BATTERY-POWERED OCCUPANCY SENSOR

• US 20100052574A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Blakeley, Matthew Robert, Steiner, James P., Schrems, Adam J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/191 using pyroelectric sensor means
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• 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 load control system comprises a load control device and a battery-powered occupancy sensor, which transmits a first wireless signal to the load control device in response to detecting the presence of an occupant in a space. The load control system further comprises a visual indicator for providing a visual indication when the magnitude of a battery voltage of a battery of the occupancy sensor has dropped below a predetermined low-battery voltage threshold. The occupancy sensor may comprise the visual indicator, such that the visual indicator is illuminated when the occupancy detects the presence of the occupant in the space and the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined threshold. Alternatively, the load control device may comprise the visual indicator, such that the visual indicator is illuminated in response to receiving a second wireless signal, which is transmitting by the occupancy sensor when the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined threshold.

Claims

1. A load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load in a space in response to detecting the presence or absence of an occupant in the space, the system comprising:

a load control device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the electrical load for control of the amount of power delivered to the electrical load, the load control device operable to receive wireless control signals and to control the amount of power delivered to the electrical load in response to the wireless control signals;

an occupancy sensor comprising a controller, an occupancy detector circuit for detecting the presence or absence of the occupant in the space and a wireless transmitter for transmitting a first wireless control signal to the load control device in response to the occupancy detector circuit detecting the presence of the occupant in the space, the load control device operable to enable the delivery of power to the electrical load in response to the first wireless control signal, the occupancy sensor further comprising a battery for powering the controller and the wireless transmitter, the controller operable to monitor the magnitude of a battery voltage of the battery; and

a visual indicator for providing a visual indication when the magnitude of the battery voltage has dropped below a predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor comprises the visual indicator, the visual indicator coupled to the controller, such that the controller is operable to controllably illuminate the visual indicator in response to the detector circuit detecting the occupancy condition if the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller blinks the visual indicator in response to the detector circuit detecting the presence of the occupant in the space if the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the controller only illuminates the visual indicator for a predetermined period of time when the occupancy detector first detects the presence of the occupant in the space.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the occupancy sensor does not transmit any wireless control signals when the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the occupancy sensor further comprises an actuator coupled to the controller, such that the controller is responsive to actuations of the actuator when the magnitude of the battery voltage is greater than or equal to the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold, the controller not responsive to actuations of the actuator when the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the occupancy detector circuit of the occupancy detector comprises an infrared detector responsive to infrared energy representative of the presence or absence of the occupant in the space, the occupancy detector further comprising a lens positioned to direct the infrared energy from the space to the infrared detector, and a light-emitting diode positioned to illuminate the lens, the light-emitting diode coupled to the controller, such that the controller is operable to controllably illuminate the light-emitting diode, the controller operable to illuminate the light-emitting diode to illuminate the lens in response to the detector circuit detecting the presence of the occupant in the space if the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the load control device comprises the visual indicator, the occupancy sensor operable to transmit a second wireless signal to the load control device in response to determining that the magnitude of the battery voltage has dropped below the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold, the load control device operable to illuminate the visual indicator in response to receiving the second wireless signal from the occupancy sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the load control device blinks the visual indicator in response to receiving the second wireless signal.

10. A wireless occupancy sensor for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant in a space, the sensor comprising:

a detector circuit for detecting the presence or absence of the occupant in the space;

a controller coupled to the detector circuit, such that the controller is responsive to the detector circuit;

a wireless transmitter coupled to the controller for transmitting wireless signals;

a visual indicator coupled to the controller, such that the controller is operable to controllably illuminate the visual indicator; and

a battery for producing a battery voltage for powering the controller, the wireless transmitter, and the visual indicator;

wherein the controller monitors the magnitude of the battery voltage of the battery, the controller operable to transmit wireless signals in response to the detector circuit detecting the presence of the occupant in the space if the magnitude of the battery voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined low-battery voltage threshold, the controller operable to illuminate the visual indicator in response to the detector circuit detecting the presence of the occupant in the space if the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

11. The sensor of claim 10, wherein the controller blinks the visual indicator for a predetermined time period in response to the detector circuit detecting the presence of the occupant in the space if the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

12. The sensor of claim 10, wherein the detector circuit comprises an infrared detector responsive to infrared energy representative of the occupancy condition in the space, the sensor further comprising:

an enclosure housing the detector circuit, the controller, the wireless transmitter, the visual indicator, and the battery;

a lens positioned to direct the infrared energy from the space to the infrared detector; and

a light-emitting diode positioned to illuminate the lens, the light-emitting diode coupled to the controller, such that the controller is operable to controllably illuminate the light-emitting diode;

wherein the lens and the light-emitting diode define the visual indicator, the controller operable to illuminate the light-emitting diode to illuminate the lens in response to the detector circuit detecting the presence of the occupant in the space if the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

13. The sensor of claim 10, further comprising

an actuator coupled to the controller, such that the controller is responsive to actuations of the actuator when the magnitude of the battery voltage is greater than or equal to the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold, the controller not responsive to actuations of the actuator when the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

14. A method of controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load located in a space, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an occupancy sensor having a first battery, a controller, an occupancy detector circuit, and a wireless transmitter;

powering the controller and the wireless transmitter with the first battery;

detecting the presence of an occupant in the space in the space;

transmitting a first wireless signal in response to the step of detecting the presence or absence of an occupant in the space;

monitoring the magnitude of a first battery voltage of the first battery;

determining that the magnitude of the first battery voltage has dropped below a predetermined low-battery voltage threshold; and

providing a visual indication in response to determining that the magnitude of the battery voltage has dropped below the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the occupancy sensor further comprises a visual indicator and the step of providing a visual indication comprises illuminating the visual indicator in response to determining that the magnitude of the first battery voltage has dropped below the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing a visual indication comprises blinking the visual indicator for a predetermined time period in response to determining that the magnitude of the first battery voltage has dropped below the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the occupancy sensor does not transmit any wireless control signals when the magnitude of the battery voltage is less than the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of providing a visual indication comprises only illuminating the visual indicator when the magnitude of the first battery voltage is below the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold and the occupancy detector detects the presence of the occupant in the space.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing a load control device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the electrical load for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load, the load control device comprising a visual indicator;

transmitting a second wireless signal from the occupancy sensor to the load control device in response to determining that the magnitude of the first battery voltage has dropped below the predetermined low-battery voltage threshold;

wherein the step of providing a visual indication comprises illuminating the visual indicator of the load control device in response to the load control device receiving the second wireless signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of providing a visual indication comprises blinking the visual indicator of the load control device in response to the load control device receiving the second wireless signal.