Time Encoded Lighting Control Messages for Networked Fixture Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Networked light fixtures controlled via standard Internet techniques often experience unpredictable timing, leading to undesirable lighting effects due to packet delay and jitter in PoE topologies, causing lights to turn on at different times even when commanded to activate simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A network device synchronizes the execution time of lighting operations by accepting timing reference messages, encoding these times into lighting control messages, and sending them to networked light fixtures, ensuring precise timing across all fixtures, even in the presence of network jitter, using a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) switch with a local clock synchronized to a network time base.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If standard Internet techniques are used to control light fixtures, then network connectivity and ease of operation are improved, but timing predictability and synchronization precision deteriorate due to packet delay and jitter
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by encoding the execution time into control messages before transmission. The PoE switch inserts a time value representing when the lighting control setting should be executed, allowing the light fixture to buffer and execute at the precise scheduled time rather than immediately upon message receipt, thereby compensating for network jitter and delay variations.
2Measurement precision
If all lights are commanded to turn on simultaneously, then lighting synchronization is improved, but inrush current increases causing potential overloads
Solution Approach 1:
The system schedules light fixtures to turn on at different times by encoding different execution times in control messages. The PoE switch can stagger the execution times for different fixtures or groups of fixtures, allowing them to activate sequentially rather than simultaneously, thereby reducing peak inrush current while maintaining controlled synchronization.
3Measurement precision
If timing reference messages are encoded into control messages, then timing synchronization is improved, but message complexity and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the timing reference information with the lighting control commands into a single integrated message structure. The PoE switch encodes the execution time directly into the existing control message format used for lighting adjustments, combining synchronization and control functions into one message type, thereby reducing overall system complexity compared to using separate timing and control message streams.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques presented herein are directed to synchronizing the execution time of lighting operations within a networked lighting system. In one example, a network device that is connected to at least one networked light fixture accepts one or more timing reference messages representing a network time base. The network device generates one or more lighting control messages that identify at least one light control setting for the networked light fixture connected to the network device. Based on the one or more timing reference messages, the network device encodes a time for execution of the light control setting within the lighting control messages, thereby generating one or more time encoded lighting control messages. The network device sends the time encoded lighting control messages to the networked light fixture for execution of the light control settings at the time of execution specified in the time encoded lighting control message.