IP Library Granted Patent US 9,420,674
Granted Patent B2
US 9,420,674 · App. 14/484,300 · Granted Aug 16, 2016

System and method for monitoring street lighting luminaires

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,420,674
App. No.
14/484,300
Granted
Aug 16, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for identifying a fault in a light source is presented. The system includes at least one luminaire that includes the light source configured to emit light. Also, the at least one luminaire includes a monitoring device disposed proximate to the light source. The monitoring device includes a sensing unit configured to measure an amount of light emitted by the light source, and a squawk unit configured to generate a squawk signal based on the amount of light emitted from the light source, where the squawk signal is indicative of the fault in the light source. Further, the system includes a diagnostic unit communicatively coupled to the at least one luminaire and configured to determine the fault in the light source based on the squawk signal, and transmit a termination signal to the squawk unit to decouple an electrical power supply from the light source.

Claims (33)

1. A system for identifying a fault in a light source, the system comprising:

a plurality of luminaires arranged along a street, and wherein each of the luminaires comprises:

the light source coupled to an electrical power supply and configured to emit light based on electrical power received from the electrical power supply;

a monitoring device disposed proximate to the light source and comprising:

a sensing unit configured to measure an amount of light emitted by the light source;

a squawk unit electrically coupled to the sensing unit and configured to generate a squawk signal based on the amount of light emitted from the light source, wherein the squawk signal is indicative of the fault in the light source, and wherein the squawk signal comprises an address associated with a corresponding luminaire;

a diagnostic unit communicatively coupled to the plurality of luminaires and configured to:

determine the fault in the light source of the corresponding luminaire based on the squawk signal, wherein the diagnostic unit identifies the corresponding luminaire among the plurality of luminaires based on the address in the squawk signal; and

transmit a termination signal to the squawk unit to decouple the electrical power supply from the light source.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the squawk unit is configured to generate the squawk signal when the amount of light emitted from the light source is below a threshold value.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the squawk unit is configured to emit the squawk signal into air at an ultrasonic frequency.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the squawk unit is configured to communicate the squawk signal over a power cable coupling the light source to the diagnostic unit.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the squawk unit comprises an addressable switch coupled to the power cable and configured to decouple the electrical power supply from the light source based on the termination signal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the termination signal comprises an address associated with the at least one luminaire.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the diagnostic unit is configured to communicate the termination signal to the squawk unit coupled to the light source corresponding to the address.

8. A luminaire system, comprising:

a light source coupled to an electrical power supply and configured to emit light based on electrical power received from the electrical power supply;

a sensing unit disposed proximate to the light source and configured to measure an amount of light emitted from the light source;

a squawk unit electrically coupled to the sensing unit and configured to:

generate a squawk signal based on the amount of light emitted from the light source, wherein the squawk signal is indicative of a fault in the light source, and wherein the squawk signal comprises an address associated with the luminaire system;

communicate the squawk signal comprising the address associated with the luminaire system to a diagnostic unit, wherein the diagnostic unit identifies the luminaire system based on the address in the squawk signal; and

decouple the electrical power supply from the light source based on a termination signal received from the diagnostic unit.

9. The luminaire system of claim 8 , wherein the squawk unit is configured to generate the squawk signal until the electrical power supply is decoupled from the light source.

10. The luminaire system of claim 8 , wherein the squawk signal comprises at least one tone at a determined frequency, and wherein the at least one tone corresponds to the fault in the light source.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the diagnostic unit is configured to communicate a signal indicative of the fault in the light source to an operator device.

12. The luminaire system of claim 8 , wherein the termination signal comprises an address associated with the luminaire system.

13. The luminaire system of claim 12 , wherein the diagnostic unit is configured to communicate the termination signal to the squawk unit coupled to the light source corresponding to the address.

14. A method for identifying a fault in at least one of a plurality of luminaires, the method comprising:

measuring, by a sensing unit, light emitted from a light source of a corresponding luminaire;

generating, by a squawk unit, a squawk signal when an amount of light emitted from the light source is below a threshold value, wherein the squawk signal is indicative of a fault in the light source, and wherein the squawk signal comprises an address associated with the corresponding luminaire;

communicating, by the squawk unit, the squawk signal comprising the address associated with the corresponding luminaire to a diagnostic unit, wherein the diagnostic unit identifies the corresponding luminaire among the plurality of luminaires based on the address in the squawk signal; and

decoupling an electrical power supply from the light source based on a termination signal received from the diagnostic unit.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein communicating the squawk signal comprises transmitting the squawk signal over a power cable coupling the squawk unit to the diagnostic unit.

Assignments (11)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NUMBER PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059034 FRAME: 0469. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jan 25, 2024
From: HUBBELL LIGHTING, INC.; LITECONTROL CORPORATION; CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC; DAINTREE NETWORKS INC.; FORUM, INC.
To: ATLANTIC PARK STRATEGIC CAPITAL FUND, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066372/0590 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENT NUMBER 10841994 TO PATENT NUMBER 11570872 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 058982 FRAME 0844. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Jan 19, 2024
From: HUBBELL LIGHTING, INC.; LITECONTROL CORPORATION; CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC; DAINTREE NETWORKS INC.; FORUM, INC.
To: ALLY BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066355/0455 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2022
From: ALLY BANK
To: CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC; FORUM, INC.
Reel/Frame 059392/0079 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2022
From: ALLY BANK
To: CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC; FORUM, INC.
Reel/Frame 059432/0592 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2022
From: HUBBELL LIGHTING, INC.; LITECONTROL CORPORATION; CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC; DAINTREE NETWORKS INC.; FORUM, INC.
To: ATLANTIC PARK STRATEGIC CAPITAL FUND, L.P., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 059034/0469 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 2, 2022
From: HUBBELL LIGHTING, INC.; LITECONTROL CORPORATION; CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC; DAINTREE NEETWORKS INC.; FORUM, INC.
To: ALLY BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058982/0844 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 27, 2020
From: CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
To: ALLY BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 052763/0643 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 28, 2019
From: CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
To: ALLY BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 049672/0294 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 28, 2019
From: CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
To: ALLY BANK, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051047/0210 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2019
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
To: CURRENT LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC F/K/A GE LIGHTING SOLUTIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 048791/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2014
From: HARTMAN, MICHAEL JAMES; HERSHEY, JOHN ERIK; DELL'ANNO, MICHAEL JOSEPH; SORO, STANISLAVA; BARNETT, BRUCE GORDON
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Reel/Frame 033726/0292 →