WO2021165803A1

WO2021165803A1 - Apparatus and system for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable

Info

Publication number: WO2021165803A1
Application number: PCT/IB2021/051181
Authority: WO
Inventors: Santo LICO
Original assignee: Huna S.R.L.
Priority date: 2020-02-17
Filing date: 2021-02-12
Publication date: 2021-08-26
Also published as: EP4115712A1; IT202000003113A1

Abstract

The present invention describes an apparatus (10) for the remote control of a lighting device (20) through an electric power supply cable comprising a power supply (21), said apparatus (10) comprising a control unit (11) configured to generate first control signals (s1) for said power supply (21); a transceiver (12) configured to transmit or receive said first control signals (s1) through a power supply cable (30) used to supply the electrical energy to said lighting device (20). The invention further describes a lighting device (20) comprising an apparatus (10) for the remote control of a lighting device (20) through an electric power supply cable and a power supply for a lighting device. Lastly, the present invention describes a system for the remote control via power supply cable (30) of lighting devices (20).

Description

DESCRIPTION

TITLE

Apparatus and system for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable

FIELD OF APPLICATION

The present invention relates to an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable, a lighting device, a power supply for a lighting device, a system and a method for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device.

In particular, the present invention relates to remote control by means of a power supply cable of an outdoor lighting system.

The main field of application of the present invention is lighting systems, both outdoor (roads, car parks, tunnels, etc.) and indoor (offices, warehouses, homes, etc.).

Flowever, other fields of application are possible; in fact the realised device allows to be connected to any other electrical device by means of serial communication, 0-10 V analogue or by means of DALI protocol, thus it can be exploited as an alternative remote communication module to traditional systems such as radio waves, systems with dedicated wiring or conveyed waves.

PRIOR ART

As is known, control devices for lighting systems are available which are capable of communicating via radio waves by means of various known protocols (such as Bluetooth Low Energy, ZigBee, WiFi, etc.), in a wide range of frequencies (169 MFIz - 5 GFIz), and in various configurations (Star, mesh, etc.).

Lighting system control devices using a narrowband, broadband and conveyed wave communication module are also known. As an alternative to remote control systems of lighting systems, it is possible to use “stand-alone” systems commonly referred to as "virtual midnight”. These known devices do not have a communication system, have a factory-programmed operating profile and regulate the lamp operation based on this operation (e.g., from 9:00 pm to 12:00 am it operates at 75%, after which 50% until switching off). As these known devices cannot have a clock, they operate by means of an algorithm for calculating the time by means of the calculation of "virtual midnight”.

The estimate of the time is carried out based on how long the last switching on lasted, and indicating half that duration as midnight. For example, if the duration of the previous night was 12 hours, the device estimates that 6 hours after switching on it will be midnight, so it is estimated that it switched on at 6:00 pm.

These known devices cannot regulate on/off cycles (which must be done from the electric power supply control panel), cannot communicate the status of the lamp or connect with other sensors and do not have an internal clock.

Devices that are capable of transmitting voice and data using the electric power supply network as transmission means (Power Line Communication o “PLC”) are also known. The PLC is carried out by superimposing on the transport of the 50Hz electric current a higher frequency signal with weak energy, which is modulated by the information to be transmitted. The separation of the two types of current is carried out by virtue of the filtration and separation of the frequency ranges used. Thus, the PLC signal is received by all the PLC receivers located on the same electrical network. However, such devices transmit a signal which degrades rapidly as a function of the distance travelled on the power supply cable and are therefore limited to distances of a few metres. Therefore, they cannot be applied to outdoor lighting systems without having to resort to the use of signal repeaters and special filters. The aforementioned systems with communication via radio or conveyed waves have the following problems:

• signal quality degrades rapidly with increasing distance, thus it is necessary to install numerous repeaters and/or concentrators in order to minimise the distance travelled by the signal; • they are subject to: o radio interference, in the case of devices with radio communication; o electric load interference, in the case of conveyed wave devices;

• high energy consumption in order to keep the communication channel open;

• the start-up time of the communication network (in some cases up to one hour to organise the communication with all the nodes of the network). This makes it necessary to keep the power supply systems always live in order to have reliable communication;

• installation difficulties: radio devices must be installed outside the lamp, or at least include an external antenna. The conveyed wave devices must instead be installed directly on the power supply network at network voltage (230 V 50 Hz in Italy), making the device more exposed to breakages linked to overvoltages;

• higher equipment cost;

• greater number of elements installed: to maintain a stable signal and limit some of the aforementioned drawbacks, various network support devices are installed (repeaters, concentrators, gateways, etc.). This causes an increase in system complexity which causes higher maintenance costs and a greater risk of disruption.

In the case of stand-alone “virtual midnight" systems, the following disadvantages are highlighted:

- impossible to change the operating profile remotely. This shortcoming does not allow the correct adjustment of the luminous flux based on real need and complicates the management of the lamp fleet, since if the operating power must be changed, it is necessary to intervene on site by replacing the lamp, with obvious problems related to the cost and the time necessary for this adaptation;

- hardly precise time. As previously mentioned, these devices cannot have a clock on board, thus they exploit an algorithm to calculate the time. However, this algorithm is not able to take various factors into account such as the time zone, the exact geographical location and the alternation of daylight saving time, causing errors in the calculation of the time that can reach even more than one hour;

- lower energy savings than other systems. Since it is impossible to adapt the operating profile to real needs and it is impossible to calculate the time accurately, it is impossible to take full advantage of the savings opportunities. The luminous flux needs are adjusted based on how many people or how much traffic is present in the area to be illuminated. If we consider a tourist location near the sea, we will have 3-4 months a year in which many people are present, and therefore the lighting needs are also greater, while instead in the remaining period the needs are considerably reduced due to the reduced number of people. With standalone systems it is not possible to adapt the operation according to the changed flow of people and/or vehicles in circulation, thus throughout the year the same level of lighting required during the peak influx will be present, thereby wasting a considerable amount of energy;

- lack of operation feedback. As it is unable to communicate, it is impossible to know if the lamp is working correctly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable, a lighting device, a power supply for a lighting device, a system and a method for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device which solves the technical problems set forth above, which obviates the drawbacks and overcomes the limits of the prior art by allowing the benefits of traditional radio and conveyed wave control systems to be maintained while overcoming the technical and management difficulties, and while maintaining the same simplicity of installation as stand-alone virtual midnight systems. Another object of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable, a lighting device, a power supply for a lighting device, a system and a method for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device which is capable of communicating remotely through an electric power supply cable also at several km in distance.

Another object of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable, a lighting device, a power supply for a lighting device, a system and a method for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device which is capable of ensuring a high level of safety. Another object of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable, a lighting device, a power supply for a lighting device, a system and a method for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device which is rapid and efficient.

A not last object of the present invention is that of providing an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable, a lighting device, a power supply for a lighting device, a system and a method for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device which is of high reliability, easy to realise and simple to use.

These and other objects are achieved by an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable as described in claims 1 to 7.

These and other objects are also achieved by a lighting device as described in claims 8 and 9.

These and other objects are also achieved by a power supply for a lighting device as described in claim 10. These and other objects are also achieved by a system for the remote control via a power supply cable of lighting devices as described in claims 11 to 17.

Further features and advantages of the invention will result more from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an apparatus for the remote control of a lighting device through an electric power supply cable, a lighting device, a power supply for a lighting device, a system and a method for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device according to the invention, illustrated for non-limited, indicative purposes, with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The description is provided below with reference to the accompanying figures, whose purpose is likewise purely illustrative and hence non limiting, in which:

- figure 1 illustrates a preliminary functional block diagram related to a possible architecture of the system according to the invention;

- figure 2 is a block diagram which illustrates in more detail the communication apparatus of the architecture of figure 1 ;

- figure 3 is a block diagram which illustrates in more detail the lighting device of the architecture of figure 1 ;

- figure 4 illustrates a functional block diagram of another architecture of the system according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the aforementioned figures, the system for the remote control through an electric power supply cable of a lighting device according to the present invention is illustrated in figure 1.

The system comprises an apparatus 10, as illustrated in detail in figure 2, for the remote control of one or more lighting devices 20 through an electric power supply cable 30, a plurality of lighting devices 20 (shown in figure 3), each provided with an electric power supply 21.

In particular, the apparatus 10 comprises a control unit 11 configured to generate a first control signal s1 to remotely control the power supply 21 of the lighting device 20, a transceiver 12 configured to transmit or receive control signals s1 , s2 through a power supply cable 30, used to provide the electrical energy necessary to supply the lighting device 20. Furthermore, each apparatus 10 comprises a clock configured to generate a periodic signal used for synchronising the operation of multiple apparatuses 10 connected to one another.

In particular, a first apparatus 10 is connected to the long distance power supply cable 30 of a lighting system (e.g., road) and is capable of sending first control signals S1 to a second apparatus 10 connected to one or more lighting devices 20. The first apparatus 10 is also configured to receive second signals s2 transmitted by the second remote apparatus 10, through the long distance power supply line 30.

The apparatus 10 is physically connected to the cable 30 or the power supply network so that the signal s1 generated by the control unit 11 is transmitted through the power supply cable 30. The signal s1 is based on voltage impulses or current impulses or power impulses. A high level represents an impulse and is characterised by a specific duration. Based on the duration and on the number of impulses, it is possible to activate a communication system between two or more devices.

In addition to the signal, the impulses also carry the energy necessary to supply the apparatus 10 (also the entire lamp 20). The energy sent in the impulses is stored in a capacitor which allows to keep the apparatus 10 active between one impulse and the next (period during which there is no voltage on the cable 30).

In particular, the apparatus 10 is configured to send a signal s1 using duration and number of impulses.

The proposed system sends voltage or current impulses at a low frequency, lower than that of electrical energy transmission (50Hz or 60Hz).

The duration of the impulse and the order thereof represent the encoding of the message or command fi. The impulses S1 , S2, Si sent from the electric panel 21 to the lighting devices 20 are voltage impulses (9-30V) and include therein both the message or command fi to be sent, and the energy necessary for the receiving device. Thereby, only two electric cables 30 are sufficient to supply and communicate with the device. Example sequence (or order):

1. Impulse 1 (s11 ): 12V for 4 seconds; 0V for 1 second;

2. Impulse 2 (s12): 12V for 4 seconds; 0V for 1 second;

3. Impulse 3 (s13): 12V for 4 seconds; 0V for 1 second;

4. Impulse 4 (s14): 12V for 18 seconds;

5. etc.

In practice, the control device 10 on the lamp 20 is supplied and disconnected according to a predetermined sequence, which allows a message or command fi to be encoded therein.

The impulses are sent using the same power supply cables 30 of the lamp 20.

The message is received by all the lighting devices 20 connected to that electrical network 30, but the identifier of the receiver is also encoded within the message, thus only this will actually read the command received.

To respond to the control device 10 installed on the control panel (it is the device which acts as the master for all those installed in the lamps), the lamp 20 will implement a modulation of the current absorbed (modulating the power absorbed by the lamp on which it is installed).

The central device 10 (the same as indicated above) detects these absorption modulations and, similarly to the case of communication from the electric panel 6 to the lamp 20, based on the modulation sequence, will receive the encoded message fi.

The electric panel 6 then acts as the communication master and determines with which remote device 10 to communicate.

The system includes at least the following communication methods: 1. from the electric panel 6 to all the lamps installed on the same electrical network 30;

2. from the electric panel 6 to a subset of the lamps 20 installed on the same electrical network 30;

3. from the panel 21 to a specific lamp 20 installed on the same electrical network 30.

In order for the communication between the panel 6 and the lamps 20 to occur, it is not necessary for the electrical network 30 to be supplied, while in order for the communication between the lamps 20 to the panel 6 to occur, the electrical network 30 must be supplied (this is because the lamps 20 must be powered in order to modulate the absorbed power and send the message fi).

The wireless communication or communication through another system may concern, for example but not limited to, only the internet connection of the device on the panel 6, not the communication between the panel 6 and the lamps 20.

The known PWM signals are high-frequency signals defined by three parameters:

1. Peak voltage (e.g., 10V);

2. Cycles per second (e.g., 1000 Hz);

3. Duty cycle (% of time in a cycle where the voltage is equal to the peak). Thereby analogue signals can be approximated by means of a digital signal.

For example, if an analogue signal equal to 6V is to be sent starting from a digital signal equal to 10V, a PWM signal must be sent with peak voltage 10V, Duty cycle 60% (the frequency depends on the receiving system).

The proposed system is therefore very different from a PWM signal, which, moreover, is not suitable for communications at distances greater than a few metres and is highly subject to interference.

That is, the substantial difference between the present invention and the PWM resides in the fact that the PWM is a cyclic signal, the duration of a cycle is 1 /frequency (e.g., 1000 Hz -> cycle duration 1 ms), during the cycle the voltage will be at a high level for a % of the time determined by the duty cycle (e.g., freq. 1000 Hz, Duty cycle 25% -> 0.25ms high voltage level, 0.75ms low voltage signal).

The impulse system according to the present invention, on the other hand, does not have a cycle, each impulse has a different duration from the other impulses, and they are all interspersed by a period of low voltage with a duration irrelevant for the purposes of communication.

The first four impulses s11 , s12, s13, s14 of the signal s1 generated by the apparatus 10 are used to synchronise the “clocks” of the various apparatuses 10 connected to one another in the system.

Thereby, any differences in the speed of the "clock” of each apparatus 10 connected to the system and any delays in communication related to the features of the electrical network on which the impulses are sent are corrected.

The fifth impulse s15 is used to warn the devices 10 of the system that the subsequent signals s16, s17, s18 will be addressed to a specific device 10, to a group of devices 10 or in “broadcast" mode, to all the devices 10 present in the system.

For example, if the impulse s15 has a duration less than 3 sec, it is understood that the subsequent signals s16, s17, s18, s1i... which will follow will be sent in "broadcast” mode to all the devices 10 present in the system and connected to an electric cable 30.

If the duration of the fifth impulse s15 is instead comprised between 3 sec and 20 sec, it is understood that the subsequent signals s16, s17, s18... which will follow will be sent to a specific group of lighting devices 20, identified by a univocal group code ID_GRP of lighting devices 20. In this case, durations of the impulse s15 of 2 sec and multiples, between 3 sec and 20 sec, identify a particular univocal group code ID_GRP.

If the duration of the fifth impulse s15 is greater than 20 sec, it is understood that the subsequent signals s16, s17, s18, s1i... which will follow will be sent to a specific lighting device 20. In such a situation, the duration of the impulse s15 is indicative of the code ID of the individual addressed lighting device.

All the impulses subsequent to the impulse s14 contain the message to be communicated to a certain lighting device 20 of the system.

In particular, the impulses s15, s16 and s17 subsequent to the fourth impulse s14 of the signal s1 are used to direct a control command fi to a specific lighting device 20. Alternatively, the impulse s15 relative to the control command fi can be sent through the power supply cable 30 in “broadcast” mode to all the lighting devices 20 of the system.

The control command fi may also be composed of more than one signal impulse s1.

In a non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the message is sent in a "table” form and each value is sent by means of a group of at least three impulses. The first two impulses indicate the address of the table as the reference “row” and “column”, the third impulse indicates the value to be sent or the function to be activated. The value and addresses are calculated based on the impulse duration.

That is, to send a certain control command fi to a lighting device 20, a signal composed of at least three impulses s16, s17, s18 is generated and sent, of which the first two impulses s16, s17 identify an address of a table T and the third impulse s18 is a value indicative of a function to be activated on the lighting device 20.

For example, a standard impulse duration of 1 second can be set. In this case, if the value 5 was to be sent to the address (4;2), the three impulses s16, s17, s18 to be sent would have the following duration: 5 seconds, 3 seconds and 6 seconds. Each impulse must be followed by a period of low or zero voltage whose duration is not fundamental for communication purposes, thus it is convenient to choose the shortest possible duration while taking into account the features of the electrical network.

Only one signal at a time can pass on the same cable 30. If necessary, for any specific features of the process or device to be controlled, it is possible to reverse the impulses, therefore using the low value instead of the high value as a communication channel.

By applying this communication protocol in the field of lighting, it is possible to remotely control the lighting devices 20 by connecting an apparatus 10 capable of communicating with a power supply 21 for lighting devices 20 (in particular for LED lamps) and of exploiting the communication protocol described above.

That is, by connecting multiple communication apparatuses 10 in as many lighting devices 20 and at least one remote communication apparatus 10, all connected by the electrical network, it is possible to control the lighting devices. A communication apparatus 10 may also be installed in an electric panel 6 of the electrical network to which multiple lighting devices 20 are connected via a cable 30.

The system according to the invention operates on distances, between the remote apparatus 10 and the apparatus 10 present on the electric panel 6 or on the lighting device 20 farthest away, up to 10 km.

Preferably, it is possible to reach distances of a few tens of km.

The distance limit is linked to the voltage decay along the electric line. For example, if the voltage drops too much, then the “high” impulse may not be received by the apparatus installed on the lighting device 20. However, if this were to happen then the lighting device 20 would also not be able to turn on, thus in this case the lack of communication would not be a problem.

In practice, the maximum effective distance depends on how the electrical system was designed, and the limit coincides with the distance of the farthest lighting device (typically no more than 10 km of electric line).

In order to increase the power of the signal s1 and allow it to travel a few kilometres without losing quality, a low value for the voltage impulse of less than 2 V has been chosen in the road lighting application. In practice, the board of the communication apparatus 10 is completely disconnected during the low impulse period. It was therefore necessary to develop a circuit inside the apparatus 10 capable of keeping the microprocessor supplied for a few seconds, even during the low impulse period, therefore without external power supply.

In particular, a very efficient processor was chosen, and a capacitor capable of compensating for the lack of voltage for a few seconds was integrated.

In this case the impulse can be defined as voltage above a certain threshold value (commonly between 10 V and 30 V).

The apparatus 10 operates in stand-alone mode and applies the operation based on the last received setting, however this can be modified at any time, thus exceeding the limits imposed by the common stand-alone devices. Furthermore, it is thereby not only possible to change the settings of the individual lighting devices 20, but also to synchronise the clock and thus avoid possible errors in the calculation of the time.

Finally, by virtue of the apparatus 10, the lighting device 20 is also able to communicate its operating status and possibly data received from installed sensors. In this case the impulse is not defined based on the voltage value (the lamp has no way of changing the network voltage) but according to the power absorbed or the electric current: by increasing or decreasing the current absorbed by the lighting device 20 it is possible to send impulses which can be interpreted by a centralised apparatus 10 which is capable of monitoring the parameters of the electrical network.

In the system there will be an apparatus 10 associated with each lighting device 20 and at least one apparatus 10 placed in a remote position, connected to the power supply cable 30, so that the remote apparatus 10 can communicate with the protocol described above, sending commands fi through the power supply cable 30.

The remote control apparatus 10 may be installed on the electric panel 6 to which a certain number of lighting devices 20 are connected. Advantageously, the remote apparatus 10 comprises a second transceiver 13 configured to transmit or receive a second signal s2 in wireless mode or through a data line.

The sending of impulses from the electric panel 6 to the lighting device 20 occurs without problems since it is simple to create clear and evident voltage impulses, easily recognisable by the devices on board the lamp; instead, the recognition by the device on the electric panel 6 of the power or absorbed current impulses sent by the lamps is more complex.

The currently-installed LED lamps have a typical power between 15 W and 70 W, therefore it is necessary to install a sufficiently precise measuring instrument on board the panel 6 in order to detect power impulses of 10 W.

In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a lighting device 20 comprising an apparatus 10 as described above.

The lighting device 20 comprises a power supply 21 connected to an electric power supply cable 30.

In a third aspect, the present invention relates to a power supply 21 for lighting devices 20 comprising the apparatus 10 as described above.

In a fourth aspect, the present invention relates to an electric power supply panel 6 connected to a power supply cable 30 to which a plurality of lighting devices 20 are in turn connected, in which a communication apparatus via cable as described above is installed.

In a fifth aspect, the present invention relates to a method for the remote control via a power supply cable 30 (of the electrical network) of lighting devices 20 comprising the steps of: connecting a remote apparatus 10 as described above to an electric power supply network 30; connecting an apparatus 10 to a power supply 21 configured to electrically supply a lighting device 20 connected to the electrical network 30. The communication apparatus 10 can also be connected to an electric panel 6 of the electrical network, from which in turn a plurality of lighting devices 20 are connected. In the system according to the invention, as illustrated in figures 2 and 4, there is a remote server 40, connected through an electronic network 31 with one or more remote communication apparatuses 10, connected through a power supply cable 30 to a plurality of lighting devices 20.

The apparatus 10 and the remote server 40 are provided with interfaces which allow them to communicate with one another through an electronic communication network 31.

The electronic network 31 is preferably the internet but could also be an intranet network or any private network adapted to implement a client- server type communication protocol. The electronic network 31 is connected, where necessary, to mobile networks for communication between the remote server 40 and the apparatus 10.

In order to optimise the communication system and the operation of the lighting devices 20, the remote server 40 (a cloud platform) is configured to monitor the operation of the lighting systems 20, analyse pedestrian and road traffic data at the devices 20, check the weather conditions and georeference each element of the system.

Thereby all the controls on the lighting systems 20 are automated and the operating parameters fi thereof can be adjusted in real time based on the data received from the field.

Furthermore, it is possible to optimise maintenance operations by virtue of on-board diagnostics of the lighting devices 20 and also take advantage of predictive maintenance algorithms.

The remote server 40 comprises an access module which makes it accessible to the user by means of a website or app, and a module which allows the creation of multiple users with different permission levels.

Each user will be able to display on a personal electronic device 50, connectable to the remote server 40, information relevant to the management and control of the devices 20 and apparatuses 10 present in a given system. Specifically, on the cloud platform or remote server 40 a table is created which keeps track of each individual lighting device 20 present, for example, in the territory (outdoor system), attributes the geographical coordinates and connects it to an electric panel 6 of reference:

All the lighting devices 20 are displayed on the personal electronic device 50 of a given user on a map which can be 2D or 3D, satellite, road or hybrid.

Thereby, the user can directly select the lighting device(s) 20 from the map whose settings are to be changed or read the parameters thereof. Furthermore, in the above table it is possible to add further information regarding the lamps such as, for example, nominal power, type of support of the lighting device 20, height thereof, and similar information. With this additional data it is possible to show the user a different icon based on the data entered, as highlighted in the example above; this further simplifies the user's action, as he/she is capable of immediately recognising the type of lighting device 20 shown on the map, without having to read a data sheet or a legend.

In addition to the icon shapes, it is possible to dynamically change the colour based on a value in the master table or based on an operating state or a received signal (for example, red if it is in an alarm state).

This system exploits people's ability to analyse a large amount of data through a graph or image, which would be much more complex if the data were presented in tabular form. This same data is also used by the automatic control system, both to direct the commands to be sent, and to analyse the signals from the field; for example, knowing the exact geographical coordinates of the lamp allows to correctly set the clock taking into account the actual sunrise and sunset times and local weather conditions, in order to adjust the switching on, switching off and dimming cycles, thus reducing energy waste.

The solution described above could be integrated directly into the power supplies for lighting devices or LED lamps. In fact, a small hardware modification to the device 20 is sufficient for it to use this communication system and thus be integrated into the software platform for management. This would be the ideal solution, by means of the integration within the LED drivers it would be possible to use faster impulses and further reduce possible noise-related problems.

Low impulses could also be used to increase communication speed. At the moment, only the “high” impulses have been used in the tests carried out, simultaneously exploiting both could double the communication speed.

By connecting the device or apparatus 10 to a power supply 21 for lighting devices 20, for example dimmable LED lamps, it is possible to remotely control, in a timely manner, each individual lamp 20, adjusting the brightness level and absorbed power thereof, switch it on or off, check the correct operating status of the power supply and the LED plate, and possibly collect data from installed sensors, for example an accelerometer to evaluate the maintenance status of the support.

As a person skilled in the art can easily understand, the invention allows overcoming the drawbacks highlighted above with reference to the prior art.

In particular, the present invention allows a significant reduction in the construction costs of remote-controlled systems, simplification of the installation and reduction of the maintenance costs of the communication infrastructure. The invention as described allows overcoming the problems of radio or conveyed wave communication systems. In particular, the invention described here achieves the following technical effects:

- Communication between the communication devices can occur on the same power supply line as the lighting device and the lamp, thus it is possible to exploit the existing electric cables.

- Signal quality is also maintained at considerable distances (some km), so it is not necessary to install repeaters and/or concentrators.

- Reduced possibility of interference. - It is not necessary to keep the communication channel open even when no message is sent, thus the power of the devices is very low (in the order of mW).

- No communication infrastructure start-up time.

- It is not necessary to install external antennas and it can also be connected downstream of the lamp power supply, thus reducing the risk of failure linked to network overvoltages.

- Very simple and low-cost hardware technology characterised mostly by passive components.

- Reduced amount of equipment. All that is needed is a lamp and a gateway connected to the internet. The number of devices which can be managed by a single gateway is linked to the calculation capacity thereof: using 8-bit systems, up to 254 addressable devices can be managed per single power supply line and an unlimited number of non- addressable devices. The real limit is therefore imposed by the electrical parameters related to the infrastructure of the lighting system and not to the control devices or communication system adopted, in these cases usually no more than 100 lamps are installed per electric line.

- Complete remote control, thus all the limits of the stand-alone devices are overcome. It is clear that the specific features are described in relation to different embodiments of the invention with an exemplary and non-limiting intent. Obviously a person skilled in the art can make further modifications and variants to the present invention, in order to satisfy contingent and specific needs. For example, the technical features described in relation to an embodiment of the invention can be extrapolated therefrom and applied to other embodiments of the invention. Such modifications and variations are moreover embraced within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality of elements or devices. A single processor or other processing unit may perform the functions of different devices recited in the claims. The mere fact that some elements are present in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of such measures cannot be used for the benefit of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus (10) for the remote control of a lighting device (20) through an electric power supply cable (30), the lighting device (20) comprising a power supply (21), said apparatus (10) comprising:

- a control unit (11) configured to generate a first control signal (s1) for said power supply (21 );

- a clock configured to generate a periodic signal;

- a transceiver (12) configured to transmit the control signal (s1) through an electric power supply cable (30) used to supply electrical energy to said lighting device (20), said transceiver (12) being configured to receive, through said electric power supply cable (30), a second control signal (s2) generated remotely by a second apparatus (10) associated with said lighting device (20).

2. The apparatus (10) according to claim 1 , wherein the signal (s1) transmitted through the power supply cable (30) is based on voltage impulses or current impulses or power impulses capable of both controlling the lighting device (20) and sending the energy necessary to supply it.

3. The apparatus (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the signal (s1) is configured to communicate using duration and sequence of impulses.

4. The apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the signal (s1) comprises at least four first impulses (s11 , s12, s13, s14) which are used to synchronise the “clock” of the various apparatuses (10) connected to one another.

5. The apparatus (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the signals subsequent to the fourth impulse (s14) of the signal (s1) are used to direct a control command (fi) to a specific lighting device (20).

6. The apparatus (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the signal (s1) comprises a fifth signal (s15) which is used to send a listening notification of the subsequent signals (s16, s17, s18) to the fifth signal (s15) arriving in “broadcast” mode to all the lighting devices (20) connected to the power supply cable (30) or to a specific group of lighting devices (20).

7. The apparatus (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims, comprising a second transceiver (13) configured to transmit or receive a second signal (s2) in wireless mode or through a data line.

8. A lighting device (20) comprising an apparatus (10) according to one or more of the preceding claims.

9. The lighting device (20) according to claim 8, comprising a power supply (21) connected to an electric power supply cable (30).

10. A power supply (21) for a lighting device (20) comprising an apparatus (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 7.

11. A system for the remote control via power supply cable (30) of lighting devices (20) comprising: an apparatus (10) according to one or more of claims 1 to 7; a power supply (21) according to claim 10 and at least one lighting device (20) according to claim 8 or 9 connected to an electric power supply cable (30).

12. The system for the remote control via power supply cable (30) according to claim 11 , wherein said apparatus (10) is installed on an electric control panel (6) connected to a plurality of lighting devices (20).

13. The system for the remote control via power supply cable (30) according to one or more of the preceding claims 11 or 12, wherein said lighting device (20) is an LED lamp.

14. The system for the remote control via power supply cable (30) according to one or more of the preceding claims 11 to 13, comprising a noise dampening device configured to clean the signal (s1) from the presence of noise.

15. The system for the remote control via power supply cable according to one or more of claims 11 to 14, wherein the control command (fi) comprises at least: the luminance, chromaticity, RGB colour, switching on, switching off and dimming of the lighting device (20) with which it is associated.

16. The system for the remote control via power supply cable (30) according to one or more of claims 11 to 15, wherein the lighting device (20) is configured to transmit its own operating status and other information as a function of the power or electrical current absorbed by the lighting device (20).

17. The system for the remote control via power supply cable (30) according to one or more of claims 11 to 16, comprising a remote server (40) comprising a table (T) in which at least the following information is stored:

- a univocal code (id) of each lighting device (20) present in the system;

- a univocal code (Qid) related to the reference framework to which each lighting device (20) is connected;

- the geographical coordinates (latj onj) in which each lighting device (20) is installed.