Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Systems and Methods to Control Light Fixture Operation using
Gas Concentration Sensors
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to the field of controlling operation
of light
fixtures. More particularly, this disclosure relates to controlling the
operation of the light
fixtures based on gas concentration measurements in an area illuminated by the
light fixtures.
Background
[0002] Concentrations of volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and
other gases
within closed areas may have an impact on occupants of the closed areas.
Traditionally, a gas
concentration detector detects gas concentrations in a vicinity of the gas
concentration detector
and provides an audible alert from within a housing of the gas concentration
detector intended to
alert occupants of a heightened concentration of gas. Because any alerts
associated with the gas
concentration detector are limited to sounds originating from the gas
concentration detector, the
occupants of the closed area may not be capable of hearing the alert when the
occupants are
positioned remotely from the gas concentration detector, or in the event that
walls or other
objects are positioned between the occupants and the gas concentration
detector.
[0003] The ability to alert occupants of significant gas concentrations in
multiple ways
finds use in residential and commercial building designs. It is desirable to
have a gas
concentration detector capable of reliably alerting all occupants within a
building or within a
closed area of the building of a high gas concentration. Existing systems may
provide occupants
with only an audible alert. However, characteristics of certain buildings and
closed areas may
make such a system unreliable in reaching every occupant within the buildings
or closed areas.
Summary
[0004] Aspects and examples are disclosed for apparatuses and processes for
alerting
occupants of gas concentrations using a lighting system. For instance, a
lighting system may
include a first light fixture that functions in an illumination state to
illuminate a first space. The
lighting system may also include at least one gas concentration sensor
associated with the first
space and a first controller that receives gas concentration data from the at
least one gas
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concentration sensor. In operation, the first controller may override the
illumination state of the
first light fixture based on the gas concentration data received from the at
least one gas
concentration sensor by controlling the first light fixture in an alert state
that is different from the
illumination state.
[0005] In another example, a controller may include a processing device and a
non-
transitory computer-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processing
device. The
processing device may execute program code stored in the non-transitory
computer-readable
medium and perform operations including receiving a sensor reading from at
least one gas
concentration sensor associated with a first light fixture. The operations
performed by the
processing device may also include determining whether the sensor reading
indicates that a gas
concentration near the gas concentration sensor exceeds a gas concentration
threshold, and
determining whether the sensor reading indicates that a rate of change of the
gas concentration
near the gas concentration sensor exceeds a rate of change threshold. Further,
upon determining
that the gas concentration or the rate of change of the gas concentration
exceeds the gas
concentration threshold or the rate of change threshold, the operations
performed by the
processing device may include overriding an illumination state of the first
light fixture to control
the first light fixture in an alert state. Controlling the first light fixture
in an alert state may
involve outputting a first visual indication that the gas concentration or the
rate of change of the
gas concentration exceeds the gas concentration threshold or the rate of
change threshold.
[0006] In another example, a method for controlling a lighting system include
includes
one or more processing devices performing operations may include receiving a
sensor reading
from at least one gas concentration sensor associated with a first light
fixture. The operations
may also include determining that the sensor reading indicates that a gas
concentration near the
gas concentration sensor exceeds a gas concentration threshold. Further, the
operations may
include overriding an illumination state of the first light fixture to control
the first light fixture in
an alert state to output a first visual indication that the gas concentration
exceeds the gas
concentration threshold.
[0007] These illustrative examples are mentioned not to limit or define the
disclosure, but
to provide examples to aid understanding thereof. Additional examples are
discussed in the
Detailed Description, and further description is provided there.
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Brief Description of the Drawings
[0008] Features, examples, and advantages of the present disclosure are better
understood
when the following Detailed Description is read with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0009] FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary lighting environment, according to certain
examples
of the present disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary light fixture
including a gas
concentration sensor, according to certain examples of the present disclosure.
[0011] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic representation of an exemplary lighting
system,
according to certain examples of the present disclosure.
[0012] FIG. 4 depicts a schematic representation of an exemplary remote
communication
scenario in the lighting environment of FIG. 1, according to certain examples
of the present
disclosure.
[0013] FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary process for controlling operation of a
luminaire,
according to certain examples of the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
[0014] Light fixture operations of a lighting environment may be controlled
based on
sensed environmental conditions by a gas concentration sensor. For example, a
light fixture in
the lighting environment may provide visual indications to occupants within an
illuminated area
that one or more gas concentration sensors located in the illuminated area or
near the illuminated
area have sensed a condition that warrants an alert. Further, multiple gas
concentration sensors
may be present within the illuminated area such that a complete representation
of the gas
concentrations within the illuminated area is established. For example, the
multiple gas
concentration sensors may be located at different elevations to accurately
detect concentrations
of gases that may have different weights.
[0015] To provide a visual alert, a color and/or intensity of light output by
the light
fixture may be controlled to a different color or intensity when the gas
concentration sensor
detects the increased gas concentrations. A network interface controller, or
other smart hub, may
receive the gas concentration indication from the gas concentration sensor and
provide a driver
of the light fixture with instructions to change the output of the light
fixture. The resulting
change to the output of the light fixture (e.g., a change from a white color
light to a red color
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light) alerts the occupants of the lighting environment to the alert condition
detected by the gas
concentration sensor.
[0016] With reference to FIG. 1, shown is an exemplary lighting environment
100. The
lighting environment 100 includes various lighting fixtures 102 that
illuminate objects in the
lighting environment 100, such as a fume hood 104 when the lighting
environment 100 is a
laboratory, for example. The light fixture 102 may include an lighting
element, a controller 106,
a driver 108, a network interface controller 110, and other possible
components. The lighting
element of the light fixture 102 may be a light-emitting diode (LED), a
fluorescent lamp, an
incandescent lamp, other light emitting device(s), or any combination thereof.
[0017] The controller 106 may be used to control the light output from the
lighting
elements of the light fixtures 102, where control of the light output may be
determined using one
or more inputs to the controller 106. The controller 106 for a given light
fixture 102 may be a
hard-wired component of the light fixture 102, may be attached to a standard
receptacle on the
light fixture 102, or may be located remotely from the light fixture 102
(e.g., in a networked
lighting system control room of a building).
[0018] In an example, the network interface controller 110 and the controller
106 provide
the ability for a user or a networked lighting system to intelligently control
operation of the light
fixtures 102. The network interface controller 110 may receive input data from
gas
concentration sensors 112 located within the lighting environment 100, and
provide the input
data to the controller 106. Based on the input data, the controller 106 may
generate instructions
that control the driver 108. The driver 108, based on the instructions
received from the controller
106, regulates power supplied to the light fixtures 102 to generate a light
output into the lighting
environment 100.
[0019] The controller 106, the driver 108, and the network interface
controller 110, in an
example, may be replaced or augmented by a smart driver that is equipped to
intelligently control
operation of the light fixtures 102. In one or more examples, the controller
106, the driver 108
and the network interface controller 110 may be housed within a single
housing. In an additional
example, the controller 106, the driver 108, and the network interface
controller 110 may be
positioned in locations remote from one another.
[0020] The gas concentration sensors 112 sense gas concentrations within the
lighting
environment 100. As illustrated, the gas concentration sensors 112 are located
within the light
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fixtures 102 and within a light switch housing 114. The sensors are also
contemplated in other
locations throughout the lighting environment 100. Because of the relative
weights of some
gases that may be present in the lighting environment 100, the gas
concentration sensors 112
may be placed at different height zones within the lighting environment 100
such that the
buildup of a heavier gas (e.g., propane) does not go unnoticed as it collects
in a lower portion of
the lighting environment 100. The gas concentration sensors 112 provide an
indication of gas
concentrations to the controller 106, and the controller 106 modifies the
light output of the light
fixtures 102 based on the gas concentrations within the lighting environment
100. For example,
the controller 106 may be programmed to change a color profile of the light
fixtures 102 (e.g., a
light color) when a detected gas concentration exceeds a gas concentration
threshold (e.g.,
indicating a fume leak from the fume hood 104). Additionally, the controller
106 may control
the driver 108 to modify the light output of the light fixtures 102 based on a
programmed
dimming schedule and/or input from one or more other sensors, such as an
occupancy sensor,
temperature sensor, ambient light sensor, etc. The light fixtures 102
providing such light output
may be referred to as the light fixtures 102 operating in an illumination
state.
[0021] The network interface controller 110 may also receive input from a
remote device
116 (e.g., a laptop computer or a mobile phone) via a wireless network
interface (e.g., a
Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) network interface). After establishing a
communication session
over a network 118 between the remote device 116 and the network interface
controller 110, the
remote device 116 may send commands to modify the programming or other
configuration of the
controller 106 for the light fixtures 102. In some implementations, the
communication session
may be "point-to-point," such as a direct communication session between the
remote device 116
and the network interface controller 110, without the use of intermediate
network devices (e.g.,
network routers, switches, etc.).
100221 While FIG. 1 depicts a lighting environment 100 representative of a
laboratory,
the controller 106, the driver 108, the network interface controller 110, and
the light fixtures 102
may be positioned in other types of lighting environments. For example, the
lighting
environment 100 may be a residential location, a manufacturing facility, a
horticultural facility,
or any other facility that may use the controller 106, the driver 108, the
network interface
controller 110, and the light fixtures 102.
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[0023] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of the light fixture 102 of
FIG. 1
including the gas concentration sensor 112. The light fixture 102 includes
lighting elements 202.
The lighting elements 202 may be light-emitting diodes (LED), fluorescent
lamps, incandescent
lamps, other light emitting devices, or any combination thereof. The lighting
elements 202 are
driven by the driver 108 based on instructions received from the controller
106 to output light
into the lighting environment 100.
[0024] The gas concentration sensor 112 is positioned on a central beam 204 of
the light
fixture 102. In an example, the gas concentration sensor 112 may be shaped to
replace existing
sensors in the central beam 204 of the light fixture 102. For example, the gas
concentration
sensor 112 may be similar in size to a removable occupancy sensor or a
removable lighting
sensor of the light fixture 102. Because of the similar size, the gas
concentration sensor 112 may
be positioned within a similarly sized removable fixture that is capable of
attaching to the light
fixture 102. For example, the gas concentration sensor 112, and any other
sensors that are
capable of coupling to the light fixture 102, may be modular such that any
sensor is capable of
plugging into the same ports. Further, while only the individual gas
concentration sensor 112 is
depicted as part of the light fixture 102, any number of sensors are
positionable within the light
fixture 102. For example, a light sensor may be positioned and functioning
within the light
fixture 102 at the same time that the gas concentration sensor 112 is
positioned and functioning
in the light fixture 102. In some cases, sensors are capable of coupling to
the light fixture 102 via
other sensors. For example, a first sensor (e.g., the gas concentration sensor
112) may be coupled
to the light fixture 102 via a second sensor (e.g., the light sensor), such as
via a pass-through
connection present in the second sensor.
[0025] In an example, the gas concentration sensors 112 may also be positioned
around
an area that is illuminated by the light fixture 102 to account for different
weights of gases that
may be present within the illuminated area. For example, a lighter gas may be
observed in
greater concentrations by the gas concentration sensor 112 positioned in the
light fixture 102
than by the gas concentration sensor 112 positioned in or near the light
switch housing 114, as
depicted in FIG. 1. Accordingly, to provide more accuracy to gas concentration
detection by the
gas concentration sensors 112, the gas concentration sensors 112 may be
positioned at varying
heights throughout the illuminated area to provide a complete picture of the
gas concentrations
within the area.
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[0026] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of an exemplary lighting system
300. As
illustrated, the exemplary lighting system 300 includes the controller 106,
the driver 108, and the
network interface controller 110 (i.e., a smart hub). In an example, the
controller 106, the driver
108, and the network interface controller 110 may be replaced by a smart
driver, which includes
the ability to communicate with the remote device 116 and also to
intelligently control operation
and output of the light fixture 102 based on information received from the gas
concentration
sensors 112 and the remote device 116. The network interface controller 110,
or a smart
component capable of replacing the network interface controller 110, may
communicatively
couple to a wireless or wired network 118, and the network interface
controller 110 provides
instructions received from the network 118 to the controller 106 to control to
the driver 108. In
an example, the controller 106 may be a smart hub and may include capabilities
to communicate
across the network 118 independent of the network interface controller 110.
That is, the
controller 106 may include a network I/O port or a wireless transceiver that
is able to
communicate across the network 118 directly without the use of the network
interface controller
110. In another example, the network interface controller 110 may be a smart
hub and may
include capabilities to control the driver 108 absent the controller 110. To
accomplish network
communication and to provide instructions that control the driver 108, the
network interface
controller 110 may include a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable
medium that
stores instructions that are executed by the processor.
[0027] In the illustrated example, the network interface controller 110
receives
instructions over the network 118 and provides the instructions to the
controller 106. The
controller 106 controls the driver 108 based on the received instructions. In
such an example, the
controller 106 and the network interface controller 110 may be packaged with
the driver 108
(e.g., within a common housing), or the controller 106 and the network
interface controller 110
may be positioned in remote locations from the driver 108 (e.g., not within a
common housing).
In another example, the controller 106 may be remote from a common housing
that includes both
the driver 108 and the network interface controller 110. That is, the
controller 106 may be
located in a networked lighting system control room of a building, or the
controller 106 may be
located in a neighboring or nearby lighting fixture 102. Other housing
arrangements are also
contemplated with the controller 106, the driver 108, and the network
interface controller 110.
The network interface controller 110 may operate as a smart hub to communicate
between the
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remote device 116, the driver 108, or any other components using Bluetooth
(including BLE),
Wi-Fi , LEDcode, nLight , or other suitable communication protocols, or any
combination
thereof.
[0028] The driver 108 may receive power from an AC power source 302 (e.g.,
from the
electrical grid), and the driver 108 regulates the power provided to the light
fixture 102. The
controller 106 may provide instructions to the driver 108 that control the
light fixture 102 to
change color characteristics and intensity of the light output by the lighting
elements 202. While
the lighting elements 202 are depicted in a serial arrangement, the light
fixture 102 may include
the lighting elements 202 in any combination and/or configuration.
Additionally, the driver 108
may provide power to other components of the light fixture 102 than the
lighting elements 202.
For example, the driver 108 may provide power to the gas concentration sensors
112 or other
sensors associated with the light fixture 102, and the driver 108 may also
provide power to the
controller 106 and the network interface controller 110.
[0029] In an example, a backup battery power source 304 may provide backup
power to
the lighting system 300 to compensate for outages of the AC power source 302.
Outages of the
AC power source 302 may include power outages of a building that houses the
light fixture 102.
In an additional example, the controller 106 may control a switch 306 to block
provision of
power from the AC power source 302 to the lighting system 300 when a flammable
gas is
detected by the gas concentration sensors 112. In such an example, the battery
power source 304
provides the backup power to the light fixture 102 after the switch 306 is
moved to from the AC
power source 302 to the battery power source 304. While the switch 306 is
depicted as a
selection switch, other switches or combinations of switches are also
contemplated to control
application of the power sources 302 and 304 to the lighting system 300. In an
example where
the lighting system 300 forms a portion of a networked lighting system of a
building or complex
of buildings, switching to the battery power source 304 may provide an
indication to the
networked lighting system of a location of the light fixture 102 that is
located in a high gas
concentration environment. This indication may be used by building
maintenance, a fire
department, or any other groups to locate, isolate, and resolve the gas
concentration issue.
[0030] In an additional example, the battery power source 304 may provide
backup
power to the lighting system 300 when the AC power source 302 is out in the
building that
houses the lighting system 300. In such an example, the switch 306 may move to
the battery
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CA 3004073 2019-10-25
power source 304 when power is no longer provided by the AC power source 302.
In this
manner, the controller 106 may continue to control the light fixture 102 based
on data received
from the gas concentration sensors 112.
[0031] While the gas concentration sensors 112 are depicted as providing data
directly to
both the controller 106 and the network interface controller 110, the
controller 106 and the
network interface controller 110 may receive data from the gas concentration
sensors 112 in
other configurations. For example, the controller 106 and the network
interface controller 110
may receive data over the network 118 from the gas concentration sensors 112.
Other light
fixtures 102 that include or are associated with the gas concentration sensors
112 may deliver the
data to the controller 106 and the network interface controller 110 across the
network 118.
Additionally, the gas concentration sensors 112 may connect to a centralized
server using a
wireless network connection, and the centralized server may provide the data
from the gas
concentration sensors 112 to the controller 106 and the network interface
controller 110 over the
network 118.
[0032] With reference to FIG. 4, shown is schematic representation of an
exemplary
remote communication scenario 400 that may occur in the lighting environment
100 according to
various examples. This remote communication scenario 400 includes a light
fixture housing 402
and the remote device 116, which are in data communication with each other via
the network
118. The network 118 includes wireless networks such as may be defined by
Bluetooth
(including BLE), Wi-Fi , the IEEE 802.15 standards family, other possible
technology standards
and protocols, or any combination thereof
[0033] The light fixture housing 402 includes the controller 106 to control
the light
output from one or more associated light fixtures. Alternatively, the light
fixture housing 402
can represent a plurality of such devices which may be in communication with
the remote device
116. Various functionality may be executed in the light fixture housing 402
according to various
examples. Also, various data is stored in a data store 403 that is accessible
to components of the
light fixture housing 402. The data store 403 may be representative of a
plurality of data stores
403. The data stored in the data store 403, for example, is associated with
the operation of the
various functional entities described below.
[0034] The components included in the light fixture housing 402, for example,
include
the controller 106, the driver 108, the network interface controller 110, a
light sensor 406, a
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transceiver 409, and a status indicator 415. Additionally, the light fixture
402 may include a
temperature sensor 417a and/or other components. The components of the light
fixture 402 may
also be in communication with components external to the light fixture 402,
such as a
temperature sensor 417b, the gas concentration sensor(s) 112, and/or other
possible components.
The components of the light fixture housing 402 may communicate using a data
bus or other
possible protocols. The light sensor 406 reports the amount of ambient light
that it detects,
which the controller 106 may use as an input or factor for determining a level
of light output
(also referred to as "brightness") from the associated light fixture. The
transceiver 409 facilitates
establishing the network 118, through which commands can be received for the
controller 106,
with a remote device 116. Some of these received commands may be instructions
for modifying
the configuration data 431 that the controller 106 uses for detennining and
acting on a level of
gas concentrations detected in the lighting environment, as well as other
possible purposes.
[0035] The controller 106 determines the actions to undertake related to light
output from
the light fixture based on inputs received from a programmed schedule, the
various sensors,
and/or the transceiver 409. For example, based on inputs received from the gas
concentration
sensor 112, the controller 106 may determine that light output from a light
fixture 102 should be
controlled to a different color characteristic to provide a visual indication
of a change in gas
concentrations in an area. The controller 106 may be commissioned via
programming and
parameters that can be stored in the data store 403 within the light fixture
housing 402.
[0036] The status indicator 415 may be made up of one or more components that
provide
an indication of the status of various functions of the controller 106. For
example, the status
indicator 415 may include a status light, a speaker capable of producing an
audible indication, an
electronic notification (e.g., a text message, an alert to a building security
system), and/or other
possible indication mechanisms. In some implementations, the lighting element
of the light
fixture may also be used as part of the status indicator 415. For example, the
lighting element of
a light fixture may flash when a communication session is being attempted with
the controller
106 managing the light fixture. As another example, the status indicator may
be an LED light
that is red when the controller 106 is not communicating with a remote device
116, and is green
if a communication session with a remote device 116 is established.
[0037] The gas concentration sensor 112 detects gas concentrations at
locations
surrounding the gas concentration sensor 112. In an example, the gas
concentration sensor 112
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is positioned on the light fixture 102. The gas concentration sensor 112 is
also capable of being
positioned in other locations in a lighting environment serviced by a light
fixture controlled by
the controller 106. In operation, the gas concentration sensor 112 is able to
detect various
concentrations of gases making up an environment of a room. For example, the
gas
concentration sensor 112 can detect carbon monoxide levels or volatile organic
compound levels.
When high concentrations of carbon monoxide and/or volatile organic compounds
are detected
by the gas concentration sensor 112, the controller 106 controls the light
output of the light
fixture 102 to change colors. For example, the color characteristic of the
light output may
change from a white color to a red color indicating that the concentrations of
certain gases have
increased beyond a predetermined threshold. In one example, the controller 106
may control the
light fixtures 102 to flash on and off as an additional layer of alert.
[0038] The controller 106 may also provide an indication to peripheral devices
435 that
are able to perform mitigation operations. The mitigation operations may
include venting
operations in the area experiencing high gas concentrations, sending alert
emails to personnel
associated with the area, providing audible alerts over speakers located in
the area, other suitable
mitigation operations, or any combination thereof Further, when a set of light
fixtures 102 are
networked in a lighting grid, such as in a commercial building environment,
the output of the
light fixtures 102 that are near the area with the heightened gas
concentration may also be
controlled by the controller 106 to change colors even though the gas
concentration sensors 112
associated with those light fixtures 102 do not indicate a gas concentration
exceeding the
predetermined threshold. For example, the light fixtures 102 nearest the high
gas concentration
may output red light, while the light fixtures 102 positioned further away
from the high gas
concentration gradually fade toward white light. That is, the light fixtures
102 may output light
that transitions from red light, to orange light, to yellow light, to white
light as the light fixtures
102 are positioned further from detected the high gas concentrations. Such a
color gradient may
aid in alerting an occupant to the most efficient exit from the building
experiencing the high gas
concentrations.
[0039] In an example, the gas concentration sensors 112 may also provide
information to
predict a carbon dioxide concentration in an area near the gas concentration
sensors 112.
Because carbon dioxide concentrations are difficult to measure directly, and
because volatile
organic compound concentrations correlate with carbon dioxide concentrations,
the network
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interface controller 110, or other processing device associated with the
controller 106, may
generate a prediction of carbon dioxide concentrations. The carbon dioxide
concentration
prediction may provide the controller 106 with an accurate representation of a
number of
occupants (i.e., an estimated occupancy number) in a space surrounding the gas
concentration
sensors 112. The controller 106 may use the occupant information to control
the light fixtures
102 such that, among other possible functions, the controller 106 can manage
the intensity level
and the color temperature of the light output based upon the occupancy. Some
components
employed by the controller 106, such as the various sensors, may be remotely
located from the
controller 106.
[0040] The data stored in the data store 403 includes, for example,
configuration data
431, status data 434, and potentially other data. The configuration data 431
can include the
current programming and/or parameters used to configure components of the
controller 106,
such as the driver 108 and the network interface controller 110; one or more
stored
configurations (i.e. "profiles") usable for programming the controller 106;
one or more
identifiers for the controller 106 and/or light fixture 102; credentials used
to authenticate a
remote device 116; and/or other possible data. The status data 434 includes a
record of the state
of various components and activities of the controller 106. For example, the
status data 434 may
include data indicating that the current state of a light of a light fixture
is "ON" and dimmed to
70% of the maximum brightness as a result of action by the controller 106
based on input from
the light sensor 406 and a schedule using the time of day. The data stored in
the status data 434
may be stored and read by the various components of the light fixture housing
402. In some
examples, the status data 434 may keep all or a portion of the historical data
stored in the status
data 434, such as the past actions initiated by the controller 106, for
diagnostic or other purposes.
While the components are described above as being within the light fixture
housing 402, other
examples may include the components located in other areas outside of the
light fixture housing
402. For example, while each of the components may be associated with the
light fixture 102,
the components may be located in various physical housings located outside of
the light fixture
housing 402.
[0041] The remote device 116 is representative of the types of remote devices
that may
be used to communicate with the components of the light fixture housing 402
via the network
118. The remote device 116 may include, for example, a computer system, such
as a
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smartphone, tablet computer, or other devices with like capability. The remote
device 116 may
also include a user interface 461, remote transceiver 463, an additional data
store 465, and other
possible components. The user interface 461 may comprise, for example, one or
more devices
such as tactile buttons and/or a display such as a liquid crystal display
(LCD), LED display,
organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, or other types of display
devices. In some
implementations, the display may be touch-sensitive. The user interface 461
can provide an
indication of the status of various functions of the remote device 116 and
components of the light
fixture housing 402. For example, the user interface 461 may include a display
that overlays
onto a map or building schematic of each of the light fixture housings 402
detected within radio
range of the remote device 116.
[0042] The data store 465 includes, for example, configuration data 471 and
potentially
other data associated with the operation of the remote device 116. The
configuration data 471
can include one or more stored profiles usable for the programming controllers
106, various data
(model numbers, customer names, light fixture wattage, communication history,
location, etc.)
corresponding to identifiers for the controllers 106 and/or light fixtures
102, credentials used to
authenticate with controllers 106, and/or other possible data.
[0043] The remote transceiver 463 provides a wireless network interface to
facilitate
establishing the network 118 using a communication link with the components of
the light
fixture housing 402. A user of the remote device 116 may provide input to the
user interface 461
requesting to discover any nearby controllers 106. Upon receiving the input,
the remote device
116 begins identifying any controllers 106 within range of the remote
transceiver 463. The
identification process may be carried out according to the one or more
protocols supported by the
remote transceiver 463, such as Bluetooth , Wi-Fi . etc. In some
implementations, controllers
106 periodically transmit a respective identifier that may be received by any
remote devices 116
within range. In other implementations, the remote device 116 may first
transmit a message
requesting any controllers 106 within range to transmit a respective
identifier that may be
received by the remote device 116. The identifier transmitted by each of the
controllers 106 may
be representative of one or more pieces of identifying information such as a
serial number, a
network address, a model number, a geographic coordinate for the location of
the controllers
106, an assigned name or other identifier, and/or other types of identifying
information for the
respective controller 106 and associated light fixture 102. The user interface
461 may be used to
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indicate to the user that a search for any nearby controllers 106 is underway
by, for example,
displaying a message.
[0044] The user interface 461 of the remote user device 116 may enable
commissioning
of the controllers 106 by a user. When commissioning a controller 106, a user
may select an
identifier corresponding to an uncommissioned controller 106 for
commissioning. During the
commissioning, the user takes administrative control of the controller 106,
which may include
configuring one or more user credentials, configuring the programming for
managing light
output from a light fixture 102 associated with the controller 106, specifying
the location (e.g.,
network location, physical location) of the controller 106, specifying
physical attributes of a
lighting area controlled by the controller 106, and/or other possible
activities. For example, the
user interface 461 may present a location adjustment indicator whereby the
commissioning user
can specify a more precise location on a map or a building schematic for the
particular controller
106. Once the location is specified, it may be stored in the particular
controller 106 and/or in the
remote device 116.
[0045] If a marker used to identify a controller 106 is selected from the user
interface
461, the remote device 116 may initiate a point-to-point communication session
with the
controller 106 by establishing the network 118. Once the communication session
is established,
the user interface 461 of the remote device 116 may be used to send commands
to adjust the
programming of the controller 106. In some implementations, after the
communication session
is established, the remote device 116 may retrieve the current configuration
of the controller 106
and render the user interface of the remote device to reflect the current
configuration state of the
controller 106, which may then be adjusted by the user. The remote device 116
may send
commands to change the configuration of the controller 106 that result in
modifications to the
light output or other behaviors of the light fixture 102. The commands may
configure and/or
override the logic of the gas concentration sensors 112, the light sensor 406,
the temperature
sensors 417a or 417b, or any combination thereof of the controller 106,
whereby a given portion
of the configuration may be effective during defined time periods or upon
occurrence of
particular events, such as upon detection of an occupant.
[0046] The individual configuration changes (e.g. enabling/disabling a
feature) made by
the user may be individually transmitted to the controller 106 as the
configuration change is
made, or one or more changes may be transmitted to the controller 106 as a
batch periodically
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and/or as directed by the user. The controller 106 may provide a confirmation
of configuration
changes received from the remote device 116 by sending a confirmation message
to the remote
device 116 via the communication session, as well as providing a visual and/or
audible
confirmation at the light fixture 102 managed by the controller 106. Each
controller 106 may
locally store its respective configuration, while the remote device 116 may
also retain copies of
configurations of controllers with which it has been in communication.
[0047] In some implementations, the controller 106 may be commissioned to
control
operation of the light fixture 102 when the gas concentration sensors 112
detect gas
concentrations that exceed predetermined concentration thresholds or
concentration rate of
change thresholds. The controller 106 may develop a steady state profile of
gas concentrations
over time. For example, the controller 106 may monitor gas concentrations
provided over time
by the gas concentrations sensors 112 to develop the steady state profile of
gas concentrations.
After developing the steady state profile of gas concentrations, tracking a
rate of change of the
gas concentrations may provide the controller 106 with an indication that the
gas concentrations
are trending toward undesirable levels. In an additional example, a user may
provide the
controller 106 with physical dimensions of a room that includes the gas
concentration sensors
112 during commissioning of the controller 106. Using this information, the
controller 106 is
able to analyze when gas concentrations exceed predetermined thresholds for
the room including
the gas concentration sensors 112. As a
result of gas concentrations exceeding the
predetermined thresholds or the rates of change of the gas concentrations
exceeding the
developed profile of gas concentrations, the controller 106 may change the
color characteristic of
the lights to a color indicating that gas concentrations and/or rates of
change of the gas
concentrations exceed standard operating parameters. For example, the
controller 106 may
control the light fixtures 102 to output a red color light when the gas
concentrations and/or the
rates of change of the gas concentrations exceed the standard operating
parameters.
[0048] FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary process 500 for controlling operation of a
luminaire,
such as the light fixture 102. One or more processing devices implement
operations depicted in
FIG. 5 by executing suitable program code. For illustrative purposes, the
process 500 is
described with reference to certain examples depicted in the figures. Other
implementations,
however, are possible. In an example, the operations described in the process
500 may be
CA 3004073 2018-05-07
performed upon completion of the commissioning of the controller 106, as
discussed above with
respect to FIG. 4.
[0049] At block 502, the process 500 involves receiving a sensor reading. For
instance,
the gas concentration sensors 112 provide electrical signals to the network
interface controller
110, which operates as a smart hub. The electrical signals provided by the gas
concentration
sensors 112 are representative of gas concentrations within a lighting area
illuminated by the
light fixture 102. As discussed above, the gas concentration sensors may be
positioned at
multiple elevations within the lighting area to gain a complete picture of the
gas concentration
within an area by accounting for the differing weights of the gases measured
by the gas
concentration sensors 112. In
some examples, receiving the sensor reading involves
communicating, via a data bus, suitable signals between the gas concentration
sensors 112 and a
processing device of the network interface controller 110.
[0050] At block 504, the process 500 involves determining whether the sensor
reading
indicates an issue with the gas concentrations in the lighting area. For
example, the controller
106, which includes the driver 108 and the network interface controller 110,
may store in the
data store 403 data that establishes threshold values for gas concentrations
and rates of change of
gas concentrations. If the sensor reading does not exceed the threshold values
for any of the gas
concentrations measured by the gas concentration sensors 112, then the process
500 returns to
block 502 to receive a subsequent sensor reading from the gas concentration
sensors 112.
[0051] If the sensor reading does exceed the threshold values for any of the
gas
concentrations measured by the gas concentration sensor 112, then the process
500, at block 506,
involves driving the luminaires (e.g., the light fixtures 102) to an alert
state that provides a visual
indication of an issue (e.g., a gas concentration that exceeds a threshold
value). In driving the
luminaires in the alert state, the controller 106 oven-ides the illumination
state of the luminaires
established via scheduling or other data inputs that do not indicate an issue
prompting the alert
state override. The visual indication may be changing the color characteristic
of the light output
from a white light to a red light, or the visual indication may involve
alternating the light output
between a high intensity light output and a lower intensity light output.
Additionally, the
luminaries may output any other visual indicator that may indicate to an
occupant of the lighting
area that the gas concentration of the lighting area exceeds standard
operating levels.
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[0052] At block 508, the process 500 involves instructing additional
components to
perform mitigating activities. That is, the controller 106, or the lighting
network as a whole, may
communicate with the peripheral devices 435 that one or more gas
concentrations are exceeding
a threshold, and the controller 106 may instruct the peripheral devices 435 to
perform mitigating
activities. In an example, the mitigating activities may include activating
venting fans, activating
speakers providing an audible evacuation instruction, sending emails to
employees who work in
the building of the affected lighting area, changing the output of nearby
lights to a caution state
(e.g., yellow or orange color lighting), any other actions that alert
occupants or potential
occupants of the area, or any combination thereof.
[0053] Numerous specific details are set forth herein to provide a thorough
understanding
of the claimed subject matter. However, those skilled in the art will
understand that the claimed
subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other
instances, methods,
apparatuses, or systems that would be known by one of ordinary skill have not
been described in
detail so as not to obscure claimed subject matter.
[0054] Unless specifically stated otherwise, it is appreciated that throughout
this
specification discussions utilizing terms such as "processing," "computing,"
"calculating,"
"determining," and "identifying" or the like refer to actions or processes of
a computing device,
such as one or more computers or a similar electronic computing device or
devices, that
manipulate or transform data represented as physical electronic or magnetic
quantities within
memories, registers, or other information storage devices, transmission
devices, or display
devices of the computing platform.
[0055] The system or systems discussed herein are not limited to any
particular hardware
architecture or configuration. A computing device can include any suitable
arrangement of
components that provide a result conditioned on one or more inputs. Suitable
computing devices
include multi-purpose microprocessor-based computer systems accessing stored
software that
programs or configures the computing system from a general purpose computing
apparatus to a
specialized computing apparatus implementing one or more examples of the
present subject
matter. Any suitable programming, scripting, or other type of language or
combinations of
languages may be used to implement the teachings contained herein in software
to be used in
programming or configuring a computing device.
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[0056] Examples of the methods disclosed herein may be performed in the
operation of
such computing devices. The order of the blocks presented in the examples
above can be
varied¨for example, blocks can be re-ordered, combined, and/or broken into sub-
blocks.
Certain blocks or processes can be performed in parallel.
[0057] The use of "adapted to" or "configured to" herein is meant as open and
inclusive
language that does not foreclose devices adapted to or configured to perform
additional tasks or
steps. Additionally, the use of "based on" is meant to be open and inclusive,
in that a process,
step, calculation, or other action "based on" one or more recited conditions
or values may, in
practice, be based on additional conditions or values beyond those recited.
Headings, lists, and
numbering included herein are for ease of explanation only and are not meant
to be limiting.
[0058] While the present subject matter has been described in detail with
respect to
specific examples thereof, it will be appreciated that those skilled in the
art, upon attaining an
understanding of the foregoing, may readily produce alterations to, variations
of, and equivalents
to such examples. Accordingly, it should be understood that the present
disclosure has been
presented for purposes of example rather than limitation, and does not
preclude the inclusion of
such modifications, variations, and/or additions to the present subject matter
as would be readily
apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.
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