Methods, systems, and apparatus for the monitoring, controlling, and communicating of lighting systems

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for monitoring, controlling, and communicating are disclosed, including splicing one or more control clamps to power lines of devices; establishing a PLC link between one or more powernet control communication cubes; connecting a PCCC to a communication gateway in order to enable communication from a remote device using a PCCC dashboard application; using a communication port of the one or more powernet control communication cubes to communicate between the one or more powernet control communication cubes; using the PLC link to communicate between the one or more powernet control communication cubes; using the one or more powernet control communication cubes with the spliced one or more control clamps to monitor and control the one or more devices; creating one or more RFID/Bluetooth beacons; and using one or more monitor sensors to monitor the area around the devices. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

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         9 . An apparatus for monitoring, controlling, and communicating, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one powernet control unit, the powernet control unit (PCU) comprising:
 a PCU housing; 
 a PCU system bus in the PCU housing; 
 at least one PCU processor coupled to the PCU system bus; 
 PCU system memory coupled to the at least one PCU processor; 
 at least one PCU non-transitory memory unit coupled to the at least one PCU processor; 
 a power port coupled to the PCU system bus; 
 a communication port coupled to the PCU system bus; 
 a PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module coupled to the PCU system bus; and 
 PCU code stored on the at least one PCU non-transitory memory unit; 
   a communication gateway coupled to the communication port;   at least one communication cube, the at least one communication cube (CC) comprising:
 a CC housing; 
 a CC system bus in the communication cube CC housing; 
 at least one CC processor coupled to the CC system bus; 
 CC system memory coupled to the at least one CC processor; 
 at least one CC non-transitory memory unit coupled to the at least one CC processor; 
 a CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module coupled to the CC system bus; 
 at least one control port coupled to the CC system bus; 
 at least one control clamp coupled to the at least one control port; and 
 CC code stored on the at least one CC non-transitory memory unit; 
   the PCU code when executed by the at least one PCU processor configured to:
 establish a PCU power line communication link to the at least one powernet control unit; 
 communicate with the at least one powernet control unit through the PCU power line communication link; 
 communicate with the at least one communication cube through the PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module and the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module; 
 communicate with a PCU/CC dashboard application; 
   the CC code when executed by the at least one CC processor configured to:
 communicate with the at least one powernet control unit through the PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module and the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module; 
 communicate with the at least one communication cube through the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module; and 
 monitor and control at least one device through the at least one control clamp. 
   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the PCU further comprising a GPS module coupled to the PCU system bus. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the PCU further comprising a PCU internal battery coupled to the PCU system bus. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the communication port comprising at least one of:
 Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and a cellular network radio.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module comprising at least one of: Bluetooth, 6LoWPan, and ZigBee. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the communication gateway connected to a cloud. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the apparatus further comprising at least one of a local server and a mobile device connected to the communication gateway and configured to communicate with the PCU through the communication gateway. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , the apparatus further comprising at least one of a remote server and a mobile device connected to the cloud and configured to communicate with the PCU through the communication gateway. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the CC further comprising an RFID module coupled to the CC system bus and a Bluetooth module coupled to the CC system bus. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further configured to create an RFID/Bluetooth beacon. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the CC further comprising a CC internal battery coupled to the CC system bus. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module comprising at least one of: Bluetooth, 6LoWPan, and ZigBee. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , the CC further comprising at least one monitor sensor coupled to the CC system bus. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising the step of monitoring the at least one monitor sensor. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one device comprising a lighting system. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus for monitoring, controlling, and communication, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one powernet control unit, the at least one powernet control unit (PCU) comprising:
 a PCU housing; 
 a PCU system bus within the PCU housing; 
 at least one PCU processor coupled to the PCU system bus; 
 PCU system memory coupled to the at least one PCU processor; 
 at least one PCU non-transitory memory unit coupled to the at least one PCU processor; 
 a GPS module coupled to the PCU system bus; 
 a power port coupled to the PCU system bus; 
 a PCU internal battery coupled to the PCU system bus; 
 a communication port coupled to the PCU system bus, the communication port comprising at least one of: Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and a cellular network radio; 
 a PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module coupled to the PCU system bus, the PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module comprising at least one of: Bluetooth, 6LoWPan, and ZigBee; and 
 PCU code stored on the at least one PCU non-transitory memory unit; 
   a communication gateway coupled to the communication port, the communication gateway connected to a cloud;   at least one of a local server and a mobile device connected to the communication gateway and configured to communicate with the PCU through the communication gateway;   at least one of a remote server and a mobile device connected to the cloud and configured to communicate with the PCU through the communication gateway; and   at least one communication cube, the at least one communication cube (CC) comprising:
 a CC housing; 
 a CC system bus in the communication cube CC housing; 
 at least one CC processor coupled to the CC system bus; 
 CC system memory coupled to the at least one CC processor; 
 at least one CC non-transitory memory unit coupled to the at least one CC processor; 
 an RFID module coupled to the CC system bus; 
 a Bluetooth module coupled to the CC system bus; 
 a CC internal battery coupled to the CC system bus; 
 a CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module coupled to the CC system bus, the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module comprising at least one of: Bluetooth, 6LoWPan, and ZigBee; 
 at least one control port coupled to the CC system bus; 
 at least one control clamp coupled to the at least one control port; 
 at least one monitor sensor coupled to the CC system bus; and 
 CC code stored on the at least one CC non-transitory memory unit; 
   the PCU code when executed by the at least one PCU processor configured to:
 establish a PCU power line communication link between the at least one powernet control unit; 
 communicate with the at least one powernet control unit through the PCU power line communication link; 
 communicate with the at least one communication cube through the PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module and the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module; and 
 communicate with a PCU/CC dashboard application; 
   the CC code when executed by the at least one CC processor is configured to perform the steps of:
 communicate with the at least one powernet control unit through the PCU inter-PCU/CC wireless module and the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module; 
 communicate with the at least one communication cube through the CC inter-PCU/CC wireless module; 
 monitor and control at least one device through the at least one control clamp, the at least one device comprising a lighting system; 
 create an RFID/Bluetooth beacon; and 
 monitoring the at least one monitor sensor. 
   
     
     
         25 . An apparatus for monitoring, controlling, and communication, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one powernet control communication cube, the powernet control communication cube (PCCC) comprising:
 a housing; 
 a system bus within the housing; 
 at least one processor coupled to the system bus; 
 system memory coupled to the at least one processor; 
 at least one non-transitory memory unit coupled to the at least one processor; 
 a power port coupled to the system bus; 
 a communication port coupled to the system bus; 
 at least one control port coupled to the system bus; 
 at least one control clamp coupled to the at least one control port; and 
 PCCC code stored on the at least one non-transitory memory unit; 
   a communication gateway coupled to the communication port;   the PCCC code when executed by the at least one processor configured to:
 establish a power line communication link between the at least one powernet control communication cube; 
 communicate with a PCCC dashboard application; 
 communicate with the at least one powernet control communicate cube through the power line communication link; 
 communicate with the at least one powernet control communication cube through the communication port; and 
 monitore and controlling at least one device through the at least one control clamp. 
   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , the PCCC further comprising a GPS module coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , the PCCC further comprising an internal battery coupled to the system bus. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , the communication port comprising at least one of: Wi-Fi, PLC, Ethernet, ZigBee, 6LoWPan, and Bluetooth. 
     
     
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