FR2743866A1 - Control module for addressing autonomous security lighting unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The control module is coupled through a permanent interface to a remote microprocessor which controls testing of the lighting unit. The microprocessor can read from or write to a memory module situated in the connector to the lighting unit. The memory module is supplied with energy by the lighting unit, either by electromagnetic coupling or by a photovoltaic cell fitted on the memory module. Communication between the memory module and the lighting unit is by electromagnetic or optical coupling. The preferred implementation of the memory module is an electrically erasable PROM. The memory stores the identity number written to it by the microprocessor.

Description

Control module for addressing an autonomous block
security lighting
The present invention relates generally to autonomous safety lighting units, that is to say the luminaires equipping certain premises to maintain minimum lighting there in the event of a failure of the latter's supply network.

 An autonomous block of emergency lighting comprises a storage battery, a charger ensuring the charging of the latter, one or more lamps or neon and a switching member capable of switching the lamps or neon on the storage battery and therefore ensure minimum lighting in the event of a power supply failure.

 The autonomous block of emergency lighting, by the very fact of its function, must be checked periodically.

 In order to check whether the autonomous emergency lighting units are in a position to ensure their function, standardized tests must be carried out.

 It is necessary to test the storage battery to find out whether it is able to supply the emergency lighting system for a given time, or to test, for example, the emergency lamps.

 When there is a large number of autonomous emergency lighting blocks to manage, it becomes very difficult to carry out all the imposed tests, moreover it is not desirable to test the autonomy of the accumulator battery. of all the blocks at the same time in the same room because security would no longer be ensured.

 To facilitate the tests, a network which connects all the blocks can be wired and all the autonomous emergency lighting blocks connected to this network can be interrogated and controlled in order to trigger certain pre-programmed tests. These blocks are called addressable blocks and each block has a unique number or address on the network.

 This type of addressable block generally includes electronics based on a microprocessor or a microcontroller.

 There are also self-contained addressable emergency lighting units.

 Manufacturers offer various solutions to assign a different number to each block, using, for example, encoder wheels or microswitch, others use a memory built into the block's electronics.

 The addressable blocks are connected via the network to a central management system which automates the tests provided for by the regulations in force.

 This system gives very good results and eliminates tedious manual tests but a drawback remains during maintenance operations.

 Indeed, when an autonomous block of emergency lighting is defective, when it is replaced by a new block, it is necessary either to assign it on the spot the old number of the defective block, or to teach the management software the new number of the replacement block and eliminate the old number in the test program.

 The object of the present invention is to avoid these operations.

More specifically, it relates to a remote memory module on the base of the block, memory module containing the number.

 The drawings illustrate the invention.

 Figure 1 shows a sectional view of the block with its support according to the invention.

 In a manner known per se, the autonomous emergency lighting unit (1) is fixed by mechanical means to a base (2) and comprises a plug (7) suitable for plugging in, this base (2) is itself fixed. to the wall (3).

 It is therefore through this base (2) and the plug (7) that its power and control are made.

 When changing the block, the base most of the time remains in place on the wall (3).

 In a manner known per se, the autonomous emergency lighting unit (1) comprises a control module (6) containing a microprocessor or microcontroller, not shown.

 The autonomous block of emergency lighting, according to the invention, comprises a small interface (4) for dialogue with a memory module (5) located in the base (2).

 FIG. 2 represents the diagram of the control circuit of the memory module (M) according to the invention.

 For example and as described in FIG. 2, the microprocessor, not shown, controls via one of its ports symbolized by (A), a high frequency oscillator (1). This oscillator (1) comprises a coil (2) which acts as an electromagnetic transmitter. Opposite, the memory module (M) comprises a coil (5) which recovers part of the energy emitted by the transmitting coil (2) and transforms it via a rectifier (6) into a voltage continues to supply the electronics of the memory module (M).

 If you use, for example, an EEPROM type memory with serial access (non-volatile memory that can be written and erased electrically, the data of which are read or written one after the other), low high frequency emission breaks generated by the microprocessor can be decoded by the decoder (7) and make it possible to generate the usual signals for reading or writing from the memory (8).

 By playing on the width of high frequency power outages, it is very easy to generate the clock, data and validation signals inherent in this type of memory.

 The memory (8) in turn returns, via an oscillator (9) and the coil (10), its data to the coil (3). The signals from the coil (3) are amplified and transmitted to the microprocessor via a port symbolized by (B).

 The microprocessor powers the memory module (M) and codes the read or write signals via the first coil (2), and reads the information contained in the memory module via the coil (3) .

 Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described and shown, but encompasses all variant embodiments.

 In particular the reels (2), (3), (5) and (10) can be printed reels.

 In particular, the coil (10) can be replaced by another type of emitter, for example an infrared light-emitting diode and the coil (3) can be an infrared sensor of the phototransistor or photodiode type.

 For reasons of electromagnetic compatibility, an original variant would be to remove the energy generator and energy receiver part, ie the oscillator (1) and the coil (2) as well as the coil (5), by only one photovoltaic cell on the memory module (M) because there is always a light source in the autonomous block of emergency lighting that can illuminate said cell and therefore power the memory module (M).

Claims (4)

 1. Control module for the addressing of an autonomous addressable and pluggable emergency lighting unit on a support, of the type using a microprocessor suitable for managing the tests to be carried out periodically on the autonomous lighting unit of security and communication management with a central control unit, characterized in that the microprocessor is coupled to an interface allowing the reading and / or writing of a memory module situated in the base of the autonomous block of emergency lighting .  2. Control module according to claim 1, characterized in that the memory module located on the base is supplied with energy by the block, either by electromagnetic coupling, or by a photovoltaic cell placed on the memory module.  3. Control module according to claim 2, characterized in that the communication between the memory module located on the base and the autonomous block of emergency lighting is done by electromagnetic or optical coupling.  4. Control module according to any one of claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the memory module comprises a type memory EEPROM.