US20020002444A1 - Lamp monitoring and control system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for remotely monitoring and/or controlling an apparatus and specifically for remotely monitoring and/or controlling street lamps. The lamp monitoring and control system comprises lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective lamp to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and at least one base station, coupled to a group of the lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of the base stations includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention[0001]
• This invention relates generally to a system and method for remotely monitoring and/or controlling an apparatus and specifically to a lamp monitoring and control system and method for use with street lamps. The present invention includes a monitoring and control unit, such as the lamp monitoring and control unit disclosed in co-pending application entitled “LAMP MONITORING AND CONTROL UNIT AND METHOD”, Ser. No. ______, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.[0002]
• 2. Background of the Related Art[0003]
• The first street lamps were used in Europe during the latter half of the seventeenth century. These lamps consisted of lanterns which were attached to cables strung across the street so that the lantern hung over the center of the street. In France, the police were responsible for operating and maintaining these original street lamps while in England contractors were hired for street lamp operation and maintenance. In all instances, the operation and maintenance of street lamps was considered a government function.[0004]
• The operation and maintenance of street lamps, or more generally any units which are distributed over a large geographic area, can be divided into two tasks: monitor and control. Monitoring comprises the transmission of information from the distributed unit regarding the unit's status and controlling comprises the reception of information by the distributed unit.[0005]
• For the present example in which the distributed units are street lamps, the monitoring function comprises periodic checks of the street lamps to determine if they are functioning properly. The controlling function comprises turning the street lamps on at night and off during the day.[0006]
• This monitor and control function of the early street lamps was very labor intensive since each street lamp had to be individually lit (controlled) and watched for any problems (monitored). Because these early street lamps were simply lanterns, there was no centralized mechanism for monitor and control and both of these functions were distributed at each of the street lamps.[0007]
• Eventually, the street lamps were moved from the cables hanging over the street to poles which were mounted at the side of the street. Additionally, the primitive lanterns were replaced with oil lamps.[0008]
• The oil lamps were a substantial improvement over the original lanterns because they produced a much brighter light. This resulted in illumination of a greater area by each street lamp. Unfortunately, these street lamps still had the same problem as the original lanterns in that there was no centralized monitor and control mechanism to light the street lamps at night and watch for problems.[0009]
• In the 1840's, the oil lamps were replaced by gaslights in France. The advent of this new technology began a government centralization of a portion of the control function for street lighting since the gas for the lights was supplied from a central location.[0010]
• In the 1880's, the gaslights were replaced with electrical lamps. The electrical power for these street lamps was again provided from a central location. With the advent of electrical street lamps, the government finally had a centralized method for controlling the lamps by controlling the source of electrical power.[0011]
• The early electrical street lamps were composed of arc lamps in which the illumination was produced by an arc of electricity flowing between two electrodes.[0012]
• Currently, most street lamps still use arc lamps for illumination. The mercury-vapor lamp is the most common form of street lamp in use today. In this type of lamp, the illumination is produced by an arc which takes place in a mercury vapor.[0013]
• FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a typical mercury-vapor lamp. This figure is provided only for demonstration purposes since there are a variety of different types of mercury-vapor lamps.[0014]
• The mercury-vapor lamp consists of an[0015]arc tube110 which is filled with argon gas and a small amount of pure mercury. Arctube110 is mounted inside a largeouter bulb120 which encloses and protects the arc tube. Additionally, the outer bulb may be coated with phosphors to improve the color of the light emitted and reduce the ultraviolet radiation emitted. Mounting ofarc tube110 insideouter bulb120 may be accomplished with an arctube mount support130 on the top and astem140 on the bottom.
• [0016]Main electrodes150aand150b, with opposite polarities, are mechanically sealed at both ends ofarc tube110. The mercury-vapor lamp requires a sizeable voltage to start the arc betweenmain electrodes150aand150b.
• The starting of the mercury-vapor lamp is controlled by a starting circuit (not shown in FIG. 1) which is attached between the power source (not shown in FIG. 1) and the lamp. Unfortunately, there is no standard starting circuit for mercury-vapor lamps. After the lamp is started, the lamp current will continue to increase unless the starting circuit provides some means for limiting the current. Typically, the lamp current is limited by a resistor, which severely reduces the efficiency of the circuit, or by a magnetic device, such as a choke or a transformer, called a ballast.[0017]
• During the starting operation, electrons move through a starting resistor[0018]160 to astarting electrode170 and across a short gap between startingelectrode170 andmain electrode150bof opposite polarity. The electrons cause ionization of some of the Argon gas in the arc tube. The ionized gas diffuses until a main arc develops between the two opposite polaritymain electrodes150aand150b. The heat from the main arc vaporizes the mercury droplets to produce ionized current carriers. As the lamp current increases, the ballast acts to limit the current and reduce the supply voltage to maintain stable operation and extinguish the arc betweenmain electrode150band startingelectrode170.
• Because of the variety of different types of starter circuits, it is virtually impossible to characterize the current and voltage characteristics of the mercury-vapor lamp. In fact, the mercury-vapor lamp may require minutes of warm-up before light is emitted. Additionally, if power is lost, the lamp must cool and the mercury pressure must decrease before the starting arc can start again.[0019]
• The mercury-vapor lamp has become one of the predominant types of street lamp with millions of units produced annually. The current installed base of these street lamps is enormous with more than[0020]500,000 street lamps in Los Angeles alone. The mercury-vapor lamp is not the most efficient gaseous discharge lamp, but is preferred for use in street lamps because of its long life, reliable performance, and relatively low cost.
• Although the mercury-vapor lamp has been used as a common example of current street lamps, there is increasing use of other types of lamps such as metal halide and high pressure sodium. All of these types of lamps require a starting circuit which makes it virtually impossible to characterize the current and voltage characteristics of the lamp.[0021]
• FIG. 2 shows a[0022]lamp arrangement201 with a typicallamp sensor unit210 which is situated between apower source220 and alamp assembly230.Lamp assembly230 includes a lamp240 (such as the mercury-vapor lamp presented in FIG. 1) and astarting circuit250.
• Most cities currently use automatic lamp control units to control the street lamps. These lamp control units provide an automatic, but decentralized, control mechanism for turning the street lamps on at night and off during the day.[0023]
• A typical[0024]street lamp assembly201 includes alamp sensor unit210 which in turn includes alight sensor260 and arelay270 as shown in FIG. 2.Lamp sensor unit210 is electrically coupled betweenexternal power source220 andstarting circuit250 oflamp assembly230. There is ahot line280aand aneutral line280bproviding electrical connection betweenpower source220 andlamp sensor unit210. Additionally, there is a switchedline280cand aneutral line280dproviding electrical connection betweenlamp sensor unit210 andstarting circuit250 oflamp assembly230.
• From a physical standpoint, most[0025]lamp sensor units210 use a standard three prong plug, for example a twist lock plug, to connect to the back oflamp assembly230. The three prongs couple tohot line280a, switchedline280c, andneutral lines280band280d. In other words, theneutral lines280band280dare both connected to the same physical prong since they are at the same electrical potential. Some systems also have a ground wire, but no ground wire is shown in FIG. 2 since it is not relevant to the operation oflamp sensor unit210.
• [0026]Power source220 may be a standard 115 Volt, 60 Hz source from a power line. Of course, a variety of alternatives are available forpower source220. In foreign countries,power source220 may be a 220 Volt, 50 Hz source from a power line. Additionally,power source220 may be a DC voltage source or, in certain remote regions, it may be a battery which is charged by a solar reflector.
• The operation of[0027]lamp sensor unit210 is fairly simple. At sunset, when the light from the sun decreases below a sunset threshold,light sensor260 detects this condition and causes relay270 to close. Closure ofrelay270 results in electrical connection ofhot line280aand switchedline280cwith power being applied to startingcircuit250 oflamp assembly230 to ultimately produce light fromlamp240. At sunrise, when the light from the sun increases above a sunrise threshold,light sensor260 detects this condition and causes relay270 to open. Opening ofrelay270 eliminates electrical connection betweenhot line280aand switchedline280cand causes the removal of power from startingcircuit250 which turnslamp240 off.
• [0028]Lamp sensor unit210 provides an automated, distributed control mechanism to turnlamp assembly230 on and off. Unfortunately, it provides no mechanism for centralized monitoring of the street lamp to determine if the lamp is functioning properly. This problem is particularly important in regard to the street lamps on major boulevards and highways in large cities. When a street lamp burns out over a highway, it is often not replaced for a long period of time because the maintenance crew will only schedule a replacement lamp when someone calls the city maintenance department and identifies the exact pole location of the bad lamp. Since most automobile drivers will not stop on the highway just to report a bad street lamp, a bad lamp may go unreported indefinitely.
• Additionally, if a lamp is producing light but has a hidden problem, visual monitoring of the lamp will never be able to detect the problem. Some examples of hidden problems relate to current, when the lamp is drawing significantly more current than is normal, or voltage, when the power supply is not supplying the appropriate voltage level to the street lamp.[0029]
• Furthermore, the present system of lamp control in which an individual light sensor is located at each street lamp, is a distributed control system which does not allow for centralized control. For example, if the city wanted to turn on all of the street lamps in a certain area at a certain time, this could not be done because of the distributed nature of the present lamp control circuits.[0030]
• Because of these limitations, a new type of lamp monitoring and control system is needed which allows centralized monitoring and/or control of the street lamps in a geographical area.[0031]
• One attempt to produce a centralized control mechanism is a product called the RadioSwitch made by Cetronic. The RadioSwitch is a remotely controlled time switch for installation on the DIN-bar of control units. It is used for remote control of electrical equipment via local or national paging networks. Unfortunately, the RadioSwitch is unable to address most of the problems listed above.[0032]
• Since the RadioSwitch is receive only (no transmit capability), it only allows one to remotely control external equipment. Furthermore, since the communication link for the RadioSwitch is via paging networks, it is unable to operate in areas in which paging does not exist (for example, large rural areas in the United States). Additionally, although the RadioSwitch can be used to control street lamps, it does not use the standard three prong interface used by the present lamp control units. Accordingly, installation is difficult because it cannot be used as a plug-in replacement for the current lamp control units.[0033]
• Because of these limitations of the available equipment, there exists a need for a new type of lamp monitoring and control system which allows centralized monitoring and/or control of the street lamps in a geographical area. More specifically, this new system must be inexpensive, reliable, and able to handle the traffic generated by communication with the millions of currently installed street lamps.[0034]
• Although the above discussion has presented street lamps as an example, there is a more general need for a new type of monitoring and control system which allows centralized monitoring and/or control of units distributed over a large geographical area.[0035]
• The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.[0036]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention provides a lamp monitoring and control system and method for use with street lamps which solves the problems described above.[0037]
• While the invention is described with respect to use with street lamps, it is more generally applicable to any application requiring centralized monitoring and/or control of units distributed over a large geographical area.[0038]
• Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a system for monitoring and controlling lamps or any remote device over a large geographical area.[0039]
• Another object of the invention is to provide a method for randomizing transmit times and channel numbers to reduce the probability of a packet collision.[0040]
• An additional object of the present invention is to provide a base station for receiving monitoring data from remote devices.[0041]
• Another object of the current invention is to provide an ID and status processing unit in the base station for processing an ID and status field in the monitoring data and allowing storage in a database to create statistical profiles.[0042]
• An advantage of the present invention is that it solves the problem of efficiently providing centralized monitoring and/or control of the street lamps in a geographical area.[0043]
• Another advantage of the present invention is that by randomizing the frequency and timing of redundant transmissions, it reduces the probability of collisions while increasing the probability of a successful packet reception.[0044]
• An additional advantage of the present invention is that it provides for a new type of monitoring and control unit which allows centralized monitoring and/or control of units distributed over a large geographical area.[0045]
• Another advantage of the present invention is that it allows bases stations to be connected to other base stations or to a main station in a network topology to increase the amount of monitoring data in the overall system.[0046]
• A feature of the present invention, in accordance with one embodiment, is that it includes the base station with an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.[0047]
• Another feature of the present invention is that in accordance with an embodiment, the monitoring data further includes a data field which can store current or voltage data in a lamp monitoring and control system.[0048]
• An additional feature of the present invention, in accordance with another embodiment, is that it includes remote device monitoring and control units which can be linked to the bases station via RF, wire, coaxial cable, or fiber optics.[0049]
• These and other objects, advantages and features can be accomplished in accordance with the present invention by the provision of a lamp monitoring and control system comprising lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective lamp to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and at least one base station, coupled to a group of the lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of the base stations includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.[0050]
• These and other objects, advantages and features can additionally be accomplished in accordance with the present invention by the provision of a remote device monitoring and control system comprising remote device monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective remote device to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and at least one base station, coupled to a group of the remote device monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of the base stations includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.[0051]
• These and other objects, advantages and features can also be accomplished in accordance with the present invention by the provision of a method for monitoring the status of lamps, comprising the steps of collecting monitoring data for the lamps and transmitting the monitoring data.[0052]
• Additional objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.[0053]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements wherein:[0054]
• FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a typical mercury-vapor lamp.[0055]
• FIG. 2 shows a typical configuration of a lamp arrangement comprising a lamp sensor unit situated between a power source and a lamp assembly.[0056]
• FIG. 3 shows a lamp arrangement, according to one embodiment of the invention, comprising a lamp monitoring and control unit situated between a power source and a lamp assembly.[0057]
• FIG. 4 shows a lamp monitoring and control unit, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a processing and sensing unit, a TX unit, and an RX unit.[0058]
• FIG. 5 shows a general monitoring and control unit, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a processing and sensing unit, a TX unit, and an RX unit.[0059]
• FIG. 6 shows a monitoring and control system, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a base station and a plurality of monitoring and control units.[0060]
• FIG. 7 shows a monitoring and control system, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a plurality of base stations, each having a plurality of associated monitoring and control units.[0061]
• FIG. 8 shows an example frequency channel plan for a monitoring and control system, according to another embodiment of the invention.[0062]
• FIGS.[0063]9A-B show packet formats, according to another embodiment of the invention, for packet data between the monitoring and control unit and the base station.
• FIG. 10 shows an example of bit location values for a status byte in the packet format, according to another embodiment of the invention.[0064]
• FIGS.[0065]11A-C show a base station for use in a monitoring and control system, according to another embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 12 shows a monitoring and control system, according to another embodiment of the invention, having a main station coupled through a plurality of communication links to a plurality of base stations.[0066]
• FIG. 13 shows a base station, according to another embodiment of the invention.[0067]
• FIGS.[0068]14A-E show a method for one implementation of logic for a monitoring and control system, according to another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• The preferred embodiments of a lamp monitoring and control system (LMCS) and method, which allows centralized monitoring and/or control of street lamps, will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures. While the invention is described with reference to an LMCS, the invention is not limited to this application and can be used in any application which requires a monitoring and control system for centralized monitoring and/or control of devices distributed over a large geographical area. Additionally, the term street lamp in this disclosure is used in a general sense to describe any type of street lamp, area lamp, or outdoor lamp.[0069]
• FIG. 3 shows a[0070]lamp arrangement301 which includes lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310, according to one embodiment of the invention. Lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310 is situated between apower source220 and alamp assembly230.Lamp assembly230 includes alamp240 and a startingcircuit250.
• [0071]Power source220 may be a standard 115 volt, 60 Hz source supplied by a power line. It is well known to those skilled in the art that a variety of alternatives are available forpower source220. In foreign countries,power source220 may be a220 volt, 50 Hz source from a power line. Additionally,power source220 may be a DC voltage source or, in certain remote regions, it may be a battery which is charged by a solar reflector.
• Recall that[0072]lamp sensor unit210 included alight sensor260 and arelay270 which is used to controllamp assembly230 by automatically switching thehot line280ato a switchedline280cdepending on the amount of ambient light received bylight sensor260.
• On the other hand, lamp monitoring and[0073]control unit310 provides several functions including a monitoring function which is not provided bylamp sensor unit210. Lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310 is electrically located between theexternal power supply220 and startingcircuit250 oflamp assembly230. From an electrical standpoint, there is ahot line280aand aneutral line280bbetweenpower supply220 and lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310. Additionally, there is a switchedline280cand aneutral line280dbetween lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310 and startingcircuit250 oflamp assembly230.
• From a physical standpoint, lamp monitoring and[0074]control unit310 may use a standard three-prong plug to connect to the back oflamp assembly230. The three prongs in the standard three-prong plug representhot line280a, switchedline280c, andneutral lines280band280d. In other words, theneutral lines280band280dare both connected to the same physical prong and share the same electrical potential.
• Although use of a three-prong plug is recommended because of the substantial number of street lamps using this type of standard plug, it is well known to those skilled in the art that a variety of additional types of electrical connection may be used for the present invention. For example, a standard power terminal block or AMP power connector may be used.[0075]
• FIG. 4 includes lamp monitoring and[0076]control unit310, the operation of which will be discussed in more detail below along with particular embodiments of the unit. Lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310 includes a processing andsensing unit412, a transmit (TX)unit414, and an optional receive (RX)unit416. Processing andsensing unit412 is electrically connected tohot line280a, switchedline280c, andneutral lines280band280d. Furthermore, processing andsensing unit412 is connected toTX unit414 andRX unit416. In a standard application,TX unit414 may be used to transmit monitoring data andRX unit416 may be used to receive control information. For applications in which external control information is not required,RX unit416 may be omitted from lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310.
• FIG. 5 shows a general monitoring and[0077]control unit510 including a processing andsensing unit520, aTX unit530, and anoptional RX unit540. Monitoring andcontrol unit510 differs from lamp monitoring andcontrol unit310 in that monitoring andcontrol unit510 is general-purpose and not limited to use with street lamps. Monitoring andcontrol unit510 can be used to monitor and control anyremote device550.
• Monitoring and[0078]control unit510 includes processing andsensing unit520 which is coupled toremote device550. Processing andsensing unit520 is further coupled toTX unit530 for transmitting monitoring data and may be coupled to anoptional RX unit540 for receiving control information.
• FIG. 6 shows a monitoring and[0079]control system600, according to one embodiment of the invention, including abase station610 and a plurality of monitoring andcontrol units510a-d.
• Monitoring and[0080]control units510a-deach correspond to monitoring andcontrol unit510 as shown in FIG. 5, and are coupled to a remote device550 (not shown in FIG. 6) which is monitored and controlled. Each of monitoring andcontrol units510a-dcan transmit monitoring data through its associatedTX unit530 tobase station610 and receive control information through aRX unit540 frombase station610.
• Communication between monitoring and[0081]control units510a-dandbase station610 can be accomplished in a variety of ways, depending on the application, such as using: RF, wire, coaxial cable, or fiber optics. For lamp monitoring andcontrol system600, RF is the preferred communication link due to the costs required to build the infrastructure for any of the other options.
• FIG. 7 shows a monitoring and[0082]control system700, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a plurality ofbase stations610a-c,each having a plurality of associated monitoring andcontrol units510a-h.Eachbase station610a-cis generally associated with a particular geographic area of coverage. For example, thefirst base station610a, communicates with monitoring andcontrol units510a-cin a limited geographic area. If monitoring andcontrol units510a-care used for lamp monitoring and control, the geographic area may consist of a section of a city.
• Although the example of geographic area is used to group monitoring and[0083]control units510a-c,it is well known to those skilled in the art that other groupings may be used. For example, to monitor and controlremote devices550 made by different manufacturers, monitoring andcontrol system700 may use groupings in whichbase station610aservices one manufacturer andbase station610bservices a different manufacturer. In this example,bases stations610aand610bmay be servicing overlapping geographical areas.
• FIG. 7 also shows a communication link between[0084]base stations610a-c.This communication link is shown as a bus topology, but can alternately be configured in a ring, star, mesh, or other topology. An optionalmain station710 can also be connected to the communication link to receive and concentrate data frombase stations610a-c.The media used for the communication link betweenbase stations610a-ccan be: RF, wire, coaxial cable, or fiber optics.
• FIG. 8 shows an example of a frequency channel plan for communications between monitoring and[0085]control unit510 andbase station610 in monitoring andcontrol system600 or700, according to one embodiment of the invention. In this example table, interactive video and data service (IVDS) radio frequencies in the range of 218-219 MHz are shown. The IVDS channels in FIG. 8 are divided into two groups, Group A and Group B, with each group having nineteen channels spaced at 25 KHz steps. The first channel of the group A frequencies is located at 218.025 MHz and the first channel of the group B frequencies is located at 218.525 MHz.
• FIGS.[0086]9A-B show packet formats, according to two embodiments of the invention, for packet data transferred between monitoring andcontrol unit510 andbase station610. FIG. 9A shows a general packet format, according to one embodiment of the invention, including astart field910, anID field912, astatus field914, adata field916, and astop field918.
• [0087]Start field910 is located at the beginning of the packet and indicates the start of the packet.
• [0088]ID field912 is located afterstart field910 and indicates the ID for the source of the packet transmission and optionally the ID for the destination of the transmission. Inclusion of a destination ID depends on the system topology and geographic layout. For example, if an RF transmission is used for the communications link and ifbase station610ais located far enough from the other base stations so that associated monitoring andcontrol units510a-care out of range from the other base stations, then no destination ID is required. Furthermore, if the communication link betweenbase station610aand associated monitoring andcontrol units510a-cuses wire or cable rather than RF, then there is also no requirement for a destination ID.
• [0089]Status field914 is located afterID field912 and indicates the status of monitoring andcontrol unit510. For example, if monitoring andcontrol unit510 is used in conjunction with street lamps,status field914 could indicate that the street lamp was turned on or off at a particular time.
• [0090]Data field916 is located afterstatus field914 and includes any data that may be associated with the indicated status. For example, if monitoring andcontrol unit510 is used in conjunction with street lamps,data field916 may be used to provide an A/D value for the lamp voltage or current after the street lamp has been turned on.
• [0091]Stop field918 is located afterdata field916 and indicates the end of the packet.
• FIG. 9B shows a more detailed packet format, according to another embodiment of the invention, including a[0092]start byte930,ID bytes932, astatus byte934, adata byte936, and astop byte938. Each byte comprises eight bits of information.
• [0093]Start byte930 is located at the beginning of the packet and indicates the start of the packet.Start byte930 will use a unique value that will indicate to the destination that a new packet is beginning. For example, startbyte930 can be set to a value such as 02 hex.
• [0094]ID bytes932 can be four bytes located afterstart byte930 which indicate the ID for the source of the packet transmission and optionally the ID for the destination of the transmission.ID bytes932 can use all four bytes as a source address which allows for 2³²(over 4 billion) unique monitoring andcontrol units510. Alternately,ID bytes932 can be divided up so that some of the bytes are used for a source ID and the remainder are used for a destination ID. For example, if two bytes are used for the source ID and two bytes are used for the destination ID, the system can include 2¹⁶(over 64,000) unique sources and destinations.
• [0095]Status byte934 is located afterID bytes932 and indicates the status of monitoring andcontrol unit510. The status may be encoded instatus byte934 in a variety of ways. For example, if each byte indicates a unique status, then there exists 2⁸(256) unique status values. However, if each bit ofstatus byte934 is reserved for a particular status indication, then there exists only 8 unique status values (one for each bit in the byte). Furthermore, certain combinations of bits may be reserved to indicate an error condition. For example, astatus byte934 setting of FF hex (all ones) can be reserved for an error condition.
• [0096]Data byte936 is located afterstatus byte934 and includes any data that may be associated with the indicated status. For example, if monitoring andcontrol unit510 is used in conjunction with street lamps,data byte936 may be used to provide an A/D value for the lamp voltage or current after the street lamp has been turned on.
• [0097]Stop byte938 is located afterdata byte936 and indicates the end of the packet.Stop byte938 will use a unique value that will indicate to the destination that the current packet is ending. For example, stopbyte938 can be set to a value such as 03 hex.
• FIG. 10 shows an example of bit location values for[0098]status byte934 in the packet format, according to another embodiment of the invention. For example, if monitoring andcontrol unit510 is used in conjunction with street lamps, each bit of the status byte can be used to convey monitoring data.
• The bit values are listed in the table with the most significant bit (MSB) at the top of the table and the least significant bit (LSB) at the bottom. The MSB,[0099]bit7, can be used to indicate if an error condition has occurred. Bits6-2 are unused.Bit1 indicates whether daylight is present and will be set to 0 when the street lamp is turned on and set to 1 when the street lamp is turned off.Bit0 indicates whether AC voltage has been switched on to the street lamp.Bit0 is set to 0 if the AC voltage is off and set to 1 if the AC voltage is on.
• FIGS.[0100]11A-C show abase station1100 for use in a monitoring and control system using RF, according to another embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 11A shows[0101]base station1100 which includes anRX antenna system1110, a receiving systemfront end1120, amulti-port splitter1130, a bank of RX modems1140a-c,and acomputing system1150.
• [0102]RX antenna system1110 receives RF monitoring data and can be implemented using a single antenna or an array of interconnected antennas depending on the topology of the system. For example, if a directional antenna is used,RX antenna system1110 may include an array of four of these directional antennas to provide 360 degrees of coverage.
• Receiving system[0103]front end1120 is coupled toRX antenna system1110 for receiving the RF monitoring data. Receiving systemfront end1120 can also be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, a low noise amplifier (LNA) and pre-selecting filters can be used in applications which require high receiver sensitivity. Receiving systemfront end1120 outputs received RF monitoring data.
• [0104]Multi-port splitter1130 is coupled to receiving systemfront end1120 for receiving the received RF monitoring data.Multi-port splitter1130 takes the received RF monitoring data from receiving systemfront end1120 and splits it to produce split RF monitoring data.
• RX modems[0105]1140a-care coupled tomulti-port splitter1130 and receive the split RF monitoring data. RX modems1140a-ceach demodulate their respective split RF monitoring data line to produce a respective received data signal. RX modems1140a-ccan be operated in a variety of ways depending on the configuration of the system. For example, if twenty channels are being used, twenty RX modems1140 can be used with each RX modem set to a different fixed frequency. On the other hand, in a more sophisticated configuration, frequency channels can be dynamically allocated to RX modems1140a-cdepending on the traffic requirements.
• [0106]Computing system1150 is coupled to RX modems1140a-cfor receiving the received data signals.Computing system1150 can include one or many individual computers. Additionally, the interface betweencomputing system1150 and RX modems1140a-ccan be any type of data interface, such as RS-232 or RS-422 for example.
• [0107]Computing system1150 includes an ID and status processing unit (ISPU)1152 which processes ID and status data from the packets of monitoring data in the demodulated signals.ISPU1152 can be implemented as software, hardware, or firmware. UsingISPU1152,computing system1150 can decode the packets of monitoring data in the demodulated signals, or can simply pass, without decoding, the packets of monitoring data on to another device, or can both decode and pass the packets of monitoring data.
• For example, if[0108]ISPU1152 is implemented as software running on a computer, it can process and decode each packet. Furthermore,ISPU1152 can include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface, to allow an operator to view the monitoring data. Furthermore,ISPU1152 can include or interface to a database in which the monitoring data is stored.
• The inclusion of a database is particularly useful for producing statistical norms on the monitoring data either relating to one monitoring and control unit over a period of time or relating to performance of all of the monitoring and control units. For example, if the present invention is used for lamp monitoring and control, the current draw of a lamp can be monitored over a period of time and a profile created. Furthermore, an alarm threshold can be set if a new piece of monitored data deviates from the norm established in the profile. This feature is helpful for monitoring and controlling lamps because the precise current characteristics of each lamp can vary greatly. By allowing the database to create a unique profile for each lamp, the problem related to different lamp currents can be overcome so that an automated system for quickly identifying lamp problems is established.[0109]
• FIG. 11B shows an alternate configuration for[0110]base station1100, according to a further embodiment of the invention, which includes all of the elements discussed in regard to FIG. 11A and further includes aTX modem1160, transmittingsystem1162, andTX antenna1164.Base station1100 as shown in FIG. 11B can be used in applications which require a TX channel for control ofremote devices550.
• [0111]TX modem1160 is coupled tocomputing system1150 for receiving control information. The control information is modulated byTX modem1160 to produce modulated control information.
• Transmitting[0112]system1162 is coupled toTX modem1160 for receiving the modulated control information. Transmittingsystem1162 can have a variety of different configurations depending on the application. For example, if higher transmit power output is required, transmittingsystem1162 can include a power amplifier. If necessary, transmittingsystem1162 can include isolators, bandpass, lowpass, or highpass filters to prevent out-of-band signals. After receiving the modulated control information, transmittingsystem1162 outputs a TX RF signal.
• [0113]TX antenna1164 is coupled to transmittingsystem1162 for receiving the TX RF signal and transmitting a transmitted TX RF signal. It is well known to those skilled in the art thatTX antenna1164 may be coupled withRX antenna system1110 using a duplexer for example.
• FIG. 11C shows[0114]base station1100 as part of a monitoring and control system, according to another embodiment of the invention.Base station1100 has already been described with reference to FIG. 11A.
• Additionally,[0115]computing system1150 ofbase station1100 can be coupled to acommunication link1170 for communicating with amain station1180 or afurther base station1100a.
• [0116]Communication link1170 may be implemented using a variety of technologies such as: a standard phone line, DDS line, ISDN line, T1, fiber optic line, or RF link. The topology ofcommunication link1170 can vary depending on the application and can be: star, bus, ring, or mesh.
• FIG. 12 shows a monitoring and[0117]control system1200, according to another embodiment of the invention, having amain station1230 coupled through a plurality of communication links1220a-cto a plurality of respective base stations1210a-c.
• Base stations[0118]1210a-ccan have a variety of configurations such as those shown in FIGS.11A-B. Communication links1220a-callow respective base stations1210a-cto pass monitoring data tomain station1230 and to receive control information frommain station1230. Processing of the monitoring data can either be performed at base stations1210a-cor atmain station1230.
• FIG. 13 shows a[0119]base station1300 which is coupled to acommunication server1340 via acommunication link1330, according to another embodiment of the invention.Base station1300 includes an antenna andpreselector system1305, a receiver modem group (RMG)1310, and acomputing system1320.
• Antenna and[0120]preselector system1305 are similar toRX antenna system1110 and receiving systemfront end1120 which were previously discussed. Antenna andpreselector system1305 can include either one antenna or an array of antennas and preselection filtering as required by the application. Antenna andpreselector system1305 receives RF monitoring data and outputs preselected RF monitoring data.
• Receiver modem group (RMG)[0121]1310 includes alow noise pre-amp1312, amulti-port splitter1314, and several RX modems1316a-c.Low noise pre-amp1312 receives the preselected RF monitoring data from antenna andpreselector system1305 and outputs amplified RF monitoring data.
• [0122]Multi-port splitter1314 is coupled tolow noise pre-amp1312 for receiving the amplified RF monitoring data and outputting split RF monitoring data lines.
• RX modems[0123]1316a-care coupled tomulti-port splitter1314 for receiving and demodulating one of the split RF monitoring data lines and outputting received data (RXD)1324, received clock (RXC)1326, and carrier detect (CD)1328. These signals can use a standard interface such as RS-232 or RS-422 or can use a proprietary interface.
• [0124]Computing system1320 includes at least one base site computer1322 for receiving RXD, RXC, and CD from RX modems1316a-c,and outputting a serial data stream.
• [0125]Computing system1320 further includes an ID and status processing unit (ISPU)1323 which processes ID and status data from the packets of monitoring data in RXD.ISPU1323 can be implemented as software, hardware, or firmware. UsingISPU1323,computing system1320 can decode the packets of monitoring data in the demodulated signals, or can simply pass, without decoding, the packets of monitoring data on to another device in the serial data stream, or can both decode and pass the packets of monitoring data.
• [0126]Communication link1330 includes afirst communication interface1332, asecond communication interface1334, afirst interface line1336, a second interface line1342, and alink1338.
• [0127]First communication interface1332 receives the serial data stream fromcomputing system1320 ofbase station1300 viafirst interface line1336.First communication interface1332 can be co-located withcomputing system1320 or be remotely located.First communication interface1332 can be implemented in a variety of ways using, for example, a CSU, DSU, or modem.
• [0128]Second communication interface1334 is coupled tofirst communication interface1332 vialink1338.Link1338 can be implemented using a standard phone line, DDS line, ISDN line, T1, fiber optic line, or RF link.Second communication interface1334 can be implemented similarly tofirst communication interface1332 using, for example, a CSU, DSU, or modem.
• [0129]Communication link1330 outputs communicated serial data fromsecond communication interface1334 via second communication line1342.
• [0130]Communication server1340 is coupled tocommunication link1330 for receiving communicated serial data via second communication line1342.Communication server1340 receives several lines of communicated serial data fromseveral computing systems1320 and multiplexes them to output multiplexed serial data on to a data network. The data network can be a public or private data network such as an internet or intranet.
• FIGS.[0131]14A-E show methods for implementation of logic for lamp monitoring andcontrol system600, according to a further embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 14A shows one method for energizing and de-energizing a street lamp and transmitting associated monitoring data. The method of FIG. 14A shows a single transmission for each control event. The method begins with a[0132]start block1400 and proceeds to step1410 which involves checking AC and Daylight Status . The Check AC andDaylight Status step1410 is used to check for conditions where the AC power and/or the Daylight Status have changed. If a change does occur, the method proceeds to step1420 which is a decision block based on the change.
• If a change occurred,[0133]step1420 proceeds to aDebounce Delay step1422 which involves inserting a Debounce Delay. For example, the Debounce Delay may be 0.5 seconds. AfterDebounce Delay step1422, the method leads back to Check AC andDaylight Status step1410.
• If no change occurred,[0134]step1420 proceeds to step1430 which is a decision block to determine whether the lamp should be energized. If the lamp should be energized, then the method proceeds to step1432 which turns the lamp on. Afterstep1432 when the lamp is turned on, the method proceeds to step1434 which involves Current Stabilization Delay to allow the current in the street lamp to stabilize. The amount of delay for current stabilization depends upon the type of lamp used. However, for a typical vapor lamp a ten minute stabilization delay is appropriate. Afterstep1434, the method leads back to step1410 which checks AC and Daylight Status.
• Returning to step[0135]1430, if the lamp is not to be energized, then the method proceeds to step1440 which is a decision block to check to deenergize the lamp. If the lamp is to be deenergized, the method proceeds to step1442 which involves turning the Lamp Off. After the lamp is turned off, the method proceeds to step1444 in which the relay is allowed a Settle Delay time. The Settle Delay time is dependent upon the particular relay used and may be, for example, set to 0.5 seconds. Afterstep1444, the method returns to step1410 to check the AC and Daylight Status.
• Returning to step[0136]1440, if the lamp is not to be deenergized, the method proceeds to step1450 in which an error bit is set, if required. The method then proceeds to step1460 in which an A/D is read.
• The method then proceeds from[0137]step1460 to step1470 which checks to see if a transmit is required. If no transmit is required, the method proceeds to step1472 in which a Scan Delay is executed. The Scan Delay depends upon the circuitry used and, for example, may be 0.5 seconds. Afterstep1472, the method returns to step1410 which checks AC and Daylight Status.
• Returning to step[0138]1470, if a transmit is required, then the method proceeds to step1480 which performs a transmit operation. After the transmit operation ofstep1480 is completed, the method then returns to step1410 which checks AC and Daylight Status.
• FIG. 14B is analogous to FIG. 14A with one modification. This modification occurs after[0139]step1420. If a change has occurred, rather than simply executingstep1422, the Debounce Delay, the method performs afurther step1424 which involves checking whether daylight has occurred. If daylight has not occurred, then the method proceeds to step1426 which executes an Initial Delay. This initial delay may be, for example, 0.5 seconds. Afterstep1426, the method proceeds to step1422 and follows the same method as shown in FIG. 14A.
• Returning to step[0140]1424 which involves checking whether daylight has occurred, if daylight has occurred, the method proceeds to step1428 which executes an Initial Delay. The Initial Delay associated withstep1428 should be a significantly larger value than the Initial Delay associated withstep1426. For example, an Initial Delay of 45 seconds may be used. The Initial Delay ofstep1428 is used to prevent a false triggering which deenergizes the lamp. In actual practice, this extended delay can become very important because if the lamp is inadvertently deenergized too soon, it requires a substantial amount of time to reenergize the lamp (for example, ten minutes). Afterstep1428, the method proceeds to step1422 which executes a Debounce Delay and then returns to step1410 as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B.
• FIG. 14C shows a method for transmitting monitoring data multiple times in monitoring and[0141]control unit510, according to a further embodiment of the invention. This method is particularly important in applications in which monitoring andcontrol unit510 does not have aRX unit540 for receiving acknowledgments of transmissions.
• The method begins with a transmit[0142]start block1482 and proceeds to step1484 which involves initializing a count value, i.e. setting the count value to zero. The method proceeds fromstep1484 to step1486 which involves setting a variable x to a value associated with a serial number of monitoring andcontrol unit510. For example, variable x may be set to50 times the lowest nibble of the serial number.
• The method proceeds from[0143]step1486 to step1488 which involves waiting a reporting start time delay associated with the value x. The reporting start time is the amount of delay time before the first transmission. For example, this delay time may be set to x seconds where x is an integer between 1 and 32,000 or more. This example range for x is particularly useful in the street lamp application since it distributes the packet reporting start times over more than eight hours, approximately the time from sunset to sunrise.
• The method proceeds from[0144]step1488 to step1490 in which a variable y representing a channel number is set. For example, y may be set to the integer value of RTC/12.8, where RTC represents a real time clock counting from 0-255 as fast as possible. The RTC may be included in processing andsensing unit520.
• The method proceeds from[0145]step1490 to step1492 in which a packet is transmitted on channel y.Step1492 proceeds to step1494 in which the count value is incremented.Step1494 proceeds to step1496 which is a decision block to determine if the count value equals an upper limit N.
• If the count is not equal to N, the method returns from[0146]step1496 to step1488 and waits another delay time associated with variable x. This delay time is the reporting delta time since it represents the time difference between two consecutive reporting events.
• If the count is equal to N, the method proceeds from[0147]step1496 to step1498 which is an end block. The value for N must be determined based on the specific application. Increasing the value of N decreases the probability of a unsuccessful transmission since the same data is being sent multiple times and the probability of all of the packets being lost decreases as N increases. However, increasing the value of N increases the amount of traffic which may become an issue in a monitoring and control system with a plurality of monitoring and control units.
• FIG. 14D shows a method for transmitting monitoring data multiple times in a monitoring and control system according to a another embodiment of the invention.[0148]
• The method begins with a transmit[0149]start block1410′ and proceeds to step1412′ which involves initializing a count value, i.e., setting the count value to 1. The method proceeds fromstep1412′ to step1414′ which involves randomizing the reporting start time delay. The reporting start time delay is the amount of time delay required before the transmission of the first data packet. A variety of methods can be used for this randomization process such as selecting a pseudo-random value or basing the randomization on the serial number of monitoring andcontrol unit510.
• The method proceeds from[0150]step1414′ to step1416′ which involves checking to see if the count equals 1. If the count is equal to 1, then the method proceeds to step1420′ which involves setting a reporting delta time equal to the reporting start time delay. If the count is not equal to 1, the method proceeds to step1418′ which involves randomizing the reporting delta time. The reporting delta time is the difference in time between each reporting event. A variety of methods can be used for randomizing the reporting delta time including selecting a pseudo-random value or selecting a random number based upon the serial number of the monitoring andcontrol unit510.
• After either[0151]step1418′ orstep1420′, the method proceeds to step1422′ which involves randomizing a transmit channel number. The transmit channel number is a number indicative of the frequency used for transmitting the monitoring data. There are a variety of methods for randomizing the transmit channel number such as selecting a pseudo-random number or selecting a random number based upon the serial number of the monitoring andcontrol unit510.
• The method proceeds from[0152]step1422′ to step1424′ which involves waiting the reporting delta time. It is important to note that the reporting delta time is the time which was selected during the randomization process ofstep1418′ or the reporting start time delay selected instep1414′, if the count equals 1. The use ofseparate randomization steps1414′ and1418′ is important because it allows the use of different randomization functions for the reporting start time delay and the reporting delta time, respectively.
• After[0153]step1424′ the method proceeds to step1426′ which involves transmitting a packet on the transmit channel selected instep1422′.
• The method proceeds from[0154]step1426′ to step1428′ which involves incrementing the counter for the number of packet transmissions.
• The method proceeds from[0155]step1428′ to step1430′ in which the count is compared with a value N which represents the maximum number of transmissions for each packet. If the count is less than or equal to N, then the method proceeds fromstep1430′ back to step1418′ which involves randomizing the reporting delta time for the next transmission. If the count is greater than N, then the method proceeds fromstep1430′ to theend block1432′ for the transmission method.
• In other words, the method will continue transmission of the same packet of data N times, with randomization of the reporting start time delay, randomization of the reporting delta times between each reporting event, and randomization of the transmit channel number for each packet. These multiple randomizations help stagger the packets in the frequency and time domain to reduce the probability of collisions of packets from different monitoring and control units.[0156]
• FIG. 14E shows a further method for transmitting monitoring data multiple times from a monitoring and[0157]control unit510, according to another embodiment of the invention.
• The method begins with a transmit[0158]start block1440′ and proceeds to step1442′ which involves initializing a count value, i.e., setting the count value to 1. The method proceeds fromstep1442′ to step1444′ which involves reading an indicator, such as a group jumper, to determine which group of frequencies to use, Group A or B. Examples of Group A and Group B channel numbers and frequencies can be found in FIG. 8.
• [0159]Step1444′ proceeds to step1446′ which makes a decision based upon whether Group A or B is being used. If Group A is being used,step1446′ proceeds to step1448′ which involves setting a base channel to the appropriate frequency for Group A. If Group B is to be used,step1446′ proceeds to step1450′ which involves setting the base channel frequency to a frequency for Group B.
• After either[0160]Step1448′ orstep1450′, the method proceeds to step1452′ which involves randomizing a reporting start time delay. For example, the randomization can be achieved by multiplying the lowest nibble of the serial number of monitoring andcontrol unit510 by50 and using the resulting value, x, as the number of milliseconds for the reporting start time delay.
• The method proceeds from[0161]step1452′ to step1454′ which involves waiting x number of seconds as determined instep1452′.
• The method proceeds from[0162]step1454′ to step1456′ which involves setting a value z=0, where the value z represents an offset from the base channel number set instep1448′ or1450′.Step1456′ proceeds to step1458′ which determines whether the count equals 1. If the count equals 1, the method proceeds fromstep1458′ to step1472′ which involves transmitting the packet on a channel determined from the base channel frequency selected in eitherstep1448′ orstep1450′ plus the channel frequency offset selected instep1456′.
• If the count is not equal to 1, then the method proceeds from[0163]step1458′ to step1460′ which involves determining whether the count is equal to N, where N represents the maximum number of packet transmissions. If the count is equal to N, then the method proceeds fromstep1460′ to step1472′ which involves transmitting the packet on a channel determined from the base channel frequency selected in eitherstep1448′ orstep1450′ plus the channel number offset selected instep1456′.
• If the count is not equal to N, indicating that the count is a value between 1 and N, then the method proceeds from[0164]step1460′ to step1462′ which involves reading a real time counter (RTC) which may be located in processing andsensing unit412.
• The method proceeds from[0165]step1462′ to step1464′ which involves comparing the RTC value against a maximum value, for example, a maximum value of 152. If the RTC value is greater than or equal to the maximum value, then the method proceeds from step1464′ to step1466′ which involves waiting x seconds and returning to step1462′.
• If the value of the RTC is less than the maximum value, then the method proceeds from step[0166]1464′ to step1468′ which involves setting a value y equal to a value indicative of the channel number offset. For example, y can be set to an integer of the real time counter value divided by 8, so that Y value would range from 0 to 18.
• The method proceeds from[0167]step1468′ to step1470′ which involves computing a frequency offset value z from the channel number offset value y. For example, if a 25 KHz channel is being used, then z is equal to ytimes 25 KHz.
• The method then proceeds from[0168]step1470′ to step1472′ which involves transmitting the packet on a channel determined from the base channel frequency selected in eitherstep1448′ orstep1450′ plus the channel frequency offset computed instep1470′.
• The method proceeds from[0169]step1472′ to step1474′ which involves incrementing the count value. The method proceeds fromstep1474′ to step1476′ which involves comparing the count value to a value N+1 which is related to the maximum number of transmissions for each packet. If the count is not equal to N+1, the method proceeds fromstep1476′ back to step1454′ which involves waiting x number of milliseconds. If the count is equal to N+1, the method proceeds fromstep1476′ to theend block1478′.
• The method shown in FIG. 14E is similar to that shown in FIG. 14D, but differs in that it requires the first and the Nth transmission to occur at the base frequency rather than a randomly selected frequency.[0170]
• The foregoing embodiments are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.[0171]

Claims (48)

What is claimed is:

1. A lamp monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of lamps, comprising:

a plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective lamp of the plurality of lamps to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

at least one base station, coupled to a group of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

2. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein the ID field includes a lamp monitoring and control unit ID.

3. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein the ID field includes a base station ID.

4. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein the monitoring data further includes a data field.

5. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 4, wherein the data field includes current data related to one of the plurality of lamps.

6. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 4, wherein the data field includes voltage data related to one of the plurality of lamps.

7. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units receives control information from at least one of said at least one base station.

8. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via an RF link.

9. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 8, wherein the RF link is in a frequency range of 218-219 MHz.

10. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein a group of said at least one base station is coupled together in a network topology.

11. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

a main station, coupled to a group of said at least one base station, for receiving the monitoring data.

12. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of lamp monitoring and control units is staggered in time to avoid collisions.

13. The lamp monitoring and control system ofclaim 1, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of lamp monitoring and control units is staggered in frequency to avoid collisions.

14. A remote device monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of remote devices, comprising:

a plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, each coupled to a respective remote device of the plurality of remote devices to monitor and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

at least one base station, coupled to a group of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

15. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein the ID field includes a remote device monitoring and control unit ID.

16. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein the ID field includes a base station ID.

17. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein the monitoring data further includes a data field.

18. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 17, wherein the data field includes current data related to one of the plurality of remote devices.

19. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 17, wherein the data field includes voltage data related to one of the plurality of remote devices.

20. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units receives control information from at least one of said at least one base station.

21. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via an RF link.

22. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 21, wherein the RF link is in a frequency range of 218-219 MHz.

23. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via a wire link.

24. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via a coaxial cable link.

25. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein at least one of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units transmits the monitoring data to at least one of said at least one base station via a fiber optic link.

26. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein a group of said at least one base station is coupled together in a network topology.

27. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, further comprising:

a main station, coupled to a group of said at least one base station, for receiving the monitoring data.

28. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of remote device monitoring and control units is staggered in time to avoid collisions.

29. The remote device monitoring and control system ofclaim 14, wherein the monitoring data from the plurality of remote device monitoring and control units is staggered in frequency to avoid collisions.

30. A base station for monitoring a plurality of lamps by receiving RF monitoring data having an ID field and a status field, comprising:

an RX antenna system for receiving the RF monitoring data;

a receiving system front end, coupled to said RX antenna system, for receiving the RF monitoring data and outputting received RF monitoring data;

a multi-port splitter, coupled to said receiving system front end, for receiving the received RF monitoring data and outputting split RF monitoring data;

a plurality of RX modems, coupled to said multi-port splitter, each for receiving and demodulating the split RF monitoring data and outputting a received data signal;

a computing system, coupled to said plurality of RX modems, for receiving the received data signal from each of said plurality of RX modems; and

an ID and status processing unit, within said computing system, for processing the ID field of the received data signal.

31. The base station ofclaim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit is software.

32. The base station ofclaim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit is coupled to a database for storing the ID field and the status field.

33. The base station ofclaim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit decodes the ID field and the status field of the received data.

34. The base station ofclaim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit passes the received data to a main station.

35. The base station ofclaim 30, wherein the ID and status processing unit passes the received data to a further base station.

36. The base station ofclaim 30, wherein the received data is RS-232 data.

37. The base station ofclaim 30, wherein said computing system outputs control information to the plurality of lamps.

38. A method for monitoring the status of a plurality of lamps, comprising the steps of:

collecting monitoring data for the lamps; and

transmitting the monitoring data.

39. The method for monitoring ofclaim 38, wherein the step of collecting comprises the sub-steps of:

checking a daylight status and a lamp power to detect a first and a second status;

energizing the lamp when the first status is detected;

de-energizing the lamp when the second status is detected; and

using one of the first and second status as the monitoring data.

40. The method for monitoring ofclaim 38, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the sub-steps of:

randomizing a reporting start delay time;

further randomizing a reporting delta time; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data in accordance with the reporting start delay time and the reporting delta time.

41. The method for monitoring ofclaim 38, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the sub-steps of:

randomizing a randomized TX channel; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data on the randomized TX channel.

42. The method for monitoring ofclaim 38, wherein the step of transmitting comprises the sub-steps of:

randomizing a TX channel; and

redundantly sending the monitoring data a first and a last time on a fixed TX channel and all other times on the randomized TX channel.

43. The method for monitoring ofclaim 40, wherein the step of randomizing is based on a serial number.

44. The method for monitoring ofclaim 40, wherein the step of further randomizing is based on a serial number.

45. The method for monitoring ofclaim 41, wherein the step of randomizing is based on a serial number.

46. A method of making a lamp monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of lamps, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, each coupled to at least one of the plurality of lamps for monitoring and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

coupling at least one base station to a group of said plurality of lamp monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

47. A method of making a remote device monitoring and control system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of remote devices, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, each coupled to at least one of the plurality of remote devices for monitoring and control, and each transmitting monitoring data having at least an ID field and a status field; and

coupling at least one base station to a group of said plurality of remote device monitoring and control units, for receiving the monitoring data, wherein each of said at least one base station includes an ID and status processing unit for processing the ID field of the monitoring data.

48. A method of making a base station for monitoring a plurality of lamps by receiving RF monitoring data having an ID field and a status field, comprising the steps of:

providing an RX antenna system for receiving the RF monitoring data and outputting a received RF monitoring data;

coupling a multi-port splitter to said receiving system front end, for receiving the received RF monitoring data and outputting split RF monitoring data;

further coupling a plurality of RX modems to said multi-port splitter, each for receiving and demodulating the split RF monitoring data and outputting a received data signal;

further providing a computing system, coupled to said plurality of RX modems, for receiving the received data signal from each of said plurality of RX modems; and

arranging an ID and status processing unit, within said computing system, for processing the ID field of the received data signal.

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