Auto-discovery of neighbor relationships and lighting installation self-mapping via visual light communication

1. A system, comprising:

a data communication network;

a plurality of lighting devices, each lighting device comprising:

a communication interface coupled to the data communication network and configured to enable communication via the data communication network;

a light source configured to produce visible light for general illumination of a space;

a processor coupled to the light source and the communication interface, the processor configured to:

manage operation of the light source to also transmit data via visible light communication; and

communicate via the communication interface and the data communication network; and

a sensor coupled to the processor, the sensor configured to:

receive data via visible light communication; and

deliver the received data to the processor; and

a management function coupled to the data communication network, wherein:

each processor of a respective lighting device is further configured to implement functions, including functions to:

via the visible light communication, repeatedly transmit a data packet identifying the respective lighting device;

receive, from each of some number of other lighting devices, a data packet count, each data packet count representing how many data packets identifying the respective lighting device are received by a single other lighting device via visible light communication;

generate, based on the received data packet counts, a neighbor table defining neighbor relationships between the respective lighting device and one or more other lighting devices; and

send the generated neighbor table to the management function; and

the management function is configured to implement functions, including functions to:

receive, from each respective lighting device, the neighbor table for the respective lighting device;

create, based at least in part on the received neighbor tables, a logical map of the plurality of lighting devices;

create a lighting system configuration in order to manage the plurality of lighting devices installed within the space, based at least in part on the created logical map; and

store the created lighting system configuration.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the function to generate the neighbor table further includes functions to:

calculate, based on a data packet count representing how many data packets identifying the respective lighting device are received by the lighting device, a baseline for the lighting device;

select a neighbor threshold; and

determine, for each of the other lighting devices, whether the respective other lighting device is a neighbor of the respective lighting device based on:

the received data packet count representing how many data packets identifying the respective lighting device are received by the respective other lighting device;

the calculated baseline; and

the selected neighbor threshold, further wherein:

the baseline calculation function utilizes the formula bLD i =LD i Mrx i /LD i Mtx i ; and

the respective other lighting device is a neighbor of the respective lighting device when the formula PR j Mrx i >bLD i *n % is true, wherein:

i and j are integers;

LD i is the i th respective lighting device;

PR j is the j th respective other lighting device;

Mtx is a transmitted data packet count;

Mrx is received data packet count;

bLD i is the baseline for the i th respective lighting device;

LD i Mrx i is received data packet count representing how many data packets identifying the i th respective lighting device are received by the i th respective lighting device;

LD i Mtx i is the transmitted data packet count for the i th respective lighting device;

PR j Mrx i is received data packet count representing how many data packets identifying the i th respective lighting device are received by the j th respective other lighting device; and

n is the selected neighbor threshold.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the logical map creation function further includes functions to:

based on the received neighbor tables, identify a logical location for each lighting device relative to one or more other lighting devices, wherein the logical location is a logical sub-network grouping between the lighting device and the one or more other lighting devices; and

upon a number of indeterminate locations of lighting devices exceeding an allowable maximum and until the number of indeterminate locations of lighting devices is within the allowable maximum, repeatedly:

for each lighting device, request an updated neighbor table based on a newly selected neighbor threshold;

based on the updated neighbor tables, identify the logical location for each lighting device relative in relation to one or more other lighting devices; and

create the logical map depicting the identified location for each lighting device.