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EP-4736582-A1 - METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING PUBLIC LIGHTING LUMINAIRES

EP4736582A1EP 4736582 A1EP4736582 A1EP 4736582A1EP-4736582-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a control device (12) designed to be placed between drivers (10) and LED panels (14) in public lighting systems without control capabilities. The system includes a control device (12) with a microcontroller, current and voltage sensors, wireless communication in a mesh network, a communication gateway (31) with an antenna and cloud connection, and a server (30) operating in the cloud. The control device (12) allows precise regulation, real-time monitoring, and remote control of lighting, optimizing energy efficiency and reducing operating costs. The easy installation and compatibility with a wide range of existing LED luminaires (1) make this solution economical and quick to implement, facilitating the transition to smart and sustainable lighting systems.

Inventors

  • GARCIA PARRILLA, Javier
  • ELIZALDE GIRO, JAVIER

Assignees

  • C.M. Salvi, SL

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20250603

Claims (12)

  1. 1. A method for controlling public lighting luminaires, wherein each luminaire (1) of a plurality of luminaires comprises a LED panel (14) that is electrically connected with a driver (10) using output cables (11) of the driver (10), and wherein each luminaire (1) lacks an integrated monitoring and control system of the driver (10) or is devoid of sockets for connection to a control and communication system, with associated protocols for controlling the driver (10), the method comprising: - cutting or disconnecting the output cables (11) of the driver (10) for each luminaire (1); - installing, for each luminaire (1), a control device (12) between the driver (10) and the LED panel (14) and electrically connecting the output cables (11) of the driver (10) to the control device (12) and the control device (12) to the LED panel (14), wherein said control device (12) comprises a microcontroller, current and voltage sensors, and a power regulator; - monitoring, by the current and voltage sensors of the control device (12), electrical parameters of the LED panel (14) in real time, and regulating a light intensity of the LED panel (14) using the power regulator of the control device (12); - transmitting the monitored electrical parameters using a wireless communication unit (13) associated with the control device (12); - receiving, storing, and processing, by a cloud server (30), the monitored electrical parameters; and - based on a result of said processing, remotely controlling each luminaire (1) by a communication of said cloud server (30) with the microcontroller of the control device (12).
  2. 2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the monitored electrical parameters is performed through a communication gateway (31) including an antenna, which then retransmits said electrical parameters to the cloud server (30).
  3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the microcontroller of the control device (12) further performs a verification of the monitored electrical parameters, and in the event of detecting an anomaly or failure, sends an alert to the cloud server (30) in real time.
  4. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the microcontroller of the control device (12) maintains a permanent or a periodic communication with the communication gateway (31), sending updates about a status of the monitored electrical parameters.
  5. 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said communication gateway (31) further performs local verifications to ensure integrity and accuracy of the monitored electrical parameters before sending them to the cloud server (30).
  6. 6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the remote control of each luminaire (1) is further performed using a computer application installed on a mobile computing device, the computer application being connected with the cloud server (30).
  7. 7. A system for controlling public lighting luminaires, comprising: - a plurality of luminaires (1), wherein each luminaire (1) comprises a LED panel (14) that is electrically connected with a driver (10) using output cables (11) of the driver (10) and wherein each luminaire (1) lacks an integrated monitoring and control system of the driver (10) or is devoid of sockets for connection to a control and communication system, with associated protocols for controlling the driver (10); - for each luminaire (1), a control device (12) that is located and configured to electrically connect the output cables (11) of the driver (10) to the control device (12) and to electrically connect the control device (12) to the LED panel (14), wherein the control device (12) comprises: a microcontroller, current and voltage sensors, and a power regulator, the control device (12) being configured for monitoring the electrical parameters of the luminaire (1) in real time, and for regulating a light intensity of the luminaire (1); - a wireless communication unit (13) associated with each control device (12) to transmit the monitored electrical parameters to a cloud server (30); and - the cloud server (30) being configured to: receive, store, and process the transmitted electrical parameters; and remotely control each luminaire (1) by communicating with the microcontroller of the control device (12).
  8. 8. The control system, according to claim 7, further comprising a communication gateway (31) with an antenna for communication with each wireless communication unit (13) and with the cloud server (30).
  9. 9. The control system, according to claim 7 or 8, wherein all the wireless communication units (13) form at least one mesh network.
  10. 10. The control system, according to any one of the preceding claims 7 to 9, wherein the wireless communication units (13) are configured to operate using Bluetooth technology.
  11. 11. The control system according to claim 8, wherein the antenna of the communication gateway (31) is a Bluetooth antenna.
  12. 12. The control system, according to any one of the preceding claims 8 to 11 , wherein the communication gateway (31) further comprises a 3G/4G/5G SIM card and is configured to work under a Linux operating system.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING PUBLIC LIGHTING LUMINAIRES Technical field The present invention relates to a method and system for controlling existing street lighting luminaires where each luminaire comprises a LED panel connected to a driver and where each luminaire lacks an integrated monitoring and control system of the driver or is devoid of connection sockets to a control and communication system, with associated protocols for controlling the driver. The technical field of the present invention includes public lighting systems, and more specifically LED lighting control and management technologies. This field is evolving constantly due to the need to improve energy efficiency, reduce operating costs, and improve the quality of life in urban and rural areas. Background of the invention The present invention is comprised in the field of lighting technology, specifically in public lighting systems and lighting control systems. This field is dedicated to the development and improvement of lighting solutions that do not only provide suitable public lighting but also optimize energy consumption and reduce operating costs. Conventional public lighting systems are evolving towards advanced technologies which allow a more precise and efficient control of luminaires. Today, there are several types of luminaires used in public lighting, each with specific characteristics and applications: High-pressure sodium (HPS) and metal-halide (HM) luminaires, generally known as discharge luminaires: These lamps have been widely used for many years due to their high efficiency and capacity to provide intense and uniform lighting. They are common on streets and parking lots, but present drawbacks such as poor color reproduction and high energy consumption. LED luminaires: LED luminaires (light-emitting diode) with simple controllers and without connectivity are becoming increasingly popular due to their energy efficiency, long service life, and capacity to offer high quality lighting at a reduced cost. These luminaires allow significant energy savings compared to the conventional technologies, but they are incompatible with advanced control systems. LED luminaires with drivers using the DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface). This is a standardized communication protocol for lighting systems. Luminaires with DALI controllers allow precise control and two-way communication with centralized management systems, which facilitates the implementation of advanced energy management strategies. An example of this type of LED luminaires is given in US 20170318633 A1 that discloses a LED lighting system comprising a protocol bridge, such as a Zigbee® bridge, and a router that can communicate with the bridge via a wireless LAN, for example, using an Ethernet protocol. This LED lighting system comprises a microcontroller included within a controller arrangement that always acts via a signal on the driver which is directly connected to the LED light source. Solar luminaires: Solar luminaires integrate solar panels, batteries, and controllers in a single system, which allows lighting up areas with no access to power grid. They are ideal for remote places and sustainability projects, although their performance may vary according to weather conditions. They can also be found in a hybrid version, i.e. , also connected to the grid. LED luminaires with DALI interface can be remotely controlled by means of controllers connected to a Nema socket, a Zhaga socket, or located inside the luminaire. All these systems are connected to the input of the driver and enable control thereof. One of the main challenges in the field of public lighting lacking an integrated monitoring and control system of the luminaire driver, is the absence of interoperability between different components of the system. There are myriad types of drivers, and additionally many control systems use proprietary protocols that complicate the integration of technologies from different providers. This leads to great complexity in integrating different luminaires into a single system, which can result in communication and control problems that affect system efficiency. Smart public lighting systems are an advanced solution that integrates control and management technology to optimize the use of lighting in public spaces. These technologies do not only allow the regulation of light intensity, but also the real-time monitoring and remote control of luminaires. The most common communication technologies in smart lighting systems include ZigBee, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth (being of the mesh network type) or Lora (star configuration). These technologies allow wireless data transmission, simplifying system installation and expansion. US 2022299190A1 discloses a cloud server for control of a luminaire. However, LED luminaires which lack integrated monitoring and control system or Zhaga or Nema sockets for connecting the control and communication system in the luminaires represent a