Intelligent Lighting Control System

Abstract

The present invention relates to a central controller (3) for remote communication with a plurality of network controllers (NCs) (20), the plurality of NCs (20) being provided in communication nodes (2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) and configured for short-range communication with one another, the central controller (3) being configured to be communicatively connected to each of the plurality of NCs. The central controller (3) includes a data processing device (32) configured to receive ID information, location information, and a list of communicable neighboring NCs from each of the NCs (20), identify at least one NC among the plurality of NCs as providing accurate location information based on the received ID information, location information, and list of communicable neighboring NCs, use the identified NC as an anchor point NC (2a), and identify missing and / or mislocated NCs by analyzing the received ID information, location information, and list of communicable neighboring NCs. The present invention further relates to a lighting control system (1) including such a central controller (3).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a central controller for remotely communicating with a plurality of network controllers (NCs), the plurality of NCs being provided at a communication node, the central controller being configured to be in communication connection with each NC of the plurality of NCs, the central controller including a data processing device.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a lighting control system including a plurality of communication nodes and a plurality of node controllers (NCs), each communication node including an NC, the lighting control system including a central controller configured to be in communication connection with each NC of the plurality of NCs. Optionally, the outdoor lighting control system may further include a front-end unit.

[0003] As used herein, "communicatively connected" is generally understood to mean any connection through which the units of an outdoor lighting control system, in particular the NCs, central controllers and front-end units of a plurality of communication nodes, may communicate with each other to exchange data. Such connections are most commonly wireless, such as via an appropriate network, but may in principle also be wired.

[0004] As used herein, "communicable" is generally understood to refer to an NC with which other NCs and a central controller can communicate.

[0005] US2020329341A1 discloses an exemplary lighting fixture-based positioning system that calculates a respective distance from an uncommissioned lighting fixture to each of neighboring commissioned lighting fixtures based on a respective received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurement. Based on the calculated respective distances to each of the neighboring commissioned lighting fixtures and the set of commissioned location coordinates of each of the neighboring commissioned lighting fixtures, the lighting fixture-based positioning system estimates a set of uncommissioned location coordinates of the uncommissioned lighting fixture. The lighting fixture-based positioning system determines a best-fit assignment of the set of uncommissioned location coordinates of the uncommissioned lighting fixtures in the uncommissioned lighting fixture list to the set of commissioned location coordinates of the non-operated commissioned lighting fixtures in the non-operated lighting fixture list. The lighting fixture-based positioning system adjusts a lighting fixture node map for each of the non-operated commissioned lighting fixtures based on the determined best-fit assignment.

[0006] US2011026434A1 discloses a node detection system including an array of nodes (510), where each node of the array of nodes (510) has at least two, three, or four directional antennas (530) configured to have antenna beams in the same number of directions. The range of each antenna is limited to reach adjacent operational nodes of the array of nodes (510) for transmitting messages to the adjacent operational nodes. A controller (550) receives messages from the array of nodes (510) and determines the location of each node based on the messages.

[0007] US2012059622A1 discloses a streetlight monitoring system in which a small portion of the streetlights in the system are anchor nodes configured to detect and store their actual fixed locations, thereby serving as reference points. Furthermore, other streetlights, called blind nodes, do not have actual fixed locations but can use the coordinates of the anchor nodes to estimate their own distance to them and derive their own location. Distance estimation of blind nodes can be performed using received signal strength indications (RSSIs) measured at each blind node for small distances up to a threshold, and link quantization techniques utilize typical placement of streetlights. Estimated distances between streetlights can be assigned to predetermined distance categories for coarse estimation and further position adjustment to the nearest possible "real" location.

[0008] EP2957150A1 discloses a lighting control system and method for node association in a multi-node network, the system including a number of lighting nodes forming the multi-node network, each lighting node including a light source, a controller connected to the light source, and communication means connected to the controller, the lighting control system further including a memory component configured to store information regarding at least one group of interrelated coordinates defined in a geographic coordinate system, and a processing component configured to communicate with the lighting nodes and to automatically associate at least one lighting node with at least one group based on the geographic location of the at least one lighting node. [Background technology]

[0009] Commissioning is a critical process for intelligent lighting systems: it allows devices, typically lighting fixtures, in the field to be identified, securely enable network communication, and collect the information needed to locate the device and describe its reported properties.

[0010] Outdoors, commissioning includes collecting GPS locations and information for connected luminaires, as well as factory settings and unique ID information for control gear, such as the Outdoor luminaire Controller (OLC).

[0011] For example, US 10,659,919 B1 discloses a method and system for automatic commissioning of a network of electronic devices, in which the location of a large system of installed electronic devices equipped with wireless communication modules, such as lighting fixtures, light switches, and occupancy sensors, is quickly determined by calculating the location coordinates of the devices using inter-device distance measurements. Increasing the reliability of the calculated location coordinates can be achieved by comparing the calculated values ​​with an installation plan and assigning specific device IDs to the location coordinates in the installation plan.

[0012] Currently, auto-commissioning is a trend, which provides a plug-and-play feature, so that installers do not need to use separate tools, such as a scanner for scanning barcodes or QR codes, to obtain and input the necessary information into the intelligent lighting system.

[0013] However, due to complex situations that often occur in real projects, problems can be encountered that cause a luminaire controller (LC), such as an OLC, to not report its location or to report an inaccurate location with a considerable amount of position drift, making device management difficult or impossible under such circumstances.

[0014] For example, the following scenarios may occur: The GPS location of the OLC may be off due to a bad satellite view or interference caused by nearby buildings (the latter being particularly problematic in urban areas); The GPS module of the OLC may be faulty; The remote communication between the OLC and back-end units such as GPRS / NB-IOT may fail or may not be properly commissioned by the operator.

[0015] A missing or incorrectly reported location of an OLC, and thus a luminaire, can cause several undesirable problems for users of the lighting system. For example, the OLC and linked luminaires may not show up in the user interface (UI), making the luminaires appear missing to the user. The OLC and linked luminaires may be displayed in the wrong location, making the luminaires appear mislocated to the user. In some cases, the user may not even realize that the luminaire is missing and / or may not be able to identify the mislocated luminaires and find them in the field.

[0016] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a lighting control system that addresses the above problems and is capable of locating missing NCs, and thus missing communication nodes, identifying position-drifting NCs, and providing an alert and rough location of the missing or position-drifting NC to a field team so that on-site service can be requested to check the missing or position-drifting NC. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0017] The object of the present invention is to overcome this problem and provide a lighting control system that is capable of locating missing NCs, and thus missing communication nodes, identifying mislocated NCs, and providing an alert and the general location of the missing or mislocated NC to a field team so that on-site service can be requested to check the missing or mislocated NC. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] According to a first aspect of the present invention, this and other objects are achieved by a central controller for remote communication with a plurality of network controllers (NCs), the plurality of NCs being provided at communication nodes and configured for near field communication with each other, the central controller being configured to be in communication connection with each NC of the plurality of NCs, the central controller including a data processing device configured to receive from each NC of the plurality of NCs ID information, location information and a list of communicable neighboring NCs, identify at least one NC of the plurality of NCs as providing accurate position information based on the received ID information and location information and the received list of communicable neighboring NCs and use the NC thus identified as an anchor point NC, and identify missing and / or mislocated NCs by analysing the received ID information and location information and the received list of communicable neighboring NCs.

[0019] This provides, inter alia, an outdoor lighting control system in which, with the central controller configured as described above, missing NCs, and thus missing communication nodes, can be found, and mislocated NCs, and thus mislocated communication nodes, can be identified, which in turn allows alerts and the general location of missing or mislocated NCs to be provided to a user or field team so that on-site service can be called to check the identified missing or mislocated NC.

[0020] This also provides a central controller from which all missing NCs, and thus missing communication nodes, can be found and all mislocated NCs, and thus mislocated communication nodes, can be identified more efficiently and accurately without leaving any NCs, and thus communication nodes, unaccounted for.

[0021] In one embodiment, the data processing device of the central controller is further configured to receive ID information, location information and precision information from each NC of the plurality of NCs, as well as a list of neighboring NCs that can be communicated with; identify at least one NC among the plurality of NCs as providing accurate location information based on the received ID information, location information and precision information, as well as the received list of neighboring NCs that can be communicated with, and use the NC thus identified as an anchor point NC; and identify missing and / or misaligned NCs by analyzing the received ID information, location information and precision information, as well as the received list of neighboring NCs that can be communicated with.

[0022] By providing that the central controller is further configured to receive accuracy information from the NC as described above, an outdoor lighting control system is provided in which all missing NCs, and thus missing communication nodes, can be found more efficiently and accurately, and all mislocated NCs, and thus mislocated communication nodes, can be identified, and a more accurate location of the missing or mislocated NC can be provided to a user or field team called in to service the missing or mislocated NC.

[0023] In one embodiment, the central controller is further configured to control the NCs identified and used as anchor points NC to allow one, two or three hops.

[0024] It is noted in this context that a hop is intended to be understood as a message exchange between adjacent nodes with no intermediate nodes on the communication path, i.e. no message routing takes place.

[0025] By allowing the anchor point NC to make one, two, or three hops, more distant neighboring NCs are considered without unduly diluting the precision information that the anchor point NC can obtain about its neighboring NCs. Allowing the anchor point NC to make hops may also increase the probability of finding missing NCs.

[0026] In one embodiment, the location information includes one or more of the longitude and latitude of the NC, a GPS location, and a location ID.

[0027] This allows the position of the NC to be given or stated with a high degree of accuracy.

[0028] In one embodiment, the accuracy information includes one or more of the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) between the anchor point and the nearby NC, the number of satellites visible to the NC, and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).

[0029] This provides an accurate measure of the accuracy of the location information.

[0030] In one embodiment, the central controller data processing device is configured to maintain a list of reporting NCs, maintain a further list of NCs based on the received list of communicable neighboring NCs, and cross-check the list and the further list to identify NCs that appear only in the further list, thereby indicating missing or non-reporting NCs.

[0031] This allows missing NCs to be accurately identified simply, efficiently and quickly.

[0032] In one embodiment, the data processing device of the central controller is further configured to use the anchor points NC to estimate the location of the missing NC.

[0033] This allows an estimate of the location of the missing NC to be provided to the user or field team called in to service the missing or mislocated NC.

[0034] In one embodiment, estimating the location of the missing NC includes determining the periphery of a virtual circle, taking an NC that has the missing NC as a neighboring NC as its center, and considering the periphery as the area of ​​the location of the missing NC.

[0035] In one embodiment, estimating the location of the missing NC includes determining an overlap area of ​​each virtual circle, with two or more NCs having the missing NC as a neighboring NC as the center of the respective virtual circle, and considering the determined overlap area as the area of ​​the location of the missing NC.

[0036] This provides a user or field team called upon to service a missing or mislocated NC with an estimate of the location of the missing NC with a high degree of accuracy that makes it particularly easy for the user or field team to locate the missing communicating node in the field. Using more than one NC for this purpose increases the accuracy of the location estimate.

[0037] In one embodiment, the data processing device of the central controller is further configured to request and receive updated location information, accuracy information and a list of communicable neighboring NCs from each NC of the plurality of NCs, obtain a proximity setting and a local communication range for each NC of the plurality of NCs, select at least one NC in the list of communicable neighboring NCs of the anchor point NC, calculate a distance of at least one NC in the list of communicable neighboring NCs to the anchor point NC, determine whether the calculated distance of the at least one NC is less than the local communication range of the at least one NC, and identify misaligned NCs by determining that the at least one NC is misaligned if the calculated distance of the at least one NC is not less than the local communication range of the at least one NC.

[0038] This removes sources of error in the estimate of the location of a missing NC provided to a user or field team called upon to service the missing or mislocated NC, and provides the estimate with a high degree of accuracy that makes it particularly easy for the user or field team to locate missing communication nodes in the field.

[0039] In one embodiment, the central controller is further configured to trigger a warning or alarm regarding an NC that is identified as missing or misplaced.

[0040] This allows users or field teams to be alerted to missing or misplaced NCs without delay, ensuring faster and more efficient maintenance of lighting systems.

[0041] In one embodiment, the central controller is further configured to control each NC to provide the central controller with a list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate.

[0042] This allows the identification process to be on-demand and centrally controlled, allowing for a quick process without having to wait for the NC to respond according to a predetermined schedule.

[0043] In one embodiment, the outdoor lighting control system further includes a front-end unit, and the central controller is further configured to cause the front-end unit to trigger a warning or alarm regarding the NC identified as missing or misaligned.

[0044] This allows the user or the field team to be directly alerted without delay about missing or misplaced NCs, ensuring particularly fast and efficient maintenance of the lighting system.

[0045] In one embodiment, the central controller may be a back-end unit, the communication nodes may be luminaires, and the NC may be a luminaire controller (LC). The LC may be an outdoor luminaire controller (OLC) or an indoor luminaire controller (ILC). The luminaire may be an outdoor luminaire or an indoor luminaire.

[0046] In a second aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects are achieved by a lighting control system comprising a central controller according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of communication nodes and a plurality of node controllers NC, each communication node of the plurality of communication nodes comprising an NC from the plurality of NCs.

[0047] In one embodiment, each NC of the plurality of NCs is configured to communicate remotely with a central controller and to communicate near-field with other NCs of the plurality of NCs, and each NC of the plurality of NCs is further configured to receive ID information and location information from neighboring NCs of the plurality of NCs via near-field communication, maintain a list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate based on the received ID information and location information, provide the list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate to the central controller via remote communication, and provide ID information and location information regarding itself to the central controller via remote communication.

[0048] In one embodiment, each NC of the plurality of NCs is further configured to receive accuracy information from neighboring NCs of the plurality of NCs via short-range communication, maintain a list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate based on the received ID information and location information, provide the list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate to the central controller via remote communication, and provide ID information, location information and accuracy information regarding the NC itself to the central controller via remote communication.

[0049] This provides an outdoor lighting control system in which the NC or multiple communication nodes can communicate with each other and thus the necessary information can be provided to the central controller in a particularly simple and efficient manner to enable the central controller to identify missing and / or mislocated NCs and thus missing communication nodes.

[0050] In one embodiment, each NC of the plurality of NCs includes a first communication module configured for remote communication with a central controller, a second communication module configured for short-range communication with other NCs of the plurality of NCs, and a microcontroller unit, and the microcontroller unit of each NC of the plurality of NCs is configured to receive ID information, location information, and accuracy information from neighboring NCs of the plurality of NCs via short-range communication using the first communication module, maintain a list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate based on the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information, and provide the list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate, as well as ID information, location information, and accuracy information about the NC itself, to the central controller using the second communication module.

[0051] This provides an outdoor lighting control system having a simple structure that is easy and relatively cheap to manufacture, and in which the above advantages can be obtained in a particularly simple manner.

[0052] In one embodiment, at least one NC of the plurality of NCs is configured to support short-range communications with other NCs of the plurality of NCs located within a distance of at least 90 m or at least 300 m.

[0053] Considering the typical distance between communication nodes, i.e., NCs, in outdoor lighting systems, it has been shown that such a short-distance communication range allows an NC to find a sufficient number of neighboring NCs to efficiently achieve the above-mentioned benefits, even taking into account crossovers and signal loss in communication. As an example, the typical distance between communication nodes in a street lighting system is 30 m.

[0054] In a third aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects are achieved by a method for identifying missing and / or mislocated network controllers (NCs) by a central controller for remote communication with a plurality of network controllers (NCs), the plurality of NCs being provided at communication nodes and configured for short-range communication with each other, the central controller being configured for communication connection with each NC of the plurality of NCs, the central controller comprising: receiving ID information, location information, and a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate from each NC (20) of the plurality of NCs; Identifying at least one NC among the plurality of NCs as providing accurate location information based on the received ID information and location information and the received list of neighboring NCs that can communicate, and using the identified NC as an anchor point NC (20a); identifying missing and / or mislocated NCs by analyzing the received ID and location information and the received list of nearby available NCs; This is achieved by a method including a data processing device configured to execute the method.

[0055] In one embodiment, the data processing device of the central controller further comprises: receiving ID information, location information, and accuracy information from each NC of the plurality of NCs, as well as a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate; Identifying at least one NC among the plurality of NCs as providing accurate location information based on the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information, and the received list of neighboring NCs that can communicate, and using the identified NC as an anchor point NC; identifying missing and / or mislocated NCs by analyzing the received ID information, location information and accuracy information, and the received list of nearby NCs that are available for communication; is configured to execute

[0056] In one embodiment, the central controller is further configured to perform one or more of the following steps: controlling anchor point NCs to allow one, two or three hops; controlling each NC to provide the central controller with a list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate; and triggering a warning or alarm for NCs identified as missing or misaligned.

[0057] In one embodiment, the data processing device of the central controller is configured to identify missing NCs by performing the steps of maintaining a list of reporting NCs, maintaining a further list of NCs based on the received list of communicable neighboring NCs, and cross-checking the list and the further list to identify NCs that appear only in the further list, thereby indicating missing or non-reporting NCs.

[0058] In one embodiment, the data processing device of the central controller is further configured to use the anchor points NC to estimate the location of the missing NC.

[0059] In one embodiment, estimating the location of the missing NC includes the steps of: setting an NC that has the missing NC as a neighboring NC as the center of a virtual circle; determining the perimeter of the virtual circle; and considering the perimeter as the area of ​​the location of the missing NC; or setting two or more NCs that have the missing NC as neighboring NCs as the centers of respective virtual circles; determining an overlap area of ​​the respective virtual circles; and considering the determined overlap area as the area of ​​the location of the missing NC.

[0060] In one embodiment, the data processing device of the central controller further comprises: requesting and receiving updated location information, accuracy information, and a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate from each NC of the plurality of NCs; obtaining a proximity setting and a local communication range for each NC of the plurality of NCs; selecting at least one NC in a list of communicable neighboring NCs of the anchor point NC; calculating the distance of at least one NC in the list of neighboring NCs that can communicate to the anchor point NC; determining whether the calculated distance of the at least one NC is less than a local communication range of the at least one NC; determining that the at least one NC is misaligned if the calculated distance of the at least one NC is not less than a local communication range of the at least one NC; The method is configured to identify misaligned NCs by performing

[0061] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects are achieved by a method for identifying missing and / or mislocated network controller NCs by a lighting control system comprising a central controller according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of communication nodes and a plurality of node controller NCs, each communication node of the plurality of communication nodes comprising an NC from the plurality of NCs, wherein the central controller comprises a data processing device configured to perform the steps of the method according to the third aspect of the present invention.

[0062] In one embodiment, each NC of the plurality of NCs is configured for remote communication with the central controller and for short-range communication with other NCs of the plurality of NCs, and each NC of the plurality of NCs further comprises: receiving ID information and location information from a nearby NC among the plurality of NCs through short-range communication; maintaining a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate based on the received ID information and location information; providing a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate with the central controller via remote communication; providing identification and location information about the NC to a central controller via remote communication; is configured to execute

[0063] In one embodiment, each NC of the plurality of NCs further comprises: receiving accuracy information from a neighboring NC among the plurality of NCs through short-range communication; maintaining a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate based on the received ID information and location information; providing a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate with the central controller via remote communication; providing ID information, location information, and accuracy information about the NC to a central controller via remote communication; is configured to execute

[0064] In one embodiment, each NC of the plurality of NCs includes a first communication module configured to communicate remotely with the central controller, a second communication module configured to communicate short-range with other NCs of the plurality of NCs, and a microcontroller unit, wherein the microcontroller unit of each NC of the plurality of NCs: receiving, by a first communication module, ID information, location information, and accuracy information from a neighboring NC among the plurality of NCs through short-range communication; maintaining a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate based on the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information; providing, by a second communication module, a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate with the central controller, as well as ID information, location information, and accuracy information about the NC itself; is configured to execute

[0065] In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects are achieved by a computer program product comprising instructions for performing the method according to the third aspect of the invention and / or for performing the method according to the fourth aspect of the invention.

[0066] The invention further relates to a lighting system comprising a lighting control system according to the invention. Such a lighting system may be an outdoor lighting system such as a street lighting system, a park lighting system, a car park lighting system, a garden lighting system, etc. Alternatively, such a lighting system may be an indoor lighting system such as an office lighting system, a domestic lighting system, a public building lighting system, etc.

[0067] The invention relates to all possible combinations of the features recited in the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0068] This and other aspects of the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a lighting control system according to the invention comprising a plurality of communication nodes each comprising a node controller NC; [Figure 2] A schematic diagram of NC is shown. [Figure 3] 1 shows a block diagram illustrating the different types of information exchanged in a lighting control system according to the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a process diagram illustrating one embodiment of steps for identifying missing NCs among a plurality of NCs. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an embodiment of steps for identifying missing NCs among a plurality of NCs. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a process diagram illustrating one embodiment of steps for identifying misaligned NCs among a plurality of NCs. [Figure 7] 10 illustrates an embodiment of steps for identifying misaligned NCs among a plurality of NCs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0069] The present invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. However, the present invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided for thoroughness and completeness, so that the scope of the disclosure will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0070] Fig. 1 shows a lighting control system 1 according to the present invention. The lighting control system 1 generally includes a plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d, and a central controller 3 to which each of the plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d is communicatively connected. The lighting control system 1 may further include a front-end unit 4 communicatively connected to the central controller 3. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d are luminaires. The lighting control system 1 may be an outdoor lighting control system 1 or an indoor lighting control system 1.

[0071] The front end unit 4 includes a user interface 41, such as a keyboard or a touch screen, via which a user 5 can interact with the front end unit 4, thereby enabling manual operation of the lighting control system 1. The front end unit 4 further includes a communication module 42 for enabling data communication with the central controller 3. The front end unit 4 may be, for example, a mobile phone, a laptop computer, or a tablet computer with appropriate applications.

[0072] The central controller 3 comprises a communication module 31 for enabling data communication with the front end unit 4 on the one hand and with each of the plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d on the other hand. The central controller 3 further comprises a data processing device 32 for processing and analysing information or data received via the communication module 31. The data processing device 32 may be a separate unit or may form part of the communication module 31. The central controller 3 may be a back-end unit, such as a back-end unit of a lighting system.

[0073] The communication module 31 of the central controller 3 and the communication module 41 of the front-end unit 4 are both configured for telecommunication. Such telecommunication may for example be via satellite or the Internet or any suitable wide area network (WAN). Such telecommunication may for example be via protocols such as Narrowband Internet of Things (NBIOT), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), 3G, 4G, 5G or Long Range (LoRa).

[0074] Each of the plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d includes a node controller (NC) 20, as shown schematically in Figure 2. The NC 20 may be a luminaire controller (LC), such as an outdoor luminaire controller (OLC) or an indoor luminaire controller (ILC). Furthermore, each of the plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d includes appropriate lighting hardware 25. As an example, the plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d may be a group of street lamps, parking lot lamps, or other outdoor lamps or communication nodes.

[0075] The NC 20 of each communication node generally includes a GPS module 21 , a first communication module 22 , a second communication module 23 , and a microcontroller unit (MCU) 24 .

[0076] The GPS module 21, the first communication module 22, and the second communication module 23 are connected to the MCU 24 such that the MCU 24 can receive data or information from the GPS module 21, the first communication module 22, and the second communication module 23, and optionally such that the MCU 24 can transmit data, information, or information requests to the GPS module 21, the first communication module 22, and the second communication module 23. The MCU 24 thus controls each of the GPS module 21, the first communication module 22, and the second communication module 23. Furthermore, the MCU 24 is connected to lighting hardware 25 of the communication node. The MCU 24 is thus also configured to control the lighting hardware 25 in response to information or control signals received from the central controller 3 via the first communication module 22, among others.

[0077] The GPS module 21 is configured to enable the communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d to perform self-position localization. Thus, after the communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d are powered up, the NC 20 may update its location information from the GPS module 21. The location information may include position information, such as latitude and longitude or GPS coordinates, as well as accuracy information, such as a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), the number of visible satellites, or a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The SNR may be the SNR of a GPS signal or other signal indicating the location of the NC 20. In this way, the NC 20 may state its location with the best possible accuracy. Furthermore, in this way, the NC 20 may update its location continuously or at predetermined intervals. Thus, the position information is absolute location information, and the accuracy information is relative location information.

[0078] The first communication module 22 is configured to communicate remotely with the central controller 3. Such remote communication may for example be via satellite or the Internet or any suitable wide area network (WAN). Such remote communication may for example be via protocols such as Narrowband Internet of Things (NBIOT), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), 3G, 4G, 5G or Long Range (LoRa).

[0079] The second communication module 23 is configured for short-range communication. The second communication module 23 includes a communication module configured for short-range communication, enabling the NC 20, and thus the communication node including the NC 20, to communicate with other communication nodes having the NC 20 within range of the second communication module 23. Such short-range communication may be, for example, via a suitable local area network (LAN) or personal area network (PAN), or other short-range communication technologies such as ZigBee®, Bluetooth®, etc. Such long-distance communication may be, for example, via protocols such as 6LoWPAN (IPv6 over Low-Power Wireless Personal Area Network).

[0080] Thus, using the second communication module 23, the NC 20 may communicate with nearby NCs. The NCs may thereby exchange their unique ID information and their location information. The location information may include absolute location or position information, such as GPS coordinates, and relative location or accuracy information, such as RSSI between the NC 20 and nearby NCs with which the NC 20 communicates. In this way, each NC can maintain a list of communicable neighbor NCs, i.e., neighbor NCs with which data communication is possible.

[0081] 3, the process of discovering neighbor NCs begins with the NC 20 broadcasting a discovery message to all NCs within the communication range of the second communication module 23. The discovery message includes the receiving NC's unique ID information 6 and a request for location information 8, such as latitude and longitude. Furthermore, the discovery message may include a request for the receiving NC's accuracy information 9, such as satellites in view or SNR, and information 7, such as a communication node asset information block, about the communication node 2 to which the receiving NC belongs, especially its hardware assets. The discovery message may be encrypted to verify that the receiving NC is indeed a real NC and not a fake.

[0082] Thus, in return, the receiving NC responds with its own ID information 6 and location information 8, and, if requested, its own accuracy information 9 and hardware asset information 7 regarding the communication node 2 to which the receiving NC belongs. Based on the information 6, 7, 8 and 9 thus received, the NC 20 creates a list of communicable neighbor NCs 10. The list includes an entry 11 for each communicable neighbor NC. The entry 11 includes the unique ID 6 and location information 8 of that NC. The entry 11 may optionally further include the accuracy information 9 and the hardware asset information 7.

[0083] Alternatively, each NC may broadcast its location information at some predetermined interval, so that other NCs may receive the broadcast information and add it to their neighborhood list, updating the list at predetermined intervals.

[0084] This process may be repeated continuously or at predetermined time intervals to keep the list 10 updated.

[0085] Once the list 10 is complete, the NC 20 uses the first communication module 22 to report its location and the list 10 of neighbor NCs with which it can communicate to the central controller 3 .

[0086] In this manner, the central controller 3 receives the list 10 from each NC 20 of the plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, and is configured to process the data thus received. The data processing of the central controller 3 is described further below.

[0087] Optionally, the central controller 3 may also trigger the process of discovering neighbor NCs as described above by sending a command to the NC, and reporting the resulting list 10 to the central controller 3. The central controller 3 may also adjust the short-range communication parameters of the NC to assist and optimize the discovery process. The short-range communication parameters may include message hops, radio transmission power, etc.

[0088] A method for identifying a missing NC 20, and thus a missing communication node, among a plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d will now be described with reference to the process diagram of Figure 4. In general, the method is performed by data processing in the central controller 3, and more particularly by its data processing device 32. In general, an NC may be considered missing if it is not reporting to the central controller 3, for example if the NC has failed.

[0089] First, in step 100, the central controller 3 receives the above-mentioned data from the NCs of the communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d.

[0090] Based on the received data, the central controller 3 maintains, in step 101, a first list containing all reporting NCs and a second list containing all NCs present in the list 10 received from the reporting NCs. Thus, the second list contains all NCs reported by the reporting NC as neighbor NCs or communicable NCs.

[0091] The central controller 3 then crosschecks the first and second lists in step 102. Ideally, the NCs listed in the first and second lists should be identical. However, if the crosscheck reveals that one or more NCs appear only in the second list, this indicates a missing or non-reporting NC.

[0092] For the purposes of identifying missing nodes, accuracy information is not required.

[0093] Based on the missing NCs thus identified, the central controller uses the NCs that have the missing NC as neighbors to estimate the location of the missing NC in step 103. One method for this purpose is shown in the diagram of Figure 5, where the central controller 3 places a first NC 20a with the missing NC 20c as a neighbor in the center of a first virtual circle 30, and a second NC 20b with the missing NC 20c as a neighbor in the center of a second virtual circle 40.

[0094] Thereafter, the central controller 3 determines the most likely area where the missing NC 20c is located in step 104. Referring to Figure 5, the central controller 3 determines the overlap area 50 of the first virtual circle 30 and the second virtual circle 40, and considers the overlap area 50 thus determined to be the most likely area where the missing NC 20c is located.

[0095] If only one NC, for example NC20a, has a missing NC20c as a neighbor, the central controller 3 places NC20a at the center of the virtual circle 30 and determines the periphery of the virtual circle to be the most likely area where the missing NC20c is located.

[0096] Furthermore, it may also be possible to calculate a more accurate location of the missing NC 20c if accuracy information is also present in the list 10 received from the reporting NC. This may be done, for example, by multi-point positioning.

[0097] Now, using the estimated area in which the missing NC 20c is located, the central controller 3 plots this missing NC 20c, and thus the communication node, with a different marker on a map of multiple communication nodes. This map may be sent to the front end unit 4 and shown to the user 5 on an application running on the front end unit 4. The central controller 3 may also enable the user 5 to hover over the missing NC 20c, so that the estimated location area of ​​the missing NC 20c can be shown on the map.

[0098] Additionally, the central controller 3 may enable notification of the missing NC 20c to be provided to the user 5 via the front-end unit 4. The notification may be an audible, tactile, or visual alarm, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the notification may include an estimated location of the missing NC 20c. The user 5 can then locate the missing NC 20c, and thus the communication node, inspect the communication node, and make any necessary repairs or resolve any other issues. Alternatively, the user 5 can assign a field engineer or worker to inspect the communication node and make any necessary repairs or resolve any other issues.

[0099] A method for identifying mislocated NCs 20, and thus mislocated communication nodes, among a plurality of communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d will now be described with reference to the process diagram of Figure 6. In general, the method is carried out by data processing in the central controller 3, and more particularly by its data processing device 32.

[0100] For example, GPS accuracy depends on many variables, especially signal-to-noise ratio (noisy reception), satellite position, weather conditions, and obstacles such as buildings and mountains. These factors can introduce errors into the perceived location. Signal noise typically introduces an error of about 1 to 10 meters. Mountains, buildings, and other objects that may block the path between the receiver and the satellite can introduce an error three times larger than the signal noise. Measurements under real-world conditions show that the reported GPS location in an urban environment can deviate very far from the actual location.

[0101] Thus, in general, an NC may be considered to be out of position if it is observed to report position information to the central controller 3 that deviates from its actual position by a distance greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0102] The central controller 3 may help improve the accuracy of the location information of misaligned NCs. This may be done, for example, as follows:

[0103] First, in step 200, the central controller 3 requests and receives the updated data as described above from the NCs of the communication nodes 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d.

[0104] Next, in step 201, the central controller 3 obtains the currently applicable short-range settings (eg, hops, radio transmit power) and the applicable optimum local communication range of the NC (eg, 300m or 200m).

[0105] The central controller 3 then selects, in step 202, an NC that is deemed to have good telecommunication conditions, for example, multiple satellites in view and good SNR data reported, such as NC 20a shown in the diagram of FIG. 7.

[0106] The central controller 3 then selects, in step 203, each NC in the list of neighbor NCs of NC 20a that is suspected of being mislocated, NC 20d in Fig. 7, and calculates the distance from NC 20d to NC 20a. These calculations may be performed by algorithms known per se, for example algorithms published on the Movable TypeScripts website.

[0107] The central controller 3 then determines in step 204 whether the calculated distance is less than the local communication range. In Figure 7, the radius of the circle 30 around which NC 20a is centered indicates the local communication range. If the calculated distance is less than or equal to the local communication range, the location information is considered accurate by the central controller 3. On the other hand, if the calculated distance is greater than the local communication range, such as when NC 20d in Figure 7 was reporting a location corresponding to NC 20d' in Figure 7, the central controller 3 concludes that NC 20d is reporting an incorrect or misaligned location.

[0108] Additionally, the central controller 3 may enable notification of the mispositioned NC 20d to be given to the user 5 via the front end unit 4. The notification may be an acoustic, tactile, or visual alarm, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the notification may include notification regarding the estimated location and / or incorrect location of the mispositioned NC 20d.

[0109] The user 5 can then locate the mispositioned NC 20d, and thus the communications node, inspect the communications node, make any necessary repairs, or resolve any other issues, for example, checking and correcting the location information using, among other things, a map or a third-party GPS tool comparison. Alternatively, the user 5 can assign a field engineer or worker to inspect the communications node, make any necessary repairs, or resolve any other issues, for example, checking and correcting the location information using, among other things, a map or a third-party GPS tool comparison.

[0110] Alternatively, the central controller 3 may help improve the accuracy of the location information of a misaligned NC 20 by randomly selecting an NC 20 as an anchor NC and calculating the GPS distance and radio distance for the selected anchor NC, then selecting the next NC as the anchor NC and repeating the calculation of the GPS distance and radio distance for the next NC, then repeating this procedure for an appropriate number of NCs, or possibly all NCs, and finally determining which NCs are misaligned based on the calculations made. This may be done on the basis that if an NC is misaligned, its GPS distances to all of its neighboring NCs will not be corrected, and if an NC is not misaligned, its GPS distances to some of its neighboring NCs may be corrected but for one of its neighboring NCs, its GPS distance may not be corrected.

[0111] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention is by no means limited to the preferred embodiments described above: on the contrary, many modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

[0112] Furthermore, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood by those skilled in the art, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims, and can be implemented in practicing the claimed invention. In the claims, the word "comprises" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A central controller for remote communication with a plurality of network controllers (NCs), the plurality of NCs being provided at communication nodes and configured for short-range communication with each other, the central controller being configured for communication connection with each NC of the plurality of NCs, the central controller comprising: receiving ID information, location information, and a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate with each other from each of the plurality of NCs; Maintaining a list of reporting NCs; maintaining a further list of NCs based on the received list of nearby communicable NCs; and cross-checking said list and said further list to identify NCs that appear only in said further list, thereby indicating missing or non-reporting NCs; a central controller including a data processing device configured to:

2. The data processing device of the central controller receiving accuracy information from each NC of the plurality of NCs; Identifying at least one NC among the plurality of NCs as providing accurate location information based on the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information, and the received list of nearby NCs that can communicate, and using the identified NC as an anchor point NC; and identifying a mislocated NC by analyzing the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information, and the received list of nearby NCs that are available for communication; The central controller of claim 1 configured to:

3. The central controller: Controlling the anchor point NC to allow 1 hop, 2 hops or 3 hops; Controlling each NC to provide the central controller with a list of neighboring NCs with which it can communicate; and Triggering a warning or alarm for any NC identified as missing or misaligned; 3. A central controller according to claim 1 or 2, configured to do one or more of the following:

4. 4. The central controller of claim 2 or claim 3 dependent on claim 2, wherein the accuracy information includes one or more of a received signal strength indicator between the anchor point and a nearby NC, a number of satellites visible to the NC, and a signal-to-noise ratio.

5. The data processing device of the central controller Taking the NC that has the missing NC as a neighboring NC as the center of an imaginary circle, determining the perimeter of said imaginary circle, and considering said perimeter as the area of ​​the location of said missing NC; or determining an overlap area of ​​each virtual circle, the centers of which are two or more NCs having the missing NC as a neighboring NC; and regarding the determined overlap area as the area of ​​the location of the missing NC; 5. The central controller of claim 1, configured to estimate the location of a missing NC by:

6. The data processing device of the central controller requesting and receiving updated location information, accuracy information, and a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate from each NC of the plurality of NCs; obtaining a proximity setting and a local communication range for each NC of the plurality of NCs; selecting at least one NC in a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate with the anchor point NC; Calculating the distance of at least one NC in the list of neighboring NCs that can communicate to the anchor point NC; determining whether the calculated distance of the at least one NC is less than the local communication range of the at least one NC; and determining that the at least one NC is out of position if the calculated distance of the at least one NC is not less than the local communication range of the at least one NC; 6. The central controller of claim 1, configured to identify a misaligned NC by:

7. The central controller of claim 1 , wherein the central controller is a back-end unit, the plurality of communication nodes are a plurality of lighting fixtures, and the plurality of NCs are a plurality of lighting fixture controllers.

8. A central controller according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a plurality of communication nodes and a plurality of network controllers (NCs); wherein each communication node of the plurality of communication nodes includes an NC among the plurality of NCs, and each NC of the plurality of NCs in remote communication with the central controller; and short-range communication with other NCs among the plurality of NCs; It is configured as follows: Each NC of the plurality of NCs further comprises: receiving ID information and location information from a nearby NC among the plurality of NCs through short-range communication; Maintaining a list of nearby NCs with which communication is possible based on the received ID information and location information. providing the central controller with a list of the neighboring NCs that can communicate with the central controller via remote communication; and providing the central controller with ID information and location information about the NC itself via remote communication; A lighting control system configured as follows.

9. Each NC of the plurality of NCs is receiving accuracy information from a nearby NC among the plurality of NCs through short-range communication; Maintaining a list of nearby NCs with which communication is possible based on the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information. providing the central controller with a list of the neighboring NCs that can communicate with the central controller via remote communication; and providing the central controller with ID information, location information and accuracy information about the NC itself via remote communication; 9. The lighting control system of claim 8, configured to:

10. Each NC of the plurality of NCs is a first communication module configured to remotely communicate with the central controller; a second communication module configured to communicate with other NCs of the plurality of NCs in close range; a microcontroller unit; Including, The microcontroller unit of each NC of the plurality of NCs receiving ID information, location information, and accuracy information from a nearby NC among the plurality of NCs by short-range communication using the second communication module; Maintaining a list of nearby NCs that can communicate based on the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information; and providing, via the first communication module, a list of the neighboring NCs that can communicate with the central controller, as well as ID information, location information, and accuracy information regarding the NCs themselves; 10. The lighting control system according to claim 8 or 9, configured to:

11. 1. A method for identifying missing network controllers (NCs), wherein a plurality of NCs are provided in a communication node and configured to communicate with each other in close range, the method comprising: receiving ID information, location information, and a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate from each NC of the plurality of NCs; maintaining a list of reporting NCs; maintaining a further list of NCs based on the received list of neighboring NCs that are available for communication; cross-checking said list and said further list to identify NCs that appear only in said further list, thereby indicating missing or non-reporting NCs; A method comprising:

12. a data processing device of the central controller, receiving accuracy information from each NC of the plurality of NCs; Identifying at least one NC among the plurality of NCs as providing accurate location information based on the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information, and the received list of nearby NCs that can communicate, and using the identified NC as an anchor point NC; identifying a mislocated NC by analyzing the received ID information, location information, and accuracy information, and the received list of nearby NCs that are in communication with the NC; The method of claim 11 , configured to perform the following:

13. The method is performed by each NC of the plurality of NCs. receiving ID information and location information from a nearby NC among the plurality of NCs through short-range communication; maintaining a list of neighboring NCs that can communicate based on the received ID information and location information; providing the central controller with a list of the neighboring NCs that can communicate with the central controller via remote communication; providing the central controller with ID information and location information about the NC itself via remote communication; Including, The method according to claim 12, further comprising carrying out the steps of the method according to claim 11 or 12 by a central controller according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

14. A computer program comprising instructions for carrying out the method according to any one of claims 11 to 13.

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