Systems and methods for managing environmental conditions

Abstract

Systems and methods for adjusting environmental conditions within a physical structure comprising a plurality of linked controller units are disclosed. One or more occupancy sensors (140-1, 150-1) produce data indicating that a designated zone has transitioned from an unoccupied to an occupied state. One or more luminaires (140-2, 150-2), associated with a first of the plurality of linked controller units (120D), produce a background illumination level within a predetermined reaction period after the sensor data is generated. The first of the plurality of linked controller units transmits data indicative of the change in state of the designated zone, and at least one second of the plurality of linked controller units receives the data indicative of the change in state and causes at least one second luminaire or luminaires to alter their illumination.

Description

Systems and methods for managing environmental conditions Technical field The present invention relates, in general, to the management of environmental conditions within physical structures. More particularly, various inventive systems and methods disclosed herein relate to the adjustment of environmental conditions such as lighting, temperature, and humidity based on automatically and manually generated requests. Some inventive systems and methods disclosed herein also relate to the monitoring of energy consumption and resource utilization within physical structures and adjusting the system's behavior accordingly. Background Digital lighting technologies, that is, lighting based on semiconductor light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), offer a viable alternative to traditional fluorescent, HID, and incandescent lamps. LEDs offer many advantages, including controllability, high energy conversion and optical efficiency, durability, and lower operating costs. Recent advances in controllable LED technology have provided efficient and robust full-spectrum light sources that enable a variety of lighting effects in many applications. In addition to the development of controllable LEDs, rapid advances have been made in the area of ​​sensor technologies. Current sensors are not only capable of effectively measuring daylight and occupancy, but they have also become significantly smaller and can therefore be easily integrated into small devices, including those housing cameras and controllable LEDs. For example, existing daylight-based lighting control systems can employ individually controllable luminaires with dimming ballasts, as well as one or more daylight photosensors to measure the average illumination of the work plane within a daylit space.In such systems, one or more controllers, in order to respond to daylight output and maintain a minimum illumination of the work plane, can monitor the output of one or more photosensors and control the lighting provided by the luminaires. More recently, innovations in wireless communications and smart mobile devices have ushered in a generation of smartphones and tablets with unparalleled mobility and computing power. For example, smartphones with access to cloud-based applications can collect and process data from their immediate surroundings in real time. Furthermore, location-based services enable the personalization of information delivered to mobile devices. Smart mobile devices, used in conjunction with controllable LEDs and appropriate sensors, can therefore be used to personalize lighting in physical spaces in real time. Currently, two other significant technological advancements present even greater opportunities for innovation in the area of ​​environmental management and control: Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Coded Light (CL). PoE enables the delivery of electrical power along with data over a single cable to devices such as lighting fixtures, IP cameras, or wireless access points. The advent of PoE technology makes it possible to power devices in remote locations within building structures by significantly reducing the need for electricians to install conduits, electrical wiring, and outlets. Unlike other devices, the potential location of a PoE device is not limited by the placement of AC outlets within a structure. For example, PoE allows wireless LAN access points to be placed in ceilings for more optimal RF reception. CL technology can be used to embed unique identifiers or codes in the light sockets of different light sources. Using these identifiers, the light emanating from a specific light source can be differentiated even in the presence of illumination contributions from many other light sources. Therefore, CL can be used to identify and locate individual light sources and devices relative to other similar sources and devices. Using light as a means for device identification, location, and communication opens the door to innovative systems and methods for managing environmental conditions by enabling detailed interactions between devices such as individually controllable LEDs, sensors, and control devices such as smartphones, which were previously not feasible. Existing systems and methods for managing environmental conditions within physical structures do not simultaneously leverage the benefits of the technologies mentioned above. Some existing systems simply use LEDs and controllable sensors to automatically control lighting in areas such as offices and living rooms in response to changes in, for example, occupancy and natural light. Other existing systems provide mobile applications that allow users to remotely control the behavior of lighting devices within these spaces.However, no existing system provides the necessary hardware and software infrastructure to effectively manage the complex interaction of a multitude of PoE and CL-enabled devices (e.g., lighting fixtures and HVAC equipment), smart mobile controllers, wall-mounted controllers, and sensors monitoring activity and environmental conditions in large facilities such as office buildings. Efficiently managing environmental conditions within such spaces presents several unique technological challenges, which are discussed below. The implementations disclosed herein offer solutions to these and other challenges. Large office buildings and other large commercial buildings typically have areas used for a variety of purposes. An office building might have conference or meeting rooms, large open spaces with numerous offices, corridors, cafeterias, and auditoriums. Some of these areas may be used for group discussions or large presentations (e.g., conference rooms and auditoriums), while others may be used for individual work (e.g., offices). Given their different uses, therefore, some methods of controlling environmental conditions (e.g., individual controls) may be more suitable for some areas (e.g., offices) than for others (auditoriums and cafeterias). Unlike single-family homes or apartments, large office buildings also house a considerable number of individuals, often in close quarters.These individuals may have different and often conflicting interests regarding the environmental conditions they wish to create in the spaces they occupy. When the same space is used by different people, therefore, it is crucial to resolve conflicting requests to adjust environmental conditions in a meaningful and non-arbitrary way. Likewise, the amount of control a user can be allowed to exercise in any space may depend on their role within an organization. It can be problematic, for example, if an employee attending a presentation in a large auditorium can use a smartphone app to change the lighting conditions of the entire auditorium at any time. Therefore, managing environmental conditions within large structures involves prioritizing and effectively coordinating the potentially numerous concurrent control requests arising from a large number of stationary and mobile controllers representing a variety of users. These requests should be successfully routed to the appropriate lighting fixtures and HVAC equipment in order to produce the requested changes within a timeframe that also reasonably meets user expectations. The variety of lighting and HVAC devices typically found in large buildings presents another fundamental challenge for any environmental control system. Not all of these devices produce data in the same format, nor do they all support communication via the same protocols. However, under many circumstances, it may be necessary for these devices to communicate with each other, either directly or through intermediary modules. To ensure that devices can communicate with each other, whether directly or indirectly, when required, environmental management systems must provide the necessary means for such communication to occur. Another challenge faced by environmental management systems is that once the numerous sensors, control devices, and other system components are installed and operational within a large structure, new devices become available that are designed to produce or receive data in formats not supported by the system. For environmental management systems in large structures, this problem is even more acute, as these systems likely use many more types of devices compared to simpler systems for managing environmental conditions in smaller spaces such as residential homes. These larger-scale systems will need to be adaptable enough to accommodate the use of these new devices in order to take advantage of technological advancements.As a result, it is very important that these systems are designed to be easily extensible to accommodate new devices and technologies in such a way that they can be integrated into the system with minimal effort and without undue disruption to system operation. Although existing systems for managing environmental conditions in relatively smaller spaces, such as apartments or houses, can monitor device usage for a variety of reasons, the amount of usage data generated by such systems is relatively small. Conversely, a large building or structure is likely to generate vast amounts of usage data due to the large number of devices (lighting and HVAC devices and sensors) within these structures. This data will need to be collected, categorized, and analyzed so that the system can obtain useful information for, for example, fine-tuning existing energy conservation strategies.In order to make good use of the data without overwhelming or degrading the overall system performance, it is necessary to design a system to manage environmental conditions in a large structure to accommodate the potentially large influx of usage data. Some of these systems can be designed so that usage data management is significantly decentralized. For example, usage data from devices collected on different floors of a building can be managed by separate modules using independent data storage facilities. Finally, while privacy issues exist surrounding the management of usage data in smaller settings, these issues are not comparable in scale to the privacy problems that must be addressed in much larger settings. For example, an environmental management system designed for a residential setting such as an apartment may have only a few individual users whose personal information must be handled in a way that does not create a risk of disclosure to unauthorized parties. In contrast, a large entity occupying a large office space may have hundreds of users who frequent the space, accessing various components of the system through a multitude of user interfaces on a variety of devices, including their personal mobile devices.For example, the use of personal mobile computing devices such as CL-enabled lighting controllers and other devices can result in useful but sensitive associations between a user's identity and specific spaces they frequent. Therefore, the design of environmental management systems for deployment in large structures must include strategies to prevent unauthorized access to such sensitive information both from within the system itself (e.g., one system user accessing information about another user's whereabouts) and from outside the system (e.g., cybersecurity breaches exposing such sensitive information to the outside world). No existing system for managing environmental conditions provides solutions to at least the challenges mentioned above. The systems and methods presented below offer solutions designed to address these and other challenges. US patent 20080079568 A1 discloses a system in which an occupancy sensor with a time-delay function is designed to dim the lights, for example, as a warning, after a first period of time has elapsed without detecting room occupancy. The lights remain dimmed for a second period of time and then turn off after a third period of time has elapsed without detecting room occupancy. If occupancy is detected during the first period of time, the lights will remain on. If occupancy is detected during the second or third period of time, the lights will turn on, for example, to their previous brightness. A night light and an occupancy sensor that includes the dimming function can be added and / or incorporated. Summary The invention is defined by the claims. Various embodiments are addressed in this document concerning systems and methods for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure, in order to address the problems outlined in the previous section. This section presents a simplified summary of some of these methods and systems to provide a basic understanding of various system components, the interaction between these components, and the various steps involved in the different embodiments. This summary is not intended to be an exhaustive overview of all inventive embodiments. The system components and method steps described in this section are not necessarily critical components or steps. The purpose of this summary section is to present a simplified overview of various concepts as an introduction to the detailed descriptions that follow. Various embodiments disclose a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. The system comprises at least one commissioned unit configured to transmit a coded light signal comprising one or more identification codes, and an environmental control device configured to receive the coded light signal from at least one IP luminaire, to detect user input indicating one or more preferred environmental conditions, and to transmit an environmental control request comprising one or more preferred environmental conditions. In various embodiments, the aforementioned system also comprises one or more processors running an environmental manager module configured to receive the environmental control request, generate an environmental control command using the control request, and transmit the environmental control command to the commissioned unit. In several aspects, the environmental management module is configured to monitor the use of at least one commissioned unit and to provide one or more user interfaces for displaying usage data associated with that unit. In some aspects, the at least one commissioned unit is configured to receive power from a PoE switch and comprises a plurality of IP luminaires, each IP luminaire being communicatively connected to one or more sensors, one or more controllable light sources, and a luminaire control module. The one or more sensors are configured to detect at least one of the following: motion, occupancy, sound, and the presence of one or more gases, or to measure at least one of the following: illumination, humidity, and temperature. In some other respects, the environmental manager module is configured to determine at least one of: whether a type of control associated with the received environmental control request is enabled with respect to the unit put into service, the type of control comprising personal control; and whether the received environmental control request conflicts with another higher priority control request associated with the unit put into service. In many embodiments, the aforementioned system further comprises one or more processors running a commissioning module to associate one or more devices with the system for managing environmental conditions. The association includes locating one or more devices. The location includes mapping each device to at least one physical location within the physical structure. The association also includes associating, in memory, at least one of the devices with a first commissioned unit, and linking the first commissioned unit with a second commissioned unit. The linking includes associating, in memory, the first and second commissioned units.In some aspects of the system mentioned above, the first memory is accessible to at least one or more devices associated with the first unit put into service, and the second memory is accessible to at least one or more devices associated with the first and second units put into service. In some aspects, the commissioning module is configured to update at least one memory accessible to the environmental manager module, using at least one value that represents a parameter associated with at least one of one or more devices, the first commissioned unit, or the second commissioned unit. In other aspects, the commissioned unit of the aforementioned system, which is configured to receive the environmental control command, is also configured to alert any commissioned unit to which it is linked of changes in its own operating state and changes in the state of an area to which it is associated. The alert may involve direct or synchronous communication modes, where the commissioned unit transmits signals indicating the changes to each of its linked commissioned units. The alert may also involve more indirect or asynchronous communication modes.For example, the commissioned unit can inform an execution module of its change in operating status; the execution module can access a memory to determine which other commissioned units are linked to the commissioned unit; and the execution module can subsequently notify each of the linked commissioned units of the change in status. In several aspects, the aforementioned system also comprises one or more processors running a gateway module that is communicatively connected to a commissioning module and an environmental manager module. The gateway module is configured to receive an environmental control command from one of the following: the environmental manager module, the commissioning module, a device, or a commissioned unit. The gateway module is also configured to convert the control command into a format suitable for at least one of the following: a target device or a target commissioned unit. In some respects, the gateway module is also configured to receive monitoring data comprising the operational status and energy consumption data of one or more units or devices put into service, and to convert the received monitoring data into a format suitable for the environmental manager module. Several embodiments reveal another system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. The system comprises a sensor in a designated area within the physical structure configured to produce data indicative of at least one of the following: movement, occupancy, sound, the presence of one or more gases, lighting, humidity, and temperature. The system also comprises a commissioned unit comprising a gateway module communicatively connected to at least the sensor and an environmental manager module. The commissioned unit is configured to receive the data produced by the sensor, to determine that the sensor data represents a change of state associated with the designated area, and to update one or more memories accessible to the environmental manager module according to the data representing the change of state. Some embodiments disclose a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. The system comprises at least one commissioned unit configured to transmit an initial signal comprising one or more identification codes. The system also comprises an environmental control device configured to receive the initial signal from the at least one commissioned unit, to detect user input indicating one or more preferred environmental conditions, and to transmit an environmental control request comprising one or more preferred environmental conditions. Additionally, the system comprises one or more processors running an environmental manager module configured to receive the environmental control request, generate an environmental control command using the control request, and transmit the environmental control command to the commissioned unit. Some embodiments disclose a method for identifying devices for association as a single unit commissioned within a system for managing environmental conditions. The method comprises a first stage of a first plurality of devices, each transmitting a coded light signal comprising a unique identification code. In a second stage, a mobile device receives the coded light signals from the first plurality of devices and transmits a commissioning request comprising the unique identification codes of a second plurality of devices located in a region near the mobile device, the second plurality of devices comprising one or more devices from the first plurality of devices.In a third stage, a commissioning module receives the commissioning request and associates, in a memory, the second plurality of devices with a first commissioned unit. Various embodiments disclose a method for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure comprising a plurality of linked, commissioned units. The method comprises a first stage of one or more occupancy sensors that produce data indicating that a designated zone has transitioned from an unoccupied to an occupied state (910B). The method also comprises a second stage of one or more luminaires associated with a first of the plurality of linked, commissioned units, producing a background illumination level within a predetermined reaction period after the sensor data is generated. A third stage involves the first of the plurality of linked, commissioned units transmitting data indicative of the change in state of the designated zone (930B).A fourth stage involves at least one of the multiple linked units receiving data indicating a change in state and causing at least one of the other luminaires to alter their lighting. In some respects, the second of the multiple linked units, or at least one of the other luminaires, accesses a memory that stores lighting scene information before the second of the other luminaires alters their lighting. Many embodiments disclose yet another method for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure comprising a plurality of linked, commissioned units and one or more occupancy sensors. The method comprises a first step of making an initial determination, based on occupancy data produced by the one or more occupancy sensors, that a designated zone has transitioned from an occupied to an unoccupied state. The method also comprises a second step of monitoring additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of a waiting period, and making a second determination as to whether the designated zone remained in the unoccupied state for the entire duration of the waiting period.The method includes a fourth step of accessing a memory to identify at least one of the plurality of linked commissioned units associated with the designated zone, and a fifth step in which, based on the result of the second determination, one or more luminaires of the at least one of the plurality of linked commissioned units fade to a first lower lighting level during a first grace period that begins after the expiration of the waiting period. In some respects, the method mentioned above further comprises the following steps. One step involves monitoring additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of the first grace period and making a third determination as to whether the designated zone remained unoccupied for the entire first grace period. Another step involves, based on the result of the third determination, either dimming one or more luminaires to a higher previous illumination level produced before the start of the first grace period or (b) completing their transition to the lower illumination level. In several other respects, the method mentioned above further comprises the following steps.A further step is to monitor the additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors for at least part of the duration of an extension period, and to make a fourth determination as to whether the designated zone remained in the unoccupied state for the entire duration of the extension period. A further step, based on the result of the fourth determination, involves either (a) dimming the luminaire(s) back to a higher previous illumination level produced before the start of the extension period, or (b) dimming them to an illumination level associated with an off state during a second grace period that begins after the extension period. Some embodiments disclose a method for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure comprising a plurality of linked, commissioned units and one or more lighting sensors. The method comprises a first stage in which one or more lighting sensors indicate a change in illumination in a work area. A second stage involves at least one of the plurality of commissioned units associated with the work area and communicatively connected to one or more sensors receiving the indication of the change in illumination and making an initial determination as to whether a change quantity associated with the illumination change indication is greater than a predetermined quantity.In a further third stage, based on the first determination, at least one of the plurality of units put into service accesses the output of one or more lighting sensors and makes a second determination as to whether the illumination level in the work area is at or above a preset illumination level. In a fourth stage, at least one luminaire within the work area either (a) provides a predetermined minimum illumination level during a first dimming period if the second determination indicates that the illumination level in the work area is at or above the preset illumination level, or (b) provides a predetermined maximum illumination level during a second dimming period if the second determination indicates that the illumination level in the work area is below the preset illumination level. Other embodiments may include a computer-readable, non-transient storage medium that stores instructions executable by a processor to perform a method such as one or more of the methods described herein. Still other embodiments may include a system comprising a memory and one or more operable processors for executing instructions, stored in memory, to perform a method such as one or more of the methods described herein. As used herein for the purposes of this disclosure, the term "LED" shall be understood to include any light-emitting diode or other type of junction / carrier injection-based system capable of generating radiation in response to an electrical signal and / or acting as a photodiode. Thus, the term LED includes, but is not limited to, various semiconductor-based structures that emit light in response to current, light-emitting polymers, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), electroluminescent strips, and the like.In particular, the term LED refers to light-emitting diodes of all types (including organic and semiconductor LEDs) that can be configured to generate radiation in one or more of the infrared spectrum, the ultraviolet spectrum, and various portions of the visible spectrum (which generally include radiation wavelengths from approximately 400 nanometers to approximately 700 nanometers). Some examples of LEDs include, but are not limited to, various types of infrared LEDs, ultraviolet LEDs, red LEDs, blue LEDs, green LEDs, yellow LEDs, amber LEDs, orange LEDs, and white LEDs (discussed later).It should also be appreciated that LEDs can be configured and / or controlled to generate radiation that has various bandwidths (e.g., full width at half height or FWHM) for a given spectrum (e.g., narrow bandwidth, wide bandwidth), and a diversity of dominant wavelengths within a given general color categorization. For example, an implementation of an LED configured to generate essentially white light (e.g., a white LED) might include a number of pellets that emit different electroluminescent spectra, which, in combination, blend to form essentially white light. In another implementation, a white LED might be associated with a phosphor material that converts the electroluminescence, which has one spectrum, into a different second spectrum. In one example of this implementation, the electroluminescence, which has a relatively short wavelength and a narrow bandwidth spectrum, "pumps" the phosphor material, which in turn radiates longer-wavelength radiation with a somewhat broader spectrum. It should also be understood that the term LED does not limit the type of physical and / or electrical packaging of an LED. For example, as discussed earlier, an LED can refer to a single light-emitting device with multiple arrays configured to emit different radiation spectra (e.g., which may or may not be individually controlled). An LED can also be associated with a phosphorescent substance that is considered an integral part of the LED (e.g., some types of white LEDs). In general, the term LED can refer to encapsulated LEDs, unencapsulated LEDs, surface-mount LEDs, chip-on-board LEDs, T-mount LEDs, radially packaged LEDs, power-packed LEDs, LEDs that include some type of coating and / or optical element (e.g., a diffuser lens), and so on. The term "light source" should be understood to refer to any one or more of a variety of radiation sources, including, but not limited to, LED-based sources (including one or more LEDs as defined above). A given light source may be configured to generate electromagnetic radiation within the visible spectrum, outside the visible spectrum, or a combination of both. Therefore, the terms "light" and "radiation" are used interchangeably herein. Additionally, a light source may include, as an integral component, one or more filters (e.g., color filters), lenses, or other optical components. It should also be understood that light sources may be configured for a variety of applications, including, but not limited to, indication, display, and / or illumination.A "light source" is a light source that is specifically configured to generate radiation of sufficient intensity to effectively illuminate an interior or exterior space. In this context, "sufficient intensity" refers to enough radiant power in the visible spectrum generated in the space or environment (the unit "lumens" is often used to represent the total light output of a light source in all directions, in terms of radiant power or "luminous flux") to provide ambient lighting (i.e., light that can be perceived indirectly and that may, for example, be reflected off one or more of a variety of intervening surfaces before being perceived in whole or in part). It should be understood that the term "spectrum" refers to any one or more frequencies (or wavelengths) of radiation produced by one or more light sources. Therefore, the term "spectrum" refers to frequencies (or wavelengths) not only in the visible range, but also frequencies (or wavelengths) in the infrared, ultraviolet, and other areas of the general electromagnetic spectrum. Furthermore, a given spectrum may have a relatively narrow bandwidth (e.g., a full-wavelength, half-wavelength, half-wavelength, which has essentially few frequency or wavelength components) or a relatively wide bandwidth (various frequency or wavelength components with varying relative intensities). It should also be appreciated that a given spectrum may result from a mixture of two or more other spectra (e.g., a mixture of radiation emitted from multiple light sources). For the purposes of this disclosure, the term "color" is used interchangeably with the term "spectrum." However, the term "color" is generally used to refer primarily to a property of radiation that is perceptible to an observer (although this usage is not intended to limit the scope of this term). Accordingly, the expression "different colors" implicitly refers to multiple spectra that have different wavelength components and / or bandwidths. It should also be appreciated that the term "color" can be used in relation to both white and non-white light. The terms "lighting accessory" and "luminaire" are used interchangeably herein to refer to an implementation or arrangement of one or more lighting units in a particular form factor, assembly, or package. The term "lighting unit" is used herein to refer to a device that includes one or more light sources of the same or different types. A given lighting unit may have any of a variety of mounting arrangements for the light source(s), enclosure / housing arrangements and shapes, and / or electrical and mechanical connection configurations. Additionally, a given lighting unit may optionally be associated with (e.g., include, couple, and / or be packaged with) various other components (e.g., a control circuit assembly) related to the operation of the light source(s).A "LED-based lighting unit" refers to a lighting unit that includes one or more LED-based light sources, as discussed above, either alone or in combination with other non-LED-based light sources. A "multi-channel" lighting unit refers to a lighting unit, whether LED-based or not, that includes at least two light sources configured to generate different radiation spectra, where each different source spectrum can be referred to as a "channel" of the multi-channel lighting unit. The term "controller" is used herein to describe various devices related to the operation of one or more light sources. A controller can be implemented in numerous ways (e.g., with dedicated hardware) to perform the various functions discussed herein. A "processor" is an example of a controller that employs one or more microprocessors that can be programmed using software (e.g., microcode) to perform the various functions discussed herein. A controller can be implemented with or without a processor, and it can also be implemented as a combination of dedicated hardware to perform some functions and a processor (e.g., one or more programmed microprocessors and associated circuitry) to perform other functions.Examples of controller components that may be employed in various embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, conventional microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). In various implementations, a processor or controller may be associated with one or more storage media (generically referred to herein as "memory," for example, volatile and non-volatile computer memory such as RAM, PROM, EPROM, and EEPROM, floppy disks, compact discs, optical discs, magnetic tapes, etc.). In some implementations, the storage media may be encoded with one or more programs that, when executed on one or more processors and / or controllers, perform at least some of the functions discussed herein. Various storage media may be fixed within a processor or controller or may be portable, such that the one or more programs stored therein may be loaded into a processor or controller to implement various aspects of the present invention discussed herein.The terms "program" or "computer program" are used herein in a generic sense to refer to any type of computer code (e.g., software or microcode) that can be used to program one or more processors or controllers. In a network implementation, one or more network-connected devices may act as a controller for one or more other network-connected devices (e.g., in a master / slave relationship). In another implementation, a networked environment may include one or more dedicated controllers configured to control one or more of the network-connected devices. Generally, multiple network-connected devices may each have access to data present on the communication medium(s); however, a given device may be "addressable" because it is configured to selectively exchange data with (i.e., receive data from and / or transmit data to) the network, based, for example, on one or more particular identifiers (e.g., "addresses") assigned to it. The term "network," as used herein, refers to any interconnection of two or more devices (including controllers or processors) that facilitates the transport of information (for example, for controlling devices, storing data, exchanging data, etc.) between any two or more devices and / or between multiple devices coupled to the network. As should be readily apparent, various network implementations suitable for interconnecting multiple devices may include any of a variety of network topologies and employ any of a variety of communication protocols. Additionally, in various networks according to this disclosure, any connection between two devices may represent a dedicated connection between the two systems or, alternatively, a non-dedicated connection.In addition to carrying information destined for both devices, a non-dedicated connection of this type can carry information not necessarily destined for either device (for example, an open network connection). Furthermore, it should be readily apparent that various device networks, such as those discussed herein, can employ one or more wireless, wired / cable, and / or fiber optic links to facilitate the transport of information across the network. The term "user" as used herein refers to any entity, human or artificial, that interacts with the systems and methods described herein. For example, the term includes, without limitation, occupants of a space such as an office employee or visitor, remote users of a space, a facilities manager, a commissioning engineer, a building IT manager, a service engineer, and an installer. Brief description of the drawings In the drawings, similar reference characters generally refer to the same parts in different views. Also, the drawings are not necessarily to scale; instead, the emphasis is generally on illustrating the principles of the invention. Figure 1A illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure, the embodiment comprising several modules, two IP luminaires and an environmental control device. Figure 1B illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure, the embodiment comprising several modules, two IP luminaires, an environmental control device, and an IR remote control device. Figure 1C illustrates IP luminaire components and the interfaces that join the components according to some embodiments. Figure 1D illustrates a block diagram of an embodiment of a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure, the embodiment comprising an environmental manager module, a sensor, a memory, and a commissioned unit. Figure 2A illustrates the component architecture of a lighting network according to some embodiments. Figure 2B illustrates a block diagram of an implementation of a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure and the different network environments associated with various system components. Figure 3A illustrates an embodiment of an autonomous system, a connected configuration of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 3B illustrates an implementation of an integrated end-to-end configuration of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 4A illustrates a block diagram of the components of an implementation of an environmental manager module, along with other devices and components with which the environmental manager module is communicatively connected. Figure 4B illustrates a block diagram of various selected components of a cloud-deployed ISPF implementation of a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. Figure 5 illustrates a block diagram of a commissioning and configuration process used by the components of a system for managing environmental conditions, according to some implementations. Figure 6 illustrates a commissioned unit, such as an open-plan room, comprising multiple groups of devices according to one implementation. Figure 7 illustrates a commissioned unit such as an open-plan room, a system user in the open-plan room, various zones surrounding the user, and devices located inside and outside these zones. Figure 8 illustrates an occupancy-based control method for responding to the detection of occupancy in a previously unoccupied space, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. Figure 9A illustrates an occupancy-based control method for responding to the detection of a lack of occupancy in a previously occupied space, carried out by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 9B illustrates an occupancy-based control method for responding to the detection of occupancy in a previously unoccupied space, implemented by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 10 illustrates another occupancy-based control method for responding to the detection of a lack of occupancy in a previously occupied space, carried out by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 11 illustrates an occupancy-based control method for responding to the detection of a lack of occupancy in a previously occupied space, carried out by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions, the method incorporating the use of a waiting period, a grace period, and an extension period to confirm the occupancy status. Figure 12 illustrates an occupancy-based control method for responding to occupancy detection in a previously unoccupied office area, implemented by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 13 illustrates an occupancy-based control method for responding to the detection of a change in occupancy in a corridor area, carried out by some realizations of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 14 illustrates an occupancy-based control method for responding to the detection of a change in occupancy in an assembly area, carried out by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 15 illustrates a method for responding to a request for a different environmental scene in a meeting area, made by some realizations of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 16 illustrates a daylight-based control method for responding to a detected change in lighting in a work area, implemented by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 17 illustrates a daylight-based control method for responding to a detected change in natural lighting in a space, implemented by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 18 illustrates an interactive digital floor plan representing the location of the units put into service, according to some realizations of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 19 illustrates a method for determining the power-on behavior of a unit that is either commissioned or decommissioned, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. Figure 20 illustrates a method for handling a control request, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. Figure 21 illustrates a method for handling a manually activated personal control request, implemented by some realizations of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 22 illustrates an arrangement of commissioned units and associated PoE switches to reduce the visual impact of PoE switch failure, according to some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 23 illustrates a self-diagnostic and recovery method performed by units put into service in some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 24 illustrates an implementation of an interactive graphical user interface shown as a front interface for an environmental manager module, according to some implementations of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 25 illustrates an embodiment of an interactive graphical user interface shown as the front interface of a commissioning module, according to some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 26 illustrates an implementation of an interactive area wizard for use as part of a front-end interface of a commissioning module, allowing the area wizard to enable a user to specify various parameters that together define the function(s) of an area within a physical structure. Figure 27 illustrates an implementation of an interactive graphical user interface for use in commissioning a new device for use in a system for managing environmental conditions. Detailed description Reference is now made in detail to illustrative embodiments of the invention, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. The following detailed description, for explanatory and non-limiting purposes, sets forth representative embodiments that disclose specific details in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present teachings. However, it will be evident to a person skilled in the art who has benefited from this disclosure that other embodiments in accordance with the present teachings that depart from the specific details disclosed herein remain within the scope of the appended claims. Likewise, descriptions of known systems, apparatus, and methods may be omitted so as not to obscure the description of the representative embodiments. Such systems, methods, and apparatus are clearly within the scope of the present teachings. Figure 1A illustrates a 100A system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. The system includes an environmental manager module 110, a commissioning module 120, a gateway module 130, IP luminaires 140 and 150, and an environmental control device 160. Other embodiments of the 100A system may include more or fewer environmental manager modules, IP luminaires, commissioning modules, gateway modules, and / or environmental control devices. The components of the 100A system are connected via links L1 to L9, as shown in Figure 1. The term "physical structure," as used herein, refers to any building structure, whether freestanding or not, permanent, enclosed, or covered. This term includes, for example, office, residential, recreational, educational, governmental, and commercial buildings and complexes, as well as parking lots and garages.The term "link," as used herein, refers to any connection or component that enables the communication of information between at least two system components. For example, a link includes a wired or wireless communications connection, a radio frequency communications connection, and an optical communications connection. A link may also indicate a shared communications protocol, a software or hardware interface, or remote method invocations or procedure calls. The environmental manager module 110 can be implemented in hardware, any combination of hardware and computer code (e.g., software or microcode), or entirely in computer code. This module can run on one or multiple processors. In some implementations, the 110 management module can provide an Interactive System Productivity Facility (ISPF) based on a central management and monitoring console. The 110 management module can also provide interactive user interfaces for various functions, such as displaying current lighting or other environmental statuses in the 100A system, displaying occupancy information at various levels of detail, displaying energy consumption information at various levels of detail, and displaying alarms. Additionally, the 110 management module can receive personal control commands (e.g., related to light level and temperature) from smartphone applications and translate these commands into lighting or HVAC control commands, manage system-wide lighting control, and manage task scheduling.The Environmental Manager Module 110 can also participate in software updates, manage monitoring data such as energy consumption and occupancy data, and process alarms and other system health diagnostic data. Figure 4A illustrates various components of an Environmental Manager Module implementation, and the description in Figure 4A provides further details about this module. Additional details about the functionality and other aspects of Environmental Manager Modules, such as the Environmental Manager Module 110, can be found throughout the specification. As shown in Figure 1A, the environmental manager module 110 can receive information from the environmental control device 160 via link L2. L2 can be a personal control interface for a smartphone. The manager module 110 can also communicate with the commissioning module 120 via link L1. L1 can facilitate the exchange of project files from the commissioning module. In some embodiments, L1 can also represent an XML database with xCLIP-compatible luminaire extensions. Finally, the manager module 110 can also communicate with the gateway module 130 via link L3. In some embodiments, L3 represents the EnvisionIP interface. The commissioning module 120 can be implemented in hardware, any combination of hardware and computer code (e.g., software or microcode), or entirely in computer code. This module can run on one or multiple processors. In many implementations of the 100A system, the commissioning module 120 is used to commission devices such as IP luminaires, switches, and sensors. The commissioning module 120 can also be used to prepare a floor plan for a space, discover and associate devices with the 100A system, and locate devices using, for example, coded light detection techniques. It can also be used for the pre-commissioning of the 100A system and its associated devices. For example, the commissioning module 120 can be used to create device groups and allocate spaces within a structure for specific purposes.In many implementations of the 100A system, the commissioning module 120 can be used to commission devices such as IP luminaires and control devices by, for example, positioning them according to prepared floor plans, programming lighting scenes, configuring control devices and parameters, and calibrating sensors. The commissioning module 120 can also be used to perform software updates. Other functions associated with the commissioning module 120 are described throughout the specification, and particularly in the description associated with Figure 5. As shown in Figure 1A, the commissioning module 120 is able to communicate with the environmental manager module 110 via link L1, the gateway module 130 via link L4, and the IP luminaire 150 via link L6. L1 has been described above in connection with the description of the environmental manager module 110. In many embodiments, L4 may represent an EnvisionIP or xCLIP interface, and L6 may represent an EnvisionIP interface. The Gateway Module 130 can be implemented in hardware, any combination of hardware and computer code (e.g., software or microcode), or entirely in computer code. This module can run on one or multiple processors. In some embodiments, a hardware implementation of the Gateway Module 130 may involve an STM32 chip. The Gateway Module 130 can be associated with a particular floor of a physical structure and can send and / or receive data from multiple devices, such as IP luminaires located on that floor. In some embodiments, the Gateway Module 130 can send and / or receive data from more than 1000 devices, such as IP luminaires, sensors, and HVAC devices. The 130 gateway module is configured to provide a variety of functions. For example, it can provide a gateway between an EnvisionIP interface for use in luminaire commissioning and the RS-485 standard, as well as provide services for translating various network applications and protocols. In many implementations, it can also facilitate data routing between multiple gateway modules within the 100A system.and participate in system diagnostics and / or hardware roll calls, during which Gateway Module 130 can determine whether the devices under its control are still online. Gateway Module 130 may also be responsible for caching and / or reporting offline devices to Environmental Manager Module 110. Gateway Module 130 may also be responsible for local scheduling tasks and managing monitoring and diagnostic data. For example, Gateway Module 130 may monitor one or more areas within a physical structure to determine energy consumption and occupancy, and diagnose and report system health information at the area level. It may also store area monitoring information. In some embodiments,Gateway module 130 monitors all DyNet and EnvisionIP traffic within a portion of the system. It can store and / or cache this information and forward it to Environmental Manager module 110, giving the Environmental Manager module an accurate overview of the status of all deployed devices at any given time. For scheduling purposes, time-critical events can be forwarded by Gateway module 130 to Environmental Manager module 110 immediately, while non-time-critical events can be cached locally and uploaded to Environmental Manager module 110 in batches. In cases where Environmental Manager module 110 is inaccessible,All events can be cached locally and loaded into the 110 manager module when it becomes accessible again. The 130 gateway module can also interface with an HVAC system associated with the 100A system and discover new devices. In many implementations, multiple gateway modules, such as the 130 gateway module, can be communicatively linked to a single 110 environmental manager module, where each 130 gateway module acts as a floor controller for a particular floor in a building. In many implementations, the 130 gateway module can also: log and store all or a subset of received environmental control commands; log and report all events and status changes within the system back to the 110 environmental manager module;Send commands from the units put into service that this gateway module 130 controls and / or monitors to another gateway module that controls and / or monitors another part of the system (the common area sends the responsibility); send commands from another gateway module that controls and / or monitors another part of the system to the units put into service that this gateway module 130 controls and / or monitors (the common area receives the responsibility); bridge (transparently) between the EnvisionIP networks and the DyNet RS485 networks, allowing the system to be expanded, for example, with all existing DyNet (RS485) products; actively monitor, record, and store the availability of all units and devices put into service, and notify the environmental manager module 110 of any changes in their availability. As shown in Figure 1A, the gateway module 130 is capable of exchanging information with the IP luminaires 140 and 150 via link L5, and with the environmental manager module 110 via link L3, and the commissioning module 120 via link L4. L3 and L4 were described earlier in relation to the manager module 110 and the commissioning module 120, respectively. In many embodiments, L5 can represent an EnvisionIP or xCLIP interface. The IP140 luminaire is associated with sensor 140-1, light source 140-2, and control module 140-3. In some embodiments, sensor 140-1 and light source 140-2 are located within the same device or housing. In some embodiments, control module 140-3 comprises computer code (e.g., software or microcode) that runs on one or more processors housed within the same device or housing as sensor 140-1 and / or light source 140-2. Light source 140-2 may be capable of performing one or more light-driving functions, such as switching on / off, dimming, and producing white light or tunable colored light. Sensor 140-1 is a sensor capable of detecting, for example, one or more of the following: daylight, occupancy, IR, carbon dioxide, humidity, and temperature.The control module 140-3 provides one or more control functions to control the behavior of other modules and devices, such as one or more light sources 140-2, sensor 140-1, commissioning module 120, environmental manager module 110, gateway module 130 and IP luminaire 150. The IP 140 luminaire can provide one or more external interfaces for communicating with other 100A system modules. For example, the IP 140 luminaire can provide an EnvisionIP interface (e.g., L5 and L7 links) for commissioning the 140-2 light source and / or for use by the 140-3 control module to influence the behavior of other area luminaires and sensors communicatively connected to it (e.g., 150-2 light source and 150-1), or to the 140-2 light source or the 140-1 sensor. The IP 140 luminaire can also provide an xCLIP interface for use by the 140-3 control module to access and control the basic capabilities of the 140-2 light source or other light sources communicatively connected to the IP 140 luminaire.The xCLIP interface can also be used by other system modules (e.g., gateway module 130) to access sensor data generated by sensors accessible to the IP luminaire 140 (e.g., sensors 140-1 and 150-1), and diagnostic and energy consumption data available for the light source 140-2 and / or the IP luminaire 140. Figure 1C and its associated description provide further details on the components of an IP luminaire and the various interfaces used by these components. Environmental control device 160 can be any device for monitoring environmental conditions in a space. Such devices include, but are not limited to, smartphones such as the iPhone®, tablets or portable computing devices such as the iPad®, laptops, touch-sensitive and / or voice-activated input and / or display devices communicatively connected to one or more processors, and desktop computing devices. In some embodiments, the components of the 100A system depicted in Figure 1A can interact as follows. The environmental control device 160 receives input from the user indicating their desire to change an environmental condition in its vicinity. For example, the control device 160 could be a smartphone, and the user could indicate, using a graphical user interface displayed on the smartphone, their desire to increase the light level or intensity in a work area, such as the top of a table in the room where the user is physically present. The graphical user interface can also be used to control other lighting parameters, such as color, temperature, and color direction.Meanwhile, the IP 140 and 150 luminaires, which control the lighting in the aforementioned work area, each generate coded light signals comprising identification codes, for example, themselves and / or light sources 140-2 and 150-2, respectively. The IP 150 luminaire transmits the coded light signal comprising the code that identifies itself and / or light source 150-2 to the environmental control device 160 via link L8, and the IP 140 luminaire transmits the coded light signal comprising the code that identifies itself or light source 140-2 via link L9. Through link L2, the environmental control device 160 transmits one or more signals comprising an environmental control request.The environmental control request contains information about the changes the user of the environmental control device 160 wants to make to their environment, as well as information about the devices, such as IP luminaires, that can be used to carry out the user's wishes. For example, the environmental control request might encode the user's desire to increase the light level in a work area, such as the top of a table, along with identification information for the modified light signals received by the environmental control device 160. The environmental manager module 110, running on one or more processors, receives the one or more signals comprising the environmental control request from the environmental control device 160 and generates an environmental control command.In many implementations, the environmental control command comprises the information encoded in the environmental control request, but in a format understandable to the gateway module or the commissioned units (e.g., IP luminaires) to which it is transmitted. Furthermore, while the environmental control request may contain more general information about the desired environmental changes in a particular room or work area, the environmental control command is more specific regarding the implementation of the requested changes encoded in the environmental control request. For example, the environmental control command may contain specific instructions that, when processed by a group of IP luminaires, cause the IP luminaires to make specific lighting changes. The environmental manager module 110 can then transmit the environmental control command to the gateway module 130 via link L3.The gateway module 130 can store data associated with the environmental control command, such as identification information for the IP luminaire(s) that will respond to the user's desired change in lighting level. The gateway module 130 can then communicate via link L5 to instruct the IP luminaire 150 and / or the IP luminaire 140 to adjust their illumination to produce the light level requested by the user. Figure 1B illustrates a 100B system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. The system includes an environmental management module 110, a commissioning module 120, an IR remote control 130, IP luminaires 140 and 150, and an environmental control device 160. The IP luminaire 140 is associated with sensor 140-1, light source 140-2, and control module 140-3, and the IP luminaire 150 is associated with sensor 150-1, light source 150-2, and control module 150-3. Other embodiments of the 100B system may include more or fewer environmental management modules, IP luminaires, commissioning modules, environmental control devices, and / or IR remote controls. The components of system 100B are communicatively linked using L1 to L7 links, as shown in Figure 1B. Components of systems 100A and 100B with identical names may be identical in their composition and behavior.However, the 110 environmental manager module and the IP 140 and 150 luminaires may behave differently in the altered configuration of system 100B. Additionally, the L1 and L2 links of system 100B are the same as the L1 and L2 links of system 100A; the L5, L6, and L7 links of system 100B are the same as the L8, L7, and L9 links, respectively, of system 100A. The IR remote control 130 is any device that uses infrared light to send commands to receiving devices. The IR remote control 130 can use the L8 link to send control commands to the IP luminaire 140 or its components, such as the sensor 140-1 and the light source 140-2. In many embodiments of the 100B system, the L8 link can represent the RC-5 protocol. In some embodiments, the components depicted in Figure 1B can interact as follows. The environmental control device 160 receives input from the user indicating their desire to change an environmental condition in its vicinity. For example, the control device 160 could be a smartphone, and the user could indicate, using a graphical user interface displayed on the smartphone, their desire to increase the light level in a work area, such as the top of a table in a room where the user is not physically present. Meanwhile, the IP luminaires 140 and 150, which control the lighting in the aforementioned work area, each generate coded light signals comprising codes that identify the luminaires 140-2 and 150-2, respectively.The IP 140 luminaire transmits the coded light signal comprising the code identifying the light source 140-2 to the environmental control device 160 via link L7, and the IP 150 luminaire transmits the coded light signal comprising the code identifying the light source 150-2 to the environmental control device 160 via link L5. Through link L2, the environmental control device 160 transmits one or more signals comprising an environmental control request. The environmental manager module 110, running on one or more processors, receives the one or more signals comprising the environmental control request from the environmental control device 160 and generates an environmental control command. Details concerning the environmental control request and the environmental control command were specified earlier in the context of Figure 1A.The environmental manager module 110 can then transmit, via link L3, the environmental control command to the IP luminaire 140 and / or the IP luminaire 150 to adjust the illumination produced by light source 140-2 and / or light source 150-2 in order to achieve the illumination level requested by the user of the environmental control device 150. The same user or a different user can also use the IR remote control 130 while located near the IP luminaire 140 to directly issue a command to the IP luminaire 140 in order to adjust the illumination produced by light source 140-2. Figure 1C illustrates components of the IP 110C and 120C luminaires and the interfaces linking the components according to some embodiments. The IP 110C luminaire comprises the component control module 110C-1, the DC-DC LED driver 110C-2, the ILB sensor 110C-3, and one or more LEDs 110C-4. Similarly, the IP 120C luminaire comprises the component control module 120C-1, the DC-DC LED driver 120C-2, the ILB sensor 120C-3, and one or more LEDs 120C-4. The control modules 110C-1 and 120C-1 can be any type of control module described in the context of Figure 1A. In some implementations, the 110C-1 and / or 120C-1 control modules may be STM32-based PoE devices. The 110C-1 and 120C-1 control modules are shown encoding data for transmission to the 110C-2 and 120C-2 DC-DC LED drivers, respectively, using pulse-width modulation (PWM). In LEDs, as voltage increases, current tends to increase rapidly. Consequently, even small voltage fluctuations tend to cause large current fluctuations, which in turn can damage the LEDs. Because of the risk of LED damage from such voltage fluctuations, LED drivers are used to connect the LEDs to a voltage source, such as the mains electricity supply or a battery. LED drivers control the power input to the LEDs so they can be operated safely. The 110C-2 and 120C-2 LED drivers are electronic circuits that convert the input power into a current source where the current remains constant despite voltage fluctuations. The 110C-1 and 120C-1 control modules can communicate with other system modules via xCLIP interfaces and with each other via the EnvisionIP interface.The ILB 110C-3 and 120C-3 sensors receive control signals from the IR remote controls 140C-1 and 140C-2, respectively, via RC5 interfaces. The PoE switch 130C receives data via EtherNet / IP interfaces and transmits the received data as well as power to the IP luminaire 110C via PoE and EtherNet / IP interfaces. Figure 1D illustrates a system 100D for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. The system comprises an environmental manager module 110, at least one commissioned unit 120D, at least one memory 130D, and at least one sensor 140D. The environmental manager module 110 is communicatively connected to the commissioned unit 120D via link L3, and to the memory 130D via link LK. The commissioned unit 120D is communicatively connected to the sensor 140D and the memory 130D via link LK. LK is any connection or component that enables information communication between at least two system components. For example, an LK includes a wired or wireless communication connection, a radio frequency communication connection, and an optical communication connection.LK can also indicate a shared communication protocol, software or hardware interface, or remote method invocations or procedure calls. The commissioned unit 120D may comprise one or more devices that are associated with each other within a system such as system 100A or 100D, and that behave according to particular configurations of internal triggers (triggers originating from within the commissioned unit) and external triggers (triggers originating from outside the commissioned unit). The triggers may include, for example, sensor data or manual or central control. A single device may be part of multiple commissioned units. Commissioned units such as commissioned unit 120D may also be organized hierarchically. For example, one commissioned unit may comprise other commissioned units and may influence the behavior of these commissioned units. In some embodiments, sensor 140D is a sensor in a designated zone within the physical structure.The 140D sensor is configured to produce data indicative of, for example, movement, occupancy, sound, the presence of one or more gases, lighting, humidity, and temperature. In such embodiments, the commissioned unit 120D, which is communicatively connected to the 140D sensor via the LK link and to the 110 environmental manager module via the L3 link, is configured to receive the data produced by the 140D sensor. The commissioned unit 120D can also be configured to determine whether the sensor data represents a change of state associated with the designated zone. In many embodiments, the commissioned unit 120D is also configured to update, via the LK link, at least one 130D memory, according to the sensor data that represents the change of state. Figure 2A depicts the 200A component architecture of a lighting network according to several embodiments. In the illustrated architecture, there are three main component layers: a core layer, a distribution layer, and an edge layer, each enclosed by dotted lines. The core layer comprises an 210A environmental manager module that is communicatively connected to a left-wing router and a right-wing router. The routers may have flash card backup capabilities and may be configured so that each has access to one IP subnet per port.The 210A environmental manager module is communicatively connected directly or indirectly to: various components in a system's lighting network for managing environmental conditions (e.g., left wing router, right wing router, and floor switches in the distribution layer), and to the IT network of the building whose environment the 210A environmental manager module is managing. In many embodiments, the 210A environmental manager module can access HVAC-related data through the building's IT network. The distribution layer may consist of one IP switch per floor of the building and one per core layer router (represented as Floor Switch 1 (left), Floor Switch 1 (right), Floor Switch 2 (left), Floor Switch 2 (right)... Floor Switch N (left), Floor Switch N (right)). In many implementations, these IP switches support the Spanning Tree Protocol. The edge layer consists of several rings (represented as a single curved arrow through the side edge layers) per distribution layer switch and one gateway module per floor to provide floor-level lighting control. Each ring consists of several PoE switches, daisy-chained and connected to two ports of the respective distribution layer switch in a ring.This arrangement provides the advantage that if a PoE switch ring is broken at any point in the ring configuration, all PoE switches can still be accessed through the network. Figure 2B illustrates a block diagram of embodiment 200B of a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure and the various network environments associated with different system components. Embodiment 200B comprises an environmental manager module, a commissioning module, and multiple gateway modules, which can be any type of environmental manager module, commissioning module, and gateway module, respectively, described in the context of Figure 1A. The multiple gateway modules are shown communicating with multiple commissioned units (e.g., luminaires and sensors).In this embodiment, facility users can use portable devices such as smartphones running personal control applications (apps) to send environmental change requests to the environmental manager module via the depicted communication link. The smartphones running the personal control applications are shown to be operational on the internet, but not on the IT network or the lighting network associated with the system for managing environmental conditions. Additionally, facility managers can use browser-based applications (also connected to the internet), such as a central console or another environmental management application, to send similar environmental change requests to the environmental manager module via the internet.Personal control applications and browser-based applications can also receive information (for example, data on energy consumed by luminaires within the lighting network) from the environmental manager module to display in their user interfaces. In the described embodiment, the environmental manager module, the commissioning module, and its one or more shared databases are located within the physical building's private IT network. The multiple gateway modules and commissioned units, however, are within the building's private lighting network. Data entering or leaving the private networks via the environmental manager module may need to pass through firewalls. Figure 3A illustrates a 300A embodiment of a standalone connected configuration for a system to manage environmental conditions. The 300A embodiment includes the 310A router, 320A area controller, 330A and 340A PoE power supplies, and two groups of luminaires, 350A-1 to 350A-4 and 360A-1 to 360A-4. In the 300A embodiment, the IP infrastructure does not need to be connected to the internet. The 310 router is any network device that forwards data packets on a computer network. It is connected to the 330 and 340 PoE power supplies and the 320 area controller via the L1 link, which provides an xCLIP interface for accessing data from the represented groups of luminaires, as well as available sensor, power consumption, and diagnostic data from the luminaires. Power over Ethernet, or PoE, refers to any system (standardized or ad-hoc) for providing power and data over Ethernet cabling. PoE allows a single cable to provide both data and power to devices such as wireless access points, IP phones, IP luminaires, or IP cameras. While other standards, such as USB, can provide power to devices over data cables, PoE allows for much longer cable lengths.In PoE systems, data and power can be carried over the same conductors or over dedicated conductors in a single cable. Therefore, PoE eliminates the need for power supplies at the Ethernet / IP device. The Area Controller 320 can be implemented in hardware, any combination of hardware and computer code (e.g., software or microcode), or entirely in computer code running on one or more processors. The Area Controller 320 can be used to perform various area control functions for a defined area (e.g., a floor in a building). In many implementations, the Area Controller 320 provides an interactive graphical user interface for system users to manage the control functions. Additional or alternative control functionality can be performed by devices such as luminaires or IP luminaires with which the Area Controller 320 interacts.According to some implementations, the 320 Area Controller can, for example: (a) control multiple commissioned units or zones within a building; (b) be used to group commissioned devices and / or units during the commissioning process; (c) determine area occupancy and adjust area lighting accordingly; (d) adjust backlight levels or regulate lighting levels based on changes in available daylight for a group of commissioned units; (e) collect and analyze sensor data and / or energy consumption data from one or more luminaires and sensors; and (f) participate in planning for environmental changes such as changes in lighting levels within an area. Software downloads can also be performed through the Area Controller.In many embodiments, the area controller can play an intermediary role, obtaining a software download from a central server and distributing the update to the respective luminaires and other devices accordingly. The Area Controller 320 can also act as a security bridge between groups of luminaires operating within a private lighting network and a third-party private network, such as one comprising a building management system (BMS). In some embodiments, the Area Controller 320 operates within a private IP network, and software tools, such as a maintenance tool running on a portable device by an authorized system user, can exchange data with the Area Controller 320 by temporarily connecting to the IP network. Luminaires 350-1 to 350-4 and 360-1 to 360-4 can be IP-rated luminaires such as the IP 140 luminaire or luminaires comprising light sources such as the 140-2 light source, described in the context of Figure 1A. Luminaire networks in embodiment 300A can comply with IP standards and can operate on an IP network. Each luminaire is connected to the PoE 330 power supply via link L2 or L3. Link L2 can provide a PoE interface, an xCLIP interface, or an IP interface for communication between the PoE 330 power supply and the luminaires. Figure 3B represents embodiment 300B of an integrated end-to-end configuration of a system for managing environmental conditions. Embodiment 300B includes router 310, area controller 320, PoE power supplies 330 and 340, two groups of luminaires 350-1 to 350-4 and 360-1 to 360-4, lighting controller console 370, building controller console 380, floor controller 390, HVAC controller 395, HVAC active airflow controller 395-1, and temperature controller 395-2. Many of the components in embodiment 300B may be similar or identical to components with identical names in embodiment 300A.For example, router 310, area controller 320, PoE power supplies 330 and 340, and luminaires 350-1 to 350-4 and 360-1 to 360-4 can be, respectively, any type of router, area controller, luminaire device, and PoE power supply described with respect to embodiment 300A of Figure 3A. The lighting controller console 370 can be, for example, computer code that displays a user interface and is part of, or runs on, one or more processors communicatively connected to system modules such as the environmental manager module 110 in Figure 1. The lighting controller console user interface can be displayed on any environmental control device shown in the context of Figure 1, such as the environmental control device 160. For example, the lighting controller console 370 can be an application running on a portable device such as an iPhone® or iPad®. The console 370 is communicatively connected to the area controller 320, the router 310, and the PoE power supplies 330 and 340 via the L1 and L5 links, which can provide an xCLIP or IP interface for data exchange.The 370 lighting controller console can also be used for monitoring purposes (e.g., monitoring energy consumption and system health) and for deploying lighting schedules. The 470 console can also collect and aggregate information, such as energy consumption, system health, and occupancy data, from multiple area controllers to provide users with a comprehensive and up-to-date view of the operating system. The 380 Building Controller Console, 390 Floor Controller, and 395 HVAC Controller can be implemented in hardware, any combination of hardware and computer code (e.g., software or microcode), or entirely in computer code running on one or more processors. These components of the 300B embodiment can be used to perform various functions related to the management of a building's HVAC system, such as monitoring and controlling a building's temperature and airflow. In many embodiments, the 380 Building Controller Console can display a user interface that is part of, or runs on, one or more processors communicatively connected to system modules such as the 110 Environmental Manager Module in Figure 1.The user interface of the 380 building controller console can be displayed on any of the environmental control devices described in Figure 1, such as the 160 environmental control device. For example, the 380 building controller console could be an application running on a portable device such as an iPhone® or iPad®. Multiple floor controllers could provide the 380 console with information about environmental conditions on different floors of a building, which the console could then display in its user interface. In the 300B implementation, the lighting subsystem (e.g., luminaire groups, PoE power supplies, area controller, and router) can be communicatively connected to a third-party IP network infrastructure, which can also be connected to the internet. In these implementations, the 380 building controller console, 390 floor controller, 395 HVAC controller, 395-1 HVAC active airflow controller, and 395-2 temperature controller can be integral components of a third-party building management system operating within the third-party IP network infrastructure. The third-party IP network can share building information, such as HVAC data, with the lighting subsystem and the 370 lighting controller console as needed.For example, the 370 lighting controller console can display HVAC information such as temperature in specific areas near units commissioned with a large number of luminaires. This temperature information can be obtained by the 370 lighting controller console through a connection to a third-party IP network infrastructure. Figure 4A illustrates a block diagram of the components of an environmental manager module implementation, along with other devices and components with which the environmental manager module is communicatively connected. The architecture of the environmental manager module can be based on the n-tier enterprise client-server architectural model, in which functions such as application processing, application data management, and presentation are physically and / or logically separated. The front-end interface of the environmental manager module can be a web-based application running on an Indoor Services Presentation Framework (ISPF). In Figure 4A, the front-end interface of the environmental manager module can be displayed on the device (e.g., a laptop) indicated by the monitor icon and located next to the icon representing a facility manager. ISPF is a software framework that enables the creation of web-based applications for lighting control, status monitoring, and energy management for lighting and HVAC management systems. It is an enterprise-wide, cloud-based software solution capable of interacting with controllers in a system to manage environmental conditions, such as System 100 in Figure 1.A web-based application of the environmental manager module that interacts with the end user (e.g., the facility manager) provides, in many implementations, an application framework, a portal application, a login module, and help functionality. The ISPF framework, on which the environmental manager module runs, provides the environmental manager module with the information necessary to deliver the application framework and the portal application, as described in more detail below. The presentation layer of the environmental manager module shown in Figure 4A is based on the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design paradigm. A layer is a common logical structuring mechanism for the various elements that make up a software solution. The presentation layer consists primarily of standard portlets, such as a control portlet, a scheduling portlet, a macro portlet, a user configuration portlet, and a notification portlet. Portlets are pluggable software user interface (UI) components that can be displayed on a web portal. A portlet also typically comprises a set of JavaScript objects. These produce snippets of markup code (e.g., HTML, WML), which are then aggregated into a complete UI for the web portal. In many implementations, a web portal can comprise multiple non-overlapping portlet windows.In such implementations, each portlet window can display the UI components of a specific portlet. The presentation layer can be implemented, for example, using the Liferay® portal server, DOJO®, MxGraph®, JqChart®, and JavaScript®. In many implementations, the presentation layer invokes the service layer using the REST / SOAP interface, since ISPF exposes available services as REST and SOAP interfaces. These services typically use the business objects defined in the business layer to perform their functionality. The service layer can also expose REST APIs in XML and JSON formats, both as input and output. Client web applications can interact with the environment manager application running as the server by invoking the REST / SOAP interface over HTTP / HTTPS using XML / JSON. The business layer manages business objects that interact with one or more database servers and controllers, in its associated environmental management system, through the data access layer and the communication gateway. In many implementations, business objects are modularized so that multiple services associated with the service layer can invoke the same business object to perform their exposed functionality. In many implementations, a service can use multiple business layer objects to perform its functionality. The business layer can also invoke the message bus to communicate with the controllers in its associated environmental management system. The data access layer provides a way to reduce the degree of coupling between business logic and persistence logic. Application business logic often requires domain objects that persist in a database. The data access layer allows code encapsulation to perform create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) operations on persistent data without affecting the other application layers (for example, the presentation layer). This means that any changes to the persistence logic will not negatively impact any other layer of the environment manager module. Therefore, the data access layer allows applications such as a web-based environment manager application to seamlessly integrate with a new database vendor. The mediation engine provides rule-based data routing within the environmental manager module. In some implementations, the mediation engine may comprise a Java® object-based implementation of business integration patterns that uses an API to configure routing and mediation rules. For example, the mediation engine's rule-based routing may ensure that all alarm events detected by the environmental manager module are routed to one database for persistence, and that all network events are persisted in another database. The message bus provides queuing functionality and is used to process all controller communications received by the environmental manager module. Specifically, the message bus provides queuing functionality to prioritize information received from the enterprise layer and the communication gateway. For example, all information (e.g., requests) received by the environmental manager module (e.g., from commissioned units) is routed through the message bus using the mediation engine. Any responses to these requests from the communication gateway are also routed through the message bus.In many implementations, the message bus can be used, for example, to: (a) prioritize and forward communication gateway requests received from the business layer, notification emails, and SMS messages; (b) send status and alarm messages to the presentation layer for display in a UI; (c) execute asynchronous processes; (d) perform synchronous and asynchronous messaging; and (e) dispatch messages serially and in parallel to multiple modules. In many implementations, the message bus includes a synchronization manager component, used to publish real-time updates from controllers and commissioned devices to front-end applications. Applications (for example, a central console displaying information processed by the environmental management module) can subscribe to real-time updates from the controllers (for example, alarms, lighting events, power updates). Whenever a real-time update is received, for example, via the communication gateway, the synchronization manager can notify all subscribers. The NoSQL database (an in-memory database) is used to store the most recent 24-hour trend data. In many implementations, all data in the in-memory database is cached and not retained. In many implementations, this database runs in a separate process from the environment manager module itself and can be accessed using SQL. The database server is used to store control, management, and monitoring data. The database server can be local or remote with respect to the environmental management module. If local, the database server can be created during product installation. A remote database can be a new or existing database that can be managed by the client. The database server can access multiple schemas to manage the variety of information it stores. For example, an OpenFire® schema might contain tables related to the XMPP server. These tables might contain information related to users, rooms, and permissions. A Liferay® schema might contain tables for managing portals, portlets, users, and UI customization data. An alarm schema might include tables for managing planning and alarms. The communication gateway provides a means for the environmental manager module to communicate with deployed devices and units. In various implementations, the communication gateway subscribes to device events using Java® COM encapsulating classes, which it uses to communicate with a field service layer (FSL) accessible to the deployed devices and units (FSL not shown in Figure 4A). When the deployed units log events such as lighting events, the FSL notifies the communication gateway. The communication gateway then transmits the event information as appropriate to the upper layers (e.g., message bus, business layer, service layer, presentation layer).The communication gateway communicates with the upper layers of the environmental manager module in two ways: (1) through REST services accessible only to enterprise layer components, and (2) using the message bus (for example, using the XMPP protocol for all requests and responses). Both mechanisms are configurable. When the environmental manager module is deployed in the cloud with the communication gateway hosted on a private network, the message bus communication option can be enabled. In many implementations, to transmit data to the upper layers from the FSL, the communication gateway converts the FSL objects received from the FSL layer into a common ISPF object model. To transmit data from the upper layers of the environment manager module to the FSL (which is how the communication gateway interacts with the commissioned units), the communication gateway converts objects from the common ISPF object model into FSL objects. In some implementations, the communication gateway uses the ComfyJ library to communicate with the FSL. The ComfyJ library provides the JNI encapsulating classes for the FSL COM objects. In such implementations, the communication gateway can run in a separate JVM process, for which a minimum of 2 GB of heap space can be allocated. In many implementations, the communication gateway comprises a communication gateway API, code to convert domain-specific objects to the common ISP object model, and encapsulating classes generated by ComfyJ (for example, ComfyJ-generated encapsulating classes from the FSL for control and monitoring purposes). The communication gateway API is typically used to send and receive messages from the message bus. ISPF ETL (extract, transform, and load) is used to extract data from the NoSQL audit schema and transform the data into a star schema for loading into the database server's trend schema. In many implementations, ETL is a separate process in ISPF that runs in a separate execution context. The ETL process also runs on a scheduled basis, which is configurable. A default schedule might be to run the ETL process once every 12 hours. The analytics layer analyzes the data produced by the commissioned units and generates textual and graphical reports for display in front-end applications. The analytics layer can use a set of publishing or report design tools to control the appearance of the generated reports and can also use an analytics toolset (for example, Pentagon Mondrian) for data analysis. The analytics layer can also provide an online analytical processing (OLAP) solution where data such as lighting network log data is collected in a central repository and analyzed for use by multiple end-user applications. Figure 4B illustrates a block diagram of various selected components of a cloud-deployed ISPF implementation of a system for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure. The cloud deployment comprises a cloud machine 405C running an environmental master server 410C and its related modules (message bus 430C, mediation engine 435C, analytical engine 415C, cache server 420C, and database server 425C). These related modules may be similar to the modules with similar names in Figure 4A. In the cloud deployment of Figure 4B, however, multiple environmental manager modules (e.g., 410-1C and 410-2C) are deployed within separate private networks (e.g., 405-1C and 402-2C). These multiple Envision manager modules can exchange data with the 405C cloud machine via their respective message buses as shown.Connections between the 410C master server and the 410-1C and 410-2C environmental manager modules can be ensured via a TLS protocol. In the embodiment depicted in Figure 4B, the master environment server 410C, the analytical engine 415C, the cache server 420C, the database 425C, the message bus 430C, and the mediation engine 435C are all runtime environments running on the cloud machine, which is a hardware device. The analytical engine 415C can be a Pentaho Mondrian® engine, the cache server 420C can be an EhCache® server, the database 425C can be an MS SQL® database server, and the mediation engine 435C can be an Apache® Camel engine. The gateway modules 445-1C and 445-2C can be any type of gateway module described in the context of Figure 1A. The 410 master server may use or otherwise incorporate technologies such as Liferay® v6.1, JRE 1.6, Apache cxf, DOJO v1.8, MXGraph, Spring 3, Strophe, JQChart, JasperReports, True License, Install Anywhere and / or JPivot. Commissioning As initially discussed earlier in the context of Figure 1A, commissioning module 120 participates in a commissioning process performed, for example, by system 100A to manage environmental conditions within a physical structure. According to some embodiments, the commissioning process comprises the steps shown in Figure 5. In various other embodiments, it is not necessary to perform the process steps in the order shown; one or more steps may be omitted, and one or more steps not represented in the process shown in Figure 5 may be added.The stages include stage 500, in which one or more devices are located; stage 510, during which the commissioned units are created; stage 520, in which the commissioned units are linked to devices (for example, sensors) or other commissioned units; stage 530, in which the commissioned units are linked; stage 540, in which the commissioned units are configured for use within a system such as the 100A system; and stage 550, in which the commissioned units are programmed as required. In stage 500 of Figure 5, the devices to be associated with a system such as System 100A are located. Location is the mapping of devices such as luminaires, sensors, and controllers to a physical location within a physical structure such as a building. Physical structures such as buildings are generally associated with a hierarchy. For example, a campus may comprise multiple buildings, a building may comprise multiple floors, and a floor may comprise several rooms. During stage 500, a device such as a sensor can be located by associating it with a particular corner or room within a building. Additionally, devices, as well as spaces within structures, can be associated with functions during the location process. For example, a room can be assigned the function of an office, a corridor, a restroom, a meeting room, or an open-plan office.A device can be assigned a function such as occupancy detection, light detection, or light production or control. During the commissioning process, a digital floor plan of a structure, such as a building, can also be created. According to some implementations, the floor plan can include all the details related to the structure's hierarchy (e.g., floors, functional spaces within the floors, devices, and their locations within the functional spaces). A floor plan can also contain information about functional links between control devices and commissioned units.The floor plan can be created interactively by an authorized user accessing a commissioning tool run by one or more processors associated with commissioning module 120. This commissioning tool visually illustrates the various hierarchical levels associated with the structure. Figure 18 shows an example of a digital floor plan. The floor plan can also visually identify all the devices located and their properties. Location can also involve devices such as luminaires or commissioned units comprising luminaires that flash to visually identify their location. Location can also be achieved using coded light technology. In general, coded light technology involves modulating non-visible light to contain information about the light source, such as a unique identifier and location information. Examples of devices that can be located using coded light technology include, but are not limited to, area controllers, gateway modules, luminaires, ILB sensors, PoE sensors, PoE manual control user interfaces, and PoE switches. During and / or after the location process, the devices can report their properties to an associated commissioning tool, for example, with commissioning module 120 in Figure 1A.A luminaire can report, for example, information indicative of its type (e.g., CCT, maximum output), available sensors, hardware version, software version, and a unique ID. As a result of the 500 placement stage, the digital floor map can graphically reflect the various devices located in their appropriate locations, along with their properties (e.g., type, unique ID). In stage 510, commissioned units are created. A commissioned unit comprises one or more devices that are associated with each other within a system such as the 100A system, and that behave according to the particular configurations of internal actuators (actuators that arise from within the commissioned unit) and external actuators (actuators that arise from outside the commissioned unit). Actuators can include, for example, sensor data or manual or central control. A device can be part of several commissioned units. And commissioned units can be used to define a hierarchy within a physical structure such as a building. For example, a commissioned unit can be (1) a group of devices such as luminaires and sensors, (2) one or more individual devices, or (3) a combination of one or more commissioned units and individual devices. A commissioned unit can also be an area (for example, a workspace, room, corridor) comprising one or more groups of devices such as luminaires, sensors, and controllers. In many implementations, a commissioned unit can be assigned one or more templates. Templates are a collection of predefined system configurations or device parameter settings designed to adjust the behavior of one or more devices to produce a set of environmental conditions. A system for managing environmental conditions, such as the 100A system, operating within a large space may need to create different lighting and other environmental conditions in different parts of the space that face different circumstances (e.g., high foot traffic, low occupancy). Templates provide an efficient mechanism for capturing the preferred behavior of devices in these different spaces under commonly occurring circumstances.Templates can specify, for example, minimum lighting levels in a corridor of an office building during working hours. In some embodiments, commissioning of units in stage 510 can be rule-based. In rule-based commissioning, various devices can be commissioned as a single unit based on predefined rules. In some such embodiments, the rule can specify the size of the commissioned unit in terms of the number of devices that can be included as part of the unit. Other dynamic parameters can also be defined, such as the position of a system user in an area and the dimensions and mounting positions of devices around the user, resulting in a temporary or permanent commissioned unit. Figure 7 depicts one implementation of rule-based commissioning, where the central dark dot represents a system user.In this embodiment, devices that are at least partially located within the first circular area surrounding the user (the task area 710) can form one commissioned unit, and devices located primarily in the outer circular area outside the first circular area surrounding the user (the immediate surrounding area 720) can form another commissioned unit. Each commissioned unit can be controlled separately, and the lighting rules can be applied differently to the same device depending on which commissioned unit it is associated with. In other embodiments, the commissioning of units in stage 510 can be fixed. In fixed commissioning, pre-commissioned units or groups are created, for example, by logically dividing an area such as an open-plan office into dedicated zones (e.g., task zones, corridors, decorative zones), and creating one or more commissioned units comprising devices located in these dedicated zones. Figure 6 depicts various commissioned units (e.g., task groups A, B, and C; decorative group A; and corridor group A) formed based on the logical division of an open-plan room into dedicated zones (three task zones, one decorative zone, and one corridor zone), and on the location and spatial configuration of the luminaires within each dedicated zone.The creation of commissioned units in stage 510 may also involve adding devices (e.g., luminaires, controls, and sensors) to previously commissioned units and linking the newly commissioned units with existing units. This linking is discussed below in the context of stage 530. Grouping multiple devices into a single commissioned unit enables efficient management of environmental conditions. For example, multiple IP luminaires and their associated sensors may be responsible for illuminating a particular task area, such as the top of a table. Instead of issuing separate commands to each IP luminaire in the commissioned unit or monitoring sensor data separately for each of the different sensors, systems like the 100A system can issue a single command to each commissioned unit when needed to adjust an environmental condition such as lighting. This command can then be applied, after any necessary processing, to all lighting units within the commissioned unit.Similarly, sensor data from multiple sensors within the commissioned unit can be reported together to the 100A system modules such as the 110 environmental manager module, instead of repeatedly reporting the data from each individual sensor. In stage 520, commissioned units comprising lighting or HVAC devices are linked to control devices and sensors, or commissioned units comprising such devices. The commissioning tool described above, in many embodiments, allows an authorized user (e.g., a commissioning engineer) to select sensors (e.g., occupancy sensors, light sensors) for association with commissioned units. Linking commissioned units to particular sensors or sensor types enables the creation of commissioned units suitable for participation in occupancy- or daylight-based environmental control. These control mechanisms are described below in the context of Figures 8 to 17. In many implementations of the process depicted in Figure 5, an authorized user (for example, a commissioning engineer) can link multiple occupancy sensors to the same commissioned unit. In such an arrangement, the commissioned unit, when under occupancy-based control, can be directed to exhibit occupied behavior if only one of the linked sensors detects occupancy and can be directed to exhibit unoccupied behavior only if none of its linked sensors detect occupancy. The user can also link multiple daylight sensors to the same commissioned unit. In such a configuration, the commissioning tool mentioned above can also allow the authorized user to configure how multiple light-related events arising from the multiple daylight sensors are aggregated and / or processed.The commissioning tool can, in various embodiments, Allows an authorized user to link manual and personal controllers (both fixed and mobile) to commissioned units. This enables the creation of manually controllable commissioned units and allows the assignment of a control scope to each controller device. This, in turn, results in the efficient management of control requests received from the various controllers in a building and an overall improvement in the efficient management of environmental conditions within the building. In step 530, the commissioned units are linked. Linking the commissioned units generally requires associating them in a memory. Once linked, one commissioned unit can affect the behavior of the other commissioned units to which it is linked. For example, whether a first commissioned unit turns off its lights when the only remaining occupant of the area leaves may depend on whether another linked commissioned unit providing lighting in an adjacent area is turned off. In many embodiments, if a first commissioned unit comprising luminaires is linked to a second commissioned unit comprising luminaires, and the first unit detects occupancy, the light produced by the second unit may switch to a pre-configured interconnected light level in response to the detected occupancy.The linking of the commissioned units, therefore, allows the system to adequately control environmental conditions in larger spaces (e.g., large open office spaces) by coordinating the response of multiple commissioned units within the scope of various areas within these spaces when changes (e.g., changes in occupancy) are detected in a single area. Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to coordinate the operation of multiple lighting units to provide a comfortable environment for the occupants of a large open-plan space within a building. For example, when few people remain in the offices within an open-plan office space, it will be energy efficient to turn off the lighting in unoccupied areas of the office space. At the same time, it may be beneficial to ensure that lighting is maintained in areas adjacent to occupied offices, as well as in some areas of the common corridors, in order to prevent a feeling of isolation for the remaining occupants of the open-plan office space. In stage 530, the commissioning tool can also allow an authorized user to link commissioned units to one or more HVAC networks or areas. In many implementations, a single HVAC area or network can comprise multiple lighting groups. In such implementations, the sensors associated with the multiple lighting groups can be associated with an HVAC area identifier for the single HVAC network or area. When such a configuration is operational, sensor information from the commissioned units within the multiple lighting groups can be sent to the HVAC area controllers associated with the single HVAC area or network. Step 540 is a configuration step, during which various configurable parameters of the commissioned units are specified using, for example, the commissioning tool. These parameters can control the default behavior of a commissioned unit under various conditions. During the configuration step, templates can be assigned to or disassociated from commissioned units, the power-on behavior of a commissioned unit can be specified, control options can be enabled and disabled, synchronization parameters (e.g., dimming time, dwell time, hold time, grace dimming time, smart time) can be specified, occupancy-related parameters (e.g., maximum light level when occupied, minimum light level when occupied) can be specified, and general lighting parameters (e.g.,Backlight level, task light level) can be specified, user control parameters (e.g., dimming stage, dimming rate, hold time) can be specified, and priority levels associated with different control options (e.g., occupancy-based control, daylight-based control, manual control, personal control, and central control). During this stage, the commissioning tool associated with, for example, the commissioning module 120 of system 100A or the central console associated with, for example, the environmental manager module 110 of system 100A, can selectively prevent a user (e.g., a facility manager) from specifying and / or adjusting certain parameters for commissioned devices or units that are likely to be outside the user's level of competence. During this stage,An authorized user can also associate an application behavior template with any commissioned unit. An application behavior template is a collection of parameters or other configuration values ​​suitable for a particular application. To streamline the commissioning process, the commissioning tool and / or central console also allow for the simultaneous configuration of multiple commissioned units. For example, a user can choose to have two or more commissioned units receive the same configuration settings previously selected for another commissioned unit. The user can also use the commissioning tool to copy and paste configuration settings from one commissioned device or unit to another. In some implementations, the commissioning tool or central console can also be used to revert the configured parameters of any commissioned device or unit to previous settings, such as factory defaults. Additionally, the commissioning tool can be used to remove links to sensors and controls.The commissioning tool may also allow an authorized user to calibrate sensors manually or automatically (for example, daylight sensors). While a sensor is being calibrated, it may not be able to communicate with the rest of the system. A calibrated sensor can provide visual or other feedback once it has been properly calibrated. Step 550 is a programming step, during which the user can create and assign a template to one or more commissioned units so that the commissioned units can behave according to the template if needed. For example, the user can use the commissioning tool to create a template for a particular lighting scene for a commissioned unit by specifying lighting parameters for various luminaires within the commissioned unit. Such a lighting scene can then be used as the default scene in a meeting area associated with the commissioned unit when the meeting area changes from an unoccupied to an occupied state. In some implementations, the commissioning tool may allow the user to save the current lighting settings of a commissioned unit as a new scene.A unit put into service can have multiple associated scenes for its application in different circumstances, such as under specific occupancy conditions, daylight conditions and / or at specific times of day. New remote commissioning In some implementations, the central console may allow an authorized user to remotely recommission previously decommissioned units. To perform the recommissioning, the central console may provide a user interface for searching and locating the units to be recommissioned on a displayed digital floor plan of the physical structure in which the device is housed. Users can search for decommissioned units using unit type, location within the structure, identification number, or other information. Decommissioned units that match the user's search criteria can then be displayed and selected by the user.Once a commissioned unit or device is selected or otherwise identified for remote commissioning, the user can be allowed to view and edit various parameters associated with it. The central console can also allow the user to disassociate the unit or device from a commissioned unit and reassociate it with a different one. Environmental condition management: automatic controls According to many implementations, the environmental conditions within a structure such as a building are monitored and managed to provide occupants with optimal conditions (e.g., lighting, temperature, airflow) while conserving energy. This section focuses on occupancy and environmental condition control based on daylight. While many of the implementations described below rely on pre-programmed logic and system parameters, others operate by monitoring conditions such as light levels and temperature in real time, receiving feedback and / or instructions from occupants or remote users of the spaces, and adjusting the environmental conditions accordingly. Occupancy-based control Occupancy-based environmental control occurs automatically in response to changes in occupancy within a space. However, in many implementations, occupancy-based control mechanisms can be used in conjunction with manual, central, or personal control mechanisms. In the following sections, details of the configurable parameters referenced in the figure descriptions appear before the figure descriptions themselves. Configurable parameters: MaxWhenOccupied and MinWhenOccupied Using the commissioning tool, an authorized user, such as a commissioning engineer, can configure parameters indicating the maximum and minimum light output of a commissioned unit associated with an occupied space. In some embodiments, the parameters indicating the maximum light to be emitted when an associated area is occupied (MaxWhenOccupied) and the minimum light to be emitted when the associated area is occupied (MinWhenOccupied) can be set as a percentage between 0% and 100% of the output capacity. However, in some embodiments using coded light technology, the MaxWhenOccupied parameter may not be set higher than 90%. Similarly, in some embodiments using coded light technology, the MinWhenOccupied parameter may not be set lower than 25%.These restrictions may be necessary in some embodiments to take into account the requirements of the coded light technology and / or the physical limitations of the luminaires. Configurable parameters: Light level 1 and Light level 2 Light Level 1 and Light Level 2 are configurable parameters associated with occupancy-based environmental control. In many implementations, Light Level 1 refers to the light level that provides a lower level of background illumination, and Light Level 2 refers to the light level that provides a higher level of task illumination. A default value for Light Level 1 might be 300 lux, while a default value for Light Level 2 might be 500 lux. An authorized user can use a tool such as the commissioning tool, the central console, or other handheld or personal controllers to configure and / or alter these parameters. In various implementations, these parameters can track values ​​associated with MinWhenOccupied to MaxWhenOccupied. Figure 8 illustrates an occupancy-based control method 800 for responding to occupancy detection in a previously unoccupied space, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises steps 810–840. Method 800 can be implemented, for example, using components of a system 100A or 100B, represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 810, the sensor input is received. The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of occupancy sensor, such as a motion sensor. The sensor input can be received for processing by the sensor itself or by one or more modules represented in Figures 1A or 1B (for example, the environmental manager module 110, the gateway module 120, or the IP luminaire 150).In step 820, the sensor input is processed, and it is determined that a designated zone has transitioned from an unoccupied state (e.g., no occupants) to an occupied state (e.g., with at least one occupant). In step 830, in response to the determination made in step 820, at least one luminaire transitions from not providing illumination to providing a preconfigured background illumination level (e.g., Light Level 1) within a preconfigured reaction time. In some embodiments, the luminaire most closely associated with a sensor that detects the change in occupancy state (e.g., the luminaire housing the sensor or otherwise physically close to the sensor) transitions to the background illumination level first. The at least one luminaire may be part of a single commissioned unit or multiple commissioned units that are included in or otherwise associated with the designated zone. In stage 840, a plurality of luminaires associated with the designated zone produce a swarm lighting effect. A swarm lighting effect occurs when several luminaires each switch to a higher light level, but the timing of each switch depends on its distance from the first luminaire that switches. Luminaires closer to the first luminaire switch to a higher light level sooner than luminaires farther away. This creates the effect of light "spreading" throughout the space from a particular source point. In some embodiments, the swarm effect, once initiated, can occur without further coordination from system modules such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130.For example, an IP luminaire such as IP luminaire 140 can not only cause its own light source (e.g., light source 140-2) to switch to a higher light level, but can also communicate with another IP luminaire located nearby but further away from the first luminaire (e.g., IP luminaire 150) via, for example, its control module (e.g., control module 140-3) and the L7 link, such that IP luminaire 150 then switches its own light source (e.g., light source 150-2) to a higher light level. In other embodiments, other system modules, such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130, can coordinate the swarm effect by, for example, selectively commanding luminaires to switch on or produce a higher light level. Configurable parameter: Interconnected light level The Interlinked Light Level is a configurable parameter associated with occupancy-based control of ambient conditions. In many implementations, it refers to the light level produced by a commissioned unit when occupancy is detected not by the commissioned unit itself but by one or more linked commissioned units. In many implementations, the Interlinked Light Level parameter ranges from 0% to 100% of a luminaire's output and can be configured in 1% increments. The commissioning tool can be used to configure the Interlinked Light Level for any commissioned unit, and the central console or a handheld controller can be used to reset this parameter for one or more commissioned units. Figure 9A illustrates an occupancy-based control method 900 for responding to the detection of a lack of occupancy in a previously occupied space, implemented by several embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises stages 910A–940A. The 900A method can be implemented, for example, using components of a 100A or 100B system, represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. The method in Figure 9A can be used to communicate occupancy information between linked, commissioned units, which in turn can be used to achieve energy savings. In step 910A, the sensor input is received. The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of occupancy sensor, such as a motion sensor. The sensor input can be received for processing by the sensor itself or by one or more modules depicted in Figures 1A or 1B (for example, the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 120). In step 920A, the sensor input is processed, and it is determined that a designated zone has transitioned from an occupied state (for example, with at least one occupant) to an unoccupied state (for example, with no occupants). In step 930A, one or more memories accessible to the luminaire controllers or commissioned units associated with luminaire controllers in at least the designated zone are updated to reflect that the designated zone has transitioned to an unoccupied state.In many implementations, one or more memories may also be accessible to other system modules such as the environmental manager module 110 and the gateway module 130. In stage 940A, a plurality of luminaires or lighting units associated with the designated area begin providing illumination at an interconnected light level. The association with the designated area may arise due to the plurality of luminaires or lighting units belonging to one or more commissioned units linked to a commissioned unit within the designated area. In many embodiments, the plurality of luminaires or lighting units is accessible to at least one IP-rated luminaire or at least one commissioned unit in the designated area. The plurality of luminaires or lighting units may be part of the same commissioned unit or of different commissioned units that are linked during the commissioning process.In some embodiments, the command or instruction to perform the transition to an interconnected light level can be propagated from one IP luminaire (for example, IP luminaire 140 of system 100A) to another communicatively linked IP luminaire (for example, IP luminaire 150 of system 100A) without coordination from further central system modules, such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130. In some other embodiments, the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130 can instruct each commissioned unit linked to a commissioned unit in the designated zone to produce an interconnected light level, and each IP luminaire that is part of the commissioned unit can subsequently cause its own luminaires to transition to the interconnected light level.In some embodiments, a second unit commissioned linked to a first unit commissioned within the designated zone range can change its luminaires or lighting units to the interconnected light level only if the second unit commissioned is not within the range of another occupied zone. Figure 9B illustrates an occupancy-based control method 900B, which is used to respond to the detection of occupancy in a previously unoccupied space. This method is implemented by several embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises steps 910B–940B. Method 900B can be implemented, for example, using components of a system 100A or 100B, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In stage 910B, occupancy sensors produce data indicating that a designated zone transitions from an unoccupied to an occupied state. In stage 920B, at least one first luminaire, associated with a first linked commissioned unit, produces a background illumination level within a predetermined reaction time after the sensor data is generated. The first linked commissioned unit may be linked to multiple commissioned units and may be components of a system for managing the environmental conditions described herein. In stage 930B, the first linked commissioned unit transmits data indicating the change of state of the designated zone.In some embodiments, the status change indicator data can be transmitted by the first commissioned unit directly linked to another commissioned unit to which it is linked, or to a system module such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130. The first commissioned unit can also transmit the data by updating a memory accessible to other system modules or commissioned units with the status change indicator data. In step 940B, a second commissioned unit, linked to the first commissioned unit, receives the status change indicator data and causes a second luminaire or lighting unit to change its illumination.In some embodiments, the second commissioned unit retrieves the status change data itself from, for example, a memory or system module that the first commissioned unit has updated with the status change data. The second luminaire or lighting unit can alter its illumination by, for example, increasing or decreasing the light level or intensity, changing the color or color temperature of the light it produces, or changing the direction of the light it produces. The desired alteration of its illumination can be stored in the second commissioned unit itself or received from other system modules such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130. Configurable parameters: grace attenuation and attenuation time The grace fading parameter indicates whether or not a dimming effect occurs within a specified fade time when a commissioned unit transitions from one ambient condition (e.g., light level) to another. This parameter can be enabled or disabled for any commissioned unit capable of dimming. The commissioning tool or central console can be used to configure the grace fading and fade time parameters for any commissioned unit, and the central console or another manual or personal controller can be used to reset the parameter for commissioned units. Figure 10 illustrates another occupancy-based control method (1000) for responding to the detection of a lack of occupancy in a previously occupied space, implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises stages 1010–1040. Method 1000 can be implemented using components of a system (100A or 100B) represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. The method in Figure 10 can be used to communicate occupancy information between linked, commissioned units, thereby enabling energy savings. In step 1010, the sensor input is received. The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of occupancy sensor, such as a motion sensor. The sensor input can be received for processing by the sensor itself or by one or more modules shown in Figures 1A or 1B (for example, the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 120). In step 1020, the sensor input is processed, and it is determined that a designated zone has transitioned from an occupied state (for example, with at least one occupant) to an unoccupied state (for example, with no occupants). In step 1030, one or more memories accessible to the IP luminaires or units commissioned in at least the designated zone are updated to reflect that the designated zone has transitioned to an unoccupied state.In many implementations, one or more memories may also be accessible to other system modules such as the environmental manager module 110 and the gateway module 130. In stage 1040, a plurality of luminaires or units commissioned within the designated zone are switched off in accordance with a dimming effect. These plurality of luminaires or units may be within the designated zone's coverage area directly or indirectly by being linked to one or more other units commissioned within the designated zone. The plurality of luminaires may be part of a single unit commissioned or of different units commissioned that are linked during the commissioning process. The dimming effect can involve the gradual transition of one or more luminaires or lighting units to produce lower light levels until they effectively cease to illuminate. In some embodiments, a commissioned unit can only achieve the dimming effect if a particular parameter (e.g., grace dimming) is enabled for that unit. Other details regarding the dimming effect (e.g., the amount of time required to transition from the current light level to a light level associated with an off state) can be configured on a per-commissioned unit basis. Consequently, each commissioned unit participating in step 1040 to transition the plurality of luminaires or lighting units to an off state can implement its own version of the dimming effect.In some embodiments, the command or instruction to switch off can be received from a central system module, such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130, for each unit commissioned within the designated zone. The command can then be processed and propagated from one IP luminaire (e.g., IP luminaire 140 of system 100A) to another communicatively linked IP luminaire (e.g., IP luminaire 150 of system 100A) in each commissioned unit without further coordination from system modules such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130. Configurable parameter: Waiting period Hold period is a configurable parameter associated with occupancy-based environmental condition control. In many implementations, the hold period is the time required for the system to ensure that a given condition is correct or still applicable. It helps prevent situations where temporary changes in occupancy lead to frequent and unnecessary adjustments of environmental conditions. For example, after sensors initially indicate that an area is empty, and if the sensors still indicate that it is empty after the hold period has elapsed, this more likely implies that the monitored area is truly empty and that the vacancy is not the result of occupants temporarily leaving the monitored area. In many implementations, the hold period can range from 1 to 35 minutes, with a default value of 15 minutes.Manual controllers allow the user to adjust the waiting period in 1-minute increments. The commissioning tool can be used to configure the waiting period for any commissioned unit, and the central console or another manual or personal controller can be used to reset the waiting period for one or more commissioned units. Configurable parameter: Grace period Grace period is a configurable parameter associated with occupancy-based environmental condition control. In many implementations, it represents the time required for the system to ensure that a specific detected environmental condition persists after a particular time period has elapsed. In some implementations, the grace period is an additional time that begins after the wait period has expired, providing extra time for monitoring the sensor output to determine if a detected change in occupancy persists for an even longer period. In many implementations, the grace period can range from 0 to 25 seconds, with a default value of 5 seconds. Manual controllers may allow the user to modify the grace period to 1 second.The commissioning tool can be used to configure the grace period for any commissioned unit, and the central console or other manual or personal controllers can be used to reset the grace period for one or more commissioned units. Configurable parameter: Extension period Prolong period is a configurable parameter associated with occupancy-based environmental condition control. In many implementations, it means the time required for the system to ensure that a specific detected environmental condition persists after a particular time period has elapsed. In some implementations, the extension period is an additional time that begins after an initial grace period has expired, providing extra time during which the sensor output is monitored to determine if a detected change in occupancy persists for an even longer period. In many implementations, it is used as an additional precaution to ensure an area is unoccupied just before switching off the luminaires or lighting units in that area.Manual controllers allow the user to manually modify the extension period with a specific definition. The commissioning tool can be used to configure the extension period for any commissioned unit, and the central console or another manual or personal controller can be used to reset the extension period for one or more commissioned units. Figure 11 illustrates an occupancy-based control method 1100 for responding to the detection of a lack of occupancy in a previously occupied space, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. The method incorporates the use of a waiting period, a grace period, and an extension period to confirm the occupancy state. It comprises steps 1110–1160. Method 1100 can be implemented using components of a system 100A or 100B, represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 1110, the sensor input is processed to determine whether a designated zone has transitioned from an occupied state (e.g., with at least one occupant) to an unoccupied state (e.g., with no occupants). The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of occupancy sensor, such as a motion sensor.The sensor input can be processed by the sensor itself or by one or more system modules depicted in Figures 1A or 1B (for example, the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 120). If the determination result is negative (for example, there is no transition from the occupied state to the unoccupied state), then no action is taken. If the determination result is positive (for example, the designated zone has transitioned from an occupied state to an unoccupied state), then a waiting period is initiated, during which the sensor input associated with the designated zone is monitored, but no changes are made to the environmental conditions due to the determination in step 1110. At the end of the waiting period, a determination is made in step 1115 to determine whether, for the entire waiting period, the sensor input indicated that the designated zone remained unoccupied.If the determination in step 1115 is negative (for example, the designated zone was occupied at some point during the waiting period), then the occupancy status of the designated zone is not confirmed. In many embodiments, at any point during the waiting period, the sensor input indicating occupancy in the designated zone would result in the designated zone's occupancy status not being confirmed (i.e., in these embodiments, there would be no need to determine step 1115 at the conclusion of the waiting period). Under these circumstances, no change in environmental conditions occurs due to the determinations in steps 1110 or 1115. If the determination in step 1115 is positive (for example, the designated zone was unoccupied for the entire waiting period), then control proceeds to step 1125. In step 1125, a plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources associated with the designated zone each begin a transition to a lower light level in accordance with a dimming effect, and a grace period is initiated, during which the sensor input associated with the designated zone is monitored. In many embodiments, each of the plurality of light sources is accessible to at least one IP-rated luminaire in the designated zone. The plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources may also be part of the same commissioned unit or of different but linked commissioned units.At the end of the grace period, in step 1135, a determination is made as to whether, for the entire grace period, the sensor input indicated that the designated zone remained unoccupied. If the result of the determination is negative (for example, the designated zone was occupied during the grace period), then control passes to step 1130, and the plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources that began their transitions to a lower light level in step 1125 begin to return to their previous (higher) light levels, in accordance with a dimming effect. In many embodiments, at any point during the grace period, the sensor input indicating occupancy in the designated zone would result in the occupancy status of the designated zone not being confirmable (i.e., in these embodiments, there would be no need to perform step 1135 at the end of the grace period).These circumstances indicate that the unoccupied status of the designated area is not confirmed. If the result of the determination in step 1135 is positive (for example, the designated zone remained unoccupied during the grace period), then in step 1140, the plurality of luminaires is permitted to complete their transition to the lowest light level if the transition has not already been completed. Once the plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources have transitioned to the lowest light level, an extension period begins. At the end of the extension period, in step 1145, a determination is made as to whether, for the entire extension period, the sensor input indicated that the designated zone remained unoccupied. If the result of the determination is negative (for example, the designated zone was occupied during the extension period), then control proceeds to step 1130, and the plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources that began their transitions to the lower light level in step 1125 begin to return to their previous (higher) light levels, in accordance with a dimming effect.In many embodiments, at any point during the extension period, the sensor input indicating occupancy in the designated zone would result in the designated zone's occupancy status not being confirmed (i.e., in these embodiments, there would be no need to determine step 1145 at the conclusion of the extension period). If the result of the determination in step 1145 is positive (e.g., the designated zone remained unoccupied for the duration of the extension period), then in step 1150, the plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources begin their transition to a light level associated with an off state in accordance with a dimming effect, and a second grace period begins.In many embodiments, the amount of time associated with the dimming effect (for example, the time it takes for a luminaire to transition to a different light level according to the control dimming effect) can be automatically reset so that the luminaires, lighting units, or light sources of a commissioned unit do not transition to a light level associated with an off state before the end of the second grace period initiated in step 1150. Alternatively, if the luminaires, lighting units, or light sources of a commissioned unit are about to complete the dimming effect and the grace period has not yet elapsed, the luminaires, lighting units, or light sources can wait to complete the transition until the grace period initiated in step 1150 has elapsed. At the conclusion of the second grace period initiated in step 1150, a determination is made in step 1155 as to whether, throughout the second grace period, the sensor input indicated that the designated zone remained unoccupied. If the result of the determination is negative (for example, the designated zone was occupied during the grace period), then control passes to step 1130, and the plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources that began their transitions to a light level consistent with an off state in step 1150 begin to return to their original (higher) light levels, in accordance with a dimming effect.In many embodiments, at any point during the second grace period, the sensor input indicating occupancy in the designated zone would result in the designated zone's occupancy status not being confirmed (i.e., in these embodiments, there would be no need to determine step 1155 at the conclusion of the second grace period). If the result of the determination in step 1155 is positive (e.g., the designated zone remained unoccupied during the extension period), then in step 1160, the plurality of luminaires, lighting units, or light sources proceed to complete their transition to a light level consistent with an off state. Configurable parameter: Stay period Dwell period is a configurable parameter associated with occupancy-based environmental control. In many implementations, it represents the time required for the system to confirm that a user is present in a space, rather than simply passing through it. When an area is occupied during the dwell period, it indicates that the unit(s) deployed in that area can assume a longer occupancy and may increase their illumination level. In many implementations, the dwell period can range from 0 to 30 seconds, with a default value of 10 seconds. Manual controllers may allow the user to adjust the dwell period to 1 second.The commissioning tool can be used to configure the dwell time for any commissioned unit, and the central console or other manual or personal controllers can be used to reset the dwell time for one or more commissioned units. In some implementations, occupancy events are ignored during the dwell period after the first occupancy event is detected. In such implementations, occupancy events can be monitored only after the dwell period expires. In these implementations, only if occupancy is detected between the expiration of the dwell period and the expiration of a waiting period after the dwell period will the area in question transition to the occupied state. Otherwise, the area will revert to an unoccupied state when the waiting period expires. Configurable parameter: Smart time Smart time is a configurable parameter associated with controlling occupancy-based environmental conditions. In many implementations, if movement is detected during a grace period following a waiting period after an empty room has been detected, the system assumes the waiting period was set too short (i.e., the empty room ended too soon after the last movement detection), and the waiting period is extended once by the duration specified by the Smart time parameter. In many implementations, if movement is detected after a longer waiting period, the waiting period is not extended further. In some implementations, the Smart time period can range from 0 to 15 minutes, with a default value of 10 minutes.The commissioning tool can be used to configure the smart time period for any commissioned unit, and the central console or another manual or personal controller can be used to reset this parameter for one or more commissioned units. In many implementations, smart time cannot be accumulated. Figure 12 illustrates an occupancy-based control method 1200 for responding to occupancy detection in a previously unoccupied dispatch zone, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises steps 1210–1250. Method 1200 can be implemented using components of a system 100A or 100B, represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 1210, the sensor input is processed to determine whether a dispatch zone has transitioned from an unoccupied state (e.g., no occupants) to an occupied state (e.g., with at least one occupant). The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of occupancy sensor, such as a motion sensor.The sensor input can be processed by the sensor itself or by one or more system modules, as shown, for example, in Figures 1A or 1B (e.g., environmental manager module 110 or gateway module 120). If the determination is negative (e.g., there is no transition from the unoccupied state to the occupied state), then control remains at step 1210 until further processing of the sensor input(s) indicates such a transition. If the determination is positive (e.g., the sensor input indicates that the dispatch area has transitioned from an unoccupied state to an occupied state), then in step 1220, in response to the determination made in step 1210, at least one luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) switches from not providing illumination to providing a preconfigured background light level (e.g., Light Level 1) within a preconfigured reaction time period.In some embodiments, the luminaire most closely associated with a sensor that detects a change in occupancy status (for example, the luminaire housing the sensor or otherwise physically closest to the sensor) switches to the backlight level first. At least one luminaire may be part of a single commissioned unit or multiple commissioned units that are limited to or otherwise associated with the dispatch area. In stage 1230, the sensor input from within the dispatch zone is processed to determine whether a work zone within the dispatch zone has transitioned from an unoccupied state to an occupied state. If the determination is negative (for example, the work zone has not transitioned from an unoccupied state to an occupied state), then control remains in stage 1230 until further processing of the sensor input indicates such a transition. If the determination in stage 1230 is positive (for example, the sensor input indicates the work zone has transitioned from an unoccupied state to an occupied state), then a dwell period is initiated, the occupancy in the work zone is monitored, and control passes to stage 1240. Stage 1240 involves monitoring the occupancy in the work zone and determining whether, at any time during the dwell period, the sensor input indicates that the work zone is unoccupied.If the work area is found to be unoccupied at any time during the dwell period, then no environmental changes are made to the work area, the dwell period ends, and control passes back to stage 1230. If, throughout the dwell period, the work area never becomes unoccupied, then control passes to stage 1250, and at least one luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) within the work area is switched to a task light level (e.g., Light Level 2) within a pre-set reaction time. Figure 13 illustrates an occupancy-based control method 1300 for responding to the detection of a change in occupancy in a corridor zone, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises steps 1310–1360. Method 1300 can be implemented using components of a system 100A or 100B, represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 1310, the sensor input is processed to determine whether there is a change in the occupancy state of a corridor zone. The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of occupancy sensor, such as a motion sensor. If there is no change in the occupancy state, then the control remains at step 1310, and the sensor input can be processed again at a later time.If the determination in step 1310 indicates that there is a change in the occupancy status of the corridor zone resulting in the corridor zone becoming unoccupied, then the control passes to step 1320. If the determination in step 1310 indicates that there is a change in the occupancy status of the corridor zone resulting in the corridor zone becoming occupied, then the control passes to step 1330. In step 1320, it is determined whether at least one zone adjacent to the corridor zone is occupied. This determination can be made by one or more units commissioned in or otherwise associated with the corridor zone. For example, in some implementations, a unit commissioned in the corridor zone can identify units commissioned in adjacent zones using its own location information and the location information of other commissioned units. Once at least one commissioned unit has been identified in each adjacent zone, their occupancy states can be retrieved in some implementations by querying or otherwise retrieving the information directly from the commissioned units.In other embodiments, a unit commissioned in the corridor zone can access the occupancy states of adjacent commissioned units from one or more remote memories associated with other system modules, such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130 of system 100A. The location information of the commissioned units can be stored locally in one or more memories of the unit commissioned in the corridor zone (for example, in the cache) or stored remotely in one or more memories accessible remotely to the unit commissioned in the corridor zone (for example, in one or more memories associated with the environmental module 110 or the gateway module 130 of system 100A).If the result of the determination in step 1320 is positive (for example, at least one zone adjacent to the corridor zone is occupied), then in step 1340, no change is made to the lighting in the corridor zone. If the determination in step 1320 is negative (for example, no zone adjacent to the corridor zone is occupied), then in step 1360, a shutdown sequence is initiated to turn off the luminaires (or lighting units or light sources) in the corridor zone. Step 1330 determines whether the illumination level within the corridor zone is at a predetermined minimum level. In some embodiments, this determination is made for the entire corridor zone, while in others, it is made for an area near the sensor(s) that produce the sensor input indicating, in step 1310, a change in the corridor zone's occupancy status. In some embodiments, this determination can be made by hardware, firmware, or computer code associated with one or more units deployed in the corridor zone, by hardware, firmware, or computer code associated with one or more System 100A modules, or any combination thereof.If the result of the determination in step 1330 is positive (i.e., the corridor zone illumination level is at or above the predetermined minimum level), then in step 1340, no change is made to the illumination in the corridor zone. If the result of the determination in step 1330 is negative (i.e., the corridor zone illumination level is below the predetermined minimum level), then in step 1350, one or more units commissioned in the corridor zone cause the illumination level provided by one or more associated luminaires (or lighting units or light sources) to increase such that the illumination level within the corridor zone rises to the predetermined minimum level within a predetermined reaction time. Figure 14 illustrates an occupancy-based control method 1400 for responding to the detection of a change in occupancy in an assembly area, as implemented by some embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises steps 1410–1430. Method 1400 can be implemented using any combination of components from a system 100A or 100B, represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 1410, the sensor input is processed to determine whether there is a change in the occupancy state of an assembly area. The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of occupancy sensor, such as a motion sensor. If there is no change in the occupancy state, then the control remains at step 1410, and the sensor input can be processed again at a later time.If the determination in step 1410 indicates a change in the occupancy status of the assembly area resulting in the area becoming unoccupied, then control proceeds to step 1420. If the determination in step 1410 indicates a change in the occupancy status of the assembly area resulting in the area becoming occupied, then control proceeds to step 1430. In step 1420, a shutdown sequence is initiated to bring the assembly area to a state of no illumination. In step 1430, one or more commissioned units present a welcome scene. The welcome scene may require, for example, one or more task lights to produce a higher level of illumination, while ambient lights are dimmed. Additionally, decorative lighting may produce a color that complements the room's color scheme. Daylight-based control Configurable parameters: MaxRegulationLightLevel, MinRegulationLightLevel Using the commissioning tool, an authorized user, such as a commissioning engineer, can configure parameters indicating the maximum and minimum light levels achievable in a controlled area based on daylight. In some implementations, the MaxRegulationLightLevel and MinRegulationLightLevel parameters can be set to equal the occupancy-based control parameters MaxWhenOccupied and MinWhenOccupied, respectively. Configurable parameter: Daylight collection Daylight harvesting is a configurable parameter associated with controlling environmental conditions based on natural light. In many implementations, if enabled for one or more units, it allows for the regulation of daylight levels in a specific area for those units. In many implementations, daylight harvesting, when enabled, works to maintain light levels in a space within a particular range (e.g., from MinimumRegulationLightLevel to MaximumRegulationLightLevel). Lighting set point adjustment - Maximum calibrated parameter When a user manually configures or adjusts the lighting setpoint of a commissioned unit, a parameter of the configured unit (e.g., CalibratedMaximum) is set to the new setpoint value. The commissioned unit may still be regulated based on daylight-based controls, but the new setpoint value will be used to regulate the ambient conditions associated with the commissioned unit. Figure 15 illustrates a method 1500 for responding to a request for a different environmental scene in a meeting area, as implemented by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. It comprises steps 1510–1530. Method 1500 can be implemented by any combination of components of a system 100A or 100B, represented in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 1510, a request is received to provide a different scene in a meeting room. In some embodiments, the request may be generated by a user selecting and requesting a scene from a graphical user interface displayed on an environmental control device 160 of system 100A, such as a smartphone. The request may then be transmitted to an environmental manager module, such as module 110, via the L2 link, as shown in Figure 1A.In some other embodiments, the request may be generated automatically by one or more sensors that detect occupancy in the previously unoccupied meeting area and request a default welcome scene. In step 1520, the requested scene is accessed. A scene can be a collection of predefined environmental parameters that transform the environmental conditions in a particular area in a prescribed manner. The affected environmental conditions can be, for example, lighting, temperature, humidity, and airflow. Each prescribed environmental condition in a scene can be linked to one or more specific units or types of units.Similarly, scenes can comprise very specific environmental conditions (for example, requiring a particular commissioned unit or type of commissioned unit to produce light of a particular color with a particular intensity) or they can be specified more generally, allowing commissioned units involved in the production of the scene some discretion to choose specific values ​​(for example, specifying a range of colors or a range of light levels in a particular region of the meeting room and allowing an implementation commissioned unit to choose values ​​within the prescribed range).A collection of preconfigured environmental scenes can be stored in one or more memories accessible to, for example, the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module of the 100A system, or any commissioned unit associated with the meeting area referred to in step 1510. For example, an area controller such as the 420 area controller can be such a commissioned unit capable of accessing a requested scene. In many embodiments, such a commissioned unit can be communicatively coupled to one or more IP luminaires that control the lighting conditions in various portions of the meeting room. In some embodiments, at stage 1520, the system's environmental control module 110 or gateway module 130 can access one or more memories to retrieve details associated with the requested scene (for example, the collection of specific environmental conditions to be recreated in particular areas of a space). Different predefined scenes, each associated with a unique identifier, can be stored in a database, and accessing a requested scene at stage 1520 may involve matching the unique identifier of the requested scene at stage 1520 with the unique identifier of a scene stored in the one or more memories mentioned above. In step 1530, the requested scene is applied. In some embodiments, the respective details of the requested scene are transmitted from a system module (for example, the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130 of system 100A) to the respective commissioned units (for example, the IP controllers 140 and 150 of system 100A) for application. For example, a scene might require that all the walls of a room be bathed in a red light of a particular intensity, and that all the task lights in the room be dimmed to a particular level. In some embodiments, these details can be encoded in an environmental control command and transmitted via the environmental manager module 110 to an area controller (for example, area controller 320) that controls the room in question.The area controller can then transmit commands to change the wall lighting color to one or more IP luminaires providing decorative wall lighting in the room, and commands to change the task lighting to one or more IP luminaires controlling task lighting in the room. In some embodiments, the area controller may also process commands received from other modules, such as the 110 environmental manager module, before communicating them to the appropriate IP luminaires (or other commissioned units) so that the commands are compatible with a communication format or protocol understood by the particular IP luminaires (or commissioned units). Figure 16 illustrates a daylight-based control method 1600 for responding to a detected change in illumination in a work area, implemented by several embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises steps 1610–1650. Many steps of the 1600 method can be implemented, for example, by system components 100A or 100B, depicted in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 1610, the sensor input is processed to determine whether there is a change in illumination (e.g., natural or artificial light) in a work area. The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of light sensor, such as a daylight sensor. One or more sensors can detect a decrease or increase in light from a natural source (e.g., sunlight) or an artificial source (e.g., a luminaire).The sensor input can be communicated to and processed by one or more processors running an environmental control module such as module 110 of system 100A, a gateway module such as module 130 of system 100A, or an area controller such as controller 320 of system 300A. If there is no change in the lighting, then control remains at stage 1610, and the input from the sensor(s) at stage 1610 can be processed again at a later time. If the determination at stage 1610 indicates that there is a change in the lighting in the work area, then control proceeds to stage 1620. In step 1620, it is determined whether the change in illumination exceeds a predefined amount. In some embodiments, this determination can be made by a commissioned unit (e.g., area controller, IP luminaire) located near the sensor(s) producing the sensor input and / or a commissioned unit linked to the work area during the commissioning process. In other embodiments, this determination is made more centrally by one or more processors associated with an environmental manager module, such as module 110 of system 100A, or a gateway module, such as module 130 of system 100A. If the result of the determination in step 1620 is negative (e.g., the change in illumination does not exceed a predefined amount), then no adjustment is made to the illumination in the work area.However, in some embodiments, each change in illumination that is not acted upon after step 1620 is aggregated and temporarily stored in a memory accessible to the module or modules that perform the determinations in steps 1610 and 1620. In such embodiments, step 1620 may involve using the running set of changes in illumination over multiple previous determinations in step 1620 that led to negative determinations in step 1620, in order to make the present determination in step 1620. If the result of the determination in step 1620 is positive (for example, the change in illumination is greater than a pre-configured amount), then the control proceeds to step 1630, and it is determined whether the illumination level in the work area is at or above a pre-configured level. In some embodiments, the determination in step 1630 can be performed by a commissioned unit (for example, an area controller, an IP luminaire) located near the sensor(s) that produce the sensor input and / or a commissioned unit that is linked to the work area during the commissioning process. In other embodiments, this determination is performed more centrally by one or more processors associated with an environmental control module such as module 110 of system 100A or a gateway module such as module 130 of system 100A.If the determination in step 1630 is positive (for example, the illumination level in the work area is at or above the preset level), then the illumination of at least one luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) in the work area is adjusted to provide a minimum illumination level preset in step 1640. If, on the other hand, the determination in step 1630 is negative (for example, the illumination level in the work area is below the preset level), then the illumination of at least one luminaire in the work area is adjusted to provide a maximum illumination level preset.When adjusting the lighting at stages 1640 and 1650, many embodiments can employ dimming according to a configured dimming time and / or dimming speed if the dimming function is enabled for one or more units put into service where at least one luminaire in the work area is adjusted at stages 1640 or 1650. Figure 17 illustrates a daylight-based control method 1700 for responding to a detected change in daylight in a space, implemented by several embodiments of an environmental management system. It comprises steps 1710–1740. Many steps of the 1700 method can be implemented, for example, by system components 100A or 100B, depicted in Figures 1A and 1B, respectively. In step 1710, the sensor input is processed to determine whether there is a change in daylight in a designated area. The sensor input can be from one or multiple sensors, and the sensor(s) can be any type of light sensor, such as a daylight sensor.The sensor input can be communicated to and processed by one or more processors running an environmental manager module such as module 110 of system 100A, a gateway module such as module 130 of system 100A, or an area controller such as controller 320 of system 300A. If there are no changes in daylight, control remains at stage 1710, and the input from the sensor(s) at stage 1710 can be processed again at a later time. If the determination at stage 1710 indicates a change in daylight in the designated area, then control proceeds to stage 1720. In step 1720, a determination is made as to whether the change in daylight is part of an increasing or decreasing trend. An increasing trend can be identified after multiple consecutive increases in daylight are detected in step 1710 for the area in question. Similarly, a decreasing trend can be identified after multiple consecutive decreases in daylight are detected in step 1710 for the area in question. The number of consecutive increases or decreases required for a series of changes in daylight to qualify as a trend can be a configurable parameter in many implementations, which can be set and / or reset using, for example, the central console of the 110 environmental manager module of system 100A. In many embodiments, the determination in step 1720 can be performed by a commissioned unit (e.g., an area controller, IP luminaire) located near the sensor(s) producing the sensor input and / or a commissioned unit linked to the zone in question during the commissioning process. In other embodiments, this determination is performed more centrally by one or more processors associated with an environmental manager module such as module 110 of system 100A or a gateway module such as module 130 of system 100A. If no trend is identified, then control returns to step 1710, and the sensor(s) input can be processed again later.If an increasing trend is found, then the illumination of at least one luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) in the designated area is adjusted to provide a lower level of illumination within a first duration (step 1740). If, on the other hand, a decreasing trend is found, then the illumination of at least one luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) in the designated area is adjusted in step 1730 to provide a higher level of illumination than that currently provided by the luminaire within a second duration that is shorter than the first duration of step 1740.When adjusting the lighting in steps 1730 and 1740, many implementations can employ dimming according to a configured dimming time and / or dimming speed if the dimming function is enabled for one or more commissioned units associated with the at least one luminaire referenced in steps 1730 and 1740. Environmental condition management - User-activated controls While many of the implementations described in the preceding sections on occupancy-based and daylight-based controls focus on methods for monitoring and / or identifying patterns with respect to changes in occupancy and lighting conditions, and optimally adjusting environmental conditions to respond to these changes, this section focuses on the controls available to users to bring about changes in environmental conditions. In many implementations, the user can override the automatic behavior described in the preceding sections on occupancy and / or daylight-based lighting management. Enable, disable, and prioritize control In any given zone, all available control types (e.g., automatically activated and user-activated) can be enabled or disabled. Commissioned units can be configured to have one or more control types enabled or disabled. Additionally, a priority can be assigned to each control type for each zone and / or commissioned unit. When a control type is enabled in an area or for a commissioned unit, that enabled control type (e.g., manual personal control, central control, occupancy-based control) can be used to issue control requests for the enabled area or the commissioned unit. Different control types can be enabled and operated in the same area or for the same commissioned unit.Priorities are used to resolve any conflict or ambiguity provided by all received control inputs and to determine the environmental conditions of any space at any given time. Mobile controllers In many implementations, mobile controllers (e.g., smartphones, tablets, and other portable computing devices) can be used by users to request changes in environmental conditions. These mobile controllers can be configured to provide visual, auditory, and / or tactile feedback to users upon connecting to the environmental management system, and / or visual, auditory, and / or tactile feedback to users within a specified time frame (e.g., 0.3 seconds) from the moment they request a change in environmental conditions. Mobile controllers can also be used for personal, manual, and centralized control of units deployed based on their location within a physical structure.For example, a smartphone can act as a personal controller, allowing the user to control environmental conditions only within their personal or work area when operating in an open space such as an open office. However, when the smartphone is in a meeting area such as a conference room, it can act as a handheld controller, allowing the user to control environmental conditions throughout the entire meeting area. Ignition behavior Figure 19 illustrates a method for determining the switching behavior of a unit, whether commissioned or decommissioned, as implemented by various embodiments of an environmental management system. The method can be implemented, for example, by a group of luminaires, an IP luminaire such as the IP 150 luminaire in Figure 1A, a sensor or group of sensors, a camera or groups of cameras, or any controllable device. Alternatively, the method can be implemented using computer code running on one or more processors located remotely from one or more devices whose switching behavior is to be determined. Method 1900 comprises steps 1910 through 1970. Step 1910 involves determining whether a device or unit in question is in service. The commissioning process has been described earlier, for example, in the context of Figure 5. In some embodiments, during the commissioning process, one or more memories may have been updated to reflect the commissioning status of the device or unit in question. Therefore, determining whether the device or unit in question is in service may involve accessing one or more memories. In some embodiments, a device or unit itself may store information about its commissioning status.In such embodiments, determining whether a device or unit is commissioned or not may involve the device itself or computer code running outside the device, accessing the device's stored commissioning status or information that reflects its commissioning status. If the device is determined to be in service, then the control proceeds to step 1920. Otherwise, the control proceeds to step 1930. Both steps involve determining whether the device or unit in question has network connectivity. In some embodiments, this can be accomplished by a device or unit that performs a test to determine if connectivity exists. In other embodiments, this can be determined, for example, by computer code associated with a system module such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130 of system 100A, performing the necessary tests. If it is determined in step 1920 that the commissioned unit has network connectivity, then control proceeds to step 1940. Step 1940 involves retrieving and applying the system power-on configuration parameters for the commissioned unit. These parameters may be stored centrally on a server or other device accessible to the system device or module performing step 1940, or on the commissioned unit itself. If the power-on configuration parameters are stored in multiple locations, step 1940 may also involve determining which set of parameters takes precedence. In some implementations, if the commissioned unit is a luminaire, default behavior may occur upon power-up.For example, in 0.3 seconds, the luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) in question can produce a light level equal to the light level for which the luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) is set shortly before the shutdown occurs. If it is determined in stage 1920 that the commissioned unit lacks network connectivity, then control is transferred to stage 1950. In stage 1950, locally available system power-on configuration parameters are applied to the commissioned unit. For example, there may be a set of power-on configurations stored on the commissioned unit itself, accessible to the commissioned unit without requiring network connectivity. If it is determined in stage 1930 that the uncommissioned unit has network connectivity, then control proceeds to stage 1960. In stage 1960, default power-on configuration parameters are applied if no primary power-on configuration is available via the network. Default power-on configuration parameters may reside on the network outside the uncommissioned unit or on the unit itself. For example, if the uncommissioned unit is a luminaire (or lighting unit or light source), the default power-on configuration may require that a light level of 100% of the luminaire's capacity be reached within 0.3 seconds of power-up. If it is determined in stage 1930 that the uncommissioned unit does not have network connectivity, then control passes to stage 1970. In stage 1970, the default power-on configuration parameters stored locally in the uncommissioned unit or otherwise available to the uncommissioned unit without network connectivity can be applied to the uncommissioned unit. According to some embodiments involving uncommissioned luminaires that are installed and powered but not connected to an IP network, the following behavior is possible. Each luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) can operate at 100% capacity within 0.3 seconds of being switched on, and each such luminaire can ignore any control commands from the control devices that indicate otherwise. In some embodiments, if uncommissioned luminaires are installed, powered, and connected to a communication / control line of an IP network, all luminaires in the IP subnetwork can operate at 100% capacity within 0.3 seconds of the subsystem being switched on.These luminaires can ignore sensor information (e.g., occupancy and daylight sensor information), but react to manual control (e.g., from IR area controllers) as well as central control commands (e.g., from the environmental manager module 110, commissioning module 120, or gateway module 130 in Figure 1A). According to some embodiments involving commissioned luminaires (or lighting units or light sources), the following behavior may occur during startup. To demonstrate functionality, these units may reach a configured maximum light level within a certain time interval (for example, 2 seconds) after the system has been switched on. In such embodiments, if no presence is detected in the area of ​​the commissioned luminaires after startup, the commissioned luminaires will switch off within another time interval (for example, 1 second) after determining that no presence has been detected. In some other embodiments involving commissioned luminaires, these luminaires may not produce light after being switched on until occupancy is detected in the area of ​​the luminaires for a configured period of time. Reaction times The different reaction times are related to user expectations when requesting an environmental change, such as a change in lighting conditions. If a fade parameter associated with a commissioned unit or the user (for example, a user preference parameter indicating whether the user prefers a dimming effect) is disabled, then the requested change in environmental conditions (for example, a light level adjustment) must be immediate. If dimming is enabled, then the requested change in environmental conditions can begin within a time interval (for example, 0 or 3 seconds) from the moment the change request is made. Another setting related to reaction times is the dimming time, or the time interval during which a first environmental condition (e.g., a current light level) dims to a second environmental condition (e.g., a newly requested light level). In many implementations, the dimming time is a value set between 0, 5, and 90 seconds. Manual controllers that allow the user to adjust the dimming time may allow the user to increase or decrease the dimming time within a specific range (e.g., dimming time increments of 1 second). Dimming and dimming time functions are comfort features designed to produce changes in environmental conditions that are smoother, less jarring, and therefore less noticeable and distracting. Control cancellations Figure 20 illustrates a Method 2000 for handling a control request, as implemented by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Method 2000 comprises steps 2010 to 2050. One or more steps may be omitted when implementing the method, and additional steps not shown may be added. In some embodiments, the method may be implemented by the commissioned unit itself, by computer code running on one or more processors communicatively connected to the commissioned unit (for example, on processors associated with the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130 of system 100A), or by any combination thereof. In step 2010, a control request is received. The control request may be a request to change an environmental condition (for example, light level, temperature, or humidity) and may arise due to a variety of circumstances.For example, a user might request a change using an environmental control device such as system 100A device 160, a wall-mounted user interface device, or a user interface (for example, a central console) provided, for example, by system 100A environmental manager module 110 or gateway module 130. A control request might also be generated as a result of changes in occupancy or daylight in an area. For illustrative purposes only, it is assumed that a user has used a wall-mounted hand controller in a room to request a higher light level, and that the hand controller is linked to a particular unit commissioned in the room. Step 2020 involves determining whether the requested control option is enabled. In many implementations, all available control options (e.g., occupancy-based control, daylight-based control, manual control, staff control, and central control) can be disabled, enabled, and / or prioritized by the commissioned unit. In the illustrative example, step 2020 involves determining whether manual control is enabled for the commissioned unit linked to the manual controller used to request a change in lighting conditions. If stage 2020 results in a negative determination (i.e., the control option is not enabled for the associated commissioned unit), then the control proceeds to stage 2030 and the received control request is ignored. If stage 2020 results in a positive determination (i.e., the control option is enabled for the associated commissioned unit), then the control proceeds to stage 2040. Stage 2040 involves determining whether a higher-priority competing control request exists that should override the received control request. If Stage 2040 results in a negative determination (i.e., no higher-priority competing control request is found), then the control proceeds to Stage 2050 and the requested control is carried out. Otherwise, if Stage 2040 results in a positive determination (i.e., a higher-priority competing control request is found), then the control proceeds to Stage 2030 and the received control request is ignored.For example, an automated request arising from daylight monitoring of the space surrounding the commissioned unit might indicate a request to adjust the luminaires (or lighting units or light sources) associated with the commissioned unit to provide a lower light level than that requested by the user via a wall-mounted manual control. In such a case, if the commissioned unit has higher priority for manual control compared to daylight-based control, then the luminaires associated with the commissioned unit will adjust their illumination to produce the manually requested light level. Manual control Manual control refers to the means available to a user to manually alter environmental conditions. During the commissioning process depicted in Figure 5, units can be commissioned for manual control. Commissioning and configuration may include linking user interfaces for manual control to commissioned units, and linking user interface elements (e.g., buttons, sliders) to presets (e.g., scenes, light levels). During commissioning, manual control can be enabled or disabled for a unit being commissioned, and / or manual control can be assigned a priority level compared to other types of controls. Commissioned units with manual control enabled may also have other forms of control enabled (e.g., daylight-based and occupancy-based controls). Manual control allows the user to manually turn the units on or off. For example, an end user can enter an indoor space, such as a room, and use a wall-mounted display or switch, or a user interface on a portable device, to turn on luminaires associated with one or more luminaires in the room. Such a manual request can cause the luminaires to produce a pre-set light level (e.g., switch to an "on" setting). If the prevailing environmental conditions, such as the lighting level of a space, are not what a user desires, they can manually adjust the lighting using a manual control, indicating that the space's lighting should be dimmed up or down. Such a manual request can cause the luminaires in the space to adjust their light output by a pre-set percentage.Many implementations may require that the fixed manual controllers be placed in a visible location within the space they control, and that the manual controller cannot control environmental conditions in a space where the user requesting manual changes could not physically sense (e.g., see, feel) the changes requested using the controller. In some implementations, manual changes requested from a mobile controller (e.g., a smartphone) must be activated within a longer timeframe (e.g., a scene change in a meeting room requested from an iPhone should only be activated within 3 seconds of the request) compared to manual changes requested from a fixed mobile controller (e.g., a wall-mounted controller). For example, a scene change in a meeting room requested from a wall-mounted control device might need to be activated within 0.3 seconds of the request to create a sense of instant response.This difference can be instituted in a system such as the 100A or 100B system in order to meet the expectations of users that environmental changes initiated in a space using wall-mounted manual controls are instantaneous. In many implementations, the commissioned units can store multiple presets that can be manually accessed. In other implementations, these presets can be stored additionally or alternatively in one or more remotely located memories. For example, a preset might be a lighting scene, causing multiple commissioned units to each produce a preset light level. Such a preset can result in a lighting "effect" in a space, such as dim lighting in some parts of the room and bright lighting in others. In some implementations, a preset light level can be configured by specifying absolute or relative light levels (for example, 5% dimmer than the on light level) or by using an algorithm that takes into account a variable parameter such as the amount of available daylight. Return to default value In various implementations, a user can undo a manually selected environmental condition, reverting it to a previous or default setting. For example, a user can use a manual controller to deselect or override a previously requested light level or lighting scene. This function allows the user to "turn off" personal lighting or another environmental condition at any time. One or more commissioned units involved in providing the requested light level or scene can then revert to a previous configuration or default state. Configuration parameter - Manual hold time In many implementations, setting a manual retention time parameter allows the ambient conditions to be reset to manually requested levels, even after the units previously providing those conditions have ceased to do so. The need for this parameter can arise in various circumstances. For example, a user might enter a previously unoccupied room where the lighting conditions were automatically adjusted based on the presence of natural light. The user can then use a manual controller to request that the units in the room produce a specific level of light, regardless of the amount of natural light present, effectively overriding the automatic daylight-based control.Under such circumstances, when the user leaves the room, the room's automatic daylight-based control can resume, or the room lighting can switch to an off state after an appropriate period of time has elapsed. In embodiments where a manual hold time is in place, the units in the room can resume providing the light levels manually requested by the user if the user is detected re-entering the same space within the manual hold time period. In many embodiments, the manual hold time period begins immediately after the moment the units in question begin providing environmental conditions that differ from those manually requested by the user. In many embodiments, the manual hold time can be automatically set to 15 minutes. Configuration parameter - Attenuation stage Dimming step is a configurable parameter associated with user-based lighting control. Each commissioned unit can have an associated dimming step parameter, and manual and personal controllers can also have associated dimming step parameters. In many implementations, this parameter is expressed as a percentage and can range from 5% to 30%. A user can choose to set the dimming stage to 10% for a commissioned unit. In this case, when the commissioned unit is dimmed once (for example, in one stage), the light output of the commissioned unit is reduced by 10% of its previous output. In some implementations, the dimming stage is set to 5% by default. Many implementations also allow the user to alter the dimming stage, but only to a specific level (for example, 5%). This parameter can be used as a mechanism to control the rate at which a user can manually dim the lighting in a space. Personal control Personal control refers to the means available to a user to control environmental conditions in their personal space or work area. Devices providing personal control can be linked to one or more commissioned units during the commissioning process described in Figure 5. Personal control devices can be stationary (e.g., wall-mounted devices) or mobile (e.g., smartphones or other portable devices). In many embodiments, a stationary personal control device can only be linked to commissioned units located within a limited radius of the device. Mobile personal control devices can be linked to multiple commissioned units that are more geographically dispersed within a space.In some implementations, when a user uses a personal control device to control environmental conditions such as lighting in their work area, the personal control request may affect the behavior of only those units that are connected to the personal control device and present in a work area associated with the user's current location. A personal control request to alter environmental conditions in a user's work area may arise automatically (for example, from occupancy-based control methods) or manually (for example, when a user uses a manual or personal control device to request a change in environmental conditions).Environmental condition control based on daylight and occupancy can affect and / or be affected by the personal control of units put into service that are also configured to be able to respond to personal control requests for environmental changes. For example, if a user wants to increase the light level in a work area to a specific level, but continuous daylight-based lighting control in that work area does not allow for that increase, the user will only be able to allow the lighting level to increase to a different, lower level. In many implementations, whether or not a user can use a personal controller to control the lighting in their work area depends on whether or not the user has permission to affect the environmental conditions in that work area. Permissions to authorize users to control the conditions in their work areas can be stored on commissioned units and / or more centrally in one or more accessible memories, for example, in system modules such as the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module of the 100A system. Commissioned units can be configured to behave in specific ways in response to personal control requests. For example, all luminaires (or lighting units or light sources) associated with a commissioned unit can be configured to provide 500 lux on a reference surface when a personal control device is used to request a particular scene for a specific work area. There can also be one or more personal control modes associated with commissioned units and / or personal control devices. For example, a limited setpoint mode can prevent a user from dimming beyond a calibrated maximum light setpoint. An unlimited setpoint mode cannot impose such restrictions. Deployed units that typically adjust their behavior based on control requests can be configured to enable or disable personal control requests. These units can also assign priority levels to personal control requests. Additionally, and / or alternatively, the personal control devices themselves, or users who use the devices to create personal control requests, can assign priority levels to those requests. Users can use personal control devices, such as smartphones running personal control applications, to graphically view the zones and / or units put into service that are under the device's control. In some implementations, any response to such requests may be required within a configured time period (for example, 3 seconds). Failure to respond within the allotted time may result in the personal control device itself reporting an error to one or more system modules (for example, the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module of system 100A).Alternatively, in various embodiments, if a response to a user request made through a personal controller takes longer than the configured time, then the user can receive information about the progress of the request (e.g., a progress bar or other visual or auditory notification). Scene selection and light adjustment Using personal controls, users can select pre-configured scenes for their work areas. For example, a user can select a standard scene where all lighting units associated with a commissioned unit that provides light for the user's work area switch to a particular light level. A user can also use personal controls to manage the dimming level of the luminaires (or lighting units or light sources) associated with the commissioned units. The commissioned units can be configured to provide illumination within a specified range (for example, between a minimum and a maximum light output), and a user's ability to control the dimming level of these units can be limited to controlling the output within that range. In some embodiments, manually made requests for environmental changes can result in changes to environmental conditions that are subsequently controlled automatically. For example, if a manually made personal request results in providing a fixed light level in a space, the automatic controls can regain control of the space after certain events occur (for example, if the space is determined to be empty). In some embodiments, the manually made change of conditions can be subsequently managed by automatic controls even without requiring a particular event to occur before the transfer of control to the automatic means. Figure 21 illustrates a method 2100 for handling a manually triggered personal control request, as implemented by some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Method 2100 comprises steps 2110–2150, which may be performed in a different order than depicted. Steps may be omitted, and additional steps may be added. In step 2110, a manually triggered personal control request is received. In various embodiments, the request may be received by a system module such as the environmental manager module 110 of system 100A depicted in Figure 1, and a user may use a smartphone to issue the request. In some embodiments, the user may raise or lower a current temperature setpoint to another setpoint within a configurable range (for example, within 2 degrees Celsius of the current setpoint).The user interface used to request the increase can allow increases or decreases according to a configurable level of definition (for example, increases or decreases in steps of 0 or 1 degrees Celsius). In many implementations, the requested temperature adjustment can affect the HVAC areas associated with one or more lighting units in service in the user's work area. In step 2120, a determination is made as to whether the user submitting the request is authorized to make the requested changes to the environmental conditions. In some implementations, this determination is made by one or more system modules, such as the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130 of system 100A. The determination may be based on the user's location and / or identification information (for example, user ID and password). In implementations that use a user's login information (for example, user ID and password) to verify authorization, the user may only need to provide their credentials once, unless they have logged out since the last time their credentials were verified.If the user is not authorized to alter the environmental conditions according to the request, the control proceeds to stage 2130, in which the personal control request is ignored. If the user is not authorized to alter the environmental conditions according to their request, they may be notified of this fact. If the user's authorization depends additionally or alternatively on the user's location, the location information may be cached for a configurable period of time, thus avoiding the need to update the user's location each time they request a change in environmental conditions. If the user is authorized to make the requested environmental changes, one or more commissioned units can be instructed to adjust the environmental conditions according to the personal control request in step 2140. For example, the luminaires (or lighting units or light sources) associated with one or more commissioned units that control the lighting conditions in the user's work area can be set to produce a requested light level in the user's work area (e.g., reference surface) according to a configured dimming time. In many embodiments, control then passes to step 2150, where the environmental conditions are again controlled automatically.For example, the light output produced by one or more units put into service associated with the user's work area can be subsequently recontrolled according to previously used daylight-based and / or occupancy-based algorithms. In many implementations, personal controllers can allow authorized users to select or otherwise specify the geographic scope of their personal control. If the user making this scope selection is using their own personal control device (for example, a smartphone), the user's identifying information can be automatically linked to the scope selection and / or other user profile settings, without requiring additional input from the user. If, on the other hand, the user making the scope selection is using a publicly accessible personal control device (for example, a controller mounted on a wall in a space accessible to multiple users), the user may need to authenticate themselves in order to link their scope selection to their identity within the system for managing environmental conditions.Once a user successfully selects or specifies a geographic scope for personal control, environmental control requests that affect an area within the same geographic area, but received from users outside the geographic area, can be ignored. Personal adjustments and recovery of previously applied environmental conditions Many implementations allow a user to retrieve previously requested lighting settings or other environmental conditions. These settings or conditions may have been previously requested by the same user requesting the removal or by other users of the same space. The commissioned units themselves may store previously requested settings, and / or the settings may be stored more centrally in one or more memories accessible to, for example, system modules such as the 110 environmental manager module, the 130 gateway module, and / or the 120 commissioning module of system 100A. Previously requested environmental conditions may be associated with particular users, zones, and / or commissioned units. Central control Central control refers to the means available to a user to make planned or real-time adjustments to system parameters that can affect environmental conditions within a space in a more global or generalized way. Central control also refers to the control of environmental conditions using a user interface implemented by a system module such as the 110 Environmental Manager module or the 130 Gateway module of the 100A system. Central control can be manual (for example, a user manually adjusting lighting settings using a displayed user interface) or automatic (for example, adjustments to environmental conditions that occur as a result of the system's reactions to detected events).In many embodiments, when centrally controlling one or more commissioned units within an area, the commissioned units must be communicatively connected to a central console. The central console comprises computer code that runs one or more user interfaces enabling authorized users to control various commissioned units, groups of commissioned units, and / or entire zones within a physical structure. In many embodiments, the central console may also be communicatively connected to and / or run by one or more core modules for the operation of the systems for managing the environmental changes described herein. For example, in many embodiments, the central console is run by or in conjunction with the environmental manager module 110 or the gateway module 130 of system 100a.In various embodiments, the central console can be used to recommission and / or reconfigure commissioned units. In some of these embodiments, the central console's user interface(s) can display reconfigurable parameters along with their current values ​​or states, and prevent the central console user from configuring parameters that are not reconfigurable or setting parameters of commissioned units to values ​​outside of permitted ranges. Centralized planned and real-time control A user can utilize a centralized utility, such as the central console, to alter the settings of commissioned units in order to affect environmental conditions in real time or on a planned basis. Real-time requests are processed so that the resulting changes to environmental conditions are implemented within a configurable timeframe after the request. The central console can also be used by duly authorized users (e.g., a facility manager) to alter parameters that affect the overall system behavior, such as the configurable timeframe within which real-time requests must be addressed. Create and manage plans The central console can be used to create, edit, and schedule tasks that incorporate changes in environmental conditions. Tasks can be scheduled to activate at specific times (for example, at specific time intervals, relative to an event, or at an absolute time) or upon the occurrence of a specific event. A task can specify changes that are more global in nature, such as resetting a parameter that affects multiple commissioned areas or units (for example, changing the dimming time, timeout, or enabling or disabling a type of control). A task can also specify changes that are more local in nature, such as reducing the light output of a commissioned unit that only affects a particular work area. During the commissioning process, an authorized user, such as a facility manager, can create and schedule default tasks.For example, you can activate a night task to run after working hours and you can change the default timeouts and light levels in order to conserve energy. A planned task can comprise a series of tasks that are themselves scheduled to occur at specific times, in response to certain events, and / or according to a specific logic. Users can select existing schedules for application. The same schedules can be applied repeatedly. Therefore, the central console can provide a user interface for selecting one or more schedules for application, specifying the scope of the schedules (e.g., the units put into service or the areas where the selected schedules will be active), which events will trigger the schedules (e.g., time of day, environmental conditions, user activity), and / or the frequency with which the schedules will be applied (e.g., once, several times a day, or every time a triggering event occurs). Schedules can also be activated immediately. In such cases, the tasks in the schedule can take effect within a predetermined amount of time (for example, within 5 seconds). Examples of tasks include changing the light output of a luminaire or unit in service (for example, dimming up or down from a current light level, going to a particular darkness level, recalling lighting scenes, turning off / on), reconfiguring control parameters (for example, enabling / disabling a control option, changing the sensor timeout, changing a dimming time), changing the temperature in an area, running an emergency lighting test, and performing automatic calibration of selected sensors.In many implementations, planned tasks may also involve database-related tasks, such as dynamic data from commissioned units (e.g., diagnostic logs, energy consumption data), sending reports or notifications to different system modules, and backing up specific data or data categories. In many implementations, only one schedule can be active for the same commissioned unit at any given time. The transition between adjustments of two consecutive tasks in a schedule may involve a fade-in step within a fade-out time. Therefore, creating and / or selecting schedules may involve specifying or selecting parameters such as a fade-out time and / or enabling or disabling a fade-in step between tasks in a schedule. Create and configure alarms The central console or a user interface associated with the commissioning module may allow an authorized user, such as a facility manager, to create and configure alarms. An alarm can be any means by which one or more modules, controllers, or devices associated with the system for managing environmental conditions within a structure receive notifications about system states that are abnormal or that may otherwise require action. An alarm can be associated with various configurable parameters. These parameters can be manually configured or modified by an authorized user or updated automatically during system operation. An alarm can have an associated type (for example, an error or a warning). An alarm can indicate its source or the event or condition that triggered the alarm.Examples might include a change in system status, a particular system state, or a planned or unplanned event that occurs. An alarm can also have an associated destination (e.g., a user account to be notified of the alarm), a scope (e.g., commissioned units potentially affected by the alarm), a format (e.g., SMS, email, audio, visual, tactical), a trigger (e.g., a scheduled task or activity that invokes the alarm), and a triggering condition that causes the alarm to be invoked (e.g., time, system status, change in system status, or a scheduled activity). Alarms can also display specific data on the central console to visually present alarm information to the responsible personnel.Examples include the location of the unit put into service, the device or environmental condition that triggers the alarm, an indication of the severity of the alarm, and an indication of the alarm status (e.g., whether it is being handled or not). Cancellation of central control In some implementations, an authorized user can use the central console to issue a primary central control command or otherwise configure the system for exclusive central environmental control, such that all other automatic or user-generated environmental control requests are blocked or ignored until the particular primary central command or other event is completed or manually terminated. This override of central control can be used during emergencies, such as during a building fire or a security breach. The central control system can also take into account manually requested environmental conditions in various areas. For example, while the central console allows the facility manager to easily alter the lighting conditions in a large, open-plan office area, the facility manager may wish to exclude areas under the personal control of other users. In some implementations, this is achieved by using real-time information about the different lighting conditions in various areas, available to system modules such as the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module. In many implementations, a centrally issued environmental control request that precedes or follows a personal or manual control request may not affect the system's response to the personal or manual control request. For example, a central control request to switch a commissioned unit to a lower light level may result in the commissioned unit producing the lower light level. However, a subsequent personal or other manual control request may successfully switch the commissioned unit to produce a higher light level. Revert to default behavior In many implementations, a central control request can be issued to take effect in a space and prevent other control requests from taking effect in that space until it is manually deactivated. To prevent a situation where a facility manager might inadvertently fail to deactivate this primary central control, automatic controls can override these central controls in certain limited circumstances, such as when the system recognizes that the space is empty. Under such circumstances, occupancy-based control can replace the central control of the space, and environmental changes in accordance with the occupancy-based control can take effect. Pressure drop In many implementations, the central console allows a duly authorized user (e.g., a facility manager) to switch the system to a predefined load-loss mode. Such modes can be designed to save energy by automatically altering various system-wide parameters, as well as causing various commissioned units to react in specific ways. For example, all personal controls can be disabled, all luminaires (or lighting units or light sources) in selected areas can be dimmed or switched off, and all wait times and grace periods for automatically activated controls, such as occupancy-based controls, can be shortened. Graphical user interfaces Customizing views The environmental control systems described in this document provide a variety of different graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to facilitate user interaction. Example implementations of three categories of such GUIs are described below. A customization GUI (customization GUI) is also provided, enabling the user to create custom GUIs. A user can use the customization GUI to create GUIs for specific tasks (for example, dimming luminaires associated with units commissioned in different rooms) or for specific areas the user frequents (for example, a GUI that displays monitoring information for units commissioned in three rooms the user is interested in).The customization GUI can also be used to create different views based on the user's role (for example, a user with a function that requires monitoring energy consumption). A set of graphical views of a room can be provided where energy consumption information is highlighted or otherwise accessible with fewer clicks or interactions from the user. Based on the user's role and / or pre-configured preference profile, the customization GUI can suggest various customized views (for example, an overhead view of the user's office and surrounding area) that include various details (for example, temperature and humidity conditions in the office). When preparing one or more customized GUIs using the customization GUI, the user can choose to add or remove various details to achieve a customized GUI that reflects their own preferences. center console System modules can also allow users to customize the central console's home page GUI to suit their needs. For example, a user might create different views based on their role (e.g., end user of the office space or facilities manager). A facilities manager might be presented with maintenance data as well as energy consumption data, while an end user might only be presented with energy consumption data and data on current environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, light levels), but not maintenance data. The console GUI can also display (for example, on the floor plan itself or in a side console) the operating status of various commissioned units (for example, whether an unresolved error has been reported for a unit, or whether a unit is powered on or off). In many implementations, device-related data, such as functions or status data, is presented to the user within 0.5 seconds of being requested (for example, by hovering the cursor over the device on the floor plan). Devices can also be visually highlighted on the floor plan. The console GUI can also visually represent different categories of devices or commissioned units on the floor plan in different ways. For example, different icons can be used to visually represent lighting devices, HVAC devices, sensors, and control devices.The choice of icons can be customized according to user preferences. Different information may be displayed for a commissioned unit depending on its category. For commissioned units used for lighting, the information may include the current lighting level and energy consumption, and whether occupancy-based or daylight-based control is enabled. For sensors, the latest detected data or an average of measurements over a recent period may be displayed. The central console GUI can also provide the user with the ability to change the parameters of commissioned devices. When the user selects a commissioned device, its parameters can be displayed, and editable parameters, based on the user's permissions and / or role, can be visually indicated as editable. Parameters that the user cannot edit can be visually represented as non-editable (for example, grayed out). An acceptable range for a parameter can also be specified, and the central console GUI can reject parameter values ​​outside that range. Help tips can also be available through the central console GUI. For example, help tips can be displayed as an overlay when the user's cursor hovers over a commissioned unit.Some implementations of the center console GUI may be available in languages ​​other than English. The center console GUI may also provide a graphical interface for users to manage schedules. An authorized user can use the console GUI to create, edit, delete, prioritize, and manage schedules. The central console's GUI can also provide graphical means for centrally controlling the operating settings of commissioned units throughout the system. For example, users can control lighting settings for a group of selected commissioned units or individual commissioned units in real time (e.g., using graphical means to select multiple commissioned units and / or individual luminaires and select new light levels or dim the light output in one or more stages). The new operating states (e.g., new lighting levels) can then be visually reflected on the central console as feedback to the user that changes have taken place. System modules or the commissioned units themselves can also analyze available monitoring data to provide system modules, such as the 100A system's 110 environmental manager module, with recommendations on parameter settings that lead to optimal system performance (e.g., energy-efficient performance). These recommendations can be presented to the user when they are given user interface tools to adjust the operating parameters for the commissioned units. Real-time analyses of estimated energy consumption and energy savings, along with cost estimates, can be performed and presented to the user to help determine optimal parameter settings. Monitoring console The central console (GUI) may also include a monitoring console GUI that displays data collected by various system components (e.g., the environmental manager module 110, the gateway module 130, the IP luminaire 150, or the area controller 320). The collected data (referred to herein as monitoring data) may reflect, for example, space usage (occupancy, presence), energy consumption, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, use of automatic and manual controls, and detected operational errors. Energy consumption data may be captured as actual or notional energy measurements. Energy consumption may be measured in kWh. Each sample of collected data may be associated with a timestamp and a device or physical location ID.Presence can be recorded as yes or no for the commissioned units or areas in question; and occupancy can be recorded as a percentage of the time the commissioned units or areas in question are occupied. The occupancy status can be determined based on multiple sensors associated with a commissioned unit. The generation of maintenance and diagnostic messages or reports can also be monitored and recorded. For example, alarms or alerts generated by commissioned units in the form of messages reporting errors or operational warnings can be monitored to predict potential future operational malfunctions. Monitoring data can be presented graphically and analyzed using any combination of standard and proprietary analytical methods. In many implementations, monitoring data can enable users such as facility managers to gain valuable insights into data trends, make comparisons with previously collected data (e.g., historical data), and implement strategies such as data-driven energy consumption strategies. The commissioned devices being monitored can store monitored data on the device itself, or the data can be stored in one or more memories (for example, a database) accessible to system modules such as the environmental manager module 110, the commissioning module 120, or the gateway module 130 of system 100A. Monitoring data can be recorded at specific, configurable time intervals. Furthermore, the occurrence of events (for example, occupancy detection) can cause monitoring to stop or resume. When monitoring occurs, it can be expressed by one or more configurable parameters at the system-wide level (for example, by setting system-wide parameters or rules that affect multiple commissioned areas and units) or on a device-by-device basis. Monitor data and present monitored data The monitoring console may allow an authorized user to select the information to be monitored, the spatial and temporal definition for data collection, the area(s) to be monitored, the analytical tools to be applied, and / or the visual presentation of raw or analyzed data. Some users (e.g., facility managers) may be authorized to select new areas for monitoring or to stop data collection in other areas. Other users (e.g., office users) may be able to specify which types of monitoring data they see in the monitoring console, or whether they see raw or analyzed monitoring data, but this may not affect the actual collection of monitoring data. Users can select areas (e.g., the campus, the building, individual floors, rooms, or work areas) or specific commissioned units or types of commissioned units to monitor from an interactive floor map. Users can also specify or select how much monitoring data they would like to access (e.g., a full year, 6 months, 1 month, 1 week, 1 day) and how recent the data should be (e.g., within the last month, week, day, hour). Depending on the type of monitoring data, the time frame for the available data may vary. The user can also configure the presentation of the monitoring data. For example, the monitoring console can allow users to select the type of charts used to present raw or analyzed data (e.g., heat maps) or choose other details that affect the visual presentation. For example, a user can configure their own monitoring view to use a particular color code to indicate occupancy status (e.g., red for areas occupied more than 90% of the time during business hours, green for areas occupied less than 20% of the time during business hours). The user can also generate reports based on the collected monitoring data. The reports can be customized and exported in many formats such as PDF, DOC, XLS, and XML. Because user comfort is paramount for the systems described herein for managing environmental conditions within a structure, the monitored data includes key indicators of this metric. For example, the number of manual or personal overrides of the prevailing environmental conditions associated with commissioned units or areas can be tracked over time. This includes manual changes to light levels and manual changes to temperature, humidity, and airflow. These changes can be analyzed together to reveal trends when all manual or personal overrides are considered over a period of time. Based on the temperature data recorded over a period of time, heat maps can be created for commissioned units, and overheated and underheated commissioned units can be identified.Because temperatures in one area can affect the temperature in adjacent areas, some areas may be overheated or underheated based on the temperature of neighboring areas. Analyzing recorded temperature data can reveal such trends. Mathematical models can then be used to suggest changes in temperature and airflow parameters for commissioned units to counteract any identified negative trends. Registration and submission of data related to maintenance All monitoring data related to maintaining the system under operating conditions can be presented in one or more related user interfaces. In many implementations, these UIs (presented as one or more linked windows, consoles, or websites) display data such as diagnostic messages; alarms, warnings, and other events associated with commissioned units; emergency lighting activations; reports and notifications about device failures; and planned and completed device replacements. Unlike an alarm, which means that a device may not be functioning as intended, a warning means that the system may be operating near or outside its operating limits (for example, indicating that a device is nearing the end of its useful life, or experiencing overvoltage or overcurrent conditions).Different visual features (e.g., different icons and colors) can be used to visually indicate different categories of device malfunction, such as communication failures and lack of power. In some embodiments, when a defective device or a commissioned unit is replaced, a user with the appropriate maintenance credentials can use the central console to commission the device according to the method depicted in Figure 5. The replaced device can be detected by the system, and its location marked on the floor plan. Commissioning data for the device involved can be shared between system modules, such as the commissioning module 120 and the environmental management module 110, to effectively commission the device after replacement.The process of linking a replaced device to the sensors can be initiated, for example, by an authorized user simply by dragging and dropping an icon representing the discovered device onto the icons representing one or more sensors on the digital plane displayed on the center console. System modules, such as the 110 environmental manager module, can perform localized or system-wide self-tests. Self-tests can be initiated automatically at regular intervals or manually by an authorized user. System modules or commissioned units can generate reports and diagnostic messages about the status of various commissioned units or system modules, which are then displayed on the central console. For manually initiated self-tests, the system can provide the user with progress updates. Additionally, system modules can log and make available TCP / IP network messages related to various commissioned units. User management console The central console may also include a user-management GUI that allows an authorized user to create, edit, and delete user accounts for system users. User accounts can be for employees within the organization (e.g., office workers) as well as for managers with permissions to configure user accounts. Each user and manager account may have an associated user ID and password for authentication purposes. In some implementations, manager accounts may configure, for example: what types of data are monitored, which users can view the monitored data and with what definition, which system parameters are configurable and which users can modify the values ​​of those parameters, which users receive system notifications, and which commissioned units are used for various system-level tasks (e.g., collecting monitoring data). In addition to providing a means to manually create new administrative and user accounts, the user management GUI can also facilitate user account creation by importing previously existing user accounts from existing user account infrastructures (e.g., LDAP, RADIUS / Active Server). In some implementations, user accounts can have an assigned role (e.g., the maintenance engineer role). All users assigned to a particular role can have the same level of access to information and the same level of control over various aspects of the system. For example, all users assigned to the maintenance engineer role can have permission to view, with a certain level of detail or definition, monitored usage information (e.g., lighting levels in various locations within the building) relevant to maintaining system functionality.Therefore, a role can act as a template with certain permissions enabled and others disabled. Consequently, assigning roles to user accounts is an efficient way to restrict users' access to potentially sensitive information about other users' activities within the organization, while simultaneously allowing users to access the appropriate types of information to perform functions related to their assigned roles. The user management GUI can also allow the creation and management of client accounts, where administrative and user accounts are associated with a single client account. The system can support multiple client accounts, such that the administrator accounts of each client account can be authorized to edit user accounts associated only with their own client account. This arrangement allows for the management of environmental conditions in the same physical space by separate entities. For example, the same office building could be occupied by one entity from Monday to Wednesday and another entity on Thursday and Friday. Each entity can have a different client account with user accounts associated with its own employees. Maintenance and reliability Software updates System modules (for example, the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module) can, in various embodiments, enable software updates for commissioned units. During various stages of the software update process, the devices being updated may be inoperative. Software updates can be performed on a planned basis, initiated remotely using user interfaces such as the central console, or on-site by a qualified user (for example, a field support engineer) using system tools such as the commissioning tool. They can be performed for selected devices or a class of devices, and the central console can reflect ongoing, planned, and completed software updates for devices commissioned into the system. During a software update, the behavior of devices such as lighting fixtures may differ from their pre-update configuration. For example, lighting units that have been commissioned and subsequently restarted during a software update may provide a specific level of illumination (e.g., background lighting) and ignore any incoming lighting control requests. System modules involved in preparing and / or forwarding automatically or manually generated environmental control commands (e.g., the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module) to commissioned units may stop forwarding commands to those units that are currently undergoing a software update.Once the software update is complete, the updated device may, in some implementations, revert to its behavior just before the update. In many implementations, a device software update does not overwrite or delete configuration settings that were established before the update. In many implementations, to protect against security breaches, devices will only accept approved firmware versions and types and software code for update purposes, and only authorized users will be able to initiate software updates. The transmission of update-related data files may only be permitted through secure communication channels. Maintenance: Commissioning and reconfiguration of devices Floor plan and hot-plug In some implementations, the commissioning tool provides an interactive floor plan that displays the actual physical location of devices such as sensors, PoE switches, luminaires, area controllers, and gateway modules. During the hot-plugging and hot-plugging of such devices (e.g., adding and removing devices while the overall system is powered on and operational), the floor plan can reflect, in real time, the removal and addition of devices. New automatic commissioning: Replacement of lights and sensors In some implementations, the commissioning and reconfiguration of a previously commissioned unit, such as a luminaire or sensor, after its replacement can be automated. A report detailing the replacement commissioned unit, the replaced unit, and / or any errors or warnings resulting from the commissioning and / or reconfiguration process can then be generated and sent to the central console. The report may include the device and location where the exchange took place. In many implementations, a replaced luminaire can resume its operation as part of a commissioned unit within 5 seconds of being connected to the power and communication lines. The sensors, like other commissioned units, can also be upgraded and replaced while the system is operational. For example, one or more carbon dioxide, humidity, and temperature sensors can be added even after the system has been commissioned and is operational. In many implementations, system modules such as the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module can recognize the capabilities of a replacement sensor and automatically commission it by linking it to an appropriate commissioned unit. Additionally, the capabilities of the replacement sensor can be reported to the central console. New semi-automatic commissioning: In many implementations, when replacing a lighting system controller or actuator device (sensor, luminaire, IU control, area controller), an authorized system user (e.g., a commissioning engineer) may need to commission and configure the device to enable proper operation. In many cases, this can be accomplished using the commissioning tool. Occasionally, when replacing a commissioned unit, a system module such as the 110 environmental manager module or the 130 gateway module can discover the device on the network and submit it for commissioning using the commissioning tool. The placement of a replaced device can be performed automatically or semi-automatically, requiring confirmation of successful placement by an authorized user (e.g., a commissioning engineer). If only one device is being replaced in the system, the commissioning module can automatically reconfigure the device with the configuration details of the faulty device it replaced. An authorized user can also request the latest version of the configuration data associated with the replaced device, for example, via the central console. New manual commissioning An authorized user can use the central console to manually reactivate decommissioned units and reconfigure the parameters of selected decommissioned units. For example, a user can select devices to add to a decommissioned unit or divide a decommissioned unit into subunits and specify various parameters used to control the behavior of the newly decommissioned units. Emergency mode and lighting In situations where a power outage occurs or an unswitched power line is disconnected, the system can activate a system-wide emergency mode. During emergency mode, the units in service cannot respond to any daylight or occupancy-based controls, nor to any control requests from individual users. In various embodiments, emergency luminaires or lighting units distributed throughout the building can be activated to produce sufficient light for purposes such as building evacuation. Each such emergency luminaire may feature one or more indicator LEDs, with various light states indicating related system states.For example, a solid green light may indicate that the system is functioning as required; a flashing green light may indicate that the system is performing a function or endurance test; and a flashing red light with a period of four flashes may indicate a battery failure. Reliability Light output quality In some embodiments, luminaires with different lighting effects (e.g., temperature and color) can be used, and the system can support lighting devices with the following specifications: Ra greater than 80; Task lighting uniformity greater than 0.7; Background lighting uniformity greater than 0.4; UGR (Unified Glare Rating) of 19 for office spaces, and 28 for circulation areas; and CCT of 4000 K. Network failure In situations where network connectivity is unavailable across the entire system, the system may behave in a predetermined manner until network connectivity is restored. For example, occupancy-based controls may be available with limited capacity, providing a minimum level of illumination in areas where occupancy is detected; and daylight-based control and personal controls may be unavailable. In situations where an individual luminaire or lighting unit detects that it is no longer connected to the network, it may also behave in a prescribed manner. For example, it may continue to provide the same level of illumination as before the network failure was detected, and if it is off, it may switch to provide a minimum level of illumination if occupancy is subsequently detected in its vicinity.This behavior ensures that, even in the event of a network failure, a minimum level of lighting will be present in occupied areas. PoE switch failure Figure 22 shows an arrangement of commissioned units and associated PoE switches to reduce the visual impact of a PoE switch failure. In Figure 22, two PoE switches (PoE Switch A and PoE Switch B) are shown supplying power to various commissioned units, identified by dotted rectangles, in two separate rooms. PoE Switch A is shown supplying power to three commissioned units and their respective luminaires or lighting units (shown as circles within the dotted rectangles) in Room 1 and to one commissioned unit and its luminaires in Room 2. PoE Switch B is shown supplying power to two commissioned units and their respective luminaires (or lighting units) in Room 2 and to one commissioned unit and its luminaires (or lighting units) in Room 1.In such an arrangement, where each PoE switch supplies power to at least one unit put into service in each of the two rooms, neither room will be left in complete darkness if one of the PoE switches fails. Self-diagnosis Figure 23 illustrates a method 2300 for self-diagnostics and recovery performed by commissioned units in some embodiments of a system for managing environmental conditions. Figure 23 comprises steps 2310 to 2350. In some variations of method 2300, it is not necessary to perform all the represented steps in the order shown; one or more steps may be added, and one or more of the shown steps may be omitted. In step 2710, a commissioned unit detects a fault in its own operation, with or without the aid of system modules such as gateway module 130. A fault may be the inability of the commissioned unit to respond to a requested control command when the request is within the technical limits permitted by its specifications.For example, a defect might be that a luminaire (or lighting unit or light source) is unable to provide illumination at a particular level of light output when its specifications allow for that level. Once the commissioned unit has detected the defect, the control process moves to stage 2320. In stage 2320, the commissioned unit attempts self-recovery. Self-recovery might involve the unit restarting and / or otherwise resetting itself. Some commissioned units may also be configured to attempt a number of other operations commonly known to correct operational errors if a restart or reset does not resolve the defect.Once the commissioned unit has attempted self-recovery, it proceeds to step 2330, where it checks whether the detected fault has been resolved, with or without the assistance of system modules such as Gateway Module 130. During this step, the commissioned unit may attempt to perform the same task that previously caused the fault to be detected. If the fault is resolved, the commissioned unit resumes normal operation, and control passes back to step 2310. In some implementations, the commissioned unit may report the operational error to another system module, such as Environmental Manager Module 110, Commissioning Module 120, or Gateway Module 130, while simultaneously transmitting a message that the commissioned unit has recovered from the error.Such an error report may not result in corrective action by the reported system modules, but it can be used for statistical purposes (e.g., to record system-wide operational errors and how they were handled). If the fault is not resolved, the process escalates to step 2340, and the commissioned unit reports the fault to another system module (for example, the environmental manager module 110, the commissioning module 120, or the gateway module 130). The fault report can have an associated urgency level, which can be set by the commissioned unit itself. The urgency level can influence how and when the notified module responds to the fault. When reporting the fault, the commissioned unit can also transmit identifying information to the modules it reports the fault to. In response to the fault report, one of the receiving modules can send self-recovery instructions to the commissioned unit.Self-recovery instructions can be, for example, computer code or information that identifies the location, in one or more memories, of the computer code or instructions for self-recovery. In some implementations, a system module such as the environmental manager module 110 can send a known error correction in the form of computer code executable by the commissioned unit if the reported error relates to a known error associated with the commissioned unit. At step 2350, the commissioned unit checks to determine whether self-recovery instructions were received. If no instructions were received, control remains at step 2350, and the commissioned unit waits to receive such instructions or other action from an authorized system user, such as a hardware replacement.If self-recovery instructions are received, then control passes back to stage 2320, in which the commissioned unit attempts self-recovery using the newly received instructions. Figure 24 illustrates an implementation of an interactive graphical user interface shown as a front-end interface for an environmental management module, according to several implementations of a system for managing environmental conditions. It displays devices and units commissioned on an interactive floor plan and, when requested, displays usage information (e.g., operating hours, energy consumption) and status information for these devices and units. Figure 25 illustrates an implementation of an interactive graphical user interface shown as a front-end interface for a commissioning module, according to several implementations of a system for managing environmental conditions. The user interface allows the user to manually adjust, for example, light levels of various lighting units in an area such as a mobile office.Figure 26 illustrates an implementation of an interactive area wizard for use as part of a front-end interface for a commissioning module. The area wizard allows a user to specify various parameters that together define the function(s) of an area within a physical structure. The information received from the user regarding the function(s) of an area can then be used to automatically configure various devices within the area. Figure 27 illustrates an implementation of an interactive graphical user interface for use in commissioning a new device (e.g., a sensor) for use in a system for managing environmental conditions.

Claims

1. A method (1100) for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure comprising a plurality of linked, commissioned units and one or more occupancy sensors, the method comprising: making a first determination, based on occupancy data produced by the one or more occupancy sensors (140-1, 150-1), that a designated zone has transitioned from an occupied state to an unoccupied state (1110); monitoring additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of the duration of a waiting period, and making a second determination as to whether the designated zone remained in the unoccupied state for the entire waiting period (1115);Based on the result of the second determination, one or more luminaires of at least one of the plurality of linked units put into service that is associated with the designated zone are dimmed to a first lower illumination level during a first grace period that begins after the expiration of the waiting period (1125), characterized in that the method comprises: monitoring additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of the duration of the first grace period, and making a third determination as to whether or not the designated zone remained in the unoccupied state during the entire first grace period (1135);and based on the result of the third determination, the one or more luminaires: dim again to a previous higher illumination level produced before the start of the first grace period (1130) or complete their transition to the first lower illumination level (1140).

2. The method (1100) of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: monitoring additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of the duration of an extension period, the extension period commencing after the first grace period has expired, and making a fourth determination as to whether the designated zone remained unoccupied or not during the entire extension period (1145);and based on the result of the fourth determination, the one or more luminaires: dim again to a higher previous illumination level produced before the start of the extension period (1130) or dim to an illumination level associated with an off state during a second grace period that begins after the extension period (1150).

3. A system (100A, 100B) for managing environmental conditions within a physical structure comprising a plurality of linked commissioned units and one or more occupancy sensors (140-1, 150-1), the system comprising one or more components configured to: make a first determination, based on occupancy data produced by the one or more occupancy sensors, that a designated zone has passed from an occupied state to an unoccupied state;monitor additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of the duration of a waiting period, and make a second determination as to whether the designated zone remained in the unoccupied state for the entire duration of the waiting period;dimming, based on the result of the second determination, one or more luminaires of at least one of the plurality of linked units put into service that is associated with the designated zone to a first lower lighting level during a first grace period that begins after the expiration of the waiting period, characterized in that one or more components are further configured to: monitor additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of the duration of the first grace period, and make a third determination as to whether or not the designated zone remained in the unoccupied state during the entire first grace period;and, based on the result of the third determination, dimming one or more luminaires to a higher illumination level produced before the start of the first grace period or completing the transition to the first lower illumination level.

4. The system (100A, 100B) of claim 3, wherein one or more components are further configured to: monitor additional occupancy data produced by the occupancy sensors during at least part of the duration of an extension period, the extension period commencing after the first grace period has expired, and make a fourth determination as to whether the designated zone remained unoccupied or not during the entire extension period;and, based on the result of the fourth determination, dim the one or more luminaires again to a higher illumination level produced before the start of the extension period or dim the one or more luminaires to an illumination level associated with an off state during a second grace period that begins after the extension period.

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