Methods and systems for controlling addressable lighting units

Abstract

Systems and methods that provide improved control of addressable lighting fixtures. Individual lighting units have assigned schedules defining the power levels for the unit at various times of the day. Adjustments to a scheduled level for each unit may be made depending on predefined exceptions, ambient daylight, conservation commands, override instructions, and boost signals. Individual occupants of the building are associated with sets of individual lighting units. An override command received by the system and associated with a particular individual occupant is applied to the individual lighting units with which the individual occupant is associated.

1 . A system for controlling addressable lighting units within a building, the building having at least one tenant, the tenant being associated with a plurality of occupants, the units each having one or more light fixtures, each unit having an addressable switch connected to a control bus, the system comprising:
 a controller having one or more control outputs for transmitting commands to the units via the control bus and being configured to receive an instruction associated with one of the occupants; and   a memory device storing
 a unit record for each unit, each record specifying unit-specific properties, 
 an occupant record for each of the occupants, each occupant record identifying one of said occupants and associating a subset of the units with the occupant, 
   wherein the controller is configured to generate the commands to the subset of the units in response to the light instruction and based on the association in the occupant record between said one of the occupants and the subset of the units.   
   
   
       2 . The system claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said memory stores one or more Work Point definitions, each Work Point definition identifying one or more units, and wherein said occupant record contains an association between said one of the occupants and one of said Work Point definitions, and wherein said system includes an override module configured to receive an override command associated with said one of the occupants and to cause said units within said one of said Work Point definitions to be set to an override power level based on said association. 
   
   
       3 . The system claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said memory is configured to store a plurality of Work Cells definitions, each Work Cell definition identifying a plurality of units, and to store a plurality of Path definitions, each Path definition identifying another plurality of units, and wherein each Work Point definition identifies one or more Work Cell definitions and one or more Path definitions. 
   
   
       4 . The system claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said Work Cell definitions and said Path definitions are configured such that units within said Work Cell definitions are subject to the override power level for an override time shorter than the units within the Path definitions. 
   
   
       5 . The system claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a first of the Work Point definitions contains one or more units in common with a second of the Work Point definitions, and wherein the override module is configured to update an event counter associated with each unit affected by the override command in response to receipt of the override command. 
   
   
       6 . The system claimed in  claim 2 , wherein a first of the Work Point definitions contains one or more units in common with a second of the Work Point definitions, and wherein the override module is configured to update an override time out value associated with each unit affected by the override command in response to receipt of the override command. 
   
   
       7 . The system claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the memory stores one or more schedules, each unit being associated with one schedule, and wherein each schedule defines, for specified times, a level for its associated units, and wherein the controller includes a control module configured to determine a scheduled level for each of the units based on the schedules and a current time. 
   
   
       8 . The system claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the memory stores one or more exception parameters each defining an exception level and a condition, and wherein the control module is further configured to test the condition to determine whether an exception applies to at least one unit and, if so, to adjust the level of the at least one unit based on the exception level. 
   
   
       9 . The system claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the control module further includes an override module configured to receive an override command associated with said one of said occupants and to cause the associated units within said occupant record to be set to an override level. 
   
   
       10 . The system claimed in  claim 7 , further including an exterior light sensor for determining an ambient light level reading external to the building, and wherein each of said unit records includes a daylight dimming parameter, and wherein the control module is configured to adjust the level for each unit based on its daylight dimming parameter and the ambient light level reading. 
   
   
       11 . The system claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each of said unit records includes a load shedding parameter for one or more conservation demand levels, and wherein the control module is configured to receiving a conservation command specifying one of the conservation demand levels, and wherein the control module is configured to adjust the level for each unit based on its load shedding parameter for the specified one of the conservation demand levels. 
   
   
       12 . The system claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a master controller, and wherein the controller comprises at least one subcontroller having a control module and a daemon, the daemon being configured to manage communications between the control module, the lighting units, and the master controller, and wherein the master controller and at least one subcontroller are interconnected via a data network. 
   
   
       13 . A method for setting light levels for addressable lighting units within a building, the building having at least one tenant, the tenant being associated with a plurality of occupants, the units each having one or more light fixtures, each unit having an addressable switch connected to a control bus, the method comprising:
 receiving a lighting instruction associated with one of the occupants;   reading an occupant record identifying said one of the occupants and associating said one of the occupants with a subset of the units; and   generating commands to the set of units in response to the lighting instruction and based on the association in the occupant record.   
   
   
       14 . The method claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the occupant record contains an association between said one of the occupants and a Work Point definition, the Work Point definition identifying said subset of units, and wherein reading the occupant record includes reading the Work Point definition, and wherein receiving the lighting instruction comprises receiving an override command associated with said one of the occupants, and wherein generating commands comprises sending commands to said subset of units within the Work Point definition to be set to an override power level based on said association. 
   
   
       15 . The method claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the Work Point definition identifies one or more Work Cell definitions and one or more Path definitions, each Work Cell definition identifying a plurality of units and each Path definition identifying another plurality of units, and wherein reading the Work Point definition includes reading said one or more Work Cell definitions and said one or more Path definitions to identify said subset of units. 
   
   
       16 . The method claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said Work Cell definitions and said Path definitions are configured such that units within said Work Cell definitions are subject to the override power level for an override time shorter than the units within the Path definitions. 
   
   
       17 . The method claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the Work Point definition is a first Work Point definition containing one or more units in common with a second Work Point definition, the lighting instruction being associated with a first occupant who is associated with the first Work Point, and further including receiving a second lighting instruction from a second occupant associated with the second Work Point, and in response to the first lighting instruction incrementing event counters associated with each of the units in the first Work Point, and in response to the second lighting instruction incrementing event counters associated with each of the units in the second Work Point. 
   
   
       18 . The method claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the Work Point definition is a first Work Point definition containing one or more units in common with a second Work Point definition, the lighting instruction being associated with a first occupant who is associated with the first Work Point, and further including receiving a second lighting instruction from a second occupant associated with the second Work Point, and in response to the first lighting instruction setting override timeout values associated with each of the units in the first Work Point, and in response to the second lighting instruction setting override timeout values associated with each of the units in the second Work Point. 
   
   
       19 . The method claimed in  claim 13 , wherein each unit is associated with a schedule, and wherein each schedule defines, for specified times, a level for its associated units, and the method further includes determining the scheduled level for each of the units based on their associated schedule and a current time, and setting the level of each unit based on its scheduled level. 
   
   
       20 . The method claimed in  claim 19 , further including overriding the scheduled level for one or more units based on the received lighting instruction and the generated commands. 
   
   
       21 . The method claimed in  claim 19 , wherein one or more exception parameters each define an exception level and a condition, and the method further includes testing the condition to determine whether an exception applies to at least one unit and, if so, to adjusting the level of the at least one unit based on the exception level. 
   
   
       22 . The method claimed in  claim 19 , wherein each of said unit records includes a daylight dimming parameter, and the method further includes receiving an ambient light level reading from an exterior light sensor external to the building and adjusting the level for each unit based on its daylight dimming parameter and the ambient light level reading. 
   
   
       23 . The method claimed in  claim 19 , wherein each of said unit records includes a load shedding parameter for one or more conservation demand levels, and wherein the method further includes receiving a conservation command specifying one of the conservation demand levels, and calculating an adjusted level for each unit based on its load shedding parameter for the specified one of the conservation demand levels. 
   
   
       24 . A method for setting light levels for addressable lighting units within a building, the method comprising:
 associating a schedule with each lighting unit, each associated schedule defining power levels for the unit for specific times of day; and   for each lighting unit,
 determining a current power level for the unit based on its associated schedule and a current time of day, and 
 instructing the unit to use the current power level. 
   
   
   
       25 . The method claimed in  claim 24 , further including receiving an override instruction associated with an individual, reading an association between the individual and particular lighting units, and wherein determining the current power level includes overriding the associated schedule for the particular lighting units to set the current power level to an override power level, and instructing the unit comprises instructing the unit to use the override power level. 
   
   
       26 . The method claimed in  claim 24 , wherein each of said units has an associated daylight dimming parameter, and the method further includes receiving an ambient light level reading from an exterior light sensor external to the building, and wherein determining the current power level further includes adjusting the current power level for each unit based on its daylight dimming parameter and the ambient light level reading. 
   
   
       27 . The method claimed in  claim 24 , wherein each of said units has an associated load shedding parameter for one or more conservation demand levels, and wherein the method further includes receiving a conservation command specifying one of the conservation demand levels, and wherein determining the current power level further includes adjusting the current power level for each unit based on its load shedding parameter for the specified one of the conservation demand levels. 
   
   
       28 . A system for setting light levels for addressable lighting units within a building, the system comprising:
 means for associating a schedule with each lighting unit, each associated schedule defining power levels for the unit for specific times of day;   means for determining, for each lighting unit, a current power level for the unit based on its associated schedule and a current time of day; and   means for instructing the unit to use the current power level.   
   
   
       29 . A system for controlling addressable lighting units within a building, the units each having one or more light fixtures, each unit having an addressable switch connected to a control bus, the system comprising:
 a light control interface having one or more control outputs for transmitting commands to the units via the control bus;   a control module for determining a power level for each unit and for causing said light control interface to send power level commands to said units;   a light sensor located external to the building and having an output in communication with said control module for providing light level data to said controller; and   a memory device storing a unit record for each unit, each record specifying unit-specific properties including a daylight savings weight, wherein the daylight savings weight associates light levels with power levels for the unit,   wherein said control module include a component for determining a daylight level based on said light level data and a component for determining said power level for each unit based upon said daylight level wherein said power level is based on one of said light levels corresponding to said daylight level.   
   
   
       30 . A system for controlling addressable lighting units within a building, the units each having one or more light fixtures, each unit having an addressable switch connected to a control bus, the system comprising:
 a light control interface having one or more control outputs for transmitting commands to the units via the control bus;   a control module for determining a power level for each unit and for causing said light control interface to send power level commands to said units;   a memory device storing a unit record for each unit, each record specifying unit-specific properties including a load shedding weight, wherein the load shedding weight associates emergency levels with power levels for the unit; and   a conservation demand module for implementing conservation demand instructions, the module comprising a component for receiving a conservation demand associated with a selected one of said emergency levels, and for causing said control module to set said power levels for at least some of said units based upon said power levels associated with said selected one of said emergency levels.