Patent EA-003847-B1 (EA)
Title: Network for remote administration of street lighting inter alia and methods to carry out said administration
Inventor: DENES ALAIN
IPC: H05B37/02
Filed: 2000-05-30
Abstract: 1. A street lamp having: at least one electric street lighting lamp; and a radio transceiver ensuring the repeating of messages which said radio transceiver has received; wherein the transceiver is interfaced with a circuit for controlling the lamp. 2. The street lamp as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is supplied electrically by the street lamp. 3. The street lamp as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2, wherein the controlling circuit controls the switching on of the lamp. 4. The street lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein the controlling circuit controls the switching off of the lamp. 5. The street lamp as claimed in either one of claims 3 or 4, wherein the controlling circuit controls said switching by application of an order contained in a message received by the transceiver. 6. The street lamp as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the controlling circuit performs at least one of the following measurements: measurement of the electric current consumed by the lamp; measurement of the outside temperature or that of the controlling circuit; measurement of the outside brightness; and measurement of the phase shift between current and voltage supplying the street lamp; wherein the transceiver sends the result of the measurement. 7. The street lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the controlling circuit measures the electric current consumed by the lamp and cuts off the electrical supply to the lamp as a function of the measured current. 8. The street lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said street lamp further comprises a chopped supply supplying the lamp, wherein the chopped supply selectively delivers to the lamp at least a first voltage to start the lamp and a second voltage lower than the first voltage to supply the lamp with a service voltage. 9. The street lamp as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lamp is an electric discharge lamp, preferably, a mercury vapor lamp or a sodium vapor lamp. 10. A connection box, comprising: a female socket for receiving an electric lamp; a radio transceiver ensuring the repeating of messages which the radio transceiver has received; means of electrical connection in electrical linkage with the female socket; and a controlling circuit controlling the opening or the closing of the electrical link between the means of connection and the female socket; wherein the transceiver is interfaced with the controlling circuit. 11. The box as claimed in claim 10, wherein the means of connection form a male socket. 12. The box as claimed in either one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the controlling circuit performs at least one of the following measurements: measurement of the electric current provided to the female socket; measurement of the outside temperature or that of the controlling circuit; measurement of the outside brightness; and measurement of the phase shift between current and voltage supplying the female socket; wherein the transceiver sends the result of the measurement. 13. The box as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the controlling circuit measures the electric current provided to the female socket and opens the electrical link between the means of connection and the female socket as a function of the measured current. 14. A wireless network for remote administration of urban lighting, comprising at least one street lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, the radio transceiver constituting a node of the network. 15. The network according to claim 14, wherein said network further comprises at least a second node of the network controlling in an electrical cabinet the electrical supply to the street lamp. 16. The network as claimed in claim 15, wherein the second node of the network performs at least one of the following measurements: verifying the presence of the supply voltage in the electrical cabinet; measuring the currents delivered by the cabinet; measuring the leakage currents; measuring the induced currents; detecting insulation losses; and measuring the corrosion potential; wherein the second node furthermore is able to comprise a memory for storing one or more measurements carried out. 17. The network according to any one of claims 14 to 16, comprising a further radio transceiver constituting a further node of the network, said further transceiver being linked to an adjunct equipment of the network, thereby allowing communication of the adjunct element via the network. 18. The network according to claim 17, wherein the adjunct equipment is selected from the group consisting of: a traffic light; an alarm installation in a building; a display boarding installed in a town; a road traffic surveillance camera; and a mobile badge incorporating a transmitter for sending an alert message via the network by the person wearing said mobile badge. 19. The network according to any one of claims 14 to 18, comprising a further street lamp as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, the radio transceiver of said further street lamp constituting a further node of the network, wherein messages repeated by said further node are received by said first node and the controlling circuit of said first node controls the lamp of the street lamp of said first node by application of orders contained in said received messages. 20. The network as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 19, wherein said network further comprises at least one router placing any two nodes of the network in communication. 21. A method for remote administration of lighting in a network as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20, comprising the further steps of: dispatching via the network of a controlling command destined for the first node; and receiving and executing the controlling command by the first node. 22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the controlling command comprises the switching on or the switching off of the lamp of the street lamp. 23. The method as claimed in either one of claims 21 or 22, wherein the controlling command comprises the reading of the measurement of at least one physical quantity and by the dispatching in return by the first node via the network of the result of the measurement. 24. A method for initializing the address of a node of the network as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20, comprising the further steps of: assigning a default address to the node before the node is placed in service; placing the node in service; dispatching via the network a message destined for the default address; dispatching a response in return by the node having the default address; and on receipt of the response, dispatching via the network destined for the default address a message for assigning a new address to the corresponding node as replacement for the default address. 25. Use of the network as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 20 for a radio messaging service or a fixed or mobile telephony network.