Patent ID: 8731689

Claim:
A lighting control system comprising: a lighting control device operative to automatically control the on/off state of lighting in a defined area, the lighting control device programmable to vary the manner in which the on/off state of the lighting is controlled and comprises at least one of an occupancy sensor or a daylight sensor, the lighting control device located at a first physical location; a communications router connected to the lighting control device and operative to receive information from the lighting control device and to send programming instructions to the lighting control device, the communications router located at a second physical location different than the first physical location; a gateway in communication with the communications router and operative to receive the information from the communications router and to send programming instructions to the communications router for the lighting control device, the gateway having an input/output interface operative to receive manually input programming instructions for the lighting control device and to display information regarding the lighting control device or the lighting in the defined area; a communications network connected to the gateway, the gateway operative to receive programming instructions and requests for information via the communications network; a host computer or server connected to the communications network and operative to receive information from the gateway 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; and lighting control software executing on the host computer or server; wherein: the host computer or server executing the control software is operative to program the lighting control device, process the information received from the gateway, and display information pertaining to the lighting control device, the lighting in the defined area, the communications router, the gateway, and the communications network; and the lighting control device operates to control the on/off state of the lighting in the defined area automatically and independently of the host computer, the lighting control software, the gateway, and the communications router should the host computer, the gateway, or the communications router become inoperative or disconnected from the lighting control device.