Power over ethernet lighting system with battery charge control algorithm

1. A power over ethernet lighting system comprising:

a power/communication bus;

a plurality of nodes electrically connected to the power/communication bus with a PoE interface, and each of the nodes being electrically connected to a PoE luminaire;

each of the plurality of nodes including the PoE interface, a micro-controller, and a driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire;

at least one of the nodes is an emergency management node that includes a rechargeable battery and a PoE battery charger, and the micro-controller is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery;

wherein the system has a maintained mode in which the PoE luminaire of each of the nodes, including the emergency management node, is powered by electricity from the power/communication bus as controlled by the respective micro-controller, which is powered by one of the power/communication bus and the rechargeable battery;

wherein the system has an emergency mode characterized by a power loss on the power/communication bus, and the PoE luminaire of the emergency management node is powered by electricity from the rechargeable battery as controlled by the respective micro-controller, which is powered by the rechargeable battery;

wherein the emergency management node includes a charge sensor operably coupled to the battery and in communication with the respective micro-controller; and

the micro-controller of the emergency management node includes a charge control algorithm configured to determine a charge level of the battery based on a signal from the charge sensor, and configured to dynamically adjust an allocation of power to the PoE battery charger responsive to the charge level.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the micro-controller of the emergency management node includes a dynamic power allocation algorithm configurable to prioritize an allocation of power to the PoE battery charger over the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire in the maintained mode, and prioritize the allocation of power to the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire in the emergency mode.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the dynamic power allocation algorithm is configured to set a relative power prioritization among the PoE battery charger and the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire responsive to a user input configuration, which includes prioritizing the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire over the battery charger.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the emergency management node includes a powered auxiliary device; and

the dynamic power allocation algorithm is configured to allocate no power to the auxiliary device in the emergency mode.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the powered auxiliary device is one of a test button, a slave node and a cellular module.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein the dynamic power allocation algorithm is configured to power the PoE luminaire at a reduced power level and the battery charger at a full power level when the emergency management node receives a power level inadequate to power the PoE luminaire and the battery charger at full power.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the micro-controller of each of the nodes includes a power request algorithm configured to determine a desired power level for each powered device of the respective node, and determine a requested power level based upon a sum of the desired power levels, and communicate the requested power level to a power sourcing equipment electrically connected to the power/communication bus.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the micro-controller of the emergency management node includes a dynamic power allocation algorithm configurable to prioritize an allocation of power to the PoE battery charger over the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire in the maintained mode, and prioritize the allocation of power to the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire in the emergency mode.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the dynamic power allocation algorithm is configured to receive a confirmation communication from the power sourcing equipment that the requested power level was received; and

the dynamic power allocation algorithm is configured to receive a power level allocation, which is less than or equal to the requested power level from the power sourcing equipment.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the power sourcing equipment includes a node prioritization algorithm configured to prioritize power allocation to the emergency management node over at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not an emergency management node.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the power sourcing equipment includes an ethernet switch and a common area controller electrically connected to the power/communication bus and being in communication with each of the plurality of nodes.

12. A method of operating a power over ethernet lighting system that includes a power/communication bus; a plurality of nodes electrically connected to the power/communication bus with a PoE interface, and each of the nodes being electrically connected to a PoE luminaire; each of the plurality of nodes including the PoE interface, a micro-controller, and a driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire; at least one of the nodes is an emergency management node that includes a rechargeable battery and a PoE battery charger, and the micro-controller is electrically connected to the rechargeable battery; wherein the system has a maintained mode in which the PoE luminaire of each of the nodes, including the emergency management node, is powered by electricity from the power/communication bus as controlled by the respective micro-controller, which is powered by one of the power/communication bus and the rechargeable battery; wherein the system has an emergency mode characterized by a power loss on the power/communication bus, and the PoE luminaire of the emergency management node is powered by electricity from the rechargeable battery as controlled by the respective micro-controller, which is powered by the rechargeable battery, and the method comprising the steps of:

communicating a charge level of the rechargeable battery to the micro-controller of the emergency management node, which includes a charge control algorithm;

adjusting an allocation of power to the PoE battery charger based on the charge level responsive to execution of the charge control algorithm.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the micro-controller of the emergency management node includes a dynamic power allocation algorithm, and the method includes a step of:

configuring a relative power prioritization among the PoE battery charger and the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire responsive to a user input to the dynamic power allocation algorithm.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the method includes prioritizing the allocation of power to the PoE battery charger over the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire in the maintained mode; and

prioritizing the allocation of power to the driver electrically connected to the PoE luminaire in the emergency mode.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the emergency management node includes a powered auxiliary device;

powering the auxiliary device in the maintained mode;

allocating no power to the auxiliary device in the emergency mode.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the micro-controller of the emergency management node includes a dynamic power allocation algorithm, and the method includes a step of:

allocating a reduced power level to the PoE luminaire and full power level to the PoE battery charger when the emergency management node receives a power level inadequate to power the PoE luminaire and the PoE battery charger at full power.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the micro-controller of each of the nodes includes a power request algorithm configured to determine a desired power level for each powered device of the respective node; and the method includes:

determining a requested power level based upon a sum of the desired power levels of each powered device of the respective node; and

communicating the requested power level to a power sourcing equipment electrically connected to the power/communication bus.

18. The method of claim 17 includes receiving a confirmation communication from the power sourcing equipment that the requested power level was received; and

each of the nodes receiving a respective power level allocation, which is less than or equal to the respective requested power level from the power sourcing equipment.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the power sourcing equipment includes a node prioritization algorithm; and the method includes:

prioritizing power allocation to the emergency management node over at least one of the plurality of nodes that is not an emergency management node.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the power sourcing equipment includes an ethernet switch and a common area controller electrically connected to the power/communication bus and being in communication with each of the plurality of nodes; the method includes:

receiving a requested power level from each of the nodes;

communicating an allocated power level to each of the nodes based on the requested power levels.