Network-enabled light fixture for locating movable object

In one embodiment, a method comprises a wireless detector in a lighting element detecting a movable object within a prescribed detection zone of the wireless detector; and the lighting element sending a message identifying detection of the movable object to a remote gateway, allowing the remote gateway to locate the movable object.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to locating movable objects, for example portable network-enabled devices in a wireless network, individuals wearing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) badges, or individuals via infrared or heat detection sensors.

BACKGROUND

This section describes approaches that could be employed, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or employed. Hence, unless explicitly specified otherwise, any approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application, and any approaches described in this section are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.

Location of network-enabled devices has been limited generally by the ability to provide overlapping coverage areas by multiple transceivers within a prescribed geographical region while minimizing interference between the transceivers. Hence, the location of a network-enabled device is determined by its connection with a corresponding one of the wireless transceivers, for example a cellphone tower, a wireless mobile router, or an identified wireless access point.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Overview

In one embodiment, a method comprises a wireless detector in a lighting element detecting a movable object within a prescribed detection zone of the wireless detector; and the lighting element sending a message identifying detection of the movable object to a remote gateway, allowing the remote gateway to locate the movable object.

In another embodiment, an apparatus comprises light emitting circuitry; a wireless detector; and a network transceiver, where the apparatus implemented as a lighting element. The wireless detector is configured for detecting a movable object within a prescribed detection zone of the wireless detector. The network transceiver is configured for sending a message identifying detection of the movable object to a remote gateway, allowing the remote gateway to locate the movable object.

Detailed Description

Particular embodiments enable precise location identification of a movable object (e.g., a portable network-enabled device, an individual wearing an RFID badge, etc.) based on network-enabled lighting elements configured for detecting the movable object and sending a message to a prescribed gateway identifying detection of the movable object. Each network-enabled lighting element can be configured for detecting the movable object according to a prescribed wireless protocol within a prescribed wireless range of the corresponding network-enabled light fixture. Moreover, an array of the network-enabled lighting elements can be deployed in a manner that enables the prescribed gateway to locate the movable object based on the corresponding unique address (e.g., Media Access Control (MAC) address) of the lighting element.

Hence, the network-enabled lighting element enables deployment in a manner that provides a greater accuracy than existing systems such as WiFi identification, as the detection zone for the network-enabled lighting element is substantially smaller than a single coverage zone of a wireless access point.

FIG. 1is a diagram illustrating an example network-enabled lighting element10, according to an example embodiment. The network-enabled lighting element10can include light emitting circuitry12(illustrated as one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs)), lighting control circuitry14, and a network transceiver16. The lighting element10can be implemented as an LED light bulb.

The transceiver16can be configured for receiving a lighting control message from a remote gateway18via a power line20: an example network transceiver is a Power over Ethernet (PoE) transceiver compliant with IEEE 802.3at-2009, or a “HomePlug AV Certified” network interface compliant with IEEE 1901.2010. The lighting control circuitry14can be configured for controlling the light emitting circuitry12in response to the lighting control message, enabling the gateway18to remotely control the light emitting circuitry12(e.g., On/Off/High Power/Low Power; modulated light controls; Red Color, Yellow Color, Green Color, etc.).

According to an example embodiment, the network-enabled lighting element10also includes a wireless detector22configured for detecting a movable object24that is within a prescribed detection zone (26ofFIG. 2A). The wireless detector22within the lighting element10can be configured as a passive wireless receiver that does not transmit any wireless signal (i.e., receiver-only) but that only detects wireless signals28via an antenna30, such that the lighting element10does not transmit any wireless network signal; hence, the wireless detector22can be implemented as a passive WiFi receiver, or an infrared sensor (i.e., heat sensor) for detecting moving objects (“humans”) warmer than an ambient threshold (i.e., room temperature). The wireless detector22also can be configured as a passive RFID detector that detects an RFID code output by the movable object24.

Hence, the network transceiver16can send to the remote gateway18a message identifying detection of the movable object24, including relevant parameters such as received signal strength (RSSI) and/or MAC address (if the wireless detector22includes a passive WiFi receiver), an RFID identifier (if the wireless detector22includes an RFID detector), and/or a temperature value (if the wireless detector22includes a heat sensor). The message identifying detection of the movable object24can be distinct and independent from any lighting control message between the remote gateway18and the lighting control circuitry14. Hence, the message identifying detection of the movable object24can allow the gateway18to locate the movable object, for example based on identifying the lighting element10having transmitted the message relative to a prescribed position of the lighting element; in other words, the message enables the remote gateway18to locate the movable object24based on at least the message, and optionally based on other prescribed attributes available to the remote gateway18(e.g., known position of the lighting element10having transmitted the message).

As illustrated inFIG. 2A, use of the disclosed lighting element10is particularly effective in locating the movable object24when deployed as an array32of lighting elements10having respective detection zones26, where each lighting element10is individually addressable by the gateway18. Hence, the gateway can locate the movable object24within the array32based on identifying the lighting element10having transmitted the message identifying location of the movable object. Moreover, since lighting fixtures tend to be implemented in regularly-repeating patterns both indoors and outdoors (e.g., on building floors, in indoor or outdoor parking lots, street lamps, etc.), the array32of detection zones26can be substantially more precise than the single coverage zone (34ofFIG. 2B) of a WiFi access point (36ofFIG. 2B), based on each detection zone26of the wireless detector22being substantially smaller than the single coverage zone34of the wireless access point36. As illustrated inFIG. 2C, each detection zone26is “substantially smaller” (i.e., at least seven (7) detection zones26can fit into a single coverage zone34).

Hence, the ubiquitous nature of lighting fixtures, in combination with “smart” (i.e., network enabled) control of lighting fixtures by a gateway18, enables a low cost implementation of the lighting element10with a wireless detector22enabling precise detection of the movable object24within the array32of detection zones26established by the array32of lighting elements10. Moreover, the typical line-of-sight applications of lighting fixtures ensures that the wireless detector22can detect a direct, line-of-sight signal from the portable device24, without multipath interference as normally encountered by existing RF based transceivers such as the WiFi transceivers36. Further, deployment of the lighting element10using a passive receiver can minimize RF interference (RFI).

FIG. 3illustrates an example method of a lighting element locating a movable object, according to an example embodiment. The operations described inFIG. 3can be implemented as executable code stored on a computer or machine readable non-transitory tangible storage medium (e.g., ROM, EEPROM, nonvolatile RAM, etc.) that are completed based on execution of the code by one or more integrated circuits; the operations described herein also can be implemented as executable logic that is encoded in one or more non-transitory tangible media for execution (e.g., programmable logic arrays or devices, field programmable gate arrays, programmable array logic, application specific integrated circuits, etc.).

In addition, the operations described with respect toFIG. 3can be performed in any suitable order, or at least some of the operations in parallel. Execution of the operations as described herein is by way of illustration only; as such, the operations do not necessarily need to be executed by the machine-based hardware components as described herein; to the contrary, other machine-based hardware components can be used to execute the disclosed operations in any appropriate order, or at least some of the operations in parallel.

The lighting control circuitry14of the lighting element10in operation40can establish a communication with the remote gateway18over a power connection20, for example using Power over Ethernet (PoE) or a HomePlug connection. The wireless detector22in operation42can detect the movable object24within its corresponding prescribed detection zone26via different techniques: the wireless detector22can operate as a passive/low-power WiFi receiver that detects the RSSI and/or MAC address of the movable object24; the wireless detector22can perform passive RFID detection of an RFID code transmitted by the movable object24; the wireless detector22also can detect infrared (heat) energy if an infrared sensor is included in the wireless detector22.

The lighting control circuitry14in response to the detection by the wireless detector22can generate in operation44a message specifying at least the address (e.g., MAC address) of the lighting element10; however, the message generated by the lighting control circuitry14output by the transceiver16also can include an RSSI value and MAC address for the movable object24, an RFID number, and/or a heat (infrared) value above an ambient (i.e., room temperature) threshold. Hence, the message enables the remote gateway18in operation46to locate the movable object24based on the unique address of lighting element10as specified in the message.

According to example embodiments, a wireless detector within a network-enabled light fixture with location enabled features allows significant improvement in location resolution, based on establishing a mesh/array of uniquely-addressable light fixtures each having wireless detectors.

While the example embodiments in the present disclosure have been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the best mode for carrying out the subject matter specified in the appended claims, it is to be understood that the example embodiments are only illustrative, and are not to restrict the subject matter specified in the appended claims.