the user 42 may
be visible through the application user interface. When the user 42 selects
one of the sites, or
site systems 14, entries representative of actual device 26 are visible
through the user interface
and include information, such as unique device identifiers. For example, as
shown in FIGS. 14,
19A and 19B, a list of devices 1902. The user 42 may enter additional
information about each
device 26, such as a device location, description, and zone, using the user
interface. To
ascertain which entry in the user interface represents which device 26, a user
input, such as a
selection button, associated with a specific one of the entries displayed on
the user interface
may be actuated. As a result, an indicator on the device 26, such as, for
example, the status
indicator 92, may be modified in some predetermined way to assist the user 42
in matching
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each entry to the device 26 it represents. For example, an indicator, such as
the status indicator
92, may illuminate using a predetermined color, duration and/or pattern.
The device 26 may be correlated with a specific virtual identifier associated
with the
device 26 in the server 18 application. A plurality of correlation methods may
be optionally used
during setup, commissioning and/or troubleshooting the wireless device control
system 10.
A first correlation method may include a user actuating a physical switch 85
on the
device 26, such as, for example, actuating physical switch 85 for at most 1
second, which
results in device 26 transmitting single identity package to the gateway 24,
the gateway 24
receiving the identity package, and notifying the server 18. In response the
server 18 highlights
virtual identifier for specific device 26 to allow administrators and users
associated with gateway
24 through their user computer device 16, to easily identify the virtual
identifier representing the
device 26.
A second example correlation method can include a system administrator
actuating an
identification protocol for a virtual identifier, which is associated with a
particular device 26,
= 15 which may result in the device 26 commanding the hardware to
perform certain functions, such
as, for example, toggling a load on & off, and/or one or more status
indicators 92 on the device
26 actuating, such as, for example, flashing.
A third example correlation method can be similar to Method 2, except that a
user 42
actuates the identification protocol instead of a system administrator.
A fourth correlation method may include a user actuating a physical switch 85
on the
device 26, such as, for example, actuating physical switch 85 twice within one
second and
holding the second actuation, which may result in the device 26 commanding the
hardware to
perform certain functions, such as, for example, ramping a load up & down
which may cause
the state of virtual identifier to change, and/or one or more status
indicators 92 on the device 26
actuating such as, for example, flashing, and/or changing the state of the
virtual identifier
associated with the device 26.
A fifth correlation method may include a device 26 connected to an external
switch, such
as, for example, a typical wall light switch and using the external switch as
a trigger for the
device 26. The user may actuate the external switch and one or more status
indicators 92 on
the device 26 may actuate, such as, for example, changing state from on to
off, or off to on,
and/or changing the state of the virtual identifier associated with the device
26, and/or device 26
triggering a load, such as, for example, a light fixture according to
established protocol, such as,
turning a light fixture on/off.
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The Wireless device control system 10 may accept user input to place user
defined
labels on each individual virtual identifier. This may be accomplished through
a user computer
device 16 or the server 18. This may permit users 42 or system administrator
to assign plain
language names to identify specific individual hardware in the wireless device
control system
10. These plain language names may include location of and/or functioning of
hardware.
CONFIGURATION AND USE
With the site system 14 is deployed and the devices 26 are properly
commissioned, the
user 42 may begin remotely managing and controlling the devices 26, for
example, by initiating
manual actions through a user interface or creating automations and schedules
to be carried out
by the server system 12 and gateway 24 at step 164f of FIG. 7. As described
above, users 42
may have various levels of access and control with regard to a particular site
14 and/or
particular devices 26. After commissioning, the server system 12 communicates
control
instructions to the gateway 24 (and/or devices 26 via gateway 24), and the
gateway 24 (and/or
devices 26) may execute the instructions. Updates provided by the user 42 may
be forwarded
from the server system 12 to the gateway 24, and to devices 26. In addition,
the gateway 24
may receive information from the devices 26, and may send, or relay, various
updates to the
server system 12. Ultimately, the method proceeds to an END, at step 164g.
As described above, the devices 26 may accomplish some function, such as
detecting
changes in the environment or causing changes in the environment. That is, for
example, some
devices 26 may switch power to a lighting fixture and/or control a dim level
of the lighting
fixture(s). According to some embodiments, a trim level, representing a
maximum illumination
level of the lighting fixture, may be set or modified through the application
user interface. For
example, as an energy savings feature, a user may set a trim level for a
particular light by
lowering the maximum illumination level for the light so that a user may not
increase the
illumination level/output beyond the newly selected maximum level. In addition
to a maximum
dim level, a minimum dim level may be set and/or adjusted through the
application user
interface. As another example, the device 26 (e.g., an occupancy sensor) can
restrict the
maximum illumination of the fixture when the sensor detects a person, e.g.,
when the light is
turned on the light illuminates to only 80% of its maximum illumination.
Although illumination can
be less than 100% when using trim levels, the wall switch can be configured to
indicate the
fixture is at 100% illumination while the user interface (cell phone, iPad,
etc.) can show the
actual illumination level (e.g., 80%).
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During commissioning, or sometime thereafter, each of the devices 26 may be
associated with or may correspond to a particular zone. For example, a zone
may represent an
electrical circuit having one or more lighting fixtures installed thereon. As
shown in a screen
capture 2500 in FIG. 25, a multichannel controller device 2502 (as represented
through the user
interface), such as multichannel controller 190, may be associated with, or
control, multiple
zones, as shown in a list of zones at 2504. Zones may be grouped into areas,
which may
represent, for example, rooms, locations, or other designated areas of the
site 14. This
organization may logically group circuits into common areas to facilitate
appropriate monitoring
and control. Turning to FIG. 21B, a screen capture depicts the creation of an
area and selection
of zones to group within the area via an exemplary user interface.
To improve lighting control relative to daylight hours, sunset and sunrise
times are used
by the system 12 , for example, to control when different "scenes" are
implemented; during
commissioning of a gateway 24 or later during configuration, a user or
administrator enters the
zipcode where the site system 14, including the gateway 24, is located and the
server system
12 uses the zipcode to determine an approximate latitude and longitude of the
site system 14
for sunrise/sunset calculations. Determining the latitude and longitude based
on only the
zipcode and calculating and storing that information at the server system 12
adds an extra layer
of security to assist in obscuring the precise physical location of the site
system 14.
MESH NETWORK SECURITY
Although other mesh networks can be used, the illustrative mesh network 28
uses
ZigBee, an open global standard for low-power, low-cost, low-data-rate,
wireless mesh
networking based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. Through its mesh and routing
capabilities,
networks such as ZigBee allows the transmission of data over long distances by
passing the
data through a mesh network of intermediate nodes to reach more distant ones.
It represents a
network layer above the 802.15.4 layers to support advanced mesh routing
capabilities. The
ZigBee specification is developed by a growing consortium of companies that
make up the
ZigBee Alliance. ZigBee Smart Energy Standard, ZigBee Profile: 0x0109,
Revision 19, Version
1.2a, Document 07-5356-19, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety,
describes device
high-level communication protocols used to create personal area networks with
small, low-
power digital radios, including the installation and use of security keys.
Each ZigBee network must be formed by one, and only one, coordinator, which is
the
gateway 24 in the illustrative embodiment of control system 10. The devices 26
of the wireless
device control system 10 can be a router type or an end type device; however,
for typical
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installations, most devices 26 will be a router. A router is a full-featured
ZigBee node and
perform various functions including join existing networks and send, receive,
and route
information (routing involves acting as a messenger for communications between
other devices
that are too far apart to convey information on their own). A network may have
multiple router
devices. An end device is essentially a reduced version of a router. The end
device cannot act
as messenger between any other devices.
ZigBee supports various levels of security that can be configured depending on
the
needs of the application. Security provisions include encryption, security
keys that can be
preconfigured, support for a coordinator trust center, and provisions to
ensure message
integrity, security, and authentication.
ZigBee security is applied to the Network and APS layers. Packets are
encrypted with
128-bit AES encryption. A network key and link key can be used to encrypt
data. Network and
APS layer encryption can both be applied to data. Only devices with the same
keys are able to
communicate together in a network. The network key is used to encrypt the APS
layer and
application data. All data packets are encrypted with the network key. When a
device receives a
packet, it decrypts and authenticates the packet. If the device is not the
destination, it then
encrypts and authenticates the packet. Since network encryption is performed
at each hop,
packet latency is slightly longer in an encrypted.
APS layer security can be used to encrypt application data. APS security
provides end-
to-end security using an APS link key. A trust center link key is established
between a device 26
and the trust center, the gateway 24. ZigBee defines a trust center device as
responsible for
authenticating devices that join the network. The trust center also manages
link key distribution
in the network
The coordinator, gateway 24, is responsible for selecting a network encryption
key. This
key can be randomly selected. The trust center link key can be a preconfigured
proprietary key
stored in gateway 24 and devices 28 prior to installation. In an illustrative
embodiment of the
control system 10, the devices 28 that join the network must obtain the
network key when they
join. When a device joins a secure network, the network key can be sent to the
joining device e
encrypted by the link key. Otherwise, if the joining device is not
preconfigured with the link key,
the device could only join the network if the network key is sent unencrypted
("in the clear"),
which exposes the mesh network 28 to nefarious intrusions.
If the joining device has the correct link key, the joining device will be
able to decrypt the
network key and join the network. The network key can be periodically rotated
with a new
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=
randomly generated network key and distributed to all of the devices 28 joined
to the mesh
network 28.
A potential security weakness of a mesh network protocol in which devices have
a pre-
installed proprietary link key is that in some devices the proprietary link
key may be discovered
by close, expert examination of a device. If discovered, the proprietary key
can be installed in
and used with a "rogue" device. If this occurs, the rogue device can use the
proprietary link key
to decrypted the current network key and join the network. To address this
security weakness,
various specific actions are implemented for the mesh network 28 of an
illustrative control
system 10 that avoid exposes the system to rogue devices and require all
rejoins of devices 26
to be done with secure, encrypted communication rather than in an open
unencrypted and
unsecure fashion.
First, devices 26 are only allowed to first join the wireless network during a
specified
period of time, preferably short, during which a site administrator expects
new devices 26 to join
the site system 24 and during which the administrator has authorized the
gateway 24 to provide
the network key encrypted using the pre-installed proprietary link key.
Second, upon joining during the specified short authorization period, devices
26 are
immediately provided a new, randomly generated updated link key that can be
used to rejoin the
device 26 to the network if the device later loses communication and/or misses
a periodic
rotation/update to the network key.
Third, subsequent rejoins of any device that had previously joined the network
are
facilitated by the gateway 24 sending the current network key encrypted using
the current
randomly generated link key, rather than the proprietary link key, thereby
preventing rogue
devices only having the proprietary link key from joining.
Fourth, optionally, the randomly generated network key can be periodically
updated.
Fifth, optionally, the randomly generated link key can be periodically
updated.
Referring to FIG. 12A an illustrative method 1200 of securing joining a new
device 26 to
the mesh network 28 of a site system 14 is shown. Also referring to FIG. 1,
the method 1200
and a companion method 1250, described below, are completed by various
components of
control system 12, including for example, server 18, gateway 24, device 26,
and mesh network
28.
In step 1202 the method 1200 starts. In step 1204, proprietary link keys are
stored in the
trust center of gateway 24, for example the communications module 30, and in
each device 26,
for example, in the communications module 34. In step 1206, if not already
completed, the
gateway 24 and/or devices 26 are installed and powered at system site 14. In
step 1208, the
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gateway 24 of the particular site system 14 is set to allow devices 26 to join
the mesh network
28 using the proprietary link key. For example, as shown in the exemplary
screen capture of a
device commissioning setting of a back-end user interface application, an add
devices mode
can be selected. Additionally, the mode can be optionally selected to expire
after a specified
period of time.
In step 1210, the device 26 detects the mesh network 28 of gateway 24 and
sends a join
request in accordance with the mesh network protocol, e.g. Zigbee. In step
1212, if the new
device join mode has expired, method 1200 continues at step 1214. In step
1214, the join
request is ignored. If in step 1212 the device join mode has not expired,
method 1200 continues
to step 1216.
In step 1216, the gateway 24 sends the current network key encrypted using the
proprietary link key. In step 1218, the device 26 receives the encrypted
network key and
decrypts it using the proprietary link key. In step 1220, the device 26 joins
the mesh network 28
using the current network key and the gateway 24 registers the device 26. In
step 1224, the
gateway 24 sends an update link key to the device 26 encrypted using the
current network key.
The updated link key is stored in the trust center of gateway 24, for example
communications
module 30, and in the device 26, for example, communications module 34. In
step 1226,
method 1200 is completed.
Subsequent to a device 26 first joining the mesh network 28 of gateway 24, a
device 26
may lose communication with the mesh network 28, for example, a "sleepy"
device. In such an
event, depending on the protocol configuration of the mesh network 28, the
sleepy device 28
may rejoin if it still has the current network key; however, in the event the
protocol configuration
requires that a link key be used to rejoin the mesh network, or the sleepy
device does not have
the current network key, method 1250 allows a sleepy device 26 to rejoin the
mesh network 28.
In step 1252, the method 1250 starts. In step 1254, optionally, the gateway 24
rotates
from the current network key to a new network key, for example, by randomly
generating a new
network key and sending it encrypted by the current network key to all the
joined devices 26 of
the mesh network 28. In step 1256, a sleepy device 26 wakes up and/or regains
communication
with the mesh network 28 and seeks to rejoin. In step 1258, the sleepy device
26 sends a join
request. In step 1260, if the gateway 24 is set to join new devices, method
1250 continues at
step 1262. If the gateway 24 is not set to join new devices, method 1250
continues at step
1266.
In step 1262, the gateway 24 sends the network key encrypted using the
proprietary link
key. In step 1264, the sleepy device 26 can join the mesh network 1264, for
example, as
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described in steps 1218-1226 in method 1200 above. After step 1264, the method
1250
continues at step 1270.
In step 1266, the gateway sends the current network key encrypted with the
updated link
key to the sleepy device 26. Since the sleepy device 26 had earlier joined the
mesh network 28
and stored the updated link key, in step 1268, the sleep device 26 decrypts
the current network
key using the updated link key and joins the mesh network.
In step 1270, optionally, the gateway 24 rotates from the updated link key to
a new link
key, for example, by randomly generating a new link key and sending it
encrypted by the current
network key to all the joined devices 26 of the mesh network 28. Subsequent
rejoins by devices
26 will use the new updated link key. In step 1272, the method 1250 is
completed.
AUTOMATIONS
Automations, also referred to as behaviors, may represent sets of rules, or
if/then
conditions that bind input events into output events or actions. An action is
a command that is
enacted when a condition is fulfilled, for example, commanding a zone state or
commanding a
scene. An action can also by a system notification provided via a user
interface.
For example, with regard to controllers 70, some input events satisfying a
condition that
triggers an automation may include power measurements, such as voltage or
wattage,
exceeding or falling below a predetermined threshold, and the detection that
particular circuits
have opened or closed, such as a controller's zone being switched on with a
wall switch. With
regard to occupancy sensors 130, some exemplary conditions may include motion
detection
and motion timeout expiration. Some conditions pertaining to daylight
harvesters 150 may
include detected light levels exceeding or falling below predetermined
thresholds.
Exemplary actions responsive to those exemplary behaviors may include
switching a
device and/or zone on or off, setting or changing a dim level, and activating
a particular scene,
which will be described further below. Some actions may trigger upon the
satisfaction of multiple
conditions. For example, a certain condition may automatically occur if a
particular sensor state
change is detected AND it is within a certain time period of the day.
Automations can save
energy, for example, by switching off particular zones when the occupancy
sensor 130 detects
expiration of a motion timeout period, or dimming or switching off particular
zones responsive to
light levels detected by the daylight harvester 150. An automation
configuration view of the user
interface depicted in FIGS. 24A-24D, includes a list of devices having
associated conditions.
The addition of conditions to a device is shown in in FIG. 24C.
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In some embodiments, control for the automations resides in the gateway, so
loss of
connection to the cellular network (and, therefore, the server system) does
not affect use of
these automations. As an example, a dimmer switch can have an on/off/dim as a
primary
function, but may also have automations such as (i) once the light is on, the
light dims or goes
off after a particular time, or (ii) after the light is turned off, the lights
in the parking lot turn on for
a particular time. In this example, items (i) and (ii) can be automations
whose functionality
resides at the gateway.
SCENES
Scenes describe a set of state change requests, such as an area or set of
zones and
each of their dimming level presets. Scenes, which are essentially a group of
light settings, may
be activated manually or at specific times defined in a schedule. For example,
a "presentation
mode" may have some lights on, some lights off, and some lights dimmed to 50%.
A scene
configuration view of the user interface of FIGS. 24A-24D depict a list of
scenes associated with
an area. Details of the "Standard Work Environment Scene" are shown in a
screen capture in
FIG. 22B.
SCHEDULES
Schedules allow you to set the lights to come on and off at specific times
with optional
repetition. For example, a schedule can define a week's worth of events.
Schedules, an
example of which is shown in FIG. 22C-22E, can apply to one or more devices,
zones or areas.
An event could be a scene selection. As shown in n FIG. 22E, time segments
throughout the
day may be associated with different scenes.
An overview of an exemplary area at a site is shown in FIG. 15. As shown, the
area may
have various zones, with the zones being controlled by a system device.
Scenes, schedules,
and sensors for the area are also shown in the overview, along with electrical
energy usage for
the area. The system may also include a site overview screen, as shown in FIG.
16.
TOUCHSCREEN CONTROL DEVICE
The wireless device control system 10 may additionally include a user site
device 43 as
shown in Fig. 13, including, for example, a touchscreen control device, such
as a tablet
computing device, that functions like one of the user computer devices 16,
having a user
interface application or software installed directly thereon, facilitating the
system configuring,
monitoring and controlling as described herein, for example, the exemplary
user site device
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interface screens as shown in FIGS. 18A-18C. However, the user site device
device resides at
the site 14, for example, mounted to or recessed within a wall at a convenient
location for the
areas and zones controlled by the device, Additionally, the user site device
43 communicates
directly with the devices 26 of the site system 14 via the mesh network 28,
rather than
communicating exclusively through the gateway 24. Directly communicating with
the mesh
network 28 and addressing the devices 26 will reduce latency that might
otherwise occur if the
user 42 is accessing the devices 26 through the WAN 20 or 22 and through
gateway 24, as
described above. As such, the user site device 43 may additionally include a
radio module 49,
such as an XBee radio module for communicating using the ZigBee protocol, as
described
above. The user site device 43 may include an integrated radio module 49, or
may include an
external radio module 49 as shown in Fig. 13. If configuration or control of
one or more devices
26 is affected from the user site device 43, the gateway 24 and ultimately
server system 12 may
be updated accordingly, either by the user site device 43 or by the devices 24
themselves.
The user site device 43 may include other radio modules, as tablet computing
devices
typically do, that are disabled to limit communication to the mesh network
radio module 49,
which increases security of the wireless device control system 10. Since the
mesh network 28 is
the only wireless communications available to the user site device 43, a
problem arises in how
to install and updating software for the device, and, in particular, the user
interface application.
Advantageously, user interface application can be deployed to the user site
device 43 via server
12, WAN 20 or 22, gateway 24, and mesh network 28.
Statement 1. A controller for a light emitting device, comprising:
a sensor configured and adapted to sense an event;
a power relay configured and adapted to operatively connect to a light
emitting device
and to operatively connect to a mains power supply for the light emitting
device, the power relay
configured and adapted to control power to the light emitting device by
switching the mains
power supplied to the light emitting device; and
a housing member housing the sensor and the power relay;
wherein the sensor and the power relay are independently controlled.
Statement 2. The controller of Statement 1, comprising:
a radio module housed within the housing member,
wherein the power relay is user configurable to operate in
a first mode, wherein the power relay connects mains power to the light
emitting device
in response to a signal received from the radio module and does not connect
mains power to
the light emitting device in response to a signal received from the sensor,
and
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a second mode, wherein the power relay connects mains power to the light
emitting
device in response to a signal received from the sensor and does not connect
mains power to
the light emitting device in response to a signal received from the radio
module.
Statement 3. A plurality of controllers as described in Statement 2,
comprising:
a first controller with a first sensor, a first power relay, a first housing
member, and a first
radio module; and
a second controller with a second sensor, a second power relay, a second
housing
member, and a second radio module, wherein the second radio module
communicates
wirelessly with the first radio module,
wherein the first power relay in the first mode connects mains power to the
first light
emitting device when the signal received from the first radio module indicates
the second sensor
has detected the event.
Statement 4. The controller of Statements 1, 2, or 3, wherein the sensor is a
motion
sensor and the event sensed by the sensor is motion.
Statement 5. The controller of Statements 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the sensor is
a power
monitor and the event sensed by the sensor is a change in the power supplied
to the sensor.
Statement 6. The controller of Statements 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the power
relay is
configured and adapted to operate as a dimmer to vary the mains power being
delivered to the
light emitting device.
Statement 7. A method for a gateway to monitor a device status in a wireless
lighting
control system, comprising:
monitoring communication between the device and gateway;
monitoring power supplied to the device;
detecting power loss to the device;
powering the device after power loss with a capacitive circuit;
sending a power loss message from the device to the gateway upon detection of
the
power loss;
detecting loss of communication between the device and gateway; and
after said detecting loss of communication,
determining the loss of communication was not from power loss when no power
loss
message was received by the gateway, and
determining the loss of communication was from power loss when the power loss
message was received by the gateway.
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Statement 8. The method of Statement 7, wherein the device is a controller
coupled to
and selectively powering a light fixture.
Statement 9. The method of Statements 7 or 8, further comprising the step of
selecting
an action for the device upon the device determining a loss of communication
with the gateway,
and wherein the step of detecting loss of communication is periodically
completed by at least
the device.
Statement 10. The method of Statements 7, 8, or 9, wherein the communication
between the device and gateway includes a wireless mesh network.
Statement 11. A wireless lighting control system, comprising:
a server connected to a wide area network and having control software for
configuring,
monitoring, and controlling lighting devices at a site;
a wireless gateway located at the site and including a SIM card to communicate
with the
server via a cellular network and a communications module to communicate with
the lighting
devices via a wireless mesh network; and
a plurality of control devices having a radio module to communicate via the
wireless
mesh network with the wireless gateway, and at least one of the plurality of
control devices
having an output module to control a light fixture; and
a user device having a radio module to communicate via the mesh network with
the
gateway and with the at least one of the plurality of control devices, the
user device having an
application enabling a user to control at least one of the plurality of
control devices without
communicating through the gateway.
Statement 12. The wireless lighting control system of Statement 11, wherein
the user
device is a tablet device mounted to a wall at the site.
Statement 13. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 11 or 12,
wherein the
server is a cloud-based server.
Statement 14. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 11, 12, or
13, wherein
at least one of the plurality of control devices has an input module receiving
data from a sensor
used for lighting control.
Statement 15. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 11, 12, 13,
or 14,
comprising:
a user device connected to the wide area network and having an application
enabling a
=
user to access the server control software; and
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wherein control instructions entered on the server through the application are
communicated from the server to the wireless gateway via the cellular network
and then from
the wireless gateway to at least one of the plurality of lighting devices.
Statement 16. A wireless lighting control system, comprising:
a server connected to a wide area network and having control software for
configuring,
monitoring, and controlling lighting devices at a site;
a wireless gateway located at the site and including a SIM card to communicate
with the
server via a cellular network and a communications module to communicate with
the lighting
devices via a wireless mesh network; and
a plurality of control devices having a radio module to communicate via the
wireless
mesh network with the wireless gateway, and at least one of the plurality of
control devices
having an output module to control a light fixture and having a preset
emergency action for the
light fixture in the event of a loss of communications with the gateway; and,
wherein one of the plurality of control devices periodically determines
whether
communication with the gateway has been lost and upon detecting loss of
communication, the
one of the plurality of control devices selects the preset emergency action.
Statement 17. The wireless lighting control system of Statement 16, wherein
the server
is a cloud-based server.
Statement 18. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 16 or 17,
wherein
another of the plurality of control devices has an input module receiving data
from a sensor
used for lighting control.
Statement 19. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 16, 17, or
18, further
comprising:
a user device connected to the wide area network and having an application
enabling a
user to access the server control software; and
wherein control instructions entered on the server through the application are
communicated from the server to the wireless gateway via the cellular network
and then from
the wireless gateway to at least one of the plurality of lighting devices.
Statement 20. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 16, 17, 18,
or 19,
further comprising a user device having a radio module to communicate via the
mesh network
with the gateway and with at least one of the plurality of control devices,
the user device having
an application enabling a user to control at least one of the plurality of
control devices without
communicating through the gateway.
Statement 21. A wireless lighting control system, comprising:
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a server connected to a wide area network and having control software for
configuring,
monitoring, and controlling lighting devices at a site;
a wireless gateway located at the site and including a SIM card to communicate
with the
server via a cellular network and a communications module to communicate with
the lighting
devices via a wireless mesh network; and
a plurality of control devices having a radio module to communicate via the
wireless
mesh network with the wireless gateway and at least one of the plurality of
control devices
having a power monitoring module to measure power usage of a device wired to
the control
device.
Statement 22. The wireless lighting control system of Statement 21, wherein
the at least
one of the plurality of control devices measure power usage of a device to
trigger an event in
the lighting control system.
Statement 23. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 21 or 22,
wherein the
server is a cloud-based server.
Statement 24. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 21, 22, or
23, further
comprising:
a user device connected to the wide area network and having an application
enabling a
user to access the server control software; and
wherein control instructions entered on the server through the application are
communicated from the server to the wireless gateway via the cellular network
and then from
the wireless gateway to at least one of the plurality of lighting devices.
Statement 25. The wireless lighting control system of Statements 21, 22, 23,
or 24,
further comprising a user device having a radio module to communicate via the
mesh network
with the gateway and with at least one of the plurality of control devices,
the user device having
an application enabling a user to control at least one of the plurality of
control devices without
communicating through the gateway.
Statement 26. A method for commissioning a wireless lighting control and
monitoring
network, comprising:
powering a lighting control device configured and adapted to control the
illumination level
of a light emitting device, wherein the lighting control device automatically
attempts to wirelessly
communicate with a gateway after said powering a lighting control device;
powering a gateway, wherein said gateway establishes communication with a user
interface device after said powering a gateway;
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establishing a wireless mesh network between the lighting control device and
the
gateway;
initiating an identification command from one of the lighting control device
or the user
interface device; and
receiving the identification command by the other of the lighting control
device or the
user interface device, wherein the device receiving the identification command
signals receipt of
the identification command in a manner noticeable by a user.
Statement 27. The method of Statement 26, wherein the user interface device
and the
gateway communicate with one another via a server with the user interface
device
communicating directly with the server and the gateway communicating directly
with the server. .
Statement 28. The method of Statement 27, wherein the user interface device is
a
backend administrator interface with the server.
Statement 29. The method of Statement 27, wherein the user interface device is
a
computer device communicating with the server over a wide area network.
Statement 30. The method of Statement 29, wherein the wide area network is a
cellular
network.
Statement 31. The method of Statements 26, 27, 28, 29, or 30, wherein said
initiating an
identification command is by actuating an identification switch on the
lighting control device, said
receiving the identification command is by the user interface device, and the
user interface
device signals receipt of the identification command by highlighting the
representation of the
lighting control device in the user interface device.
Statement 32. The method of Statements 26, 27, 28, 29, or 30, wherein said
initiating an
identification command is from the user interface device, said receiving the
identification
command is by the lighting control device, and the lighting control device
signals receipt of the
identification command by illuminating a status indicator on the lighting
control device.
Various aspects of different embodiments of the present disclosure are
expressed in
paragraphs X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, or X9 as follows:
X1.
One embodiment of the present disclosure includes a lighting control system
having a wireless mesh network, the system comprising: at least one
proprietary link key; a
gateway including a communications module acting as a coordinator of the
network, the
coordinator storing and providing a current network key, the at least one
proprietary link key,
and an updated link key; and, a plurality of devices each including a device
radio module and
data storage storing the at least one proprietary link key; and, wherein the
communications
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module initially joins to the mesh network one of the plurality of devices by:
receiving a join
request from a device radio module; sending to the device radio module a
current network key
encrypted by the proprietary link key; and generating, storing, and sending to
the device radio
module an updated link key encrypted by the current network key, the joining
one of a plurality
of devices storing the updated link key; and, wherein the communications
module rejoins to the
mesh network one of the plurality of devices by: receiving a join request from
a device radio
module; sending to the device radio module the current network key encrypted
by the updated
link key.
X2. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a wireless
lighting control
system, comprising:
a server connected to a wide area network and having control software for
configuring,
monitoring, and controlling lighting devices at a site; a gateway located at
the site and including
a SIM card to communicate with the server via a cellular network and a
communications module
to communicate with the lighting devices via a wireless mesh network; and a
plurality of control
devices having a radio module to communicate via the wireless mesh network
with the wireless
gateway and at least one of the plurality of control devices having an power
monitoring module
to measure power usage of a device wired to the control device.
X3. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a device for a
wireless
device control system, the device powered by an AC supply, the device
comprising: a zero-
cross detection circuit coupled to the AC supply, the zero-cross detection
circuit including a
timer having a preset time, the timer reset by a zero-cross detection, =and
the zero-cross
detection circuit detecting loss of the AC supply upon the timer reaching the
preset time without
resetting; a first voltage regulator including a rectifier and having an input
coupled to the AC
supply and an output providing a first DC supply; a diode having a cathode and
an anode, the
anode coupled to the output of the first voltage regulator; a wireless
transmitter having a power
input, the wireless transmitter for communicating with at least one other
component of the
wireless device control system; and at least one first capacitor coupled to
the cathode of the
diode and to the power input of the wireless transmitting; and wherein the at
least one capacity
provides energy storage sufficient to power the wireless transmitter for a
duration long enough
to transmit one message upon of the AC supply the cathode of the diode coupled
to the at least
one capacitor.
X4. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method for a
gateway
to monitor a device status in a wireless lighting control system, comprising:
monitoring
communication between the device and gateway; monitoring power supplied to the
device;
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detecting power loss to the device; powering the device after power loss with
a capacitive
circuit; sending a power loss message from the device to the gateway upon
detection of the
power loss; detecting loss of communication between the device and gateway;
and determining
the loss of communication was not from power loss when no power loss message
was received
by the gateway.
X5. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a wireless
lighting control
system, comprising:
a server connected to a wide area network and having control software for
configuring,
monitoring, and controlling lighting devices at a site; a wireless gateway
located at the site and
including a cellular modem to communicate with the server via a cellular
network and a
communications module to communicate with the lighting devices via a wireless
mesh network;
and, a plurality of wireless devices having a radio module to communicate with
the wireless
gateway via the wireless mesh network, and at least one of the plurality of
wireless devices
including an output module to control a light fixture and including a preset
emergency action for
the light fixture in the event of a loss of communications with the gateway.
X6. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a presence sensor
and
control device for a wireless lighting control system configured to be mounted
in a location,
comprising: at least one sensor capable of detecting at least one selectable
condition within the
location; a processor selectively providing a data message upon detection of
the at least one
selectable condition; a relay operatively coupled to the processor to change
state based on a
data message received from the processor, the relay configured to control the
illumination level
of at least one light fixture; and a wireless transceiver operatively coupled
to the processor and
configured to wirelessly transmit data to and wirelessly receive data from a
control system
based on a data message received from the processor; wherein the processor is
responsive to
programmable behaviors including a first behavior wherein the relay changes
state based on a
data message received from the processer, the data message including data from
the wireless
transceiver and no data from the sensor, a second behavior wherein the relay
changes state
based on a data message received from the processer, the data message
including data from
the wireless transceiver and data from the sensor, and a third behavior
wherein the relay
changes state based on a data message received from the processer, the data
message
including no data from the wireless transceiver and data from the sensor.
X7. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a controller for
a light
emitting device, comprising:
a sensor configured and adapted to sense an event;
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a power relay configured and adapted to operatively connect to a light
emitting device
and to operatively connect to a mains power supply for the light emitting
device, the power relay
configured and adapted to control power to the light emitting device by
switching the mains
power supplied to the light emitting device; and
a housing member housing the sensor and the power relay;
wherein the sensor and the power relay are independently controlled.
X8. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a plurality of
controllers
as described in paragraph X7, comprising: a first controller with a first
sensor, a first power
relay, a first housing member, and a first radio module; and a second
controller with a second
sensor, a second power relay, a second housing member, and a second radio
module, wherein
the second radio module communicates wirelessly with the first radio module,
wherein the first
power relay in the first mode connects mains power to the first light emitting
device when the
signal received from the first radio module indicates the second sensor has
detected the event.
X9. Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a wireless
lighting control
system, comprising: a server connected to a wide area network and having
control software for
configuring, monitoring, and controlling lighting devices at a site; a
wireless gateway located at
the site and including a communications module to communicate with the server
via a wide area
network and to communicate with the lighting devices via a wireless mesh
network; and a
plurality of control devices having a radio module to communicate via the
wireless mesh
network with the wireless gateway, and at least one of the plurality of
control devices having an
output module to control a light fixture; anda user site device having a radio
module to
communicate via the mesh network with the gateway and with the at least one of
the plurality of
control devices, the user site device having an application enabling a user to
control at least one
of the plurality of control devices without communicating through the gateway.
Yet other embodiments include the features described in any of the previous
statements
X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, or X9, as combined with
(i) one or more of the previous statements X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8, or
X9,
(ii) one or more of the following aspects, or
(iii) one or more of the previous statements X1, X2, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, X8,
or X9 and
one or more of the following aspects:
Wherein the gateway periodically rotates the current network key.
Wherein the gateway periodically rotates the updated link key.
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Wherein the communications module only sends a current network key encrypted
by the
proprietary link key for a scheduled time period during which at least one of
the plurality of
devices are expected to initially join the mesh network without an updated
link key, thereby
preventing a rogue device with the proprietary link key from joining the mesh
network during
times outside of the scheduled time period.
Wherein the communications module includes a radio transceiver and a
processor.
Wherein at least one of the devices is a controller having an output module
selecting
powering a lighting fixture.
Wherein at least one of the devices is an occupancy sensor.
Wherein at least one of the devices is a daylight harvester.
Wherein at least one of the devices is a controller having an input module
detecting the
state of a third party device.
Wherein at least one of the 'devices includes a user site device.
Wherein the at least one of the plurality of control devices measure power
usage of a
device to trigger an event in the lighting control system.
Wherein at least one of the gateway and server include power monitoring
software and
at least one of the plurality of control devices provides power usage reports
to the power
monitoring software.
Wherein the power monitoring software determines historical power usage based
on the
power usage reports and detects a fault upon power usage in a report declining
more than a
threshold amount below historical power usage.
Wherein the power monitoring software determines historical power usage based
on the
power usage reports and detects a fault upon power usage in a report declining
more than a
threshold amount below historical power usage.
A user computer device connected to the wide area network and having an
application
enabling communication with the server.
=
Wherein the power monitoring software provides notification of the fault
detected to the
user computer device.
A user site device having a radio module to communicate via the mesh network
with the
gateway and with at least one of the plurality of control devices.
Wherein the power monitoring software provides notification of the fault
detected to the
user site device.
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A second voltage regulator having an input coupled to the cathode of the diode
and an
= output providing a second DC supply, the output coupled to the at least
one capacitor and to the
power input of the wireless transmitter.
A second capacitor coupled to the anode of the diode, and wherein detection of
a
decrease in voltage across the second capacitor detects loss of the first DC
supply and confirms
loss of the AC supply.
Wherein the zero-cross detection circuit includes an A-to-D converter and a
controller,
the A-to-D converter providing an AC voltage level to a controller, the
controller capable of
detecting zero-crossings of the AC voltage level, and the controller coupled
to the wireless
transmitter and providing a power loss message to the wireless transmitter
upon the timer
reaching the preset time.
Wherein the controller includes a port coupled to the second capacitor to
detect a
decrease in voltage of the output of the first DC supply upon loss of the AC
supply.
Wherein the port is configurable as an input or output mode port and detection
of a
decrease in voltage of the output of the first DC supply includes the acts of:
setting the
= port to output mode; pushing the port to a low output state; setting the
port to input mode; and/or
detecting whether the voltage at the port remains at a low state, indicating
loss of the AC
supply.
Wherein driving the port low provides a faster detection of loss of AC than
the time
required for the port to change states from high to low upon discharge of the
second capacitor
from loss of the AC supply.
Wherein the device is a controller coupled to and selectively powering a light
fixture.
Selecting an action for the device upon the device determining a loss of
communication
with the gateway.
Wherein the step of detecting loss of communication is periodically completed
by at least
the device.
Wherein the communication between the device and gateway includes a wireless
mesh
network.
Wherein one of the plurality of wireless devices periodically determines
whether
communication with the gateway has been lost and upon detecting loss of
communication, the
one of the plurality of wireless devices selecting the preset emergency
action.
Wherein the server is a cloud-based server.
Wherein at least one of the plurality of control devices has an input module
receiving
data from a sensor used for lighting control.
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A user device connected to the wide area network and having an application
enabling a
user to access the server control software.
Wherein control instructions entered on the server through the application are
communicated from the server to the wireless gateway via the cellular network
and then from
the wireless gateway to at least one of the plurality of lighting devices.
= A user device having a radio module to communicate via the mesh network
with the
gateway and with at least one of the plurality of control devices, the user
device having an
application enabling a user to control at least one of the plurality of
control devices without
communicating through the gateway.
Wherein the at least one selectable condition is motion, occupancy, vacancy,
light level,
or sound level.
A radio module housed within the housing member, wherein the power relay is
user
= configurable to operate in a first mode, wherein the power relay connects
mains power to the
light emitting device in response to a signal received from the radio module
and does not
connect mains power to the light emitting device in response to a signal
received from the
sensor, and a second mode, wherein the power relay connects mains power to the
light emitting
device in response to a signal received from the sensor and does not connect
mains power to
the light emitting device in response to a signal received from the radio
module.
Wherein the sensor is a motion sensor and the event sensed by the sensor is
motion.
= 20
Wherein the sensor is a power monitor and the event sensed by the
sensor is a change
in the power supplied to the sensor.
Wherein the power relay is configured and adapted to operate as a dimmer to
vary the
mains power being delivered to the light emitting device.
Wherein the gateway communication module further includes a mesh radio module
to
communicate with the lighting devices and the user device via the wireless
mesh network.
Wherein the wide area network is a cellular network; and the gateway
communication
= module further includes a cellular modem to communicate with the server
via a cellular network.
Wherein the server is a cloud-based server.
Wherein the user site device is a touchscreen device and also includes other
radio
modules that are disabled to limit communication to the mesh network radio
module, thereby
increasing security of the lighting control system.
Wherein the application of the user site device receives updated versions via
the mesh
network, thereby increasing security of the lighting control system.
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A user device connected to the wide area network and having an application
enabling a
user to access the server control software.
Wherein control instructions entered on the server through the application are
communicated from the server to the wireless gateway via the cellular network
and then from
the wireless gateway to at least one of the plurality of lighting devices.
Reference systems that may be used herein can refer generally to various
directions
(e.g., upper, lower, forward and rearward), which are merely offered to assist
the reader in
understanding the various embodiments of the disclosure and are not to be
interpreted as
limiting. Other reference systems may be used to describe various embodiments,
such as
referring to the direction of projectile movement as it exits the firearm as
being up, down,
rearward or any other direction.
While examples, one or more representative embodiments and specific forms of
the
disclosure have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and
foregoing
description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive
or limiting. The
description of particular features in one embodiment does not imply that those
particular
features are necessarily limited to that one embodiment. Some or all of the
features of one
embodiment can be used in combination with some or all of the features of
other embodiments
as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, whether or not
explicitly described as
such. One or more exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, and all
changes
and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to
be protected.
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