Luminaire associate
View Patent ↗A street lighting fixture and street lamp used in street lighting containing an accelerometer that is used to detect and characterize acceleration events on a street lighting fixture. The accelerometer readings may be combined with GPS technology to determine a relocation of the street lighting fixture.
1. A method for detecting a luminaire associate relocation position from stored reference geographical position comprising the steps of:
deriving an estimated geographical position for the luminaire associate from a GPS receiver contained within the luminaire associate;
deriving an estimate of lateral displacement by electronically sampling and processing data from a multi-axis accelerometer contained within the luminaire associate, wherein the data from the multiple-axis accelerometer comprises estimates of a spatial translation of the luminaire associate;
combining the estimated geographical position and the estimated lateral displacement using a sensor fusion algorithm to form a single estimate of spatial translation;
comparing the single estimate of spatial translation to a preset threshold of spatial translation;
setting a luminaire associate relocation datum (LARD) if the single estimate of spatial translation exceeds the preset threshold of spatial translation.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of broadcasting a signal that the LARD is set.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:
receiving a signal conveying a new stored reference geographical position for the luminaire associate;
replacing the stored reference geographical position with the new stored reference geographical position;
resetting the LARD; and
ceasing broadcast of the signal that the LARD is set.