Networked, wireless lighting control system with distributed intelligence

摘要

A programmable lighting control system integrates time-based, sensor-based, and manual control of lighting and other loads. The system includes one or more groups of controlled lighting areas, which may be, e.g., floors of a building. Each group may have one or more lighting zones, which may be, e.g., individual rooms or offices on a building floor. Each lighting zone includes occupancy and/or daylight sensors that may be wirelessly coupled to a gateway of the group. Each gateway is coupled to a network, such as, e.g., a local area network (LAN). Control software, residing on a computer (e.g., a personal computer or a server) coupled to the network and accessible via the network, remotely communicates with and controls the lighting zones either individually, groupwise, or globally. Each lighting zone can also be locally controlled at the gateway and can function independently of the control software and the gateway.

主权项

1. A lighting control system comprising:
an occupancy sensor or a daylight sensor located at a first physical location and operative to automatically control the on/off state of lighting by causing line voltage to be connected/disconnected to/from the lighting via a relay; a bridge connected to the occupancy sensor or the daylight sensor and operative to route communications to and from the occupancy sensor or the daylight sensor, the bridge located at a second physical location different than the first physical location; a gateway in communication with the bridge, the gateway having an input/output interface operative to receive inputs from a user for controlling or receiving information from the occupancy sensor or the daylight sensor; a communications network connected to the gateway; and a host computer or server connected to the communications network and operative to receive information from the occupancy sensor or the daylight sensor and the gateway via the communications network and to program the occupancy sensor or the daylight sensor via the communications network, the host computer or server located at a third physical location different than the first physical location and the second physical location; wherein: the occupancy sensor or the daylight sensor is operative to automatically control the on/off state of the lighting independently of the host computer, the gateway, and the bridge should the host computer, the gateway, or the bridge become inoperative or disconnected from the occupancy sensor or the daylight sensor.