Method of providing lumens and tracking of lumen consumption

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for compensating an LED light fixture/light source provider for generation of photons by one or more LED light fixtures used by a customer. In one example, a method comprises receiving a monetary amount as compensation for photons generated by the LED light fixtures/light sources, maintaining a contractual relationship with the customer in exchange for the monetary amount, the contractual relationship including a requirement that the provider pay an electricity supplier for the electricity consumed by the LED light fixtures/light sources, determining, with a meter associated with each respective LED light fixture/light source, the amount of electricity consumed by the LED light fixtures/light sources used by the customer over a period of time, and in response to the determination and on behalf of the customer, submitting payment to the customer's electricity supplier for the electricity consumed by the LED light fixtures/light sources used by the customer.

1 . An optical data communication method from at least one optical transceiver, the method comprising:
 providing at least one optical transceiver, said at least one optical transceiver having a plurality of light emitting diodes and at least one photodetector, the plurality of light emitting diodes generating photons of light for a period of time providing illumination measured in lumens, said illumination comprising a plurality of flashes of illumination, said flashes of illumination not being observable to an individual, said at least one optical transceiver comprising at least one processor, said at least one processor being in communication with said plurality of light emitting diodes and said at least one photodetector, said processor regulating said flashes of illumination embedding and communicating information or data within said illumination, said processor having memory, said memory storing at least one optical transceiver identifier and at least one of a required lumen emission level and a required lumen emission color;   using an electric meter to measure electricity entering said at least one optical transceiver over said period of time and storing said measured electricity in said memory;   using a light meter to measure said photons of light exiting said at least one optical transceiver over said period of time as at least one of an existing lumen emission level and an existing lumen emission color and storing in said memory at least one of said existing lumen emission level and said existing lumen emission color;   automatically comparing at said at least one processor at least one of said existing lumen emission level to said required lumen emission level and said existing lumen emission color to said required lumen emission color, said at least one processor automatically adjusting a driver circuit in said at least one optical transceiver to at least one of adjusting said electricity being provided to said plurality of light emitting diodes to obtain said required lumen emission level for said period of time and adjusting said electricity being provided to said plurality of light emitting diodes to obtain said required lumen emission color for said period of time;   storing in said memory said measured adjusted electricity provided to said at least one optical transceiver to at obtain at least one of said required lumen emission level for said period of time and said required lumen emission color for said period of time; and   assigning to said measured electricity or to said measured adjusted electricity said at least one optical transceiver identifier; and   including said measured electricity and said at least one optical transceiver identifier and said measured adjusted electricity and said at least one optical transceiver identifier in said information and data and transmitting said information and data for receipt by a second optical transceiver.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating said measured electricity and said measured adjusted electricity to a computing device on a weekly basis. 
     
     
         3 . The method  claim 1 , further comprising communicating said measured electricity and said measured adjusted electricity to a computing device, said communication comprising a unique identifier. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , said unique identifier comprising global positioning system information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising communicating said measured electricity and said measured adjusted electricity to a computing device following receipt of a request. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying the total amount of said measured electricity and said measured adjusted electricity associated with each of said at least one optical transceivers, and an amount of said lumens generated by each of said at least one optical transceivers over said period of time.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising retrieving said measured electricity and said measured adjusted electricity provided to each of said at least one optical transceivers from said memory according to a communication schedule. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising retrieving said measured electricity said measured adjusted electricity provided to each of said at least one optical transceivers from said memory automatically. 
     
     
         9 . An optical data communication method of tracking lumen generation from at least one LED light fixture used by a customer, the method comprising:
 providing at least one LED light fixture, generating photons of light for a period of time, said photons of light comprising information or data;   using a first meter to measure the electricity entering the at least one LED light fixture over a period of time and storing the measured amount of electricity entering the at least one LED light fixture over the period of time in memory on at least one processor;   measuring the photons of light exiting the at least one LED light fixture over the period of time with a second meter and storing in said memory the measured photons of light exiting the at least one LED light fixture over the period of time on the at least one processor;   automatically comparing at the at least one processor the measured amount of photons of light at each of the at least one LED light fixture for the period of time to data representative of a desired lumen emission level,   wherein the at least one processor automatically adjusts the electricity to be provided to each of the at least one LED light fixture to achieve the desired lumen emission level;   storing in said memory the adjusted electricity provided to each of the at least one LED light fixture for the period of time to achieve the desired lumen emission level;   assigning a LED light fixture identifier to the LED light fixture;   communicating the measured electricity and the adjusted electricity provided to each of the at least one LED light fixture for the period of time to a computing device; and   wherein the at least one LED light fixture transmits observable light, the observable light including pulsed light embedded communication or data signals, the embedded communication or data signals not being detectable by ordinary observation by an individual.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising communicating the metered amount of electricity to the computing device on a weekly basis. 
     
     
         11 . The method  claim 9 , further comprising communicating the metered amount of electricity to the computing device, the communication comprising a unique identifier. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier comprises global positioning system information. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising communicating the metered amount of electricity to the computing device upon request. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 identifying the total amount of electricity associated with each respective light emitting diode light fixture, and the amount of lumens generated by the LED light fixture over a period of time.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 increasing an amount of current applied to at least one LED of the LED light fixture if the summed total amount of lumens generated by the at least one LED light fixture is determined to be below a pre-determined level.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising retrieving the metered electricity and the adjusted electricity provided to each of the at least one light emitting diode light fixture from the memory of the at least one processor according to a communication schedule. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising retrieving the metered electricity and the adjusted electricity provided to each of the at least one light emitting diode light fixture from the memory of the at least one processor automatically without user intervention.