Power over ethernet lighting fixture

Abstract

In a first embodiment, a lighting fixture is configured as a power over Ethernet (PoE) powered device (PD), which is capable of facilitating Ethernet-based communications with and receiving power from a PoE device, such as a PoE switch, over a single cable. In a second embodiment, a lighting fixture is configured as a PoE power source equipment (PSE) device, which is capable of facilitating Ethernet-based communications with and supplying power to one or more control elements.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wall controller for controlling at least one lighting fixture in a lighting network and configured as a power over Ethernet (PoE) powered device (PD), the wall controller comprising:
 switch circuitry configured to receive lighting level input information indicative of a desired lighting level;   a PoE interface configured to facilitate Ethernet-based communications over an Ethernet cable and receive sourced power via the Ethernet cable from a power sourcing entity (PSE);   a power supply unit associated with the PoE interface and configured to provide supply power from the sourced power; and   a controller configured to:
 receive the supply power from the power supply unit for operation; 
 receive the lighting level input information from the switch circuitry; and 
 send switch control information based on the lighting level input information via the PoE interface toward the at least one lighting fixture via the PoE interface to control an output level of a light source of the at least one lighting fixture. 
   
     
     
         2 . The wall controller of  claim 1  further comprising an ambient light sensor associated with the controller and configured to provide ambient light sensor information based on an amount of ambient light being sensed by the ambient light sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive the ambient light sensor information; and 
 send sensor control information based on the ambient light sensor information via the PoE interface toward the at least one lighting fixture via the PoE interface to control the output level of the light source of the at least one lighting fixture. 
 
     
     
         3 . The wall controller of  claim 2  wherein the sensor control information includes the ambient light sensor information. 
     
     
         4 . The wall controller of  claim 2  wherein the sensor control information is a command and the controller is further configured to process the ambient light sensor information to generate the sensor control information. 
     
     
         5 . The wall controller of  claim 1  further comprising an occupancy sensor associated with the controller and configured to provide occupancy sensor information based on occupancy being sensed by the occupancy sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive the occupancy sensor information; and 
 send sensor control information based on the occupancy sensor information via the PoE interface toward the at least one lighting fixture via the PoE interface to control the output level of the light source of the at least one lighting fixture. 
 
     
     
         6 . The wall controller of  claim 5  wherein the sensor control information includes the occupancy sensor information. 
     
     
         7 . The wall controller of  claim 5  wherein the sensor control information is a command and the controller is further configured to process the occupancy sensor information to generate the sensor control information. 
     
     
         8 . The wall controller of  claim 1  further comprising an ambient light sensor associated with the controller and configured to provide ambient light sensor information based on an amount of ambient light being sensed by the ambient light sensor, and an occupancy sensor associated with the controller and configured to provide occupancy sensor information based on occupancy being sensed by the occupancy sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive the ambient light sensor information and the occupancy sensor information; and 
 send sensor control information based on the ambient light sensor information and the occupancy sensor information via the PoE interface toward the at least one lighting fixture via the PoE interface to control the output level of the light source of the at least one lighting fixture. 
 
     
     
         9 . The wall controller of  claim 8  wherein the sensor control information includes the ambient light sensor information and the occupancy sensor information. 
     
     
         10 . The wall controller of  claim 8  wherein the sensor control information is a command and the controller is further configured to process the ambient light sensor information and the occupancy sensor information to generate the sensor control information. 
     
     
         11 . The wall controller of  claim 1  further comprising a sensor associated with the controller and configured to provide sensor information, wherein the controller is configured to:
 receive the sensor information; and 
 send sensor control information based on the sensor information via the PoE interface to the at least one lighting fixture via the PoE interface to control the output level of the light source of the at least one lighting fixture. 
 
     
     
         12 . The wall controller of  claim 11  wherein the sensor control information includes the sensor information. 
     
     
         13 . The wall controller of  claim 11  wherein the sensor control information is a command and the controller is further configured to process the sensor information to generate the sensor control information. 
     
     
         14 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the switch control information includes the lighting level input information. 
     
     
         15 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the switch control information is a command and the controller is further configured to process the lighting level input information to generate the switch control information. 
     
     
         16 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the controller is further configured to determine whether or not to send the switch control information. 
     
     
         17 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the PSE is the at least one lighting fixture. 
     
     
         18 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the PSE is a PoE switch that is connected to the at least one lighting fixture. 
     
     
         19 . The wall controller of  claim 1  further comprising a wireless communication interface that is associated with the switch circuitry and configured to facilitate wireless communications with at least one other lighting fixture. 
     
     
         20 . The wall controller of  claim 1  further comprising a light source that is controlled by the controller and powered from the supply power. 
     
     
         21 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the controller is further configured to facilitate bidirectional communications with the at least one lighting fixture via the PoE interface. 
     
     
         22 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the PoE interface is coupled to an Ethernet jack that is configured to receive the Ethernet cable. 
     
     
         23 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein power for the wall controller is only provided via the PoE interface. 
     
     
         24 . The wall controller of  claim 1  wherein the lighting level input information relates to at least one of an on-state, off-state, and dimming level that is input at the wall controller.