Automatic configuration systems and methods for lighting and other applications

1. A system of networked illumination devices, comprising:

at least one illumination device configured and arranged to provide at least visible light over an area and to transmit information that uniquely identifies the at least one illumination device;

a receiver configured and arranged to receive the information from the illumination device;

a controller configured and arranged to assign at least one network address to the illumination device in response to the information received from the illumination device; and

a communication link between the receiver and the controller to transmit said information from the receiver to the controller.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said controller is a computing device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said receiver is hand-held.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the information includes a serial number of the at least one illumination source.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said communication link comprises a wireless communication link.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said illumination device includes at least one LED to provide at least some of the visible light.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein said at least one LED is operated so as to generate the information that uniquely identifies the illumination device to the receiver.

8. A method for the configuration of illumination devices, comprising acts of:

projecting at least visible light from at least one illumination device to illuminate an area;

transmitting from the at least one illumination device information that uniquely identifies the at least one illumination device;

generating a network address in response to the information; and

communicating the network address to the at least one illumination device from which the information was communicated.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising an act of:

storing the network address in a memory of the at least one illumination device such that the at least one illumination device will respond to network signals communicated to the address.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one illumination device is an LED lighting device.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of transmitting is accomplished through wireless communication.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the information comprises a serial number of the at least one illumination device.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of communicating the network address comprises projecting radiation, and the method further comprises an act of collecting light using an optic.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising an act of communicating the information from a remote receiver to a controller prior to generating the network address through wireless communication.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the act of generating a network address comprises selecting a network address.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the act of generating a network address further comprises incrementing a previously generated and communicated network address.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the wireless communication is accomplished through visible light producing LEDs.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the LEDs produce red light.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the LEDs are used for both the steps of projecting and transmitting.

20. A method for the configuration of illumination devices, comprising acts of:

projecting at least visible light from a first illumination device to illuminate an area;

transmitting from the illumination device first information that uniquely identifies the first illumination device;

storing the first information in memory in a remote receiving device;

generating a first network address in response to the first information; and

communicating the first network address to the first illumination device.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising acts of:

communicating second information from a second illumination device to the remote receiving device;

storing the second information in the memory;

generating a second network address in response to the second information; and

communicating the second network address to the second illumination device.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising an act of communicating the first and second information from the memory of the remote receiving device to a controller.