DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A LIGHTING SYSTEM BY PROXIMITY SENSING OF A SPOT-LIGHT CONTROL DEVICE AND SPOTLIGHT CONTROL DEVICE

• US 20090230884A1
• Filed: 06/20/2007
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Doorn, Markus Gerardus Leonardus Maria
• Granted Patent: US 8,134,461 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/297
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

The invention relates to controlling a lighting system by proximity sensing of a spotlight control device, particularly to controlling a spotlight generated by a lighting system such as a large LED lighting array by means of a spotlight control device. The invention provides a device (10) for controlling a lighting system (12) by proximity sensing of a spotlight control device (14), wherein a predefined area (24) around the spotlight control device (14) is illuminated if a proximity sensor (16) signals presence of the spotlight control device (14) within the predefined area (24). The invention has the main advantage that it allows to control complex lighting systems containing dozens or even thousands of lighting devices such as large LED arrays with one device, the spotlight control device.

Claims

1. A device for controlling a lighting system by proximity sensing of a spotlight control device, the device comprising

at least one proximity sensor for sensing the spotlight control device within an area in the proximity of the lighting system, and

a light switch for controlling lighting devices of the lighting system depending on a signal of the at least one proximity sensor such that a predefined area around the spotlight control device is illuminated if the at least one proximity sensor signals presence of the spotlight control device within the predefined area.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the light switch is configured to switch off the lighting devices if the at least one proximity sensor no longer signals presence of the spotlight control device within the predefined area.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a receiver receiving a light control signal for toggling an illumination control indicator, wherein the light switch controls the lighting devices depending on the status of the illumination control indicator.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity sensor is adapted to detect a presence signal from the spotlight control device.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the presence signal is at least one of a radio signal, a light signal, or a sound signal.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one proximity sensor comprises a near field communication device.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the at least one proximity sensor uses real-time location-aware sensing technologies based on ultrawide band or ultrasound.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one proximity sensor is adapted to transmit a detection signal for the spotlight control device within its supervised area.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the light switch is adapted to store and load a lighting configuration in a memory of the light switch.

10. A spotlight control device comprising:

at least one proximity sensor for sensing the spotlight control device within an area in the proximity of the lighting system,

a light switch for controlling lighting devices of the lighting system depending on a signal of the at least one proximity sensor such that a predefined area around the spotlight control device is illuminated if the at least one proximity sensor signals presence of the spotlight control device within the predefined area,

a memory button and

signaling means activated by pressing the memory button and configured to generate a light control signal upon activation, received and processed by the light switch in that the light switch remembers the current illumination even if the at least one proximity sensor no longer signals presence of the spotlight control device within the predefined area.

11. The spotlight control device of claim 10, further comprising

at least one of a beam width button, a beam intensity button, and beam color button;

and wherein the signaling means are activated by pressing the at least one of beam width button, a beam intensity button, and beam color button; and

are further adapted to generate a light control signal upon activation of the at least one of the beam width button, the beam intensity button, and/or beam color button received and processed by the light switch.

14. The spotlight control device of claim 11, further comprising a configuration button, and wherein the signaling means are activated by pressing the configuration button and are further adapted to generate a light control signal upon activation of the configuration button which may be received and processed by the light switch in that a certain lighting configuration may be stored in or load from a memory of the light switch.

12-13. -13. (canceled)

15-19. -19. (canceled)