Automatic configuration systems and methods for lighting and other applications

Abstract

A system and method for automatic configuration of devices that comprises a receiver for receiving information from a device that uniquely identifies the device, a controller capable of assigning an address to the device, and a communication link for transmitting said information from the receiver to the controller.

1 . A system for automatic configuration of network devices, comprising: 
 a receiver to receive information from a network device that uniquely identifies the device;    a controller capable of assigning a base address to the device; and    a communication link between the receiver and the controller to transmit said information from the receiver to the controller.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said controller is a computing device.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said receiver is hand-held.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said network device is an illumination device.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said network device includes at least one LED.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said at least one LED can be used to generate a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the device.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein said communication link comprises a wireless communication link.  
     
     
         8 . A method for the configuration of network devices, comprising acts of: 
 communicating a unique identifier from a network device to a remote receiver;    communicating the unique identifier from the remote receiver to a controller;    generating a network address; and    communicating the network address from the controller to the network device from which the unique identifier was originally communicated.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising an act of: 
 storing the network address in a memory of the network device such that the network device will respond to network signals communicated to the address.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the network device is a lighting device.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , where in the lighting device is an LED lighting device.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the communication from the network device to the remote receiver is accomplished through wireless communication.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the wireless communication is accomplished through visible light producing LEDs.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the LEDs produce red light.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the LEDs are used for illumination and communication.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the unique identifier is a serial number of the network device.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the receiver includes an optic for reducing interference.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the communication from the remote receiver to the controller is accomplished through wireless communication.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the act of generating a network address comprises selecting a network address.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the act of generating a network address further comprises incrementing the address in relation to a previously generated and communicated address.  
     
     
         21 . A method for the configuration of network devices, comprising acts of: 
 communicating a first unique identifier from a first network device to a remote receiving device;    storing the first unique identifier in memory in the remote receiving device;    communicating the first unique identifier from the memory to a controller;    generating a first network address; and    communicating the first network address from the controller to the first network device.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising acts of: 
 communicating a second unique identifier from a second network device to the remote receiving device;    storing the second unique identifier in the memory;    communicating the second unique identifier from the memory to the controller;    generating a second network address; and    communicating the second network address from the controller to the second network address.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the acts of communicating and storing the first and second unique identifiers to the remote receiving device take place before the act of communicating the unique identifiers to the controller.