NETWORKED OCCUPANCY SENSOR AND POWER PACK

• US 20110148193A1
• Filed: 12/23/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Stottlemyer, William, Reid, Drew
• Application Number:
  US12/645,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20110148193A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/18
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• 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

A lighting control system includes an enhanced occupancy sensor and/or an enhanced power pack, allowing for more sophisticated and/or accurate lighting control and energy management capability. In one example, the power pack and/or occupancy sensor is networkable, providing the capability to link and coordinate multiple power pack/occupancy sensor combinations, thereby providing zone-wide control and energy management features, such as, coordinated lighting of several areas, the ability to force lights on in a life-safety situation, and the ability to control other equipment in a monitored area (e.g., an air conditioning and/or heating system) responsive to detected occupancy in the area. The networkable power pack includes installation and wiring to an occupancy sensor that is substantially identical to a conventional power pack and therefore may be implemented as a “drop-in” component in a legacy lighting control system, without requiring changes to the occupancy sensors or wiring of the system.

Claims

1. A lighting control system comprising:

an occupancy sensor configured to provide an occupancy signal representative of occupancy of an area;

a power pack having a signal input, a communications interface, and a relay, the power pack being configured to receive the occupancy signal at the signal input;

a network coupled to the communications interface of the power pack; and

a controller coupled to the network and configured to provide a control signal to the power pack via the network and to receive information from the power pack via the network;

wherein the power pack is configured to actuate the relay to turn on or off a lighting circuit connected to the relay responsive to at least one of the occupancy signal and the control signal.

2. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the network is a C-Bus™

network.

3. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor is a passive infrared sensor.

4. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the occupancy sensor is an ultrasonic sensor.

5. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information includes information derived from the occupancy signal.

6. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the occupancy signal is a DC voltage signal having a predetermined voltage level.

7. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the predetermined voltage level is approximately +24Vdc.

8. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to turn on or turn off an apparatus responsive to the information received from the power pack.

9. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the apparatus is at least one of an air-conditioning system and a heating system.

10. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to override the occupancy signal responsive to a condition, and to control the power pack to actuate the relay responsive to the control signal.

11. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the condition is occurrence of at least one of a fire alarm and a security alarm.

12. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power pack is configured to provide power to the occupancy sensor.

13. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

at least one additional power pack coupled to a corresponding additional occupancy sensor;

wherein each additional power pack is coupled to the network and configured to receive the control signal.

14. A method of controlling a lighting circuit, the method comprising:

receiving at a power pack an occupancy signal representative of an occupancy status of an area;

providing information derived from the occupancy signal from the power pack to a remote device via a network;

receiving at the power pack a control signal from the remote device via the network; and

controlling a lighting circuit connected to the power pack responsive to at least one of the occupancy signal and the control signal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein controlling the lighting circuit includes actuating a relay to turn on the lighting circuit responsive to the occupancy signal indicating that the occupancy status of the area is occupied.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein controlling the lighting circuit includes overriding the occupancy signal and controlling the lighting circuit responsive to the control signal in response to occurrence of a condition.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the condition includes receiving a signal indicating occurrence of one of a fire alarm and a security alarm.

18. The method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising controlling an apparatus coupled to the remote device responsive to the information received at the remote device from the power pack.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein controlling the apparatus includes turning on or off at least one of an air conditioning system and a heating system responsive to the information received at the remote device from the power pack.

20. A lighting control system comprising:

an occupancy sensor configured to detect occupancy of a monitored area and to provide an occupancy signal representative of the occupancy of the monitored area;

a network interface coupled to the occupancy sensor;

a network coupled to the network interface of the power pack; and

a controller coupled to the network and configured to receive information from the occupancy sensor via the network.

21. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 20, wherein network interface is integrated with the occupancy sensor.

22. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the network is a C-Bus™

network.

23. The lighting control system as claimed in claim 22, wherein the occupancy sensor is configured to receive operating power via the C-Bus™

network.