Cisco Technology, Inc.

Matthew A Laherty

Charles Calvin Byers

John Parello

Donald Schriner

William MacGowan

Tirthankar Ghose

David W Kunkel

Wael William Diab

Luis Orlando Suau

Koussalya Balasubramanian

Xiaohang Li

Charles J Duffy

Christopher Martin Lonvick

John Allen Long, Jr

Charles Duffy

Techniques are presented herein to operate a light fixture as in an emergency mode in order to verify that the light emitted by the light fixture when operated in the emergency mode complies with emergency operating policies, as well as to detect failures. The light emitted by the light fixture in emergency mode may be measured and adjusted to optimize the runtime of the light fixture in the emergency mode. The light fixture is connected to a lighting control system via a control network which supplies electrical power to charge an onboard battery of a light fixture and to operate the light fixture. The light fixture may be caused to operate in the emergency lighting mode when a main electrical power supply is interrupted or when performances of the light fixture and of the onboard battery are tested.

Light fixture emergency power system

A ceiling support structure includes a plurality of network- and power-enabled rails that replace conventional structures for supporting a grid ceiling having a structure for supporting tiles and/or paneling. Each network-enabled rail comprises a plurality of connectors configured to receive a device or interface. At least some of the connectors can comprise a plurality of Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectors that provide both network connectivity and power to the devices. At least some of the connectors can comprise a plurality of fiber-optic cable connectors that provide network connectivity to the devices via the fiber-optic cable. In the fiber-optic cable connector structure, power is provided directly by the ceiling support itself which is formed of a conductive material and referred to as a power distribution bar. Each rail terminates at a hub referred to as a fog junction box that serves the power and networking for the ceiling support.

Network-enabled ceiling support structure

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.

Time synchronization of lighting services

Techniques presented herein are directed to the coordinated network-based control of the color capabilities of multi-color fixtures. A network device is connected to multi-color light fixtures each comprising a local processor and a plurality of color light emitters. The network device receives data inputs from one or more data sources and uses the data inputs to identify a color informational display for presentation across a plurality of the multi-color light fixtures. The network device generates messages encoding light control settings for each of the plurality of multi-color light fixtures enabling each multi-color light fixture to present a spatial or temporal segment of the color informational display and sends the messages to the plurality of light fixtures. Execution of instructions embedded in the messages by the local processors results in the creation of the color informational display across the plurality of multi-color light fixtures.

Network controlled multi-color lighting services

A lighting control system is provided which accepts user lightning commands, generates controls in accordance with predetermined operating policies and directs light fixtures to produce brightness, color, or directional pattern of the light emitted by the light fixtures. The lighting control system determines whether the light emitted by the light fixtures complies with government regulations, and building policies, and insures that controls are adjusted such that all regulations regarding lighting safety and working conditions, as well as building policy and energy management targets are adhered to. In addition, a way to reconcile conflicting user requests for lighting settings is provided.

Distributed control of lights subject to compliance constraints

One or more dual-role Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) port units are each selectively configurable to operate as either (i) a PoE Power Source Equipment (PSE) port unit to provide power to a device connected to the PoE port unit, or (ii) a PoE Powered Device (PD) port unit to sink power from the connected device. Each PoE port unit includes a network port, and a bi-directional power converter to selectively convert power in either (i) a first direction and to provide converted power to the network port when the PoE port unit operates as the PSE port unit, or (ii) in a second direction to convert power received from the network port when the PoE port unit operates as the PD port unit.

Dynamically configurable power-over-ethernet apparatus and method

Intelligent powered device (PD) control system including a switch system, state detector (SD), intelligent control device (ICD), and a PD. The switch system includes one or more conventional electrical switches. Each switch includes an interface to receive selection of a switch system state change between conductive and non-conductive states. The switch system includes a conductor pair(s) indicative of switch system state based on the selection. The SD signals the detected state to the ICD. The switch system output is in electrical connection with the detector such that, in the conductive state a loopback is formed in the switch system and SD, and in the non-conductive state no loopback is formed. The ICD receive the message from the state detector and transmits a fixture control command based on the message. The PD receives the command from the ICD via the data communications network, and controls its state based on the command.

Controlling intelligent powered devices

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes communicating a query over a network to a plurality of entities that reside in a domain, the query including a request for data relating to energy use. The query can be generated by one or more computing devices belonging to the domain. A selected one of the computing devices can control power consumption for the entities in the domain. In other embodiments, a discovery protocol (DP) and a link layer discovery protocol (LLDP) is used for transporting events regarding the entities that connect or disconnect from the network. The entities send discovery events over a DP/LLDP protocol, identifying them as part of the domain. In yet other embodiments, the method includes querying a selected one of the entities to determine, if the selected entity moved to a certain energy level, an energy consumption value at the certain energy level.

System and method for querying for energy data in a network environment

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes generating a message to be communicated over a network to a plurality of entities that reside in a domain. The message includes data relating to energy use. The message can be generated by one or more computing devices belonging to the domain. A selected one of the computing devices can control power consumption for the entities in the domain. In more specific embodiments, a formatting of the message is done at an application level. The formatting of the message is independent of a transport protocol of the message.

System and method for intelligent energy management in a network environment

A controller in PSE (Power Sourcing Equipment) controls how to provision uninterruptible power through corresponding ports (and cables) of the PSE to network devices. For example, the controller of the PSE receives a signal indicating a transition of powering the PSE from a primary power input to a backup power supply. The backup power supply has a limited ability to provide backup power to the PSE. In response to receiving the signal, the controller of the PSE utilizes a powering/de-powering algorithm to generate control information used by the controller to selectively discontinue providing power through the certain ports to respective network devices. Consequently, the PSE and, more specifically, the controller provisions power from the PSE depending on a priority level associated with network devices, extending the power life of critical powered network devices and more efficiently using the backup power supply in the case of a power failure.

Methods and apparatus for provisioning uninterruptible power for power over Ethernet applications

A controller in PSE (Power Sourcing Equipment) controls how to provision uninterruptible power through corresponding data ports (and cables) of the PSE to network devices. For example, the controller receives power profile information associated with the network devices indicating how to provision power to the network devices during a power failure such as when an uninterruptible power supply providing power to the power sourcing equipment runs on a battery rather than failed primary wall power. In response to detecting a power failure condition, the power sourcing equipment provisions power to the network devices based on the power profile information associated with the network devices. Consequently, the PSE can smartly provision power to more critical network devices while in a power failure mode rather than provision power to the network devices in the same way before and after occurrence of the power failure mode.

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Bloomington, IN, United States of America

Matthew A Laherty