SELF-COMMISSIONING DAYLIGHT SWITCHING SYSTEM

• US 20060091822A1
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Original Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Inventors: Bierman, Andrew, Leslie, Russell P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,045,968 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/244
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A method of commissioning a switch to control an electric luminaire in an indoor space responsive to signals from a photosensor. A first plurality of sensor signal values is calculated when the photosensor is disposed at a first location within the space. A second plurality of sensor signal values is calculated when the photosensor is disposed at a second location within the space. A first threshold value is calculated for switching on the luminaire when light in the space is less than a first value. A second threshold value is calculated for switching off the luminaire when light in the space is greater than a second value.

Claims

1. A method of programming a switch having a processor and a memory to control an electric luminaire in an indoor space responsive to signals from a photosensor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) calculating a first plurality of sensor signal values when the photosensor is disposed at a first location within the space;

(b) calculating a second plurality of sensor signal values when the photosensor is disposed at a second location within the space;

(c) calculating a first threshold value for causing the switch to turn on the luminaire when light in the space is less than a first value; and

(d) calculating a second threshold value for causing the switch to turn off the luminaire when light in the space is greater than a second value; and

(e) storing the first and second threshold values in the memory,

wherein the calculations performed in steps (c) and (d) are based on the sensor signal values calculated in steps (a) and (b).

2. The method of programming a switch in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

turning the luminaire off before calculating one of the first plurality of sensor signal values; and

turning the luminaire on before calculating another one of the first plurality of sensor signal values.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

turning the luminaire off before calculating one of the second plurality of sensor signal values; and

turning the luminarie on before calculating another one of the second plurality of sensor signal values.

4. A method of programming a switch having a processor and a memory to control an electric luminaire in an indoor space responsive to signals from a photosensor, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) turning the luminaire off;

(b) calculating a first sensor signal value when the photosensor is disposed at a first location within the space;

(c) turning the luminaire on;

(d) calculating a second sensor signal value when the photosensor is disposed at the first location within the space;

(e) turning the luminaire off;

(f) calculating a third sensor signal value when the photosensor is disposed at another location within the space;

(g) turning the luminaire on; and

(h) calculating a fourth sensor signal value when the photosensor is disposed at the other location within the space.

5. The method of programming a switch in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

(i) calculating a first threshold value for causing the switch to turn on the luminaire when light in the space is less than a first value; and

(j) calculating a second threshold value for causing the switch to turn off the luminaire when light in the space is greater than a second value; and

(k) storing the first and second threshold values in the memory,

wherein the calculations in steps (i) and (j) are based on the sensor signal values calculated in steps (b), (d), (f) and (h).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the calculation in step (i) is based on the sensor signal values calculated in steps (b), (d), and (f).

7. The method of claim, wherein the calculation in step (j) uses the sensor signal values calculated in steps (b), (d), (f), and (h).

8. A machine-readable medium having encoded on the medium a program code, wherein, when the program code is executed by a machine, the machine implements a method for programming a switch to control an electric luminaire in an indoor space, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) calculating a first plurality of sensor signal values when the photosensor is disposed at a first location within the space;

(b) calculating a second plurality of sensor signal values when the photosensor is disposed at a second location within the space;

(c) calculating a first threshold value for causing the switch to turn on the luminaire when light in the space is less than a first value;

(d) calculating a second threshold value for causing the switch to turn off the luminaire when light in the space is greater than a second value; and

(e) storing the first and second threshold values in the memory

wherein the calculations performed in steps (c) and (d) are based on the sensor signal values calculated in steps (a) and (b).

9. A control system for controlling an electric luminaire disposed in an indoor space, the control system comprising:

a programmable switch for switching the luminaire between on and off conditions;

a photosensor for sensing light at multiple locations within the space;

a processor for receiving signals from the photosensor and controlling the switch responsive to the signals, the processor being configured to calculate a first plurality of sensor signal values when the photosensor is at a first location within the space, a second plurality of sensor signal values when the photosensor is at a second location within the space, a first threshold value for causing the switch to turn on the luminaire when light in the space is less than a first value, and a second threshold value for causing the switch to turn off the luminaire when light in the space is greater than a second value.

10. The control system of claim 9, wherein the luminaire and the switch are disposed in the same housing.

11. The control system of claim 10, wherein the processor is disposed within the switch.

12. The control system of claim 9, wherein the photosensor is disposed to sense at least one of daylight and light from the luminaire.