Retrofittable Emergency Lighting Testing Device With NB-IoT Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing emergency lighting systems require costly and disruptive annual inspections by qualified electricians, and existing remote testing solutions are expensive, limited to new installations, and rely on specialized networks, making retrofitting impossible for existing systems.
Innovation Solution
A retrofitable emergency lighting testing device with a controller, connectors, and an NB-loT communication module that allows for remote monitoring and testing, enabling quick installation by any qualified electrician and reducing the need for on-site inspections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If in-built remote testing capabilities are incorporated into emergency lighting systems during manufacture, then remote testing functionality is achieved, but system cost and deployment complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an external gateway device as an intermediary that provides NB-IoT communication capabilities without requiring them to be built into each emergency light unit. The gateway acts as a mediator between the simple emergency lights and the cloud platform, enabling remote testing functionality while keeping individual light units simple and inexpensive.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device serves multiple functions: it provides NB-IoT communication for remote testing, manages multiple emergency light units simultaneously, and interfaces with the cloud platform. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a single universal device rather than requiring each light unit to have built-in complex capabilities.
2Extent of automation
If specialized DALI networks are deployed for remote testing, then remote monitoring is enabled, but installation and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the specialized DALI mechanical/electrical network with NB-IoT wireless communication technology. This substitution eliminates the need for complex wired networks, reducing installation and maintenance costs while enabling remote monitoring capabilities through mobile network infrastructure.
3Reliability
If qualified electricians perform annual inspections on-site, then regulatory compliance is achieved, but building operations experience major disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service remote testing where the emergency lighting system can be tested automatically without requiring qualified electricians to be physically present. The NB-IoT gateway and cloud platform facilitate automated testing sequences, allowing compliance to be maintained while eliminating disruption to building operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows testing to be performed at predetermined times outside working hours through automated sequences. The gateway can initiate testing protocols in advance of required compliance deadlines, ensuring regulatory requirements are met without impacting daily building operations.
4Ease of manufacture
If existing emergency lighting systems are retrofitted with remote testing, then cost savings are achieved, but integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the remote testing functionality into separate modular components: a simple NB-IoT gateway device, existing emergency light units, and cloud platform services. This segmentation allows the gateway to be retrofitted to existing systems without requiring modification of the original light units, reducing integration complexity while enabling remote testing capabilities.
Data Source
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Figure 2
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AI summary
An emergency lighting testing device (2) has a housing (4) containing a controller which connects via cables and Wago connectors (8) with an emergency lamp (3) in an emergency lighting system in a building. A first connector (8) routes mains power supply to the emergency lamp (3) through a switch in the controller which can thus switch power supply to the emergency lamp (3) on and off. A second connector (8) connects between the controller and a back-up battery power supply for the emergency lamp (3) and includes a sensor for the controller to sense the operating condition of the emergency lamp (3) back-up battery power supply. The controller has a communication module mounted within the housing (4) which communicates with a remote monitoring station (20) via a cloud platform (22), communicating with servers (23) and a dashboard (24) at the remote monitoring station (20).