Non-Contact Selection and Control of Lighting Devices

• US 20090284747A1
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Illumination Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Illumination Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Valois, Charles Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 8,243,278 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/448
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present disclosure presents systems and methods for providing for detecting a presence of an object or a user via a non-contact selection switch. An LED may emit a signal, comprising high components and low components within a plurality of pulses. A detector may determine that an average intensity of a received portion of the electromagnetic signal is below a predetermined threshold. The average intensity may be responsive to a ratio of high components duration over a period of time to low components duration over the period of time. An object located in proximity of the non-contact switch may reflect the portion of the signal. The detector may detect presence of the object by determining that a sum of average intensities of the received portion of the electromagnetic signal and the reflected portion of the electromagnetic signal exceeds the predetermined threshold responsive to the ratio of a duration of high components to a duration of low components within or over the period of time.

Claims

1. A method for detecting presence of an object, the method comprising:

emitting, from a light emitting device (LED) of an apparatus, an electromagnetic signal, the electromagnetic signal comprising high components and low components;

determining, by a detector of the apparatus, that an average intensity of a received portion of the electromagnetic signal is below a predetermined threshold, the average intensity determined responsive to a ratio of high components duration over a period of time to low components duration over the period of time;

reflecting, by an object located in proximity of the detection apparatus, a portion of the electromagnetic signal; and

detecting, by the detector, presence of the object by determining that a sum of average intensities of the received portion of the electromagnetic signal and the reflected portion of the electromagnetic signal exceeds the predetermined threshold, the sum of average intensities determined responsive to the ratio.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received portion of the electromagnetic signal comprises a portion of the electromagnetic signal that is reflected by a glass of the apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the ratio to detect the object at a second proximity, the second proximity comprising a different length of detection range of the object from the apparatus than the proximity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the object is a part of a body of a person.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting, by a gain circuit of the apparatus, gain of a sum of the received portion and the reflected portion detected by the detector, the gain adjusted to be within a predetermined gain range;

filtering, by a frequency filter of the apparatus, the frequency of the sum, the frequency filter eliminating frequencies of the sum that are outside of a predetermined frequency range; and

detecting, by the detector, presence of the object in response to determining, by a comparator of the apparatus that average intensity of the sum adjusted by the gain circuit and filtered by the frequency filter exceeds the predetermined threshold.

6. A method for detecting presence of an object, the method comprising:

emitting, from a first light emitting device (LED) of an apparatus, a first signal comprising high components and low components;

adjusting a ratio of time duration of the high components in relation to time duration of the low components;

reflecting, by a glass of the apparatus, a portion of a second signal, the second signal emitted from a second LED of the non-contact switch;

reflecting, by an object located in proximity of the apparatus, a portion of the first signal; and

detecting, by a detector of the apparatus, presence of the object by determining that an average intensity of a sum of the reflected portions of the first signal and the second signal exceeds a detection threshold of the detector, the average intensity of the sum exceeding the detection threshold based on the ratio.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reflected portion of the first signal propagates through the glass that reflects the second portion of the second signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining, by the detector, that the reflected portion of the second signal does not exceed the detection threshold; and

detecting, by the detector, presence of the object by determining that the sum exceeds the detection threshold.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting, by a gain circuit of the apparatus, gain of the sum, the gain of the sum adjusted to be within a predetermined gain range;

filtering, by a frequency filter of the apparatus, the frequency of the sum, the frequency filter eliminating frequencies outside of a predetermined frequency range; and

determining, by a comparator of the apparatus, that the sum adjusted by the gain circuit and filtered by the frequency filter exceeds the detection threshold.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the gain circuit adjusts the gain to maintain the reflected portion of the second signal received by the detector below detection threshold and wherein the frequency filter filters out signals with carrier frequencies below 35 kilohertz and above 45 kilohertz.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the received portion of the electromagnetic signal comprises a portion of the electromagnetic signal that is reflected by a glass of the apparatus.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein a user adjusts a ratio, the adjusted ratio enabling detection of the object at a second proximity, the second proximity comprising a different length of detection range of the object from the apparatus than the proximity.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the object is a part of a body of a person.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

an intensity filter of the apparatus adjusts gain of a sum of the received portion and the reflected portion detected by the detector, the gain adjusted to be within a predetermined gain range;

a frequency filter of the apparatus filters the frequency of the sum, the frequency filter eliminating frequencies of the sum that are outside of a predetermined frequency range; and

the detector detects presence of the object in response to determining, by a comparator of the apparatus, that the average intensity of the sum exceeds the predetermined threshold.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the reflected portion of the first signal propagates through the glass that reflects the second portion of the second signal.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the detector determines that the reflected portion of the second signal does not exceed the detection threshold and detects presence of the object by determining that the sum exceeds the detection threshold.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein a gain circuit of the apparatus adjusts gain of the sum, the gain of the sum adjusted to be within a predetermined gain range;

a frequency filter of the apparatus filters the frequency of the sum, the frequency filter eliminating frequencies outside of a predetermined frequency range; and

a comparator of the apparatus determines that the sum adjusted by gain circuit and frequency filtered by the frequency filter exceeds the detection threshold.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the gain circuit adjusts the gain to maintain the reflected portion of the second signal received by the detector below detection threshold and wherein the frequency filter filters out frequencies below 35 kilohertz and above 45 kilohertz.

11. A system for detecting presence of an object, the system comprising:

a light emitting device (LED) of an apparatus emits an electromagnetic signal, the electromagnetic signal comprising high components and low components;

a detector of the apparatus determines that an average intensity of a received portion of the electromagnetic signal is below a predetermined threshold, the average intensity determined responsive to a ratio of high components duration over a period of time to low components duration over the period of time;

an object located in proximity of the apparatus reflects a portion of the electromagnetic signal; and

the detector detects presence of the object by determining that a sum of average intensities of the received portion of the electromagnetic signal and the reflected portion of the electromagnetic signal exceeds the predetermined threshold, the sum of average intensities determined responsive to the ratio.

16. A system for detecting presence of an object, the system comprising:

a first light emitting device (LED) of an apparatus emitting a first signal comprising high components and low components;

a ratio adjuster for adjusting a ratio of time duration of the high components in relation to time duration of the low components;

a glass of the apparatus reflecting a portion of a second signal, the second signal emitted from a second LED of the non-contact switch;

an object located in proximity of the apparatus reflecting a portion of the first signal; and

a detector of the apparatus detecting a presence of the object by determining that an average intensity of a sum of the reflected portions of the first signal and the second signal exceeds a detection threshold of the detector, the average intensity of the sum exceeding the detection threshold based on the ratio.