Cloud Credential Verification for Lighting Controllers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for monitoring and controlling physical environments face challenges such as data privacy, scalability, and the need for comprehensive strategies to manage and process data from various devices and sensors in real-time, particularly in large buildings, where energy and space usage data must be accurately timestamped and securely transmitted to ensure energy efficiency and timely maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based monitoring and control system that includes a method for verifying credentials of lighting system controllers using a computing device, establishing a secure communication channel, and exchanging data related to light sources or sensors, utilizing optical wireless communication and cryptographic hash functions for authentication, allowing for seamless integration of new devices and scalable data processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If traditional fluorescent, HID, and incandescent lamps are used for lighting, then lighting coverage and simplicity are maintained, but energy efficiency and operating costs are poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical lighting systems (fluorescent, HID, incandescent lamps) with LED-based digital lighting technologies. This substitution achieves superior energy efficiency and controllability while managing the increased complexity through integrated control systems and standardized communication protocols.
2Adaptability or versatility
If sensors are made smaller and cheaper to increase ubiquity, then sensor deployment scalability improves, but data privacy and security management become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cloud-based platform as an intermediary that centralizes data management, processing, and privacy protection. This allows numerous small, cheap sensors to be deployed ubiquitously while the complex tasks of data aggregation, anonymization, and security are handled by the intermediary cloud system rather than individual devices.
3Reliability
If data is gathered from all corners of physical buildings including private spaces, then monitoring comprehensiveness improves, but data privacy issues worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts personally identifiable information from raw sensor data through anonymization processes. The system maintains comprehensive monitoring by retaining useful environmental and occupancy data while removing or aggregating information that could identify individual persons, thereby separating useful monitoring insights from privacy-sensitive information.
4Productivity
If occupancy data is not appropriately time-stamped, then data processing simplicity is maintained, but energy and space usage efficiency insights are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements time-stamping as a preliminary action during data collection at the sensor level. By embedding temporal information directly into data packets as they are generated, the system enables subsequent energy and space usage efficiency analysis without requiring complex post-processing, thereby achieving productivity insights with minimal additional complexity.
5Loss of time
If delays occur in providing occupancy data to cloud server for analysis, then network bandwidth usage is reduced, but timely scheduling and maintenance capabilities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic data transmission where sensors aggregate occupancy information over defined time intervals and transmit to the cloud server in batches. This approach balances timeliness by providing regular updates while reducing network bandwidth consumption by avoiding continuous or real-time transmission of every data point.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures secure, timely, and efficient data processing and analysis, enabling effective energy and space usage management, while addressing data privacy concerns and accommodating a growing number of devices and users without significant data loss.
Implementation Method 1
transmitting, by the lighting system controller, credential-based data via a wired or wireless network; receiving, by another remote device, credential-based data via the wired or wireless network
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for cloud-based monitoring and control of physical environments. In various embodiments, a computing device (1350, 1450, 1550) seeking to verify credentials of a lighting system controller (1352, 1452, 1552) may obtain unverified credentials of the lighting system controller. The computing device may transmit, to a first remote device via a first network communication channel, a request to verify the unverified credentials. The computing device may receive verification from the first remote device or a second remote device via a second network communication channel. The second network communication channel may be different than the first network communication channel. The computing device may compare the unverified credentials to the verification data and verify, based on the comparing, that the unverified credentials are legitimate. Based on the verification, the computing device may establish a lighting information communication channel between the computing device and the lighting system controller.