LIGHT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WITH AN INTEGRATED ENERGY FUNCTION

• US 20100251157A1
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Boleko Ribas, Salvador Expedito, Wendt, Matthias, Schulz, Volkmar, Ogg, Felix Henric Govert
• Granted Patent: US 10,028,358 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The invention relates to the integration of an energy function into a light management system, particularly for saving energy and monitoring energy consumption. According to an embodiment of the invention, a light management system (10) with an integrated energy function is provided, wherein the system is adapted to receiving energy information about light fixtures (12-16) of a lighting system (18), and to processing the received energy information with regard to energy consumption of the lighting system (18). The energy function may be for example used to automatically configure a lighting system to low energy consumption, to allow further configurations of the lighting system with regard to lowering energy consumption, or to provide a user with a sensible set of lights that can be turned off and will amount to significant energy savings when turned off.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A light management system configured to execute one or more of the plurality of lighting commands to control a lighting system including one or more light fixtures, the plurality of lighting commands including commands to turn on one or more light fixtures, turn off one or more light fixtures, and alter an intensity of one or more light fixtures, the system comprising:

a memory for receiving energy information about energy consumption of the light fixtures;

a control unit including an energy function for determining, based on at least the energy information, at least one scenario-adaptation for facilitating reduction in the energy consumption of the lighting system; and

a controller for translating the scenario-adaptation into one of the plurality of lighting commands.

21. The light management system of claim 20, wherein the memory receives the energy information from at least one of a database for storing the energy information, the light fixture configured to provide the energy information, and a process for collecting the energy information during a learning phase of the light management system.

22. The light management system of claim 20, further comprising:

a user interface configured to display the at least one scenario-adaptation to a user such that the user is able to select the scenario-adaptation for the controller.

23. The light management system of claim 20, wherein the energy function automatically determines and transmits the scenario-adaptation to the controller.

24. The light management system of claim 20, wherein the energy function further determines the scenario-adaptation based on settings of the light system.

25. The light management system of claim 24, wherein the scenario-adaptation results in adjustments of the settings of the lighting system not perceivable by a human eye.

26. The light management system of claim 24, wherein the settings include a description of lighting atmosphere.

27. The light management system of claim 20, wherein the energy consumption is an estimated energy consumption of the lighting system.

28. The light management system of claim 20, wherein the memory receives a memory table storing information about the light fixtures and one or more of capabilities, current settings, energy consumption, history of operation, a set of operation constraints and/or rules of the light fixtures.

29. The light management system of claim 20, wherein the memory is further adapted to receive configuration settings for the light fixtures resulting in intended lighting atmosphere, and wherein the scenario-adaptation includes an adjustment of the configuration settings minimizing the energy consumption for the intended lighting atmosphere.

30. The light management system of claim 20, wherein the memory receives the energy information by means of a dark room calibration process.

31. The light management system of claim 22, wherein the user interface is configured to display a conserve energy button, and, upon actuation of the conserve energy button, a control panel with a set of options buttons, wherein activation of each option button selects corresponding scenario-adaptation.

32. A method for executing one or more of the plurality of lighting commands to control a lighting system including one or more light fixtures, the plurality of lighting commands including commands to turn-on one or more light fixtures, turn off one or more light fixtures, and alter an intensity of one or more light fixtures, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving energy information about energy consumption of the light fixtures of the lighting system;

determining, based on at least the energy information, at least one scenario-adaptation amounting to reducing the energy consumption of the lighting system; and

translating the scenario-adaptation into the lighting commands.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

displaying the at least one scenario-adaptation to a user such that the user is able to select the scenario-adaptation.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

selecting the scenario-adaptation resulting in adjustments of settings of the lighting system not perceivable by a human eye.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the energy information includes at least one of settings of the lighting system, capabilities of the light fixtures, history of operation, a set of operation constraints and/or rules of the light fixtures.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the energy information is received from at least one of a database for storing the energy information, the light fixture configured to provide the energy information, a process for collecting the energy information during a learning phase of the light management system, and a dark room calibration process.