Security Lighting System and Method, and Control Unit Therefore

• US 20080198009A1
• Filed: 06/01/2006
• Published: 08/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Lavooi, Ronald Edwin, Hoeben, Wilhelmus Frederik Laurens Maria, Van Der Burgt, Petrus Jahannes Mathijs
• Granted Patent: US 8,004,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/541
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 29/10 using light sources, e.g. lasers or flashing lights
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 31/002 Detecting animals in a given area
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 15/00 Identifying, scaring or incapacitating burglars, thieves or intruders, e.g. by explosives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 119/905 Breaking or training method
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 119/908 Electrical animal control or handling

Abstract

The present invention provides a security lighting system and method, that are intended to dispel and/or affect unwanted humans or animals (20) by providing lighting that varies with a suitable switching frequency, such as between 5 and 70 Hz. The lighting of a light source (14a, 14b) of the system may be varied by a control unit (12) as to intensity, color, pattern etc., with a preferred switching frequency being between about 15 and 20 Hz for humans. A proximity detector (16a, 16b) may be provided to activate the system when an unwanted presence is detected. Such varying lighting causes feelings of physical and psychological discomfort, which have found to be effective in chasing away animals (20), and dispelling or disorienting humans.

Claims

1. A security lighting system (100), intended and arranged for affecting and/or dispelling humans (130) and/or non-human animals (20), comprising at least one light source (14a, 14b;

116) able to emit stimuli inducing light, an electrical connection for connecting the light source (14a, 14b;

116) to an electrical power source (10;

112) and a control unit (12;

114) that is able to vary at least one property of light emitted by the light source (14a, 14b;

116) with a switching frequency of between 5 and 75 Hz.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the property is the intensity of the light.

3. The intensity according to claim 1, intended and arranged for affecting and/or dispelling humans (130), wherein the switching frequency is between 5 and 35 Hz, preferably between 15 and 20 Hz.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the switching frequency is adjustable, preferably randomly variable in time.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein an intensity ratio of the emitted light between low intensity and high intensity is at least 1:

5.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein a color spectrum of the light of the light source (14a, 14b;

116) is adjustable.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least about 5% of the light emitted by the light source (14a, 14b;

116) has a red color.

8. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a proximity detector (16a, 16b) coupled to the control unit (12;

114), such that the control unit starts to vary the property of the light of the light source (14a, 14b;

116) with the switching frequency when the proximity detector (16a, 16b) detects a non-desired presence.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the control unit (12;

114) is able to supply the light source (14a, 14b;

116) with a substantially continuous power for burning at a non-zero intensity level.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit (12;

114) comprises an attenuator that is able to attenuate the emitted light with a desired switching frequency.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the light source (14a, 14b;

116) comprises a gas discharge lamp.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the gas discharge lamp comprises a high-pressure mercury vapor lamp, optionally with at least one added metal halide.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the light source (14a, 14b;

116) comprises a high-pressure sodium lamp, optionally with at least one added metal halide.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the light source comprises a LED.

15. The system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of light sources (14a, 14b;

116).

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of light sources (14a, 14b;

116) is controlled independently of the other light sources.

17. The system according to claim 1, comprising a power source (10;

112) for the light source (14a, 14b;

116).

18. Control unit (12;

114) for use in a security lighting system (100) according to claim 1, comprising an electrical connection for an electrical power source (10;

112), an electrical feed connection for at least one light source (14a, 14b;

116), and a circuit arrangement that is able to vary a property of the light emitted by the light source (14a, 14b;

116) with a switching frequency of between 5 and 70 Hz.

19. The control unit of claim 18, further comprising a proximity detector (16a, 16b), that is able to start a variation operation of the control unit (12;

114) on detecting an undesired presence.

20. Use of a system (100) according to claim 1.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the property comprises the intensity of the emitted light.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the switching frequency is varied, preferably randomly varied in time.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the color spectrum of the light is varied.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein use is made of a system (100), intended and arranged for affecting and/or dispelling humans (130) and/or non-human animals (20), comprising at least one light source (14a, 14b, 116) able to emit stimuli inducing light, an electrical connection for connecting the light source (14a, 14b;

116) to an electrical power source (10;

112) and a control unit (12;

114) that is able to vary at least one property of light emitted by the light source (14a, 14b;

116) with a switching frequency of between 5 and 75 Hz.

21. A method of affecting and/or dispelling humans (130) and/or non-human animals (20), comprising providing a light source (14a, 14b;

116) able to emit stimuli inducing light, and varying a property of light emitted by the light source (14a, 14b;

116) with a switching frequency of between 5 and 70 Hz, preferably between 5 and 35 Hz, most preferably between 15 and 20 Hz.