Occupancy sensor with selective detection

• US 10,076,012 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Balasubramainian, Jaiganesh, Morton, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US15/387,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20170105269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: 315149, 315152, 315155, 315291, 315312
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/006 Solar simulators, e.g. for testing photovoltaic panels
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system and method provide fail-safe operation of a lighting system. A lighting level detector is used to obtain a baseline lighting level for a low-intensity light. If the detector measures less than the baseline level when an occupancy sensor determines the space is unoccupied, a high-intensity light is energized and an indication is provided to a user that the low-intensity light has failed. A method provides daylighting operation of a lighting system. An occupancy sensor can have Wi-Fi functionality to enable remote configuration of the sensor. A line voltage occupancy sensor can include an interface with low voltage devices. An occupancy sensor can include an integral interface to enable an external control system to override the sensor'"'"'s normal logic under emergency conditions. An occupancy sensor can include an active temperature compensation feature. An occupancy sensor can also incorporate an automatically adjustable coverage area.

Claims

1. An occupancy sensor, comprising:

an occupancy sensor housing; and

a plurality of occupancy sensing elements located in the occupancy sensor housing, a first of the occupancy sensing elements being positioned to sense an occupancy condition of a first monitored space, a second of the occupancy sensing elements being positioned to sense an occupancy condition of a second monitored space;

wherein the first and second occupancy sensing elements are capable of being independently switched ON and OFF for selectively sensing the first and second monitored spaces via a device positioned within the occupancy sensor housing, the device being selected from one of a communication receiver, a dip switch, a potentiometer (pot) or a rotary switch; and

wherein switching ON the first occupancy sensing element enables the occupancy sensor to control at least one load based on the occupancy condition of the first monitored space while switching ON the second occupancy sensing element enables the sensor to control at least one load based on the occupancy condition of the second monitored space.

2. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the first occupancy sensing element is associated with a first channel, the second occupancy sensing element is associated with a second channel.

3. The occupancy sensor of claim 2, wherein the first and second channels are independently switchable between an ON and an OFF position via the device.

4. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, further comprising a processor in communication with the first and second occupancy sensing elements, and wherein the communication receiver is a wireless transceiver in communication with the processor, the wireless transceiver being configured to receive a wireless signal from a remote device, the processor executing instructions for switching the first and second occupancy sensing elements ON and OFF based on the wireless signal received from the remote device.

5. The occupancy sensor of claim 4, wherein the wireless transceiver is further configured to transmit wireless signals to the remote device.

6. The occupancy sensor of claim 4, wherein the occupancy sensor is controllable via a custom application residing on the remote device.

7. The occupancy sensor of claim 6, wherein the remote device is one of a laptop, a personal computer, a smartphone and a tablet.

8. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, further comprising a load control device communicatively coupled to the plurality of occupancy sensing elements, the load control device coupled to the at least one load for selectively energizing and de-energizing the at least one load in response to a signal received from at least one of the occupancy sensing elements.

9. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, the plurality of occupancy sensing elements further comprising third and fourth occupancy sensing elements located in the occupancy sensor housing, the third occupancy sensing element being positioned to sense an occupancy condition of a third monitored space, the fourth occupancy sensing element being positioned to sense an occupancy condition of a fourth monitored space.

10. The occupancy sensor of claim 9, wherein the first, second, third and fourth occupancy sensing elements are disposed at different circumferential positions about the occupancy sensor housing.

11. The occupancy sensor of claim 9, wherein at least two of the first, second, third and fourth occupancy sensing elements are associated with a single channel so that at least two of the monitored spaces are configured to be turned ON or OFF by adjusting the single channel.

12. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the first monitored space is associated with a doorway, and the first occupancy sensing element is turned OFF so that movement attributable to a person in a hallway adjacent to the doorway is not sensed by the occupancy sensor.

13. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of occupancy sensing elements includes a digital passive infrared (PIR) sensor.

14. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second monitored spaces comprise portions of a single space serviced by the occupancy sensor.

15. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, further comprising a processor in communication with the first and second occupancy sensing elements and the device, the processor executing instructions for switching the first and second occupancy sensing elements ON and OFF based on instructions from the device.

16. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one load associated with the first occupancy sensing element and the at least one load associated with the second occupancy sensing element are the same load.

17. The occupancy sensor of claim 1, wherein the at least one load associated with the first occupancy sensing element is different from the at least one load associated with the second occupancy sensing element.

18. A method for controlling an electrical load, comprising:

providing an occupancy sensor including an occupancy sensor housing and a plurality of occupancy sensing elements located in the occupancy sensor housing;

positioning a first of the occupancy sensing elements to sense an occupancy condition of a first monitored space including a doorway;

positioning a second of the occupancy sensing elements to sense an occupancy condition of a second monitored space;

switching OFF the first occupancy sensing element via a device positioned within the occupancy sensor housing, the device being selected from one of a communication receiver, a dip switch, a potentiometer (pot) or a rotary switch;

switching ON the second occupancy sensing element via the device; and

selectively energizing and de-energizing the electrical load based on the occupancy condition of the second monitored space.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

associating the first occupancy sensing element with a first channel; and

associating the second occupancy sensing element with a second channel;

wherein switching OFF the first occupancy sensing element via the device includes setting the first channel to an OFF position and switching ON the second occupancy sensing element via the device includes setting the second channel to an ON position.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of occupancy sensing elements further comprises third and fourth occupancy sensing elements located in the occupancy sensor housing.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

positioning the third occupancy sensing element to sense an occupancy condition of a third monitored space; and

positioning the fourth occupancy sensing element to sense an occupancy condition of a fourth monitored space.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

switching ON the third and fourth occupancy sensing elements via the device; and

selectively energizing and de-energizing the electrical load based on the occupancy condition of the third and fourth monitored spaces, respectively.