Lighting performance power monitoring system and method with optional integrated light control

Abstract

A light performance monitoring device and optionally integrated controller includes a monitor module that directly monitors energy usage of at least one energy load to generate at least one measurement of energy usage; a storage module stores a series of baseline values of energy usage of the energy load, a comparator module compares energy measurements made at predetermined intervals with the baseline values, and a notification module notifies a designated recipient that there is a deviation from the baseline values consistent with a burned out or non-operational light fixture, including but not limited to light bulbs or ballast devices. A control module optionally integrated with the light performance monitoring device can be operatively coupled to the monitor module to control energy usage by the at least one energy load via a data link in a pre-determined manner that is based on the at least one measurement of energy usage.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An energy performance monitoring device, comprising:
 a monitor module for directly monitoring energy usage as a form of power of at least one energy load by generating at least one measurement of energy usage of said at least one energy load at predetermined intervals; and   a storage module for storing a baseline value of energy usage of said at least one energy load at one or more of said predetermined intervals;   a comparator module for comparing said at least one measurement of energy usage generated by the monitor module that monitors said at least one energy load with the baseline value of energy usage to determine whether a predetermined threshold has been reached; said predetermined threshold associated with a power usage when one or more energy loads malfunction or are not operational, and   a notification module for providing notification that said at least one energy load has malfunctioned during use or is not operational based on a change in energy usage.   
     
     
         2 . The energy performance monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the comparator compares the energy measurement with a baseline value dynamically upon generation of the energy measurement by the monitor module. 
     
     
         3 . The energy performance monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the storage module comprises storage selected from the group consisting of cache storage, secondary storage, and tertiary storage. 
     
     
         4 . The energy performance monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein the notification module sends at least one of an email, rf message, text message, and an alarm message to a recipient remote from said device. 
     
     
         5 . The energy performance monitoring device according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one energy load includes at least one lighting device. 
     
     
         6 . An integrated light performance monitoring device and controller, comprising:
 a monitor module for directly monitoring energy usage as a form of power of at least one energy load by generating at least one measurement of energy usage of said at least one energy load at predetermined intervals; and   a storage module for storing a baseline value of energy usage of said at least one energy load at a one or more of said predetermined intervals;   a comparator module for comparing said at least one measurement of energy usage of said at least one energy load being generated by the monitor module with a baseline value of energy usage to determine whether a predetermined threshold has been reached; said predetermined threshold associated with a power usage when said at least one energy load malfunctions or is not operational, and   a notification module for providing notification that said at least one energy load has malfunctioned during use or is not operational based on a change in energy usage; and   a control module operatively coupled to the monitor module for controlling energy usage by the at least one energy load according to said at least one measurement of energy usage,   wherein said control module controls said at least one energy load via a data link.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein said control module includes at least one locally stored software and/or firmware executed by said control module for controlling said at least one energy load according to said at least one measurement of energy usage. 
     
     
         8 . A light performance monitoring and control system, comprising:
 a plurality of light performance monitoring devices including:   (i) a monitor module for directly monitoring energy usage as a form of power of at least one energy load by generating at least one measurement of energy usage of said at least one energy load at predetermined intervals; and   (ii) networking means resident in each of said plurality for communicating among said plurality of light performance monitoring devices;   a controller device including:   a storage module for storing a baseline value of energy usage of said at least one energy load at a one or more of said predetermined intervals;   a comparator module for comparing said at least one measurement of energy usage generated by the monitor module that monitors said at least one energy load with the baseline value of energy usage to determine whether a predetermined threshold has been reached; said predetermined threshold associated with a power usage when said at least one energy load has malfunctioned or is not operational;   a control module operatively coupled to the monitor module for controlling energy usage by the at least one energy load according to said at least one measurement of energy usage,   wherein said control module controls said at least one energy load via a data link.   
     
     
         9 . A method for light performance monitoring, comprising: 
       monitoring energy usage directly as a form of power of at least one energy load and generating at least one measurement of energy usage by said at least one energy load at predetermined intervals; and
 storing a baseline value of energy usage of said at least one energy load at one or more of said predetermined intervals; 
 comparing a measurement of energy usage with the baseline value and determining whether a predetermined threshold has been reached, wherein said predetermined threshold is associated with a power usage when said at least one energy load has malfunctioned or is not operational, and 
 providing notification that an energy load has malfunctioned during use or is not operational based on a change in energy usage. 
 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the comparing of the energy measurement with the baseline value is performed dynamically upon generating said energy measurement. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the baseline value is stored in one of cache storage, secondary storage, and tertiary storage. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the comparing of the energy measurement with the baseline value is performed by a comparator module. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 9 , further comprising providing notification that said at least one energy load has malfunctioned or is not operational. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising controlling energy usage of said at least one energy load according to said energy measurement. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein said at least one energy load includes at least one lighting device. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the step of monitoring energy usage is performed by a monitor module, and the step of controlling said at least one energy load is performed by a control module operatively coupled to the monitor module. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the sub-step of said control module controlling energy usage by said at least one energy load via a data link. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , further comprising monitoring energy usage directly as a form of power of a plurality of energy loads by a plurality of respective monitor modules. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein communicating among the plurality of monitor modules occurs over a network. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the control module communicates with the plurality of monitor modules to control a plurality of energy loads.