Automated Indoor Lighting Fixture Grouping via Matrix Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in large industrial spaces is accurately commissioning and controlling numerous lighting fixtures, as traditional methods are error-prone and require significant manual effort due to the complexity of tracking and reassigning fixtures and their controls within dynamic interior spaces.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of lighting fixtures equipped with a microcontroller, transmitters, receivers, and power line communications, enabling efficient networking and communication algorithms to establish direct connections, group fixtures, and transmit control matrices, allowing for automated commissioning and control through wireless and power line communication modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional manual methods are used to track and assign lighting fixtures, then installation crews can maintain control over fixtures, but the process becomes error-prone and requires significant manual effort as the number of fixtures increases
Solution Approach 1:
Lighting fixtures automatically generate and transmit their own identification data and positional information through wireless communication. Each fixture acts as its own identifier and location tracker, eliminating the need for manual tracking while ensuring accurate positional logs are automatically created and maintained.
Solution Approach 2:
The manual mechanical process of tracking and assigning fixtures is replaced with an automated electronic system. Lighting fixtures use wireless transmitters to automatically communicate their identification and location data to the control system, substituting human effort with electronic automation.
2Productivity
If indoor location systems are used to track lighting fixtures, then positional information can be obtained, but the systems are error-prone and require manual verification
Solution Approach 1:
Lighting fixtures autonomously generate and transmit their own identification and location data without relying on external location systems. Each fixture includes an integrated identifier and uses wireless communication to automatically report its position, eliminating errors associated with separate indoor location systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automatic verification and correction mechanisms where lighting fixtures continuously transmit their status and position data. The control system receives this feedback and automatically updates the commissioning records, ensuring reliable data without manual verification.
3Ease of operation
If lighting fixtures are manually grouped and controlled, then control can be established, but the process requires large manual effort and several iterations before correct adjustments are made
Solution Approach 1:
Manual grouping operations are replaced with automated electronic processes. The control system automatically receives identification and location data from lighting fixtures and performs grouping based on spatial relationships and operational requirements, eliminating manual effort and iterative adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
Lighting fixtures transmit their identification and location data during installation before final grouping is required. The control system uses this preliminary information to automatically perform initial grouping, eliminating the need for subsequent manual adjustments and iterations.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the building interior is altered with non load-bearing space separators, then space flexibility is improved, but the positional logs for lighting fixtures become inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The system is designed to dynamically adapt to interior changes. When non load-bearing space separators are installed or moved, lighting fixtures automatically update their location data through wireless communication, ensuring positional accuracy is maintained despite interior reconfigurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously receives feedback from lighting fixtures regarding their position and operational status. This feedback mechanism ensures that when interior spaces are altered, the system automatically detects and corrects any positional log inaccuracies without manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
Processes for commissioning an indoor lighting system composed of a plurality of lighting fixtures, each including a lighting associate, include the steps of establishing a direct connection table for each lighting associate; forming a full direct connection table represented as a square matrix and comprising data derived from all direct connection tables; grouping the lighting associates using an element reduction operation on the square matrix; and transmitting a group direct connection matrix to each lighting associate. The lighting fixtures may include a first transmitter for transmitting a first message to a second lighting associate; a first receiver for receiving a second message from the second lighting associate; a second transmitter for transmitting a third message via a lighting associate support network; a second receiver for receiving a fourth message via the lighting associate support network; an interval timer; a microcontroller in communication with the interval timer, programmable to execute a networking and communication algorithm to process the first, second, third, and fourth messages; an LED lamp; and a switch between the lamp and a power line, controllable by the microcontroller.