Lighting fixture control systems and methods

• US 10,098,213 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Verfuerth, Neal R., Czaja, Jr., Daniel J., Potts, Michael J., Franzen, Ryan M., Smasal, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, DON J
• Application Number:
  US14/330,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20150008830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 250205, 250239, 340555-557, 315149-159
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/38 Controlling the intensity of light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting fixture system for lamps includes one or more lamps and one or more ballasts configured to provide controlled power to the one or more lamps. The lighting fixture further includes a controller wired to the lighting fixture. The controller includes one or more relays configured to turn power provided to the one or more ballasts on and off such that the one or more lamps turn on and off with the switching of the one or more relays. The controller further includes a logic circuit configured to control the switching of the one or more relays, wherein the logic circuit is configured to log usage information for the lighting fixture in memory. The controller yet further includes communications electronics configured to output the logged usage information.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture system comprising:

one or more light sources configured to receive controlled power; and

a controller wired to the lighting fixture, the controller comprising;

one or more relays configured to turn power provided to the one or more light sources on and off such that the one or more light sources turn on and off with the switching of the one or more relays;

a logic circuit configured to control the switching of the one or more relays, wherein based on the logic circuit controlling the switching of the one or more relays, the logic circuit is configured to log usage information for the lighting fixture in memory, the logged usage information indicating the switching of the one or more relays; and

communications electronics configured to output the logged usage information.

2. The lighting fixture system of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a sensor, and wherein the logic circuit is further configured to control the switching of the one or more relays based on inputs received from the sensor.

3. The lighting fixture system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor.

4. The lighting fixture system of claim 3, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to discontinue the switching based on the inputs received from the sensor by analyzing behavior of at least one of the sensor, the switching, and the logged usage information.

5. The lighting fixture system of claim 2, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to discontinue the switching based on a determination that switching based on the inputs from the sensor has occurred too frequently.

6. A system for controlling lighting in a building, the system comprising:

a plurality of lighting fixtures;

electronics coupled to the plurality of lighting fixtures and configured to;

control local on/off switching of light sources for the plurality of lighting fixtures,

based on controlling the local on/off switching of the light sources, log usage information for the plurality of lighting fixtures, the usage information indicating the local on/off switching of the light sources, and

retain a zone identifier for each of the plurality of lighting fixtures; and

a computing system configured to;

receive the usage information,

calculate energy use information for the plurality of lighting fixtures by aggregating the usage information for the plurality of lighting fixtures, and

cause the calculated energy use information to be displayed on an electronic display in communication with the computing system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing system is further configured to generate a graphical user interface for controlling the plurality of lighting fixtures via a touch screen interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to include a user control configured to override previous settings for the plurality of lighting fixtures.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing system is further configured to use input received at the touch screen interface to configure settings for the plurality of lighting fixtures.

10. A device for controlling a lighting fixture, comprising:

a control circuit configured to cause one or more light sources of the lighting fixture to turn on and off;

a sensor;

a logic circuit configured to;

receive a signal from the sensor, and

use the signal to determine whether the control circuit should change states; and

a radio frequency transceiver configured to receive commands via radio frequency communications;

wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause the one or more light sources of the lighting fixture to turn on and off based on the received commands;

wherein the logic circuit is further configured to log usage information for the lighting fixture, the logged usage information indicating that the one or more light sources was turned on or off based on the received commands;

and wherein the radio frequency transceiver is further configured to transmit the logged usage information.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is at least one of an infrared sensor and an optical sensor.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to:

use the signal from the sensor to detect motion, and

determine whether the control circuit should change states based on the detected motion.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to use the signal from the sensor to determine an ambient lighting level.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to determine whether the control circuit should change states based on the ambient lighting level.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to provide an additional command to the control circuit, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause the one or more light sources of the lighting fixture to turn on or off based on the additional command received from the logic circuit.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the additional command causes the control circuit to turn on the one or more light sources of the lighting fixture when the logic circuit detects motion via the signal from the sensor and when the logic circuit determines that the ambient lighting level is below a threshold setpoint.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to prevent on/off cycling of the one or more light sources of the lighting fixture by holding the one or more light sources in an “

on”

state for a predefined period of time after a condition that caused the one or more light sources to turn on is no longer true.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to include a restrike violation module configured to prevent the logic circuit from commanding the control circuit to cause the one or more light sources to turn on while a restrike time is counted down.

19. The device of claim 10, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to cause the radio frequency transceiver to transmit additional commands to other radio frequency transceivers coupled to other lighting fixtures.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to cause the radio frequency transceiver to transmit an indication that motion was detected by the sensor.