Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
INDEPENDENTLY OPERABLE MULTI-PANEL MUNICIPAL LUMINAIRE
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. App. No.
16/694,529, filed
November 25, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No.
62/792,213, filed
January 14, 2019, and which claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No.
62/806,300, filed
Feb. 15, 2019, and which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. App. No.
16/409,213, filed May 10,
2019, which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. App. No. 16/384,898, filed April
15, 2019, which is a
continuation of U.S. Pat. App. No. 15/656,675, filed July 21, 2017, and issued
as U.S. Pat.
No. 10,260,719 on April 16, 2019, which claims the benefit of U.S. Prov. Pat.
App.
No. 62/368,574, filed July 29, 2016. Said U.S. Pat. App. No. 16/694,529 is
also a continuation-
in-part of U.S. Pat. App. No. 16/448,941, filed June 21, 2019, which claims
the benefit of U.S.
Prov. App. No. 62/688,194, filed June 21, 2018, and U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No.
62/792,213, filed
January 14, 2019. U.S. Pat. App. No. 16/694,529 is also a continuation-in-part
of U.S. Pat. App.
No. 29/680,947, filed Feb. 21, 2019. The entire disclosures of all of these
cases is incorporated
herein by reference.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[002] This disclosure is related to the field of network communications. In
particular, it relates
to systems and methods for aggregating signals in a mesh network.
Description of the Related Art
[003] The "smart" movement is an attempt to utilize interconnected devices as
a way to generate
data and supply improved and more targeted services. The basic concept is that
when "things" can
communicate with each other and with users, a wealth of data can be made
available, often in real
time, which can then be accumulated and analyzed without the need for users to
manually gather,
store, and organize this information.
[004] One area where this concept is now being implemented is in the "smart
city" movement,
in which municipalities leverage various types of automated data collection to
provide information
that can be used to manage municipal assets and resources in an efficient and
effective manner.
These efforts rely on a variety of data sources, ranging from data collected
automatically by
devices in various locations throughout the city, to devices carried by
citizens or employees. Data
may also be collected by or from vehicles, or provided directly by citizens.
"Smart city" strategies
can help improve the delivery and efficiency of city services, such as law
enforcement, trash
collection, public safety, traffic management, and even achieve reductions in
pollution and crime.
[005] Commonly, "Internet of Things," or IoT, devices are leveraged in a smart
city to obtain
real-time data about municipal operations. The idea is that a more accurate
and up-to-date data
snapshot of the city can be used to improve the quality of municipal services
and optimize costs
and resource utilization. These solutions are particularly attractive in
densely populated areas,
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where the cost overhead of deploying IoT devices and collecting and monitoring
data provides
high information density relative to cost.
[006] However, there are a number of challenges with smart city initiatives
(or in smart systems
more generally). One such challenge is determining where and how to deploy
devices, as well as
managing and consolidating the vast quantity of data produced for effective
analysis and use. For
example, all of the devices are electrically powered, which requires a source
of electricity. This
in turn means that devices are generally installed on municipal fixtures with
an existing source of
power, such as a light pole.
[007] An example of one such prior art fixture is depicted in FIG. 1. The
depicted municipal
fixture (103) is in the nature of a municipal light. The depicted fixture
(103) comprises a base
(104) affixed to a sidewalk (106) adjacent to a street (108), with an
elongated pole (105) extending
vertically from the base (104). The pole (105) provides sufficient elevation
to disperse
illumination, allow clearance for passing pedestrians and vehicles, and
inhibit tampering.
Extending laterally from the pole (105) is a light arm (107). A light head
(109) is attached to the
light arm (107). The light head (109) contains a source of illumination (110).
A power conduit
runs through the pole (105) and the light arm (107) to the source of
illumination (110), and an
electric power line (111) is run through that conduit from a municipal power
source (not depicted)
to power the source of illumination (110). Typically, the source of
illumination is a municipal
luminaire (110).
[008] However, municipal lights have various power supply configurations,
sometimes even
within the same cluster of lights. This in turn requires a multitude of
different, expensive power
adapters to be deployed. If the lights are later rewired or the power
characteristics change, all of
the power supplies must be replaced. Further, each individual device on or
within the fixture (103)
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may have different power requirements, which in turn can require a single
fixture (103) to be
equipped with multiple power conversion units for each device.
[009] Another problem is that even once the devices are installed and powered,
to get real-time
data, the devices must communicate live data as it is collected. This in turn
requires network
access, which is difficult and expensive to deploy and manage. Most cities are
very old, and it is
uneconomical to run power and network wires to every device deployed in the
city. Further, the
quantity of data produced by any one device is typically modest, and providing
a wired data
solution is expensive and wasteful.
[010] Using wireless solutions is also problematic. Although the quantity of
data is often
manageable through a standard short-range wireless transmission protocol, this
is not always the
case. Short-range wireless transmission devices have a limited transmission
radius, generally
measured in hundreds of feet, and up to two thousand feet at the high end. A
balance must be
struck between broadcast distance and bandwidth, wherein long-range
transmissions have very
low bitrates, and high-bitrate transmissions have very short range. This can
introduce network
slowdowns and dropped packets in standard wireless protocols, particularly if
a particular device
receives a temporary burst of activity, such as from an unexpectedly large
amount of data generated
at a particular device or a flood of data from other nearby devices.
[011] In any case, even a transmission radius of two thousand feet is too
small to allow all devices
in a city to communicate directly with a central server so that data can be
gathered, collected,
analyzed, and used in real time. Each IoT device can be equipped with a
broadband wireless
transmitter, such as a cellular data transmitter, but this imposes significant
costs and is wasteful by
providing more bandwidth that is reasonably expected to be produced by any one
individual device
during ordinary use.
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[012] Another problem subsists in how to attach the devices and the required
accompanying
hardware to the fixture (103), and to communicate with new devices. For
example, a typical
municipal lighting pole (105) lacks sufficient suitable surfaces for attaching
IoT devices, power
converters, and wireless transmitters. Moreover, some of this equipment should
be stored within
an enclosure to minimize damage from weather and tampering. In particular,
power converters
must tap into the central power line (111) of the pole (105), meaning they
must have access to the
internal structure of the fixture (103), but a fixture (103) typically has
insufficient interior volume
to install the power supply. Further, each device has its own command system
and communication
protocol, requiring a separate communication gateway for each device.
[013] This presents additional challenges as cities upgrade older lights to
newer, more energy-
efficient technologies, such as light-emitting diode (LED) light sources.
Moreover, in the
continued effort of reducing power utilization related to street lights,
attempts have been made to
reduce power usage during off-peak times, or whenever full power is not
necessary. However,
such solutions have been incomplete.
[014] Control over the luminaire (110) in a standard street light can be
implemented via a
dimming receptacle (115) atop the light head (109). The receptacles (115) are
mechanical and
electrical/physical interfaces to the luminaire (110) for control devices. For
example, the ANSI
C136.41 standards define multiple interface configurations facilitating
various degrees of control
over the luminaire (110). These include 3-, 5-, and 7-pin interface
configurations.
[015] In the simplest interface, a 3-pin configuration, the three pins provide
power lines only. In
the 5-pin configuration, three pins provide power and the remaining two pins
provide a dimming
circuit, referred to in the art as "DIM". In the 7-pin configuration, three
pins provide power, two
pins provide a first dimming circuit (known in the art as "DEVI1"), and the
final two pins provide
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
a second dimming circuit (known in the art as "DEVI2"). One problem with the
ANSI C136.41
standards, particularly in 7-pin configurations, is that the dimming circuit
lines are sometimes
accidentally swapped. Additionally, prior art implementations have used pulse-
width modulation
dimming, which produces flicker when using the dimming circuits. This has led
to generally
unsatisfactory implementations of the standard.
[016] Another problem with the standard is that the physical dimensions limit
the available form
factor designs, which must be compact. This in turn limits how many components
may be placed
in a standard-compliant control device. This presents challenges in powering
the components
stored within the control device, because electronic components use low-
voltage direct current
(DC), but the three power pins pass through the current on the municipal line,
meaning they carry
alternating current (AC) at variable distribution voltages ranging from 110-
480 volts AC. Thus,
the components must be powered by an electrochemical cell, which produces DC
power, a point-
of-consumption energy sources such as a photovoltaic device or small wind
turbine, or the AC
power received via the municipal line must be converted to DC, and stepped
down to a usable
voltage.
[017] Batteries and point-of-consumption solutions introduce additional
difficulties. Batteries
eventually expire and must be replaced, which requires servicing.
Additionally, by the nature of
its location, the control device is exposed to hostile environmental
conditions, which can reduce
battery life. Likewise, renewable solutions cannot reliably provide power in
most deployment
locations, requiring battery backups. Furthermore, such solutions add
additional maintenance
overhead. Accordingly, these solutions are expensive and duplicative, compared
to the minimal
power requirements of the internal components.
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[018] Likewise, using municipal power is difficult. For most of the last
century, power has been
supplied to cities using high voltage AC power lines, generally in the range
of 138-765 kVAC,
and then stepped down for industrial, commercial, and residential use, and
converted to DC as
necessary. This variability in voltage is provided across municipal power
grids, and even within
a power grid or street, is a result of various factors, such as consumer need
and zoning. In any
given area, distribution voltages can range between 110-480 VAC, with
variances of +/- 10%,
resulting in a range of 90-528 VAC.
[019] The practical consequence of these variances is that a multitude of
control devices must be
manufactured and stocked, one for each potential voltage. This imposes
significant costs, such as
stocking inventory, and tracking the voltage on any particular pole. For
example, if a unit requires
service or replacement, it can only be replaced by a unit adapted to convert
the correct input
voltage. If the service personnel are unsure of the voltage of a given pole,
or accidentally use the
wrong type of control device, the device may be damaged or simply not function
at all.
[020] The end result is that prior art solutions have been simplistic, and
simply use a photocell
to detect light and, if there is sufficient ambient illumination, cut power to
the luminaire using
the power supply pins in the standard. The dimming control circuits defined in
the standard are
not used because there is no way to power the components needed to use the
dimming circuit
lines via the receptacle interface.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[021] The following is a summary of the invention in order to provide a basic
understanding of
some aspects of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or
critical elements
of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. The sole purpose
of this section is to
present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to
the more detailed
description that is presented later.
[022] A method of reducing bandwidth consumption in a municipal infrastructure
comprising:
providing a plurality of municipal light poles, each municipal light pole in
the plurality having: a
luminaire having a dimming receptacle disposed on an exterior surface thereof
and a current
operational state; and a wireless node operatively coupled to the luminaire
via the dimming
receptacle; wherein the wireless nodes of the plurality of municipal light
poles form a local mesh
network, and at least one of the wireless nodes comprises a gateway node;
providing a server
having a master state table containing data indicative of the current
operational state of each of the
luminaires, the server in communication with the at least one gateway node via
a wide-area
network; storing, at the at least one gateway node, a copy of the master state
table received from
the server; receiving, at the server, an instruction indicative of at least
one luminaire of the plurality
of municipal light poles, and a desired current operational state of the at
least one luminaire; and
determining, at the server, whether the master state table indicates that the
current operational state
of the at least one luminaire is the desired current operational state, and:
if the determining results
in a determination that the current operational state of the at least one
luminaire is not the desired
current operational state: updating, at the server, the master state table to
indicate the desired
current operational state for the at least one luminaire; transmitting the
identifier for the at least
one luminaire and the desired current operational state to the at least one
gateway node; receiving,
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at the at least one gateway node, the identifier and the desired current
operational state; updating,
at the at least one gateway node, the state table copy to indicate the desired
current operational
state for the at least one luminaire; the at least one gateway node
transmitting the identifier and the
desired current operational state to other wireless nodes of the plurality of
municipal light poles
via the mesh network; based on the identifier, the wireless node for the at
least one luminaire
operating the at least one luminaire to change the current operational state
of the at least one
luminaire to the desired current operational state; and if the determining
results in a determination
that the current operational state of the at least one luminaire is the
desired current operational
state: not updating the state table in response to the instruction: not
transmitting to the first wireless
node in response to the instruction.
[023] In an embodiment, the method further comprises: the wireless node for
the at least one
luminaire transmitting to the at least one gateway node via the mesh network
an acknowledgment
of the operating the at least one luminaire to change the current operational
state of the at least one
luminaire to the desired current operational state to first wireless node via
the mesh network; the
at least one gateway node updating the master state table copy to indicate the
current operational
state for the at least one luminaire is the desired current operational state
for the at least one
luminaire and the at least one gateway node transmitting the acknowledgment to
the server; and at
the server, receiving the acknowledgment and updating the master state table
to indicate the current
operational state for the at least one luminaire is the desired current
operational state for the at least
one luminaire.
[024] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: providing an end-
user computer;
and before the receiving, at the server, an instruction indicative of at least
one luminaire of the
plurality of municipal light poles, and a desired current operational state of
the at least one
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luminaire: receiving, at the end-user computer, the instruction; and the end-
user computer
transmitting the instruction to the server.
[025] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein the end-
user computer is
selected from the group consisting of: a desktop computer, a laptop computer,
a tablet computer,
a smart phone, a vehicular computer, and a wearable computer.
[026] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein the mesh
network is one or
more of the following:: a municipal mesh network or a private mesh network.
[027] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein the server
is one or more
of the following: a municipal server or a private server.
[028] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein, for each
luminaire in the
plurality of municipal light poles, the operational state is one or more of
the following: powered,
unpowered, color temperature, intensity, hue, or voltage.
[029] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein each of the
luminaires
comprises a municipal luminaire adapted to illuminate a roadway, and each of
the second
luminaires comprises a flexible tube mounted on an arm of the light pole
anterior to the luminaire.
[030] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein each of the
wireless nodes
comprises a radio transceiver, a controller, and a memory.
[031] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein at least
some of the
wireless nodes comprise gateway nodes in wireless communication with the
server over a wide-
area network.
[032] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein each of the
at least some
of the wireless nodes comprise gateway nodes in wireless communication with
the server over a
wide-area network.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[033] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: further comprising:
on a periodic
basis and at a predetermined frequency, for each municipal light pole in the
plurality of municipal
light poles, the wireless node operating the luminaire to cause the current
operational state of the
luminaire to be the same as the current operational state indicated for the
luminaire in the master
state table copy.
[034] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: on a periodic basis
and at a
predetermined frequency, for each gateway node in the at least one gateway
nodes, receiving a
current copy of the master state table from the server and causing the master
state table copy to be
the same as the received copy of the master state table.
[035] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: a first municipal
light pole in the
providing a plurality of municipal light poles further comprising at least a
first sensor operatively
and communicatively coupled to the wireless node; the at least a first sensor
generating data about
the environment proximate to the municipal light pole; the wireless node
receiving the generated
data and transmitting, via the mesh network, the generated data to the at
least one gateway node;
and the at least one gateway node receiving the generated data via the mesh
network and
transmitting the generated data, via the wide-area network, to the server.
[036] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein the sensor
is selected from
the group consisting of: a parking sensor, a pedestrian sensor, a traffic
sensor, an occupancy sensor,
a light sensor, a noise sensor, a smoke sensor, an optical sensor, a camera,
an air quality sensor, a
pollutant sensor, a pollen sensor, a snow accumulation sensor, a weather
sensor, a temperature
sensor, a rain sensor, a humidity sensor, a barometer, a water level sensor,
an earthquake sensor,
an avalanche sensor, a seismic activity sensor, a wave sensor, a carbon
dioxide sensor, a carbon
monoxide sensor, a gas sensor, a radiological sensor, or an Internet-of-Things
(IoT) sensor.
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[037] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein the sensor
receives end-
user instructions transmitting to the server by an end-user by the server
transmitting the
instructions to the at least one gateway node and the at least one gateway
node transmitting the
instructions via the mesh network.
[038] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein each of the
municipal light
poles comprises: a municipal alternating current (AC) electric power line in
electrical
communication with the luminaire at a municipal distribution voltage; and a
power converter
receiving the electric power and converting the AC current to direct current
(DC) at a device
voltage, the device voltage being lower than the municipal voltage.
[039] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein the
municipal distribution
voltage is between about 110 and 480 volts AC and the device voltage is
between about 0 and 10
volts DC.
[040] In another embodiment, the method further comprises: wherein the power
converter is
enclosed within the wireless node.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[041] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a prior art municipal fixture.
[042] FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of a municipal fixture modified with smart
grid components
as described herein.
[043] FIG. 3 depicts an alternative embodiment of a municipal fixture modified
with smart grid
components as described herein.
[044] FIG. 4 depicts a system for aggregating signals in a mesh network as
described herein.
[045] FIG. 5 provides an exploded diagram of an embodiment of a luminaire
control device
including a universal power supply as described herein.
[046] FIG. 6 provides a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a dual-channel
luminaire control
device as described herein deployed to control a municipal luminaire.
[047] FIG. 7 provides an alternative schematic diagram of an embodiment of a
dual-channel
luminaire control device as described herein deployed to control two municipal
luminaires.
[048] FIG. 8 provides a schematic diagram of a universal power supply for a
luminaire control
device as described herein.
[049] FIG. 9 provides an embodiment of line connections between a
microcontroller and a
potentiometer to implement a dimming circuit.
[050] FIG. 10 provides an embodiment of a bottom side of a luminaire control
device as
described herein.
[051] FIG. 11 provides an embodiment of line connections between receptacle
pins and a power
supply and between a power supply and a control system as described herein.
[052] FIG. 12 provides another embodiment of line connection between
receptacle pins and a
power supply and between a power supply and a control system as described
herein.
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[053] FIG. 13 provides an embodiment of a system and method for determining a
geographic
location of a movable device as described herein.
[054] FIG. 14 depicts an embodiment of a multi-panel luminaire adapted to
accept and respond
to commands independently as described herein.
[055] FIG. 15 depicts the multi-panel luminaire of claim 14 with independent
control channels.
[056] FIG. 16 depicts the multi-panel luminaire of claim 14 independently
illuminating two
different illumination zones.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
[057] The following detailed description and disclosure illustrates by way of
example and not by
way of limitation. This description will clearly enable one skilled in the art
to make and use the
disclosed systems and methods, and describes several embodiments, adaptations,
variations,
alternatives, and uses of the disclosed systems and methods. As various
changes could be made in
the above constructions without departing from the scope of the disclosures,
it is intended that all
matter contained in the description or shown in the accompanying drawings
shall be interpreted as
illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
[058] Because of these and other problems in the art, described herein, among
other things, are
systems and methods for modifying a municipal fixture to affix endpoint
devices, provide a power
to such devices, and managing network traffic between and among such devices,
including
managing upstream transmission and efficiently propagating desired state
changes through the
network.
[059] The systems and methods described herein generally use a plurality of
mesh radio
transmitters which are configured for peer-to-peer data exchange to propagate
system state
changes to one or more uplink gateways. The gateways may then aggregate this
data and transmit
it over a wide area network to a server or server farm for processing,
analysis, and other use. That
data may also be viewed in real time by user devices, and instructions and
commands may also be
relayed to the individual IoT devices in the mesh network via such user
devices. These and other
features are described herein.
[060] Throughout this disclosure, the term "computer" describes hardware which
generally
implements functionality provided by digital computing technology,
particularly computing
functionality associated with microprocessors. The term "computer" is not
intended to be limited
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
to any specific type of computing device, but unless otherwise specified, it
is intended to be
inclusive of all computational devices including, but not limited to:
processing devices,
microprocessors, personal computers, desktop computers, laptop computers,
workstations,
terminals, servers, clients, portable computers, handheld computers, cell
phones, mobile phones,
smart phones, tablet computers, server farms, hardware appliances,
minicomputers, mainframe
computers, video game consoles, handheld video game products, and wearable
computing devices
including, but not limited to, eyewear, wristwear, pendants, fabrics, and clip-
on devices.
[061] As used herein, a "computer" is necessarily an abstraction of the
functionality provided by
a single computer device outfitted with the hardware and accessories typical
of computers in a
particular role. By way of example and not limitation, the term "computer" in
reference to a laptop
computer would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to include
the functionality
provided by pointer-based input devices, such as a mouse or track pad, whereas
the term
"computer" used in reference to an enterprise-class server would be understood
by one of ordinary
skill in the art to include the functionality provided by redundant systems,
such as RAID drives
and dual power supplies.
[062] It is also understood to those of ordinary skill in the art that the
functionality of a single
computer may be distributed across a number of individual machines. This
distribution may be
functional, as where specific machines perform specific tasks; or, balanced,
as where each machine
is capable of performing most or all functions of any other machine and is
assigned tasks based on
its available resources at a point in time. Thus, the term "computer" as used
herein, can refer to a
single, standalone, self-contained device or to a plurality of machines
working together or
independently, including without limitation: a network server farm, "cloud"
computing system,
software-as-a-service, or other distributed or collaborative computer
networks.
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[063] Those of ordinary skill in the art also appreciate that some devices
that are not
conventionally thought of as "computers" nevertheless exhibit the
characteristics of a "computer"
in certain contexts. Where such a device is performing the functions of a
"computer" as described
herein, the term "computer" includes such devices to that extent. Devices of
this type include, but
are not limited to: network hardware, print servers, file servers, NAS and
SAN, load balancers,
and any other hardware capable of interacting with the systems and methods
described herein in
the matter of a conventional "computer."
[064] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, some aspects of the
present disclosure may
be embodied as a system, method or process, or computer program product.
Accordingly, aspects
of the present disclosure may take the form of an entirely hardware
embodiment, an entirely
software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.)
or an embodiment
combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to
herein as a "circuit,"
"module," or "system." Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take
the form of a
computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media
having computer
readable program code embodied thereon.
[065] Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be utilized.
The computer
readable medium may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer
readable storage
medium. Unless otherwise specified, a non-transitory medium is intended. A
computer readable
storage medium may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic,
magnetic, optical,
electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or
any suitable
combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list)
of the computer
readable storage medium would include the following: an electrical connection
having one or
more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory
(RAM), a read-
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only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash
memory),
an optical fiber, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an
optical storage device,
a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In
the context of this
document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that
can contain, or
store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution
system, apparatus, or
device.
[066] A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal
with computer
readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of
a carrier wave.
Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but
not limited to, electro-
magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable
signal medium may
be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium
and that can
communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection
with an instruction
execution system, apparatus, or device.
[067] Throughout this disclosure, the term "software" refers to code objects,
program logic,
command structures, data structures and definitions, source code, executable
and/or binary files,
machine code, object code, compiled libraries, implementations, algorithms,
libraries, or any
instruction or set of instructions capable of being executed by a computer
processor, or capable of
being converted into a form capable of being executed by a computer processor,
including, without
limitation, virtual processors, or by the use of run-time environments,
virtual machines, and/or
interpreters. Those of ordinary skill in the art recognize that software can
be wired or embedded
into hardware, including, without limitation, onto a microchip, and still be
considered "software"
within the meaning of this disclosure. For purposes of this disclosure,
software includes, without
limitation: instructions stored or storable in RAM, ROM, flash memory BIOS,
CMOS, mother
18
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
and daughter board circuitry, hardware controllers, USB controllers or hosts,
peripheral devices
and controllers, video cards, audio controllers, network cards, Bluetooth0 and
other wireless
communication devices, virtual memory, storage devices and associated
controllers, firmware, and
device drivers. The systems and methods described herein are contemplated to
use computers and
computer software typically stored in a computer- or machine-readable storage
medium or
memory.
[068] Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmitted
using any
appropriate medium, including, but not limited to, wireless, wireline, optical
fiber cable, RF, etc.,
or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
[069] Throughout this disclosure, the term "network" generally refers to a
voice, data, or other
telecommunications network over which computers communicate with each other.
The term
"server" generally refers to a computer providing a service over a network,
and a "client" generally
refers to a computer accessing or using a service provided by a server over a
network. Those
having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the terms "server" and
"client" may refer to
hardware, software, and/or a combination of hardware and software, depending
on context. Those
having ordinary skill in the art will further appreciate that the terms
"server" and "client" may refer
to endpoints of a network communication or network connection including, but
not necessarily
limited to, a network socket connection. Those having ordinary skill in the
art will further
appreciate that a "server" may comprise a plurality of software and/or
hardware servers delivering
a service or set of services. Those having ordinary skill in the art will
further appreciate that the
term "host" may, in noun form, refer to an endpoint of a network communication
or network (e.g.,
"a remote host"), or may, in verb form, refer to a server providing a service
over a network ("hosts
a website"), or an access point for a service over a network.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[070] Throughout this disclosure, the term "real-time" refers to software
operating within
operational deadlines for a given event to commence or complete, or for a
given module, software,
or system to respond, and generally invokes that the response or performance
time is, in ordinary
user perception and considered the technological context, effectively
generally cotemporaneous
with a reference event. Those of ordinary skill in the art understand that
"real time" does not
literally mean the system processes input and/or responds instantaneously, but
rather that the
system processes and/or responds rapidly enough that the processing or
response time is within
the general human perception of the passage of real time in the operational
context of the program.
Those of ordinary skill in the art understand that, where the operational
context is a graphical user
interface, "real time" normally implies a response time of no more than one
second of actual time,
with milliseconds or microseconds being preferable. However, those of ordinary
skill in the art
also understand that, under other operational contexts, a system operating in
"real time" may
exhibit delays longer than one second, particularly where network operations
are involved.
[071] Throughout this disclosure, the term "municipal infrastructure fixture"
refers to light,
power, and telecommunications poles and appurtenances thereto, which are
installed and used by
or on behalf of cities and/or utilities and carriers to deliver utilities and
services to the public. Such
poles are generally installed in a row along a roadway for related purposes,
such as street lighting,
power lines, and/or telecommunication cables. As further set forth in this
disclosure, the fixtures
are generally close enough together that a collection of short-range
transmitters installed on them
can form a mesh network.
[072] FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 depict embodiments of a municipal fixture (103) having
various devices
and systems described herein. The depicted municipal fixture (103) is a
municipal street light
(103) similar to that depicted in FIG. 1. The depicted municipal fixture (103)
comprises a base
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
(104) attached to a sidewalk (106) adjacent to a street (108). However, the
fixture may be installed
in other locations, such as (but not necessarily limited to) along pedestrian
walkways, hiking or
biking paths, in a park or parking lot, and the like. A vertical pole (105)
rises vertically above the
street (108) to disperse illumination, provide clearance for traffic, and to
reduce tampering. A light
arm (107) extends laterally from the pole (105) over the street (108). The
depicted light has been
modified from that shown in FIG. 1, via an enclosure (321) disposed between
the light arm (107)
and the light head (109).
[073] One aspect of the depicted embodiment is the use of the enclosure (321)
to modify the
existing municipal fixture (103) to protect and enclose certain components.
Examples of such an
enclosure (321) are described in U.S. Pat. App. No. 15/656,675, filed July 21,
2017, the entire
disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, and related cases,
which describe a hull
enclosure (321) for use with a cobra arm municipal lighting fixture. Another
example of such an
enclosure (321) is described in U.S. Prov. Pat. App. Ser. No. 62/688,194,
filed June 21, 2018, the
entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, and which
describes a universal
mounting system for use with a municipal fixture, such as the municipal
fixture (103) described
herein.
[074] The depicted light head (109) is further outfitted with a luminaire
control device (201),
which in turn includes a universal power supply (211). The enclosure (321) may
in turn comprise
a power supply (361). In the depicted embodiment, a plurality of endpoint
devices (351A), (351B),
(351C), and (351D) are shown deployed in the proximity of the luminaire
control device (201).
One such depicted endpoint device (351A) is a pedestrian/motion sensor.
Another such depicted
endpoint device (351B) is a traffic camera. Another such depicted endpoint
device (351C) is a
system for detecting the presence of a vehicle, shown disposed beneath the
surface of the street
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
(108). The fourth depicted endpoint device (351D) is a configurable bar light
(351D). These and
other endpoint devices may be referred to collectively herein by the general
term "endpoint device"
(351) for simplicity. These and other components of the municipal fixture
(103) shown in FIG. 2
are described in further detail elsewhere herein.
[075] As can be seen in the depicted embodiment of FIG. 2, the power line
(111) may supply
power to the power supply (361) within the enclosure (321), which in turn may
power one or more
endpoint devices (351A) and (351B). The power supply may also supply power to
the source of
illumination (110) and/or to the luminaire control device (201). At the
luminaire control device
(201), power may be converted to direct current by a universal power supply
(211). The universal
power supply (211) may be used to accept as a power input the voltage and
current available on
the power line (111) and convert that power input to one or more standard
outputs usable by the
luminaire control device (201). Also, the enclosure (321) may include a power
supply or power
converter. The depicted luminaire control device (201) may comprise a network
communication
device (225) used to collect and exchange data from endpoint devices,
generally using a peer-to-
peer protocol in a mesh network.
[076] FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of a system as described herein. In the
depicted embodiment
of FIG. 4, the system (501) comprises a mesh network (505) formed by a
plurality of luminaire
control devices (201), sometimes also referred to herein as nodes (201A),
(201B), and (201C) in
wireless communication. The term "mesh network" will be understood as
referring to a local
network topology in which network infrastructure devices and nodes connect non-
hierarchically
to other nodes and cooperate to route data efficiently from/to clients. Mesh
networks are often
characterized by dynamic self-organization and self-configuration. In an
alternative embodiment,
a conventional network topology may be used, but a mesh network is preferred.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[077] In the depicted embodiment of FIG. 4, the mesh network (505) is formed
by three nodes
(201A), (201B), and (201C), but this is exemplary only and there may be fewer
or (in most cases)
more nodes in any given mesh network (505). For sake of simplicity, the
plurality of nodes will
be referred to herein collectively as nodes (201) unless a specific node is
described. The depicted
nodes (201) communicate with each other in the local mesh network (505), and
one such node
(201B) is designated as a gateway node (201B) and also communicates to a wide
area network
(503). The depicted wide area network (503) is the public Internet, but this
is exemplary only. In
an alternative embodiment, the wide area network (503) may be a private or
virtual private
network, or another type of telecommunications network. Although the nodes
(201) are capable
of, and may, communicate with one another, the nodes (201) primarily
communicate with one or
more designated gateway nodes (201B). Although the gateway nodes (201B) are
also capable of
communicating with one another, in the preferred embodiment, they do not, and
instead, they
communicate with a server (507) as described elsewhere herein. In alternative
embodiments, a
different communication protocol may be implemented via the nodes (201) and
gateways (201B),
depending upon whether the transceivers of the nodes (201) are capable of mesh
network
communication, or if an alternative protocol is instead implemented.
[078] The depicted gateway node (201B) communicates over the wide area network
(503) with
a server computer (507). Conceptually, it is anticipated that the server
computer (507) is primarily
responsible for maintaining an authoritative state diagram of the current
status of all managed
endpoint devices (351), and the gateway nodes (201B) and/or other nodes (201)
are responsible
for local handling of individual protocols and device commands for managing
and altering the
state and functions of the various endpoint devices (351). Shifting this
function to the gateway
23
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
nodes (201B) or other nodes (201) has the additional advantage of executing
operational
functionality proximate to the nodes (201), which achieves faster reaction
time.
[079] The depicted gateway node (201B) may also communicate with one or more
client devices
(509). However, in the typical embodiment, client devices (509) communicate
with the server
(507) over the WAN (503), and the server (507) communicates with one or more
gateway nodes
(201B) in the mesh network (505). Thus, the mesh network (505) is local only
and topologically
separated from the WAN (503) by the gateway node (201B).
[080] The depicted nodes (201) of FIG. 4 are preferably not off-the-shelf
network hardware, but
rather customized devices. The depicted nodes (201) may comprise a radio
transceiver (225), a
processor or controller (221) operatively coupled to the radio transceiver
(225), and a memory
(223) operatively coupled to the processor (221). The memory (223) generally
contains program
instructions, scripts, and local storage. The program instructions are
executed by the processor
(221) to operate the transceiver (225). A node (201) may comprise one or more
additional
components, inputs, and outputs, including, but not limited to, a power
supply, as further described
elsewhere herein.
[081] In use as the nodes (201) of a smart city embodiment, each of the
depicted nodes (201) is
disposed at a corresponding municipal fixture (103A), (103B), and (103C). For
sake of simplicity,
the municipal fixtures will be referred to herein collectively as fixtures
(103) unless a specific
fixture (103A), (103B), or (103C) is described. The depicted fixtures (103)
are street lighting
poles, but this is exemplary only and alternative fixtures may be used in an
embodiment. Such
alternatives may include, but are not limited to, signage, buildings and
structures, bridges and
overpasses, traffic control signals, electrical poles and fixtures,
telecommunications poles and
fixtures, railings and handrails, awnings, bus and train stops or stations,
trees and plants, benches
24
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
and trash receptacles, or any other municipal fixture that would not
ordinarily be significantly
moved or relocated. In an alternative embodiment, one or more nodes (201) may
be affixed to a
vehicle or other movable object, such as city vehicles or equipment (e.g., to
track where they are,
or how they are used), or in transit vehicles (e.g., to track movement and
utilization). In a still
further embodiment, a node (201) may be affixed to a microtransit vehicle,
such as a motorized
scooter or bicycle.
[082] In the depicted embodiment, a municipal light (103) is modified by a
housing adapter or
enclosure (321), including a power supply (361). The depicted power supply
(361) is configured
to provide electrical power to other components from the power line (111). The
municipal lights
(103) may be thus modified by attaching the enclosure (321) to the end of the
light arm (107),
installing a power supply (361) in the housing (321), and attaching endpoint
devices (351) to the
modular power supply enclosure (321).
[083] It will be clear that in an alternative embodiment using another type of
fixture, the particular
configurations of these structures may differ. For example, if a node (201) is
installed on a traffic
control light, a different type of adapter may be necessary to provide an
attaching point for the
node (201). Similarly, if a node (201) is installed on a fixture without a
power source, then the
configuration of the power supply (361) may differ. For example, a chemical
cell or renewable
power source may be required.
[084] In the depicted embodiment of FIG. 4, at least one of the municipal
lights (103) has affixed
thereto an endpoint device (351B), (351D), or (351F). The endpoint device
(351) is typically an
input and/or output device in the broadest sense, providing either
communication to those present
nearby or collecting input from the locality. By way of example and not
limitation, the depicted
endpoint device on a first municipal light (103A) is a traffic camera (351B).
The depicted endpoint
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
device (351D) on a second municipal fixture (103B) is a bar light (351D). The
depicted endpoint
device (351F) on a third municipal fixture (103C) is a rain sensor (351F).
These endpoint devices
may themselves contain network hardware and communicate in the mesh network
(505) by
wireless transmission, or may be wired to the node (201) associated with the
municipal fixture
(103) and provide data to the node (201), which then provides the data on the
mesh network (505).
In either event, the endpoint device is conceptually similar to an IoT device.
[085] An IoT device generally is a device or product whose primary purpose or
function is
generally unrelated to network communications (e.g., a traditional "dumb"
device), but which is
enabled for network communication regardless, in order to share and exchange
data and
information for remote monitoring, access, and control. The depicted endpoint
devices (351) may
be IoT devices themselves, but an advantage to the present systems and methods
is that it does not
matter whether a given endpoint device (351) is IoT-ready, because the device
can be connected
to the corresponding node (201) on the municipal fixture (103) via the housing
(321), communicate
with the corresponding node (201), and use the transceiver (225) of the
corresponding node (201)
for IoT functionality.
[086] A non-limiting example may illustrate the point. In the depicted
embodiment of FIG. 4, a
configurable bar light (351D) is affixed to a fixture (103B). This light
(351D) may be an out-of-
the-box, off-the-shelf light (351D) with no network connectivity, though its
hue, intensity, and
other characteristics may be altered or changed. The light (351D) may be
powered by the power
supply (361) or a power supply (211) of an associated node (201B), and
connected to the associated
node (201B) via the enclosure (321). Thus, whether or not the light (351D) is
an IoT device, it
can be controlled by the node (201B). The node (201B) is part of the mesh
network (505), and the
mesh network (505) has access to a WAN (503) through a gateway node (201B). In
this example,
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
the gateway node (201B) is also the corresponding node (201B) to the endpoint
device (351D).
Thus, the node (201B) can relay instructions and data pertaining to the
endpoint device (351D) to
and from servers (507), client devices (509), or other nodes (201) via the
mesh network (505)
alone, via the WAN (503) alone, or, in most instances, a combination of the
two. For example,
the corresponding node (201B) happens to be the gateway node (201B) in the
depicted
embodiment and so it can directly communicate with the WAN (503) for data
exchange with the
depicted server (507) and/or client devices (509). The corresponding node
(201B) can also
communicate over the mesh network (505) with the other two depicted nodes
(201A) and (201C).
Alternatively, for an input endpoint device (351), this data flow is
effectively reversed, from the
device (351) to the gateway (201B) to the server computer (507).
[087] In another non-limiting example, endpoint device (351B) is a traffic
camera, which again
may be an out-of-the-box, off-the-shelf camera, which may or may not have
network connectivity.
Whether or not the camera (351B) is an IoT device, it can be controlled by the
node (201A). The
node (201A) is again part of the mesh network (505), which has access to a WAN
(503) through
the gateway node (201A). In this example, the gateway node (201B) is not the
corresponding node
(201A). Thus, in this instance, the camera (351B) can send and receive data
with its corresponding
node (201A), which communicates over the mesh network (505) with gateway node
(201B), which
can then communicate over the WAN (503) with servers (507), client devices
(509), and other
machines on the WAN (503).
[088] Also, the node (201A) can communicate directly with another node (201C),
or indirectly
by routing through the gateway node (201B). Although only three nodes are
shown, it will be
understood that the corresponding node (201A) could be an edge node in the
mesh network (505),
and may be outside the transmission range of the gateway node (201B). In this
case, an edge node
27
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
(201A) could communicate with other nodes in range, and rely on those nodes to
route
communications to and from the gateway node (201B). This allows for a large
number of nodes
in the mesh network (505) to spread across a wide geographic region, including
in an urban area
with high-rises that may block or inhibit wireless communications, and to
route communications
around such obstacles.
[089] The endpoint devices shown in FIG. 4 are non-limiting and exemplary, and
a variety of
different devices could be used in an embodiment. Examples include, but are
not limited to,
parking monitoring devices (e.g., sensors to monitor whether a parking space
is occupied, such as
magnets, optical sensors, proximity sensors, etc.), pedestrian sensors,
occupancy sensors,
structural sensors (e.g., devices which monitor vibrations and material
conditions in buildings and
infrastructure), bridge sensors, noise sensors, light sensors, smartphone
detection, cameras, traffic
monitoring and sensors, street lighting, waste management, fire sensors, smoke
detectors, air
pollutant sensors, pollen sensors, snow accumulation sensors, weather sensors,
rain sensors, water
level sensors, earthquake sensors, landslide and avalanche sensors,
environmental sensors, carbon
dioxide sensors, water quality and/or purity sensors, chemical sensors (e.g.,
to detect air or water
pollution or leakage), water flow sensors (e.g., to detect blockages or
rubbish in waterways), light
sensors, digital banners, visibility distance sensors, sea level sensor, wave
and tidal sensors, water
main sensors, water pressure or speed sensors, hazardous or explosive gas or
material sensors,
radiological sensors, optical and infrared cameras, smart trash bin sensors,
and so forth.
[090] In the depicted embodiment, the plurality of nodes (201) communicates
commands
associated with the endpoint devices (351) over the mesh network (505) to one
or more gateway
nodes (201B). Each gateway node (201B) may then communicate this and other
data with a server
(507) over the WAN (503). The gateway node (201B) may also receive
instructions over the WAN
28
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
(503), from a server (507), from a client device (509), or from another
source. The instructions
generally comprise requests for information or data pertaining to one or more
endpoint devices
(351), or commends to control one or more endpoint devices (351).
[091] The systems and methods described here may be used in an embodiment to
propagate
external instructions through the mesh network (505). This may be done by a
user of a client
device (509) providing instructions to the server (507), which then relays
those instructions over
the WAN (503) to one or more gateway nodes (201B). The gateway node(s) (201B)
then relay(s)
instructions to all other nodes (201A) and (201C) in the mesh network (505).
[092] This may be further understood through a non-limiting illustrative
example. Suppose that
the municipal fixtures (103) are municipal street lights and that each light
is equipped with a
configurable bar light device (351D). The city in question has multiple sports
teams or colleges
with different team colors and desires for the bar lights (351D) to be the
color of one specific team
on days when that team is playing a game (e.g., red), and to be the color of a
different team on
days when that team is playing (e.g., blue). On days when no team is playing,
the city wishes for
the lights (351D) to be white. Rather than physically visit each municipal
fixture (103) to adjust
the color, the systems of FIG. 4 may be used to provide instructions.
[093] A user, generally a person associated with the city or a relevant
depaiiment thereof (e.g.,
streets, tourism, sports commission, etc.) will use an authorized client
device (509) to connect to a
server (507). Typically, the authorized client device (509) is a computer
running a web browser
or other web interface to connect to the server (507). The server is in
communication with one or
more gateway nodes (201B) in the mesh network (505) formed by the nodes (201)
associated with
each bar light (351D). The user provides instructions to the client device
(509) via a user interface
to change the light shade to blue. This may be done using any appropriate
interface, such as a
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
color wheel, manually providing red-blue-green (RBG) values or other color
codes or values, and
so forth. The client (509) then communicates these instructions to the server
(507) over the WAN
(503). The server (507) then communicates these instructions to the applicable
gateway node(s)
(201B). The gateway node(s) (201B) then use the mesh network (505) protocol to
distribute the
instructions across the mesh network (505) to the other nodes (201). All nodes
(201), including
the gateway node(s) (201B), then operate the connected light bar (351D) to
change its color to blue
as instructed.
[094] It will be clear that security procedures and protections are needed.
For example, if the
communication protocol for the mesh network (505) is known, an unauthorized
third party could
use a wireless device to spoof an instruction to one or more nodes (201), and
thus provide
unauthorized instructions to an associated endpoint device (351). Similarly,
an unauthorized third
party could spoof a device (351), node (201), or gateway (201B), and provide
false or unauthorized
data to the server (507). To inhibit such tampering, the mesh network (505)
may use a data
exchange protocol encrypted via a private key, as well as asymmetric
cryptographic key algorithms
for device and gateway identity validation. Similarly, the gateway (201B) may
use an encrypted
communications technique, such as a secure sockets layer, virtual private
network, or other secure
networking protocol.
[095] Additionally, and as further described elsewhere herein, a "snapshot" of
the system state
may be stored and used to periodically update endpoint devices (351). For
example, the server
(507) and/or one or more gateway nodes (201B) may maintain a stored copy of
the desired current
system state, based on the most recently received user instructions. The
gateway (201B) may then
periodically "check in" with the nodes (201) to confirm that the associated
endpoint devices (351)
have the correct settings and, if not, instruct the node (201) to configure
the device (351) with the
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
correct settings. The frequency of these "check-ins" may vary by endpoint
device (351) type. For
example, where the endpoint device (351) is a light bar, the consequences of
an improper setting
are generally not severe (a light may be off or have the wrong color), and it
is less urgent to check
in frequently. However, where the endpoint device (351) is a security or
traffic camera, the
frequency may be greater to ensure that the camera is properly configured,
focused, and oriented
to monitor the area. Thus, even if an unauthorized third party were to break
into the system and
provide spoofed instructions to a device, the error would be corrected in due
course because the
unauthorized third party cannot access or change the stored system state data,
which is used to
correct endpoint devices (351) with errant settings.
[096] In an embodiment, methods for detecting errant behavior may comprise the
use of
acknowledgements. Such acknowledgements may take the form of the current state
accompanied
by a checksum, which is sent to one or more gateways (201B). Each such gateway
(201B) has
data concerning whether a particular command (e.g., instructing the settings
of an endpoint device
(351)) was successful. In the event that an endpoint device (351) received a
command from an
unauthorized or malicious external source, the endpoint device (351) would be
programmed via
the communications protocol to report the commanded state change from that
source to its
designated gateway (201B) in the form of an acknowledgement of the command.
However, the
gateway (201B) would have knowledge that it issued no such command, and could
thus verify that
the requested change was not actually requested via the system, and instruct
the errant device to
correct its state back to the stored state tracked by the gateway (201B) or
the server (507). A
checksum may be utilized to quickly assess whether the state is correct. That
is, a checksum may
be calculated to be representative of the intended or current device state.
After the application of
a delta (discussed in more detail elsewhere herein), a new checksum will be
calculated and
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
compared to the prior checksum. If they differ, then the system knows that a
requested change
was missed or an unauthorized change was executed, and resynchronize the
system by transmitting
a full copy of the device state to all nodes (201B), which can then provide
appropriate command
instructions to the endpoint devices (351).
[097] As will be understood by a person of ordinary skill, the server (507)
may be a single server,
but it is more common for multiple servers to coordinate or collaborate to
respond to requests to
ensure timely responses. These multiple servers function as a single logical
server (507), and the
particular server selected to handle any one request may be determined using
any number of
techniques, such as by use of a load balancer.
[098] To improve efficiency and minimize network bandwidth utilization, in an
embodiment, the
communications protocol in the mesh network (505), and/or between the gateway
nodes (201B)
and server (507), and/or among multiple server instances (507) forming a
logical server, may
operate on a "delta" basis. That is, when an instruction is received to alter
the system state, only
the deltas need be transmitted. By way of example and not limitation, if an
instruction is received
to change light bars to blue, but make no changes to intensity, there is no
need to relay data about
intensity, and only the delta between the current state and the desired state
need to be
communicated. This reduces the transmission of superfluous data, increases
response time, and
reduces bandwidth consumption.
[099] Additionally, in an embodiment, endpoint devices (351) are treated as an
abstraction and
each type of endpoint device (351) has an associated format of expected data
that may be sent to
or received from the device. For example, a light bar type may have expected
RGB and intensity
values, but no orientation data. Thus, if an instruction is received for a
light bar device that
includes orientation data, the instruction can be quickly rejected and not
propagated through the
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
system, because it is formatted incorrectly for the device type. This is
typically done at the server
(507) but could also be done elsewhere in the system to prevent improper data
from being
unnecessarily transmitted, such as at the gateway node (201B), client (509),
or any other nodes
(201). The device type data format facilitates the data delta system described
herein to operate
efficiently by facilitating the elements of the system removing redundant data
and communication
with other elements of the system which already have the same information. In
an embodiment,
this may be performed at essentially each step of the data flow. Thus, if
incorrect data is identified,
it can be used to attempt to correct the system state and resolve conflicting
deltas. Further, in an
embodiment, it can be used as a flag for possible intrusion detection or
attempted instruction by
identifying endpoint device (351) behaviors or data values which are
inconsistent with the
expected behaviors and values based on the stored system state in the master
record.
[100] The overall framework for this system functions as a communication
library for connecting
devices. That is, the server (507) and gateways (201B) are programmed with a
cohesive
communication framework which tracks the system state and provides
communications as
necessary through the mesh network (505) to set devices to the desired state,
or acquire desired
data, and to do so in a device-agnostic fashion. This is done by abstracting
each device in memory
as a collection of data and states. When a new endpoint device (351) is
desired to be added to the
system, the endpoint device (351) itself may have its microcontroller or other
programming
modified to include a communications library for interoperating with the
systems and methods
described herein. Likewise, the communications library implemented via the
server (507) and the
gateways (201B) may also be modified to recognize the new type of endpoint
device (351)
throughout the system. However, because the communications layer is uniform,
the operation of
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
the system does not require further modification to accommodate new types of
endpoint devices
(351).
[101] In an embodiment, the systems could be used to coordinate a performance
among a
plurality of lights. For example, a series of light poles (103) on a block or
street could each be
outfitted with a multi-color light tube controlled by a luminaire control
device (201) described
herein. A sequence of illumination instructions could be programmed so as to
cause each luminaire
(110) (or a second luminaire (117), light bar, or other device) to illuminate
in a sequence and
timing to present an image when viewed from a given perspective or angle. By
way of example
and not limitation, the luminaires (110) could present the impression of a
national flag, such as the
U.S. flag. Each luminaire (110) could also be operated to animate the flag,
such as to simulate a
"waving" effect. The luminaires (11) could also be coordinated to music so as
to present a
multimedia presentation.
[102] Also described herein is a luminaire control device for use with a
municipal light pole. The
device is plugged into a standard dimming receptacle and includes a universal
power supply for
converting AC power received in any of the common municipal distribution
voltages to a uniform
DC output usable by small electronic components of an accompanying control
system. The
universal power supply and control system are configured to fit within the
form factor required by
applicable standards. The control system includes program logic to control the
luminaire by
sending control signals via the dimming receptacle. These signals may be sent
using one, two, or
more control channels as defined by the standard, and may control a single
luminaire or multiple
luminaires via the different channels. The device may further include a
wireless transceiver to
facilitate remote access and control of the light, allowing a municipal light
pole to be retrofitted as
an IoT device.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[103] Described herein, among other things, is a luminaire control device
(201) including a
universal power supply (211) and control system for use on a municipal
infrastructure pole (103).
FIG. 5 depicts a basic diagram of a device (201) as described herein. At a
high level of generality,
the luminaire control device (201) depicted in FIG. 5 can be thought of as
having three main
components: a housing (203) and (205), a power supply (211), and a control
system (207). When
the device (201) is further outfitted with a wireless communication system as
part of a network of
similar devices in a deployment, it may sometimes be referred to in shorthand
as a "node" or
"beacon."
[104] The depicted housing comprises a base (203) and an enclosure (205)
adapted to plug into
a dimming receptacle (115) and enclose a power supply (211) and control system
(207). The
depicted control system (207) is adapted to control one or more luminaires
(110), and the depicted
power supply (211) is adapted to receive municipal electrical power in any of
the commonly
provided voltage ranges and convert that power into a uniform DC output
suitable to power the
components of the control system (207). Both of these elements (211) and (207)
are adapted and
arranged so as to fit within the enclosure (205), which is in turn adapted to
the form factor of the
base (203), and are further described elsewhere herein.
[105] The form factor of the housing elements (203) and (205) may be defined
or limited by the
specifications of an applicable standard. For purposes of the exemplary
embodiments described
herein, that standard is ANSI C136.41. In an embodiment using the ANSI C136.41
standard, there
may be 3-pin (power only), 5-pin (3 power pins plus one 2-pin dimming
circuit), and 7-pin
configurations (3 power pins and two 2-pin dimming circuits). In an
alternative embodiment, the
base (203) or other elements may comport with different standards or
requirements as may be
needed for the particular embodiment.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[106] The depicted base (203) is a generally circular element made from a
rugged, weather-
resistant material to extend operational life and provide a suitable surface
for supporting other
elements. Generally, the base is sized and shaped to comport with the
applicable standard for
receptacles or sockets on a municipal light. As described elsewhere herein,
the depicted base (203)
is sized and shaped for use with a receptacle in compliance with ANSI C136.41.
[107] The depicted enclosure (205) is a roughly cylindrical dome sized and
shaped to
accommodate the interior components of the device (201) described herein. The
enclosure (205)
has an open bottom end adapted to mate with the base (203) so as to form a
sealed connection.
The sealed connection should inhibit or prevent moisture penetration. Because
the device (201)
will ordinarily by used outdoors on a street light, it is desirable to endure
outdoor weather
conditions in most climates. The enclosure (205) should be manufactured from a
rugged, water-
resistant or waterproof material which can withstand liquid and solid
precipitation, high winds,
impacts from debris, and so forth. The enclosure (205) may be opaque,
transparent, or translucent.
A generally cylindrical enclosure (205) is shown but other sizes, shapes, and
configurations of
enclosures (205) are possible, including but not limited to enclosures (205)
which have an
orthogonal or prism configuration.
[108] The particular configuration will generally depend on the shape of the
base (203) to which
the enclosure (205) attaches and the size and shape of the internal
components. In certain
embodiments, the enclosure (205) may further comprise one or more openings or
apertures to
allow some or all of the internal components to be disposed external to the
enclosure (205). By
way of example and not limitation, if an internal component is a wireless
communication apparatus
which includes an antenna (227), it may be desirable to dispose the antenna
outside of the enclosure
36
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
(205) for greater range. Thus, a water-resistant or watertight opening (229)
in the enclosure (205)
may be provided for this purpose.
[109] In the depicted embodiment of FIG. 5, the base (203) has seven
conductive elements to
establish an electrical connection via the receptacle (115). These comprise
three power
transmission connections in the form of prongs (209) disposed in a circular
twist-lock arrangement
extending generally perpendicularly from the bottom of the base (203), and
four functional inputs
in the form of spring contacts (213). The depicted prongs (209) are sized,
shaped, and arranged
for plugging into the dimming receptacle (115) and provide a current path for
electrical power (i.e.,
AC current) from the municipal power line (111) in the pole (105) to be
provided to the power
supply (211) as described elsewhere herein.
[110] The particular size, shape, and number of prongs (209) may vary from
embodiment to
embodiment and will depend upon the particular configuration of the dimming
receptacle (115)
for which the device (201) is designed to interoperate. Generally, the prongs
(209) comprise two
hot lines and a neutral line and are electrically connected to the power
supply (211).
[111] The four depicted spring contacts (213) are for central circuits, or
dimming pins, and are
disposed in the positions on the bottom of the base (203) specified in the
applicable standard. This
allows the depicted device (201) to be used in a standard receptacle (115) to,
for example, control
light intensity, reduce power consumption, or perform other functions as
described elsewhere
herein. The contacts (213) are generally electrically connected to components
of the control
system (207). The depicted four dimming inputs (213) comprise various dimming
command lines
as defined by applicable standards. In an embodiment, the Digital Addressable
Lighting Interface
(DALT) standard may be used. These inputs generally do not connect directly to
the power supply
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
(211), but rather pass through to the control system (207) and are controlled
by components
disposed thereon.
[112] By way of example and not limitation, this relationship is shown in
FIGs. 10, 11, and 12
with respect to the spring contacts (213). Also by way of example and not
limitation, a standard
may implement a 0-10 volt analog interface to indicate desired light
intensity. A 10-volt signal
indicates maximum light intensity and 0 volt signal indicates "off' or no
light intensity. In the
depicted embodiment, the two pairs provide two separate channels of control,
referenced to as the
"dual channel" aspect.
[113] The depicted contacts (213) are arranged into pairs and each pair
connects via the
receptacle (115) to a different dimming driver within the luminaire (110)
structure. Thus, each
pair can be separately commanded or operated to control the luminaire (110) by
components,
circuitry, and logic in the control system (207).
[114] The power supply (211) is designed and laid out so as to fit within the
form factor of the
housing (203) and (205), and comprises all components required to adapt the
range of power
conversion described herein, and leave sufficient surplus volume within the
house (203) and (205)
to accommodate a control system (207) and/or other components. FIG. 8 provides
a schematic
diagram of an embodiment of a power supply (211) implementing power conversion
from a range
of 90-528VAC to 12VDC. For example, header P8 provides the connection to route
various
electrical lines (e.g., to the control PCB/control system (207)). The current
sensing function is at
pin 7, P1 (DIM1+) is at pin 3, P2 (DIM1-) is at pin 5, P3 (DIM2+) is at pin 4,
P4 (DIM2-) is at pin
6, and a load switch to the relay is at pin 8 of header P8. A device (201)
having a form factor
compliant with the applicable standards requires small components, yet must
also step down
voltage as high as 528 VAC to 12 VDC to operate a small electrical load in
excess of 1 W, as high
38
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
as 4 W, and preferably about 3 W to 3.3 W. In particular, the form factor
defined by the ANSI
standard is generally too small to allow the inclusion of all electronic
components required to both
convert all ranges of voltage commonly found in a municipal light pole power
line, as well as fit a
control system (207) and other desired components. Prior art components of
appropriate size to
be fitted within the device (201) form factor lacked the ability to provide
power conversion in this
range by a significant margin.
[115] To achieve the required form factor, a transformer core may be custom
wound to achieve
a desired isolation voltage range within the volume or size limitations
imposed by the standard.
Additionally, or alternatively, a particular circuit layout may be used to
minimize the physical
footprint of the power supply (211) so as to fit within the form factor. The
depicted embodiment
of FIG. 8 has a small enough footprint to be contained within the form factor
of the ANSI standard,
while also accommodating the control system (207).
[116] The depicted device (201) of FIG. 5 can accept as power input any range
of AC current
between about 90 and 528 VAC and convert this power input into a consistent
level of DC power
output. The specific power output may vary from embodiment to embodiment
depending upon
the power requirements of the associated device to be powered. In the typical
embodiment, such
as that in which the control system (207) is for controlling a luminaire
(110), the power output is
about 12 VDC. In a further embodiment, the power output is at least 12 VDC. In
a further
embodiment, the power output is at least 12 VDC at 140 mA, or about 1.7 W at
12 VDC. In a
further embodiment, the average operational capacity is at least 12 VDC at 170
mA, or about 2.0
W at 12 VDC.
[117] In certain embodiments, it may be desirable to have systems and/or
apparatus for
identifying differing power supply bases. By way of example and not
limitation, it may be
39
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
economical feasible to stock a power supply (211) for converting 90-277 VAC
power, and a second
power supply (211) for converting up to 480 VAC power. However, it is also
desirable that the
corresponding control system (207) be agnostic as to which power supply (211)
it is packaged
with, so that a single software version may be maintained, reducing
development and maintenance
costs. This may be done by using four pins on the headers connecting the power
supply to the
control system (207). One such pin would be a ground pin, and three would be
signal pins.
Depending on the pattern of the three pins connected to the ground line, it is
possible to determine
which power supply (211) is connected to the control system (207). The other
lines not connected
to the ground would then be left as floating lines. It should be noted that
the ground and signal
lines come from the control system (207) and the power supply (211) may only
connect the pins
together in a specific pattern. Pins D1, D2, and D3 are connected to
microcontroller pins.
However, in the preferred embodiment, it is desirable to use a uniform
configuration of power
supply (211) to minimize complexity and stocking requirements, and this
element may not be used.
[118] It will be appreciated that the power supply (211) may provide a DC
power output at a
particular level, but that this level may nevertheless remain too high for
some uses. Thus, in some
embodiments, a control system (207) may have further "step-down" components
disposed thereon
to further reduce the power level. For example, the control system (207)
components may require
power in the range of 3 to 4 VDC at 45-290 mA, or 0.15 to 0.95 W. In an
embodiment, the control
system (207) may comprise step-down circuitry so as to provide power to
associated components
in the range of 1.35 W to 4 W. In an embodiment, power is supplied at 3.3 V at
0.410 mA on the
control system (207).
[119] The depicted control system (207) contains components and/or program
logic or software
to operate the luminaire (110) via one or more control channels, (231) and
(233). The depicted
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
embodiment of FIG. 6 is a seven-pin dimming receptacle (115). In an embodiment
using a five-
pin receptacle, the auxiliary control line (233) would not be present, and a
single channel of control
line (231) would be used instead. As can be seen in the depicted embodiment of
FIG. 6, both
control channels (231) and (233) are operatively connected to the luminaire
(110) through the
dimming receptacle (115).
[120] The control system (207) generally will comprise a circuit board and
various components
to perform one or more non-power conversion functions. The particular nature
of these functions,
and, by extension, the associated components, will vary from embodiment to
embodiment
depending upon the particular needs of any given implementation. Generally, it
is anticipated that
the control system (207) will usually comprise a processing system (221), such
as a computer,
microprocessor, microcontroller, controller, or other logic unit, for
operating the components of
the control system (207) and sending control signals on one or more of the
control channels for
operation of one or more luminaire(s) (110).
[121] Typically, the control system (207) will further comprise a memory (223)
or storage (223)
containing executable instructions for operating the device (201) or
luminaire(s) (110). The
control system (207) may further comprise other appropriate hardware systems
and circuitry as
necessary to implement the functions described herein. The control system
(207) components and
program logic/instructions operate the luminaire(s) (110) using control
channels (231) and (233)
in accordance with the needs of the given embodiment. Other components may
also be included
in the control system (207) or otherwise disposed within the interior of the
assembled device (201)
and powered by the power supply (211). These other components may include, but
are not
necessarily limited to, a microprocessor, a controller, a photocell or other
daylight sensing
technology, and/or expansion ports for other sensors.
41
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[122] The components of the control system (207) receive power via a wired
connection to the
power output from the power supply (211). The particular arrangement of such a
wired connection
will vary from embodiment to embodiment, but typically will be consistent such
that only one, or
a small number, of power supply (211) configurations need be produced, and any
number of
different control system (207) or other powered interior components may be
used with that one or
small number of power supplies (211).
[123] By way of example, and not limitation, one or more of the control
channels (231) or (233)
could be used to alter the color temperature of the luminaire (110).
Alternatively, one channel
(231) could be used to control the color temperature of the luminaire (110),
while the other channel
(233) is used to control the light intensity of the luminaire (110). In this
fashion, the luminaire
control device (201) has the ability to simultaneously control multiple
operational states of the
luminaire (110). For example, when there is insufficient light, such as dusk,
dawn, overnight, or
during inclement weather, power is restored and the luminaire (110) is
illuminated.
[124] In an embodiment, the control system (207) may further include a short-
or long-range
transceiver (225), such as, but not necessarily limited to, a radio
transceiver. The transceiver (225)
is preferably adapted to receive and transmit using a standard-complaint
protocol over short- or
long-range distances, such as via a local short-range protocol, a Wi-Fi
protocol, or a long-range
wireless data protocol, including but not limited to a protocol in the IEEE
802.11 family of
protocols. The transceiver (225) may be used to send to or receive from remote
devices
information, instructions, or requests relating to control of the device (201)
and/or the luminaire(s)
(110) to which it is connected. Instructions received at the transceiver (225)
may then be processed
by a processing system (221) and control signals may be sent to the
luminaire(s) (110) based on
the data received via the transceiver (225).
42
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[125] By way of example and not limitation, the control system (207) may
include a mesh radio
transmitter, such as that described in U.S. Prov. Pat. App. No. 62/792,213,
filed Jan. 14, 2019, and
U.S. Pat. No. 10,260,719, issued April 16, 2019, the entire disclosures of
which are incorporated
herein by reference. In this fashion, the device (201) effectively functions
as an TOT device
capable of being operated using the systems and methods described in the
foregoing references.
By including in the control system (207) a wireless transceiver and program
logic for receiving,
processing, and issuing command instructions to the appropriate channel wires,
the luminaire (110)
may be remotely operated over a telecommunications network using the device
(201). In an
embodiment, and as further described in the other applications referenced
elsewhere in this
disclosure, the control system (207) may include a microprocessor executing
program instructions
from a memory, which operate communications hardware to exchange data and
instructions with
other nearby devices (201). Additionally, or alternatively, this may be done
to communicate over
a WAN (503), including but not limited to a cellular network.
[126] Also by way of example and not limitation, the control system (207) may
include other
inputs and outputs, including but not limited to ports or connections for
other IoT devices to be
controlled by the device (201) via wireless communications as described in the
above-referenced
applications and elsewhere herein. Exemplary embodiments of these and other
components
contemplated for use with the devices described herein are also described in
the above-referenced
applications.
[127] As discussed in the background section, one problem with dimming
receptacle standards
is that prior art implementations have used pulse-width modulation dimming,
which results in
flicker when using the dimming circuits. To overcome this, in the embodiment
depicted in FIG. 9,
a potentiometer (235) may be included in the control system (207) with at
least one of the dimming
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
pin sets (237), operated by a microcontroller (239). In the depicted
embodiment, the
microcontroller (239) is an integrated circuit. As seen in FIG. 9, one set of
dimming pins (237) is
shown, but the second set (not shown) could also be wired to a potentiometer
(235). In the depicted
embodiment, the first dimming pin DIM- is connected to the microcontroller
(239) at pin PWO
(#11) in FIG. 9. This is the control line for the wiper (241) (e.g., a sliding
contact on a resistive
strip in the potentiometer that alters the amount of resistance in the
circuit). These configurations
may be used to create, in effect, a digital "control knob" within the
apparatus for controlling
luminaire intensity, with reduced flicker and self-correction in the event of
pin misalignment.
[128] FIGs. 10, 11, and 12 depict an embodiment of a power supply (211)
showing the
connecting elements to the control system (207). In an embodiment, a single
header is used to
connect elements of the power supply (211) to the control system (207). This
may be done, for
example, by connecting a cable (217) from the control system (207) to the
header. In an alternative
embodiment, the connecting elements may comprise two rows of headers. That is,
the "stack" in
the device (201) is ordered, from bottom to top: base (203), then power supply
(211) on top of the
base (203), and then one or more control systems (207) on top of the power
supply (211).
[129] In an embodiment, the number and arrangement of headers may be selected
to provide
mechanical stability for elements disposed above the power supply (211),
including but not
necessarily limited to a control system (207). In the depicted embodiments,
the rows of headers
comprise rows of 0.1" headers, but this is exemplary only and not necessarily
limiting. It is
specifically contemplated that a single header may suffice in the preferred
embodiment.
[130] In an embodiment, at least one of the headers is a conductive signal-
carrying element. It
is contemplated that at least two pins each of 12 VDC power and a ground line
are provided for
redundancy to ensure power flow in the event of a mechanical failure of one
set of pins. Thus, in
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
the preferred embodiment, at least four pins are devoted to power transmission
from the power
supply (211) to a control system (207). However, in other embodiments, there
may be more (or
less) pins having this function.
[131] In an embodiment, at least one header pin provides another function. By
way of example
and not limitation, a pin may provide signals pertaining to dimming. That is,
a controller on the
control system (207) may relay signals via the pins to the luminaire to which
the device (201) is
attached to control dimming functions. Additionally, or alternatively, wires
for transmitting
dimming controls or instructions may by connected directly to pins on the plug
and carried directly
to the control system (207). Such wires are not necessarily power supply lines
but rather function
effectively as a bus, and thus may bypass the power supply (211).
[132] In the depicted embodiments, the components on the control system (207)
are in turn
powered by the adjusted power output at the appropriate voltages produced on
the power supply
(211). The device (201) may further include mechanical struts or supports to
provide stability and
separation between the power supply (211) and the control system (207).
[133] FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the municipal luminaire control device
(201) installed on
a light head (109) containing a luminaire (110). As can be seen in the
depicted embodiment of
FIG. 6, the luminaire (110) is enclosed within the light head (109), which is
attached to a light arm
(107). In the depicted embodiment, an enclosure device (321) is installed in-
line between the arm
(107) and light head (109). The municipal luminaire control device (201) is
plugged into a
dimming receptacle socket (115) on the dorsal side of the light head (109). A
municipal power
line (111) is disposed within the arm (107) and passes through the enclosure
(321) to power the
luminaire (110). This line (111) is connected (113) to the power supply
interface in the dimming
receptacle (115), as defined by the applicable standard.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[134] When the luminaire control device (201) is attached to the receptacle
(115), an electrical
connection (243) is formed between the power line (111) and the power supply
(211) inside of the
device (201). The power supply (211) receives alternating current from
municipal power line
(111), converts it to direct current and steps down the voltage to an amount
useable by the control
system (207). The resulting direct current is indicated in FIG. 6 as a wired
connection (245). The
components of the depicted control system (207) are then powered by the direct
current received
(245) from the power supply (211).
[135] In an alternative embodiment, such as that depicted in FIG. 7, the
luminaire control device
(201) may be used to control two different luminaires (110) and (117). In the
depicted embodiment
of FIG. 7, a first luminaire (110) is contained in the light head (109) in a
similar fashion as
described with respected to FIG. 6, but a second luminaire (117) is disposed
elsewhere on the
municipal infrastructure pole (103). In this embodiment, the primary channel
(231) (e.g., DIM1)
may be used by the luminaire control device (201) to operate the primary
luminaire (110) in the
light head (109), while the auxiliary control channel (233) (e.g., DIM2) may
be connected to the
second luminaire (117) to control that luminaire (117) instead. In the
depicted embodiment, for
example, the first luminaire (110) is a traffic luminaire disposed above a
street to illuminate the
surface below for traffic safety, while the second luminaire (117) is disposed
next to the sidewalk
to provide illumination and safety to pedestrians adjacent to the street. In
this fashion, the
luminaire control device (201) can independently operate both luminaires (110)
and (117) in
accordance with the operational needs of the implementation.
[136] In an embodiment, both the DIM1 and DIM2 commands are used to control a
single
luminaire (110). By way of example and not limitation, DIM1 may be used to
control a first aspect
of the luminaire (110) and DIM2 may be used to control a second aspect of the
luminaire (110).
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Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[137] In an embodiment, one or more of the luminaires (110) and (117) may be
adapted or
designed to respond to specific commands issued via the control channels (231)
and (233). The
specific nature of this design will depend upon the needs of the
implementation. By way of
example, and not limitation, if the design is intended to provide variance in
light intensity, then
the luminaires (110) and (117) may be designed to alter light intensity in
response to commands
or voltages received via the channels (231) and (233). It should be noted that
in the depicted
embodiment of FIG. 7, the enclosure (321) is omitted for illustrative
simplicity.
[138] In an embodiment, a specialized luminaire (110) may be used, which may
be specifically
adapted to accept and respond to commands issued via the dimming receptacle.
That is, although
the receptacle is intended for a dimming function (e.g., by use of a photocell
to detect sunlight and
dim the luminaire (110) when there is sufficient ambient light that use of the
luminaire (110) is
unnecessary), the standard defines a mechanical and electrical interface which
can be used to
transmit any number of types of instructions via the control channels (231)
and (233). For
example, an LED light fixture may be programmed to respond to commands
received on DIM1
and/or DIM2 (or just on DIM).
[139] By way of example and not limitation, FIG. 14 depicts an embodiment of a
specially
adapted light head (109) for use in the systems and methods described herein
to implement two
channels of independent control of a multi-panel system. The depicted light
head (109) is shown
attached to a modular enclosure (321), and comprises a weather-resistant outer
shell enclosing a
luminaire (110) comprising plurality of light panels (1501). In the depicted
embodiment (109) of
FIG. 14, the luminaire (110) comprises a plurality of separately-operable
illumination sources
(1501). In the depicted embodiment, the plurality of separately-operable
illumination sources
(1501) comprises four LED light panels (1501), each comprising a plurality of
LEDs to provide
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illumination, but other quantities, types, and configurations of illumination
sources (1501) are
possible.
[140] Each of the depicted light panels (1501) may be adapted or configured
such that the
illumination projected by each light panel (1501) is directional; that is,
unlike a conventional
incandescent bulb, which provides omnidirectional illumination, the
illumination of each panel
(1501) may be focused or directed to concentrate light on a physical space,
referred to herein as
an "illumination zone." This may be done, for example, by pivoting or
orienting the light panels
(1501) to face the desired direction, or through other means known in the art
for directing the
illumination.
[141] In a prior art street light installation, the illumination sources in a
luminaire are all directed
to a single illumination zone, typically the street beneath the light. This
arrangement is shown in
prior art FIG. 1. However, in the depicted embodiment, the luminaire (110) may
be configured to
direct illumination to a plurality of illumination zones. FIG. 15 depicts an
embodiment of such a
luminaire (110) installed in a smart city illumination system as described
herein, and controlled by
a luminaire control device (201) as described herein. The depicted luminaire
control device (201)
is in electrical communication with the luminaire (110) by said luminaire
control device (201)
being mechanically fastened to a receptacle (115) as described elsewhere
herein, providing two
channels or lines (231) and (233) of control. The depicted luminaire is
specifically adapted such
that a first channel (231) or control line (231) is electrically connected to,
and controls the
operation of, a first set or subset of the independently operable sources of
illumination (1501) (e.g.,
some but not all of the light panels (1501)) and a second channel (233) or
control line (233) of
command control or control line (231) is electrically connected to, and
controls the operation of, a
second subset of the independently operable sources of illumination (1501)
(e.g., a second set of
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some but not all of the light panels (1501), usually different than the first
set). In the depicted
embodiment (110) having four panels (1501A), (1501B), (1501C), and (1505D),
two panels
(1501A) and (1501B) are operated and controlled by the first control line
(231) and two different
panels (1501C) and (1501D) are operated and controlled by the first control
line (233).
[142] This arrangement allows the luminaire control device (201) to
independently operate two
different sets of light panels (1501) within the luminaire (110). This in turn
facilitates each set of
light panels (151) independently illuminating separate illumination zones,
possibly under different
conditions.
[143] By way of example and not limitation, FIG. 16 depicts an embodiment of a
light head (109)
of FIG. 15 illuminating two different illumination zones ¨ a first
illumination zone (1503A) and
a second illumination zone (1503B). In the depicted embodiment, the first
illumination zone
(1503A) is a street (108) and the second illumination zone (1503B) is an
adjacent sidewalk (106).
Thus, the luminaire control device (201) may comprise, receive, and/or provide
instructions,
programming, or commands to operate the first set of panels (1501A) and
(1501B) independently
of the second set of panels (1501C) and (1501D), and/or vice versa, to
independently manage the
two illumination zones (1503A) and (1503B). This may be done by the luminaire
control device
(201) sending commands independently on the first channel (231) or second
channel (233). Such
commands may be provided locally (e.g., via programming of the luminaire
control device (201))
or remotely over a network, in either case as described elsewhere herein.
[144] This permits a wide range of potentially useful configurations and power-
saving options,
especially when considered in conjunction with the installation of sensors
and/or IoT devices as
described elsewhere herein. By way of example and not limitation, in the
embodiment of FIG. 16,
to save energy, the sidewalk zone (1503B) need not be illuminated unless
somebody is
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approaching the zone. Thus, to save energy, the second set of panels (1503C)
and (1503D) may
be turned off by default, even at night. However, a motion sensor may be
installed on the fixture
and connected to the luminaire control device (201). When the motion sensor
detects the motion
of an approaching pedestrian, it may provide a single indicating same to the
luminaire control
device (201), which in response may be programmed to operate the second
control channel (233)
to send commands to the second set of panels (1503C) and (1503D) to turn them
on and cause the
second illumination zone (1503B) at the sidewalk (106) to be illuminated. Once
the motion sensor
detects that the pedestrian has passed, there is no need to further illuminate
the sidewalk (106)
adjacent to the light. The luminaire control device (201) could then operate
the second control
channel (233) to send commands to the second set of panels (1503C) and (1503D)
to turn them
back off, saving energy.
[145] Although the depicted embodiments use four panels (1501) split into two
sets of two, this
is exemplary only and in an alternative embodiment, there could be a different
number of panels
in a luminaire (110), divided into different numbers depending on need. For
example, there may
be circumstances where three panels illuminate the street and one illuminates
the sidewalk, or
where the luminaire has only two panels, or more than four panels. In a still
further embodiment,
all of the panels may illuminate the same illuminate zone, with the second set
of panels only being
turned on when additional illumination is determined as being necessary or
desirable. In a further
embodiment, the illumination zones may differ from those shown. By way of
example and not
limitation, in an embodiment where the street light is at a corner adjacent to
a crosswalk, one of
the illumination zones may be the crosswalk rather than the sidewalk. The
particular configuration
of the luminaire (110), the light panels (1501), how the light panels (1501)
are assigned to each of
the channels (231) and (233), and how the two sets of panels (1501) are
controlled, will vary from
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embodiment to embodiment depending on the particular needs of each
installation, such as where
illumination is desired, and under what circumstances.
[146] Other configurations of the luminaire (110) and light panels (1501) are
also possible. By
way of example and not limitation, in an embodiment, the first channel (231)
may be used to
operate some or all of the panels (1501) (e.g., by turning them on and off),
while the second channel
(233) may be used to operate or control a control system, such as (but not
limited to) a small motor
mechanically coupled to some or all of the panels, which alters the
directionality of the panels
(1501). This would allow the illumination zone to be configurable in real-time
rather than pre-set.
This could assist with, for example, field adjustments to an installation to
improve light coverage
or adapting to new circumstances. For example, if the street lines are
repainted and the lane widths
change, the panels could be rotated to ensure that the illumination zone is
centered on the lane.
[147] This technique addresses common problems with providing secondary
illumination via a
street light fixture. For example, adding a secondary pedestrian light for a
sidewalk can be time-
consuming and expensive, because pre-existing municipal fixtures are not
designed to accept
hardware for installing and hanging a secondary light to illuminate the
sidewalk. However, by
using a multi-panel light in this fashion, a prior art overhead luminaire can
be replaced with a
specially adapted luminaire as described herein, which can then provide
secondary illumination of
the sidewalk without the need for additional wiring, rewiring, or installing
hardware on the fixture.
[148] Alternatively, an existing light head (109) may be retrofitted without
the necessity of
installing a new luminaire (110). For example, the device (201) is installed
in a dimming
receptacle atop a street light (103) to replace a photo control cell. The
device (201) may itself
include a photocell and receive a signal from that photocell which is also
used to control the
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luminaire (110), and/or may operate the luminaire (110) in accordance with
other criteria
depending upon the function of the control system (207).
[149] An improvement over prior art devices is that the ballast drivers may
not fully implement
"turning off' the luminaire (110). For example, a "1-100" driver is configured
to set the light
intensity to between 10% of maximum intensity and 100% of maximum intensity.
Thus, if a
control signal received on Pl, P2, P3, or P4 indicates a voltage of zero,
meaning a command to cut
the light entirely, the ballast driver may nevertheless maintain the luminaire
(110) at 10% light
intensity. This in turn means that, in a prior art device in which a
photovoltaic cell is installed,
even with full sun in broad daylight with a 0 volt command signal to the
driver, the driver maintains
the light on at 10% power, wasting electricity. In one embodiment of the
present device, the power
supply (211) and control system (207) may implement command logic which cuts
line power to
the driver entirely, thus ensuring that no power is wasted by a 1-100 driver
forcing the luminaire
(110) to 10% intensity regardless of the analog control signal.
[150] The luminaire control device (201) described herein may be used to
control functions
beyond dimmable controls. For example, in an embodiment, the luminaire control
device (201)
may utilize one or both channels to provide various instructions and functions
to the luminaire
(110). The particular functions of each channel may vary from embodiment to
embodiment while
remaining within the requirements of the applicable standard. By way of
example and not
limitation, the signals transmitted over the control lines may alter the color
temperature of the light.
In one embodiment, DIM1 may control the 4000 Kelvin temperature range, and
DIM2 may control
the 6000 Kelvin temperature range. Thus, by increasing DIM1, the color tone of
the light becomes
more yellow, and by increasing DIM2, the color tone of the light becomes more
white. This, in
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combination with the potentiometer implementation, facilities a smooth
gradient of light
temperature.
[151] The depicted design has the advantage of being able to receive any
amount of municipal
voltage commonly distributed in the United States and convert that voltage to
a uniform output for
use by the control system (207). This allows a single luminaire control device
(201) to be
manufactured and stocked for any given implementation, and avoids the need for
the city to
manage a stockpile of multiple devices (201) accepting different voltages, and
to monitor and track
which poles in a given power grid operate at which voltages. Utility crews may
simply pick up a
device (201) and install it in any pole, and be confident that the voltage
will be accepted, converted,
and usable without damaging the device (201). This design also has the
advantage of directly
utilizing the municipal power supply (111) without the need to include
batteries, or photocells, or
other solutions which cannot provide a consistent amount of power, resulting
in the control system
(207) being potentially unpowered and either malfunctioning, or failing to
operate the luminaires
(110) correctly. Additionally, by utilizing both control channels (231) and
(233), multiple aspects
of a single luminaire (110) may be controlled by a single device (201), or
multiple luminaires (110)
may be independently controlled.
[152] Also described herein are systems and methods for providing
"localization" of moving
objects (e.g., people, vehicles, equipment) by using beacons installed on
municipal fixtures (103),
such as light and utility poles. The beacons transmit, in the ordinary course
of network
communication, an identifier. Because the fixtures (103) do not move, the
fixed geographic
locations of the fixtures (103) can be associated in a database with a unique
identifier broadcast by
the beacon installed on the fixture (103). When a moving device having a
wireless transceiver
approaches the fixture (103), it will receive transmissions from the beacon
including the identifier,
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and can then look up the identifier in the database to get the geographic
coordinates. This can be
done even without the moving device's wireless transceiver authenticating or
connected to the
beacons' network. This location can then be used for a wide variety of
applications and purposes.
[153] As shown in the depicted embodiment of FIG. 13, the luminaire control
device (201) may
also be used for a number of other purposes, and may incorporate other
components to facilitate
other functions unrelated to the luminaire control system (207). For example,
the control may be
designed and/or programmed with circuitry and/or computer logic to a wide
variety of functions
in addition to those described in this disclosure. As described in other
patent applications
referenced elsewhere herein, the device (201) may be one of a plurality of
devices in a network of
similar devices, some or all of which may be equipped or otherwise connected
with one or more
sensors on or at a utility pole (103). The data detected by the devices (201)
may be collected and
shared via a wireless network among such devices (201), including but not
necessarily limited to
a mesh network (505). This data may be used to "localize" where specific
incidents or types of
incidents have taken place. This data may be provided to municipal
authorities, emergency
responders, and/or the general public or private parties for use, processing
and consumption. The
data may be used, for example, in a consumer/end-user software application.
[154] In an embodiment, a short-range radio transceiver (1011), or "beacon,"
would be installed
on some, most, or all of the devices (201) in a given deployment. This may be
done by including
the beacon (1011) in the control system (207), for example. Such beacons
(1011) could be, but
are not necessarily limited to, radio transceivers using a wireless
communication protocol in the
IEEE 802.11 family of protocols, or some other protocol. Examples of suitable
protocols include
BluetoothTM, WiFi, Ultra-wideband, ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical)
bands, and other
radio types. In an embodiment, a beacon (1011) may be enclosed within the
device (201) or
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attached in a different location, such as in a photocell or other device using
the dorsal receptacle
(115), behind the luminaire (110) in an enclosure, or using a Zhaga Book 18
connection.
[155] Such beacons (1011) commonly include a unique, or semi-unique,
identifier (1015) which
is broadcast with ordinary transmissions as part of the wireless communication
protocol. This
identifier (1015) helps other devices within broadcast range identify the
source of a given wireless
signal or data packet. A database (1013) could be assembled which associates,
for each unique
identifier (1015), a geographic location (1017) where the beacon (1011) having
that identifier
(1015) is installed (e.g., the geographic coordinates (1017) of the light pole
(103) into which a
luminaire control device (201) containing the beacon (1011) is plugged). This
database (1013)
could be stored and accessed locally (e.g., on a mobile device (1003),
vehicular telematics system
(1004), etc.) or hosted remotely for query/access (e.g., the mobile device
(1003) or vehicular
telematics system (1004) transmits the beacon identifier (1015) to the remote
hosted database
(1013), and the database (1013) returns the geographic coordinates (1017) for
that beacon
identifier (1015)).
[156] To locate a given device (1003) or (1004), the device (1003) or (1004)
receives the
identifier (1015) for one or more beacons (1011) and looks up (locally or
remotely) the associated
geographic coordinates (1017). The location of the device (1003) or (1004) can
then be
approximated to varying degrees of precision. Techniques for doing so include
received signal
strength indicator analysis, angle of arrival using phased antenna arrays, and
other techniques
known in the art. The location information calculated can then be used to
replace, supplement, or
augment other location technologies.
[157] Any number of applications could be programmed or developed to take
advantage of this
increased accuracy. These include but are not necessarily limited to vehicular
navigation and
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assistant technologies such as lane assist, GPS navigation assistance,
routing, autonomous vehicle
location and piloting, and traffic flow analysis. Other exemplary applications
include managing
small or shared commuter vehicle fleets such as bicycles and e-scooter pools,
where the location
data may be used to geofence the range of the fleet to prevent operation
outside of permitted areas.
This reduces the need to rely on GPS transmitters, which drain battery life
and shorten the
operational life of e-scooters.
[158] The technology may be used in smart mobile devices (1003), such as smart
watches, smart
phones and tablets, virtual and augmented reality headsets, smart earbuds, and
other portable and
wearable technology. This again allows for location technology without
requiring a GPS
transceiver. This location data may also be used in activity location tracking
technologies, such
as exercise applications. This location data may also be used in augmented
reality applications
and to assist in automated or piloted operation of sidewalk delivery robots,
drones and the like.
[159] This localization technology also has application in any situation where
GPS alone is not
sufficiently accurate, such as cities or areas with low-quality or
inconsistent GPS coverage, or
applications unsuitable for the operational requirements of a GPS transmitter,
such as devices with
small form factors and/or limited battery life. This localization technology
also has application in
any situation where geofencing is desired, such as to prevent operation of
devices inside of, or
outside of, a geographically defined area.
[160] The locational information may be particularly useful in municipal areas
with a large
number of tall buildings, which can impede or distort wireless signals and
even satellite signals.
Additionally, the power drain of long-range transceivers, such as GPS, can be
significant, whereas
the power drain of a small localized beacon is relatively small. To save
battery life, the location
system described herein may be used to temporarily replace or supplemental
other location
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services, such as but not necessarily limited to, GPS. This locational system
may also be used to
provide a secondary or supplemental locational service in situations where
limitation in operating
system designs inhibit or prevent the use of GPS or other location services.
[161] By way of example and not limitation, the device (201) may comprise
circuitry and/or
program logic implementing a message/content delivery method suitable for
delivering messages
or content to nearby pedestrians (1001) or vehicles (1002). In this exemplary
embodiment, the
mere fact that a mobile device (1003) carried by a pedestrian (1001) or
motorist, or a vehicular
telematics system (1004) of a vehicle (1002) is able to detect the presence of
the beacon (1011) is
indicative that the pedestrian (1001) or vehicle (1002) is physically
proximate to the beacon
(1011).
[162] The location of the pedestrian (1001) or vehicle (1002) can then be
determined in real time
with precision using any number of techniques. When the mobile device (1003)
or telematics
system (1004) is close enough to detect wireless signals from the beacon
(1011), whether or not
mobile device (1003) or telematics system (1004) actually joins the network,
the unique identifier
(1015) for nearly beacon(s) (1011) can be received and looked up in the
database (1013) to find
the associated geographical location (1017) for the mobile device (1003) or
telematics system
(1004). This location can then be used for messaging or content delivery
(e.g., via a mobile
application (1005) or within the vehicular telematics system (1004)).
[163] The action taken may vary from embodiment and embodiment and will depend
on the
particular design and business goals of the implementation. For example, the
user device (whether
a mobile device (1003), telematics system (1004), or some other type of user
device) may display
for the user (1001) a map of the city highlighting nearby attractions,
businesses, or amenities that
are open, and/or provide walking or driving directions as the case may be, or
may indicate the
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location of nearby rideshare scooters or other small personal vehicles. In
another embodiment, the
location may be used to deliver spot marketing, such as coupons or promotions
for nearby
businesses or events. In a still further embodiment, hazard information may be
presented, such as
weather alerts, flood warnings, street closures, or reports of emergencies or
emergent situations
such as recent nearby crime or other dangerous situations with directions to
nearby shelter, an
alternate path, or other information.
[164] By way of further example, another device (201) in the network may be
equipped with a
microphone programmed to detect gunshots or a vehicular accidents. If one is
detected, the devices
(201) may further share that information within the network, including the
location of the device
(201) which detected the incident. That information may then be shared with
the user device
(1003) to provide a location for the incident in question and allow the user
(1001) to avoid the
impacted area or seek shelter.
[165] A number of marketing applications are possible. By way of example, an
outdoor
advertising screen (e.g., an LED display) could be attached to the light pole,
and when a mobile
device (1003) is detected as approaching, turned on to display a promotional
message, such as ad
placement for nearby businesses. Alternatively, if the user (1001) has a
mobile device (1003) with
software (1005) enabled to receive and display such messages, the mobile
device (1003) could
detect the nearby beacon (1011) and provide the marketing content via an alert
the mobile device
(1003), including commercial incentives, such as a coupon or discount code.
[166] The devices and methods described herein may also or alternatively be
used in conjunction
with vehicular location and traffic management systems. In such an embodiment,
a vehicle (1002)
is equipped with a wireless transceiver (1019) which communicates with one or
more beacons
(1011) in a municipal deployment. These communications may then be analyzed
for various
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purposes, including but not necessarily limited to routing, location, driver
assistance, and
autonomous piloting. This could be done, for example, by including a radio
transceiver (1019) in
the vehicle and using techniques such as analysis of the signal strength,
and/or change in signal
strength as the vehicle (1002) moves, to determine the vehicle's (1002)
location, heading, speed,
and other characteristics. Other technologies may also be used, such as phased
array antennas
(1019).
[167] The analysis could take place at the vehicle (1002), at the beacon
(1011), or at a remote
location, but is preferably performed at the vehicle (1002). This is because
although the vehicle
(1002) could connect to a private network comprised of the plurality of
beacons (1011), this is not
necessary. As described elsewhere herein, in the ordinary course of operating
a wireless network,
the beacons (1011) send out frequent status or presence signals, which the
transceivers (1019) can
detect. The characteristics of these waves can then be analyzed to determine
positional and/or
locomotive characteristics of the vehicle (1002) without authenticating or
connected to a network.
[168] Again, because the beacons (1011) are attached to a light pole (105)
with a fixed geographic
location (1017) that can be known, the vehicle's computer (1004) can be loaded
with a database
(1013) of node identifiers (1015) and geographic locations (1017). By
comparing the known
location (1017) of a given beacon (1011) (e.g., by looking up a unique
identifier (1015) associated
with the beacon (1011) in a database (1013)), the mere fact that the vehicle
(1002) is within range
to receive transmissions from a given beacon (1011) can pinpoint a vehicle's
(1002) location to a
relatively small geographic footprint. Further analysis of signal
characteristics can then refine that
determination to greater accuracy, and potentially further determine
characteristics such as speed
and heading. By using multiple beacons (1011), accuracy can be further
improved.
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[169] By way of example and not limitation, suppose a vehicle is traveling
down a municipal
street with lights outfitted with the luminaire control systems described
herein. The vehicle is
positioned next to a first node Ni, has just passed a second node N2, and is
approaching a third
node N3. The signal strength of node Ni will usually be strongest, absent
unusual interference,
and the signal strength of N2 will be weaker than that of Ni and will grow
weaker over time as the
vehicle moves further away from the light pole containing N2. Conversely, as
the vehicle
approaches N3, the signal strength will get stronger. By comparing these
various signal strengths,
and examining how they change over time, even over relatively small
increments, direction,
position, and speed can be estimated or inferred.
[170] Although the exemplary embodiments described herein are in the context
of a control
system for operating a luminaire in a municipal setting, the control system,
power supply, and
other elements described herein are suitable for use in other applications, in
which the control
system may implement different or additional functions.
[171] Described herein, among other things, is a luminaire control device
comprising: a base
having a top side and an opposing bottom side, said bottom side having a
plurality of power supply
electrical connections disposed thereon and a plurality of control electrical
connections disposed
thereon; an enclosure sized and shaped to attach to said base to form a
housing having an interior
volume defined by said enclosure; a power supply disposed within said
enclosure and in electrical
communication with said first plurality of power supply electrical
connections, said power supply
comprising a plurality of electrical components selected and arranged to
receive from said plurality
of power supply electrical connections alternating current and convert said
received alternating
current to direct current; and a control system disposed within said enclosure
and in electrical
communication with plurality of control electrical connections, said control
system comprising a
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a processing system
electrically powered
by direct current from said power supply, said non-transitory computer-
readable storage medium
comprising instructions which, when executed by said processing system,
transmit control signals
via said plurality of control electrical connections.
[172] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, said range of voltages
is a range of
municipal distribution voltages. In another embodiment of the luminaire
control device, said range
of municipal distribution voltages is between about 90 and 528 volts,
inclusive.
[173] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, said plurality of
electrical components
is further selected and arranged to convert said received alternating current
to direct current of
about 12 volts.
[174] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, said control system
further comprises a
radio transceiver.
[175] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, said radio transceiver
communicates via
a standard in the 802.11 family of wireless protocols.
[176] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, said control signals
comprise dimming
signals.
[177] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, said control signals
comprise color
temperature signals.
[178] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, said plurality of
control signals comprise
color temperature signals.
[179] In an embodiment of the luminaire control device, a first pair of
control electrical
connections in said plurality of control electrical connections defines a
first control channel and a
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second pair of control electrical connections in said plurality of control
electrical connections
defines a second control channel.
[180] Described herein, among other things, is a municipal illumination system
comprising: a
municipal utility pole having a light arm disposed on a side thereof, said
light arm having a
municipal light head attached to a distal end thereof, said municipal light
head comprising a
dimming receptacle and a luminaire in electrical communication with said
dimming receptacle,
and said municipal utility pole comprising a municipal power line therein,
said municipal power
line in electrical communication with said dimming receptacle and said
luminaire; and a luminaire
control device installed in said dimming receptacle and comprising; a housing
having an interior
volume; a power supply disposed within interior volume and in electrical
communication with said
municipal power line via said dimming receptacle, said power supply receiving
alternating current
from said municipal power line at a first voltage and comprising electrical
components selected
and arranged to convert said received alternating current to direct current at
a second voltage; and
a control system disposed within said enclosure and in electrical
communication with said
luminaire via said dimming receptacle, said control system comprising a non-
transitory computer-
readable storage medium and a processing system electrically powered by direct
current from said
power supply, said non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising
instructions
which, when executed by said processing system, transmit control signals to
said luminaire via
said dimming receptacle.
[181] In an embodiment of the municipal illumination system, said first
voltage is a range of
municipal distribution voltages. In another embodiment of the municipal
illumination system, said
range of municipal distribution voltages is between about 90 and 528 volts,
inclusive.
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[182] In an embodiment of the municipal illumination system, said second
voltage is about 12
volts.
[183] In an embodiment of the municipal illumination system, said control
system instructions,
when executed by said processing system, cause control signals to be
transmitted to said luminaire
via a first control channel and a second control channel.
[184] In an embodiment of the municipal illumination system, further
comprising a second
luminaire disposed on said municipal utility pole, said control system
instructions, when executed
by said processing system, cause control signals to be transmitted to said
luminaire via a first
control channel and cause control signals to be transmitted to said second
luminaire via a second
control channel.
[185] In an embodiment of the municipal illumination system, said luminaire is
further comprised
of a radio transceiver adapted to wirelessly receive instructions for control.
[186] Also described herein, among other things, is a method for determining a
geographic
location of a movable device comprising: providing a plurality of municipal
infrastructure fixtures,
each municipal infrastructure fixture in said plurality of municipal
infrastructure fixtures installed
at a fixed geographic location having associated geographic coordinates;
installing, on each
municipal infrastructure fixture in said plurality of municipal infrastructure
fixtures, a wireless
transceiver having an associated unique identifier, said wireless transceiver
configured for wireless
data exchange according to a protocol; for each municipal infrastructure
fixture in said plurality of
municipal infrastructure fixtures, associating, in a database, said unique
identifier of said wireless
transceiver installed on said each municipal infrastructure fixture with said
geographic coordinates
of said each municipal infrastructure fixture; for each municipal
infrastructure fixture in said
plurality of municipal infrastructure fixtures, said wireless transceiver
installed on said each
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municipal infrastructure fixture wirelessly broadcasting, in accordance with
said protocol, a
plurality of transmissions including said unique identifier of said installed
wireless transceiver;
receiving, at a second wireless transceiver in said movable device, from a
first installed wireless
transceiver installed on a first municipal infrastructure pole of said
plurality of municipal
infrastructure poles, at least one transmission in said plurality of
transmissions including said
unique identifier of said first installed wireless transceiver; receiving,
from said database, said
geographic coordinates of said first municipal infrastructure fixture, said
received geographic
coordinates determined by searching said database for said unique identifier
contained in said
received at least one transmission; and at said movable device, determining a
geographic location
of said movable device using said received geographic coordinates.
[187] In an embodiment of the method, said movable device is one of the
following: a smart
phone, a tablet computer, a portable computer, a wearable computer, or a
vehicle.
[188] In an embodiment of the method, at least some of said plurality of
municipal infrastructure
fixtures are street lights having a light head containing a luminaire.
[189] In an embodiment of the method, at least some of said light heads
comprise a dimming
receptacle and, for said at least some of said light heads, said installing
comprises installing said
wireless transceiver in a luminaire control device connected to said at least
some light heads via
said dimming receptacle.
[190] In an embodiment of the method, an enclosure is disposed between said
light arm and said
light head and said installing comprises installing said wireless transceiver
in said enclosure.
[191] In an embodiment of the method, the method further comprises: selecting
a message to
communicate to an end user of said movable device based at least in part on
said determined
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geographic location of said movable device; and displaying to said end user,
on a display of said
movable device, said selected message.
[192] In an embodiment of the method, said selected message comprises an
emergency
notification concerning an emergent condition occurring contemporaneously with
said displaying,
said emergent condition affecting a geographic region proximate to said
determined geographic
location of said movable device.
[193] In an embodiment of the method, said selected message comprises a
marketing notification.
[194] In an embodiment of the method, said marketing notification is about a
commercial
enterprise physically proximate to said determined geographic location of said
movable device.
[195] In an embodiment of the method, said marketing notification is about an
event occurring
contemporaneously with said displaying, said event taking place physically
proximate to said
determined geographic location of said movable device.
[196] In an embodiment of the method, said marketing notification includes an
incentive to make
a purchase.
[197] In an embodiment of the method, the method further comprises: receiving,
at said second
wireless transceiver, from a second installed wireless transceiver installed
on a second municipal
infrastructure fixture in said plurality of municipal infrastructure fixtures,
at least one transmission
in said plurality of transmissions including said unique identifier of said
second installed wireless
transceiver; receiving, from said database, said geographic coordinates of
said second municipal
infrastructure fixture, said received geographic coordinates determined by
searching said database
for said unique identifier contained in said received at least one
transmission from said second
installed wireless transceiver; and said movable device determining its
geographic location using
said received geographic coordinates for said second municipal infrastructure
fixture.
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-08-05
[198] In an embodiment of the method, said database is stored on a non-
transitory computer-
readable memory of said movable device.
[199] In an embodiment of the method, said database is stored on a non-
transitory computer-
readable memory of a remote server computer and said geographic coordinates
are received from
said database over a telecommunications network by said second wireless
transceiver transmitting
to said remote server said received unique identifier and said remote server
searching said database
for said unique identifier.
[200] In an embodiment of the method, said installed wireless transceivers
comprise short-range
beacons.
[201] In an embodiment of the method, said movable device determining its
geographic location
using said received geographic coordinates is based at least in part on said
receiving, at said second
wireless transceiver, from said first installed wireless transceiver, said at
least one transmission
including said unique identifier of said first installed wireless transceiver
indicating that, at the
time of said receiving, said movable device is physically proximate to said
first installed wireless
transceiver.
[202] In an embodiment of the method, said movable device further comprises a
processing
system and a non-transitory, computer-readable memory having program
instructions stored
thereon which, when executed by said processing system, cause said movable
device to run
software using said determined geographic location of said movable device.
[203] In an embodiment of the method, said software comprises an operating
system of said
movable device.
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[204] In an embodiment of the method, said operating system makes said
determined geographic
coordinates available to application software running on said operating system
via an application
programming interface.
[205] In an embodiment of the method, said software comprises one or more of
the following:
vehicular navigation, manual vehicular piloting assistance, route planning,
route tracking,
autonomous vehicle piloting assistance, traffic flow analysis, mapping,
vehicle location, vehicle
movement tracking, geofencing, couponing, a rewards program, marketing
messaging, a game, a
social network, or emergency notifications.
[206] In an embodiment of the method, said movable device is a small vehicle
in a shared fleet
having a geographically defined operational range, and said determined
location is used to inhibit
operation of said movable device when said determined location is outside of
defined operational
range.
[207] In an embodiment of the method, said plurality of municipal
infrastructure poles are
designed for a purpose other than geographic location, and are retrofitted
with said installed
wireless transceivers for geographic location.
[208] While the invention has been disclosed in conjunction with a description
of certain
embodiments, including those that are currently believed to be the preferred
embodiments, the
detailed description is intended to be illustrative and should not be
understood to limit the scope
of the present disclosure. As would be understood by one of ordinary skill in
the art, embodiments
other than those described in detail herein are encompassed by the present
invention.
Modifications and variations of the described embodiments may be made without
departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention.
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