Patent Publication Number: US-2010123570-A1

Title: Localized Control Method and Apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/272,668 entitled “Variable Lighting Zones”, filed on Nov. 17, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the field of automated control systems, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for allowing complex systems to operate intelligently without a centralized control system. The predominant current usage of the present inventive localized control system is in the control of complex lighting systems, particularly LED lighting systems which are particularly amenable to precision control and which will benefit therefrom by saving power. 
     2. Description of the Background Art 
     There are many complex systems that require control of a plurality of devices and which, further, require knowledge of the status of a plurality of different conditions in order to intelligently control each and every such device. An example is an LED lighting system which was disclosed and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/272,668. Much of that disclosure is repeated here below, since the present invention will be described and explained in relation to that example. 
     An interactive control area  10  which, in this example is a store aisle  12  is disclosed. Typically the aisle  12  which comprises the interactive control area  10  of this example will be bordered by displays  12  which might include shelving, refrigerated storage displays, or the like. 
     As can be seen in the view of  FIG. 1 , the interactive control area  10  is divided into a plurality (four, in this present example) of zones  14   a,    14   b,    14   c  and  14   d.  The quantity of zones  14  used for the present example is entirely arbitrary, and in practical applications, the size and quantity of zones will be selected to suit the application. Each of the zones  14  is serviced by a zone light  18   a,    18   b  and  18   c  and  18   d.  While the zone lights  18  are depicted as being single separate units in example of the top plan view of  FIG. 1 , in practical applications each zone light  18  may consist of a plurality of separate lights. Alternatively, in some cases, the zone lights  18  may appear to the viewer to be one continuous light fixture running the length of the aisle  12 . In short, the zone lights  18  can be configured, as required, to properly illuminate the interactive control area  10 . In any case, since in the present example the zone lights  10  use LED elements for illumination, it is likely that most zone lights  18  will each include a plurality of LED elements therein, such quantity being sufficient to provide the degree of illumination required. 
     A controller  20  individually controls the light levels of each zone light  18 . A plurality of control lines  22  are shown in the view of  FIG. 1  connecting the zone lights  18  to the controller. Also, for each zone  16  there is a sensor  24  that senses the presence of a person in each of the zones  16   a,    16   b,    16   c  and  16   d.  Although motion detectors are commonly used in such applications, any of several types of sensors  24  could be used to detect the presence of a person or persons within the zones  16 . In order to avoid cluttering the drawing, sensor lines running from the sensors  24  to the controller  20  are omitted from the view of  FIG. 1 . 
     As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, particularly in view of the discussion of the inventive method hereinafter, the controller  20  will have to be capable of a great many operations generally simultaneously in order to perform the necessary steps to control the lighting for even the single interactive control area  10  described in this example. Furthermore, while the inventive method is described herein in relation to only a single aisle  12 , in an actual application there may be a large plurality of such aisles  12  or other interactive control areas  10  to be controlled simultaneously, thereby even further requiring either a plurality of controllers  20  or a single controller  20  that possesses sufficient computing power to perform all of the calculations necessary to accomplish multiple iterations of the described inventive method. In the present example, a multi-core SEAforth™ processor, made by IntellaSys™ is utilized for the purpose. One skilled in the art will readily be able to determine how much computing power will be required for a particular application. 
       FIG. 2  is a flow diagram depicting an example of the inventive variable control method  50 . The example of  FIG. 2  employs quantities to correspond with the example of  FIG. 1 , and the inventive variable control method  50  will be described, hereinafter, with reference both to  FIG. 2  and to  FIG. 1 . As can be seen in the view of  FIG. 2 , in a “sensor input operation”  52  input (consisting of an indication as to whether or not a person or persons is present in each of the zones  16   a,    16   b,    16   c  and  16   d ) is provided from each of the sensors  24  to the controller  20 . Then, for each of the zones  16  (in this example, for x=1 to n, where n=4) in an “in zone decision operation”  54  if there is a person or persons within the respective zone  16 , then the illumination level of the corresponding zone light  18  will be set to high (HI  56 ). If and only if there is no person in the respective zone  16 , then in an “adjacent zone decision operation”  57  if there is a person or persons in any zone  16  adjacent to the zone  16  presently under consideration, then the illumination level of the corresponding zone light  18  will be set to a medium value (MED  57 ). If there is no person or persons either in the particular zone  18  under consideration nor in a zone  18  adjacent thereto, the illumination level of the corresponding zone light  18  will be set to a low value (LO  59 ). These decisions are iterated for each of the zones  18  and then, as can be seen in the view of  FIG. 1 , input is obtained from each of the sensors  24  to start the process again. 
     To illustrate by example the above operation, in the view of  FIG. 1  a diagrammatic person  26  is illustrated in zone  16   b,  and no other persons  26  are present in the aisle  12 . In this case, the zone light  18   b  would be set to high, the zone lights  16   a  and  16   c  would be set to a medium value, and the zone light  18   d  would be set to a low value. 
     Note that while the example illustrated by  FIG. 2  shows one way to accomplish the desired objective, the essence of the present invention lies in the fact that a zone  18  with a person or persons therein will have a first (high) illumination level, a zone  18  with a person or persons in an adjacent zone will have a second (medium) lighting level, and zone with no person or persons in that zone or in adjacent zones will have a third (low) lighting level. 
     As stated above, the example of the inventive variable control method  50  will be repeated, or else accomplished separately and generally simultaneously, for each interactive control area  10  in the area to be illuminated and controlled. 
     In the present example, a HI  55  illumination level will be essentially 100% of the illumination level of which each of the zone lights  18  is capable. MED  57  illumination level will be approximately 75%, and LO will be approximately 50%. However, it should be noted that these values are examples only. Indeed, in a particular application the values might be “tweaked” at very file levels to achieve the desired lighting effect. Indeed, one of the advantages for using a processor such as the IntellaSys™ SEAforth™ chip is that the illumination of each zone  16  of each interactive control area  10  can be individually controlled, as desired. As just one example, in some applications it might be decided that the proper level for LO  59  would be 0%. 
     Here ends the discussion of the prior invention that will be used as an example herein. As can be seen in light of the above description, the variable lighting zones and method provide a significant benefit. However, there is considerable complexity involved in the method and in the construction of the apparatus. Clearly, it would be desirable to accomplish the same sort of control in a manner that did not require so many interconnecting wires and so much centralization of control. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method to allow devices to operate intelligently based both upon local knowledge and also upon remote knowledge. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for sharing information among intelligent devices/ 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for providing localized control of individual devices where only centralized control was previously possible because information about non-local conditions is required. 
     Briefly, a known embodiment of the present invention is a meshed network wherein individual devices communicate with other individual devices in order to make localized decisions and take localized action. In the example presented herein, light fixtures each have a detector to detect the presence of a person in a zone served by that fixture. It would be a simple matter merely to adjust the level of light based on whether or not a person was present in that zone. However, as explained in relation to the prior art discussed above, this often produces undesirable results. Therefore, the present invention provides for communication means between its fixture and its neighboring fixture or fixtures such that that light level can be set based on both whether a person is present in the present zone and whether a person is present in a neighboring zone. 
     In this present example the illumination means is “LED” (light emitting diode) lighting, which lends itself well to instantaneous, rapid, or gradual changes in illumination level without loss of efficiency. Indeed, power savings are generally directly proportional to reduced illumination levels, as opposed to other types of lighting which may lose efficiency as illumination levels are reduced. 
     These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become clear to those skilled in the art in view of the description of modes of carrying out the invention, and the industrial applicability thereof, as described herein and as illustrated in the several figures of the drawing. The objects and advantages listed are not an exhaustive list of all possible advantages of the invention. Moreover, it will be possible to practice the invention even where one or more of the intended objects and/or advantages might be absent or not required in the application. 
     Further, those skilled in the art will recognize that various embodiments of the present invention may achieve one or more, but not necessarily all, of the described objects and/or advantages. Accordingly, the objects and/or advantages described herein are not essential elements of the present invention, and should not be construed as limitations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  (prior art) is a diagrammatic top plan view of a store aisle, showing a plurality of illumination zones; and 
         FIG. 2  (prior art) is a flow diagram showing an example of the present inventive method for controlling variable lighting zones. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic top plan view of a store aisle, similar to the view of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the plurality of illumination zones as applied in the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram showing an example of the present inventive method for providing for local control. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is described in the following description with reference to the Figures, in which like numbers represent the same or similar elements. While this invention is described in terms of modes for achieving this invention&#39;s objectives, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be accomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from the spirit or scope of the present invention. 
     The embodiments and variations of the invention described herein, and/or shown in the drawings, are presented by way of example only and are not limiting as to the scope of the invention. Unless otherwise specifically stated, individual aspects and components of the invention may be omitted or modified, or may have substituted therefore known equivalents, or as yet unknown substitutes such as may be developed in the future or such as may be found to be acceptable substitutes in the future. The invention may also be modified for a variety of applications while remaining within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, since the range of potential applications is great, and since it is intended that the present invention be adaptable to many such variations. 
     A known mode for carrying out the invention is accomplished by dividing a space into a plurality of zones. An example of an area divided into such zones is depicted in a top plan view in  FIG. 3  and is designated therein by the general reference character  10   a.  In this example, the space  10   a  is a store aisle  12 , like the aisle  12  of  FIG. 1 , such as an aisle of a supermarket, or the like, although essentially any type of space that is divisible into zones and which may benefit by each zone being served by a separate device of some type, is within the scope of the invention. In this example, typically the aisle  12  which comprises the interactive control area  10   a  of this example will be bordered by displays  12  which might include shelving, refrigerated storage displays, or the like. 
     As can be seen in the view of  FIG. 3 , the space  10   a  is divided into a plurality (four, in this present example) of zones  14   a,    14   b,    14   c  and  14   d.  The quantity of zones  14  used for the present example is entirely arbitrary, and in practical applications, the size and quantity of zones will be selected to suit the application. Each of the zones  14  is serviced by a zone light  18   e,    18   f  and  18   g  and  18   h.    
     While the zone lights  18  are depicted as being single separate units in example of the top plan view of  FIG. 1 , in practical applications each zone light  18  may consist of a plurality of separate lights. Alternatively, in some cases, the zone lights  18  may appear to the viewer to be one continuous light fixture running the length of the aisle  12 . In short, the zone lights  18  can be configured, as required, to properly illuminate the interactive control area  10 a. In any case, since in the present example the zone lights  18  use LED elements for illumination, it is likely that most zone lights  18  will each include a plurality of LED elements therein, such quantity being sufficient to provide the degree of illumination required. 
     For each zone  16  there is a sensor  24  that senses the presence of a person in each of the zones  16   a,    16   b,    16   c  and  16   d.  Although motion detectors are commonly used in such applications, any of several types of sensors  24 , existing or yet-to-be-invented, could be used to detect the presence of a person or persons within the zones  16 . 
     As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, particularly in view of the discussion of the inventive method hereinafter, each of the zone lights  18  will have to be capable of independently computing a proper light level. This means that each zone light  18  will have to have a processor  20  that is capable of rapidly performing complex computations but which, also, is both inexpensive (as there will be several to many of them in a complex system), and efficient in that it uses very little power. In the present example, a multi-core SEAforth™ processor, made by IntellaSys™ is utilized for the purpose, since it is very small, inexpensive, and uses very little power. Indeed, since it is completely asynchronous, it uses no power at all when it is not actually performing computations, and cores that are not actually presently in use consume essentially no power even when other cores are actively engaged. 
     Since the present invention does not use a centralized controller, such as the controller  20  described previously, herein, in relation to the prior art, it must have some means for communicating with the outside world. While this could be accomplished by hard wiring, it could also, and in the present example is, accomplished by a means for allowing each of the zone lights  18  to communicate wirelessly with its neighbor zone lights. Further, while such wireless communication could be accomplished using radio signals, infrared signals (where ambient conditions make this possible), or other such means. In the present example the means of communication is by a light sensor  22 , which communicates with the processor. Signals can be sent by flashing one of the zone lights  18  so rapidly that it is imperceptible to humans. Such signals will be in the form of a timed series of flashes that is unique to each zone light  18 , such that others of the zone lights  18  will know not only the information that is being sent (which, in this present example will be information pertaining to the presence of a person in another of the zones  16 ), but also which of the zone lights  18  is sending that information. 
     It should also be noted that, just because the zone lights  18  of the presently described example of the present invention operate generally without central control, that does not mean that it will not be desirable to have some means for a user to communicate directly with the zone lights  18 , for purposes such as changing programming/instructions, or the like. This communication, also, could be accomplished by any of several means, including hard wiring, radio signals, or the like—but in this present example, this communication is also accomplished by flashing lights, which are perceived by the light sensors  22  and interpreted by the processor  20 . 
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram depicting an example of the inventive variable control method  51 . The example of  FIG. 4  employs quantities to correspond with the example of  FIG. 3 , and the inventive variable control method  51  will be described, hereinafter, with reference both to  FIG. 4  and to  FIG. 3 . In accordance with the present invention, each of the operations described hereinafter are accomplished generally independently in each of the plurality of zone lights  18 . 
     As can be seen in the view of  FIG. 4 , in a “sensor input operation”  52  input (consisting of an indication as to whether or not a person or persons is present in that particular zone  16  is provided from the respective sensor  24 . Then, in an “in zone decision operation”  54 , if there is a person or persons within the respective zone  16 , then the illumination level of the corresponding zone light  18  will be set to high (HI  55 ). If and only if there is no person in the respective zone  16 , then in a “receive input operation”  56  information is received from neighboring zone lights  18  as to whether a person is present within their respective zones  16 . It will be noted that several potential problems are involved here which have been addressed by the inventors as follows: As previously described herein, each zone light  18  must be able to particularly identify its neighbors, and this is accomplished by assigning a unique identification flash pattern to each zone light  18 . But also, there is the problem that, particularly in large installations, several zone lights may be attempting to communicate simultaneously and it might, therefore, be difficult to decipher the signals at all. Fortunately, a relatively slow response, on the order of more than a second, is acceptable in this particular application. Therefore, there is time for one, or even several, unsuccessful attempts. According to this particular embodiment of the invention, the inventors have found that causing each of the zone lights  18  to broadcast its status at quasi-random intervals ranging from 0.5 seconds to 1.5 seconds, will be more than sufficient to insure, with a high degree of probability, that a successful communication will occur between any two particular zone lights  18  within two seconds. Alternatively, a light shield could be used around the light sensor  22  to make it directionally sensitive, thus generally insuring that any signal received would be from the zone light  18  toward which it is pointed. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list either of the method and means for communicating between the lights, or for the method and/or means for managing communications so as to avoid clashes, and the like. 
     In an “adjacent zone decision operation”  57  if there is a person or persons in any zone  16  adjacent to the zone  16  presently under consideration, then the illumination level of the present zone light  18  will be set to a medium value (MED  58 ). If there is no person or persons either in the particular zone  18  under consideration nor in a zone  18  adjacent thereto, the illumination level of the present zone light  18  will be set to a low value (LO  59 ). The variable control method is repeated, indefinitely, as long as the zone light  18  is in operation. 
     To illustrate by example the above operation, in the view of  FIG. 3  a diagrammatic person  26  is illustrated in zone  16   b,  and no other persons  26  are present in the aisle  12 . In this case, the zone light  18   f  would set itself to high, the zone lights  18   e  and  18   g  would be set, according to their own calculations, to a medium value, and the zone light  18   h  would set itself to a low value, since there are no persons either in its own zone  16  or in an adjacent zone  16 . 
     Note that while the example illustrated by  FIG. 4  shows one way to accomplish the desired objective, the essence of the present invention lies in the fact that a zone  18  with a person or persons therein will have a first (high) illumination level, a zone  18  with a person or persons in an adjacent zone will have a second (medium) lighting level, and zone with no person or persons in that zone or in adjacent zones will have a third (low) lighting level, and all of this is accomplished without any centralized control. That is, the devices (zone lights  18 , in this present example) make their own decisions, and they gain the information necessary to make those decisions by communication with other such devices. 
     In the present example, a HI  55  illumination level will be essentially 100% of the illumination level of which each of the zone lights  18  is capable. MED  58  illumination level will be approximately 75%, and LO  59  will be approximately 50%. However, it should be noted that these values are examples only. Indeed, in a particular application the values might be “tweaked” at very file levels to achieve the desired lighting effect. Indeed, one of the advantages for using a processor such as the IntellaSys™ SEAforth™ chip is that the illumination of each zone  16  of each interactive control area  10  can be individually controlled, as desired. As just one example, in some applications it might be decided that the proper level for LO  59  would be 0%. 
     It should be noted that, in this present example, the present invention is not limited by the dimming apparatus, or other such method or means as may be employed to change the brightness or other characteristics of the lights. Indeed, it is contemplated by the inventors that dimming means such as duty cycle modulation, or the like, may be employed to control the relative brightness of lights. 
     Various modifications may be made to the invention without altering its value or scope. For example, while this invention has been described herein in terms of lighting the aisles  12  of a store, many other environments, such as homes, could benefit from the advantages provided by the present invention. 
     It should be remembered that the quantity of zones  16  illustrated herein (four) could be made greater or lesser, depending upon the size of the area to be illuminated, and such. Also, while the example of the present invention herein has been described as having only three gradient levels (HI  55 , MED  27  and LO  59 ) quite obviously there could be an even greater number of gradient levels such that lighting levels are calculated based not only on the presence of a person within a lighting zone and/or its immediate neighbors, but also upon the presence of a person within more distant neighbors. For example, an additional lighting level (between MED  58  and LO  59 ) could be provided where there is a person neither in the particular zone  18  nor in its immediate neighbor, but where there is a person in a zone  18  separated from the present zone  18  by one zone  18 . A specific example of this, described in relation to the example of  FIG. 1  would be that, if such additional gradient level were employed, then zone  18   d  would be set to that level with the person  26  in zone  16   b,  as shown. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of the possible variation of zones and gradients. 
     Another possible example of a variation of the present invention would be to set lighting levels to account for special circumstances. For example, if there were a particular product in the displays  14  of a particular zone  16 , then the controller  20  could be programmed to set the illumination level a zone light  18  or zone lights  18  to highlight that particular zone  16 . This could be done by raising the illumination level in that zone  18  higher than the “normal” condition, by lower the level of adjacent zones lower than that of the “normal” condition, or some such combination. (By “normal” what is meant here is the level that would be expected given the operation of the present inventive method described herein, if all zones  16  were treated equally.) 
     While specific examples of the inventive zoned interactive control area  10  and variable control method  51  have been discussed therein, it is expected that there will be a great many applications for these which have not yet been envisioned. Indeed, it is one of the advantages of the present invention that the inventive method and apparatus may be adapted to a great variety of uses. 
     Various modifications may be made to the invention without altering its value or scope. For example, while this invention has been described herein in terms of lighting the aisles  12  of a store, many other environments, such as homes, could benefit from the advantages provided by the present invention. 
     It should be remembered that the quantity of zones  16  illustrated herein (four) could be made greater or lesser, depending upon the size of the area to be illuminated, and such. Also, while the example of the present invention herein has been described as having only three gradient levels (HI  55 , MED  58  and LO  59 ) quite obviously there could be an even greater number of gradient levels such that lighting levels are calculated based not only on the presence of a person within a lighting zone and/or its immediate neighbors, but also upon the presence of a person within more distant neighbors. For example, an additional lighting level (between MED  58  and LO  59 ) could be provided where there is a person neither in the particular zone  18  nor in its immediate neighbor, but where there is a person in a zone  18  separated from the present zone  18  by one zone  18 . A specific example of this, described in relation to the example of  FIG. 3  would be that, if such additional gradient level were employed, then zone light  18   dh  would be set to that level with the person  26  in zone  16   b,  as shown. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list of the possible variation of zones and gradients. 
     Another possible example of a variation of the present invention would be to set lighting levels to account for special circumstances. For example, if there were a particular product in the displays  14  of a particular zone  16 , then the controller  20  could be programmed to set the illumination level a zone light  18  or zone lights  18  to highlight that particular zone  16 . This could be done by raising the illumination level in that zone  18  higher than the “normal” condition, by lower the level of adjacent zones lower than that of the “normal” condition, or some such combination. (By “normal” what is meant here is the level that would be expected given the operation of the present inventive method described herein, if all zones  16  were treated equally.) 
     While specific examples of the inventive zoned interactive control area  10   a  and variable control method  51  have been discussed therein, it is expected that there will be a great many applications for these which have not yet been envisioned. Indeed, it is one of the advantages of the present invention that the inventive method and apparatus may be adapted to a great variety of uses. 
     While the example of the variable control method  51  and related apparatus has been described, herein, in relation to a lighting control device, one skilled in the art will recognize that the invention has application in other types of devices, as well. For example, intelligent fir control devices might benefit from knowing conditions not only in their own vicinity, but also in neighboring vicinities. Thereby, fire sprinklers, or the like, could be triggered by neighboring devices, thereby “getting the jump” on the fire by starting sprinkling (or other fire control measures) before a particular sprinkler&#39;s detection system is capable of detecting the fire condition. This is only one example of many that might benefit from application of the present invention. 
     All of the above are only some of the examples of available embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous other modifications and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the disclosure herein is not intended as limiting and the appended claims are to be interpreted as encompassing the entire scope of the invention. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     The inventive zoned interactive control area  10   a  and associated method  51  are intended to be widely used in a great variety of applications. It is expected that they will be particularly useful in applications wherein both economy and having a pleasant and desirable illumination level are both important considerations. For example, in a store, it would be very uninviting to have the lights off in an aisle, but having a low, but pleasant level, might be even more inviting that a harsh, fully lit level. But as the customer approaches a particular area where he or she will need more light to clearly discern labels, and such, it will be provided. The same principles apply in the home. Instead of having lights suddenly coming on and going off, as with prior art motion detector lighting systems, the pleasant invention will provide a much more pleasant atmosphere—one that will probably actually be used instead of being turned off to avoid the unpleasant experience. 
     As discussed previously herein, the invention also has application to many other types of devices. An example of an intelligent fire alarm was discussed. Another example might be an intelligent burglar alarm system that does not require wiring or even centralized control. For example, when one detector detects an intruder, other detectors might activate lights, automatic telephone dialers, or other such devices to which they are attached. Yet another of the many possible examples would be an intelligent interactive thermostat system, whereby control of heating elements (furnaces, or the like) is controlled not only by the ambient temperature at the local thermostat, but also by information provided from thermostats in neighboring locations. 
     Since the zoned interactive control area  10  and variable control method  50  of the present invention may be readily produced and integrated with existing architectural spaces, and the like, and since the advantages as described herein are provided, it is expected that they will be readily accepted in the industry. For these and other reasons, it is expected that the utility and industrial applicability of the invention will be both significant in scope and long-lasting in duration. 
     CORRESPONDENCE CHART 
     
         
           10  interactive control area 
           10   a  interactive control area 
           12  aisle 
           14  displays 
           16  zones 
           18  zone lights 
           18   a  zone lights 
           20  processor 
           22  light sensors 
           24  sensors 
           26  person 
           50  variable control method 
           51  variable control method 
           52  sensor input operation 
           54  in zone decision operation 
           55  HI level 
           56  receive input 
           57  adjacent zone decision operation 
           58  MED level 
           59  LO level