SYSTEM PROVIDING AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL CONTROL OF AN ILLUMINATION LEVEL IN A SPACE

• US 20110254453A1
• Filed: 05/05/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Veskovic, Dragan
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,093 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/152
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/32 Operating, guiding, or securing devices therefor operation of tilting bars E06B9/307
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/24 Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/00 Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A method of controlling a light level in a space of a building, the method comprising the steps of measuring the light level in the space; automatically adjusting the light level in the space towards a control setpoint; receiving an input to manually override the light level in the space to an override light level; adjusting the light level in the space to the override light level; temporarily adjusting the control setpoint from a default setpoint to a temporary setpoint in response to the manual override of the light level, the temporary setpoint representative of the override light level; subsequently adjusting the control setpoint from the temporary setpoint back to the default setpoint; and adjusting the default setpoint in response to repeated manual overrides of the light level that result in repeated adjustments of the control setpoint.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a light level in a space of a building, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring the light level in the space;

automatically adjusting the light level in the space towards a control setpoint;

receiving an input to manually override the light level in the space to an override light level;

adjusting the light level in the space to the override light level;

temporarily adjusting the control setpoint from a default setpoint to a temporary setpoint in response to the manual override of the light level, the temporary setpoint representative of the override light level;

subsequently adjusting the control setpoint from the temporary setpoint back to the default setpoint; and

adjusting the default setpoint in response to repeated manual overrides of the light level that result in repeated adjustments of the control setpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring the light level in the space after the step of adjusting the light level in the space to the override light level;

wherein the temporary setpoint is equal to the override light level.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein adjusting the default setpoint in response to repeated manual overrides of the light level further comprises averaging the values of the override light level over time.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein averaging the override light level over time further comprises averaging the values of the override light level during specific times of the day.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein averaging the values of the override light level during specific times of the day further comprises averaging the values of the override light level during times of the day when the sun glare is likely to occur.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein averaging the values of the override light level during times of the day when the sun glare is likely to occur further comprises averaging the values of the override light level during periods approximately three hours after sunrise and three hours before sunset.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein averaging the values of the override light level over time further comprises continuously averaging the values of the override light level.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the default setpoint in response to repeated manual overrides of the light level further comprises:

averaging the values of the override light level over time to generated an averaged light level;

determining whether the default setpoint is consistently overridden to a setpoint close to or equal to the temporary setpoint; and

adjusting the default setpoint to the averaged light level if the default setpoint is consistently overridden to a setpoint close to or equal to the temporary setpoint.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the default setpoint in response to repeated manual overrides of the light level further comprises adjusting the default setpoint towards the temporary setpoint.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically adjusting the light level in the space comprises automatically controlling the amount of light entering the space through an opening in the building to adjust the light level in the space towards the control setpoint.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of automatically controlling the amount of light entering the space through an opening in the building comprises automatically controlling the position of a motorized window treatment to adjust the light level in the space towards the control setpoint.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of automatically adjusting the light level in the space comprises automatically controlling the intensity of an electric light in the space.

13. An illumination maintenance system for maintaining a light level in a space of a building where the illumination sources include daylight and artificial light, the system comprising:

a photosensor for measuring the light level in the space;

a plurality of dimmable electric lamps providing artificial light to supplement the daylight in the space to thus control the light level in the space;

a controllable window treatment for at least one opening for allowing daylight into the space, the window treatment selectively altering the amount of daylight entering the space through the opening;

a controller for controlling the dimming levels of the plurality of electric lamps and the amount of daylight allowed into the space by the window treatment, the controller operable to automatically adjust the light level in the space towards a control setpoint in response to the light level in the space measured by the photosensor; and

a manual control station for receiving an input to manually override the light level in the space to an override light level;

wherein the controller adjusts the light level in the space to the override light level in response to the input received by the manual control, temporarily adjusts the control setpoint from a default setpoint to a temporary setpoint in response to the manual override of the light level, and subsequently adjusts the control setpoint from the temporary setpoint back to the default setpoint, where the temporary setpoint is equal to the override light level, the controller further operable to adjust the default setpoint in response to repeated manual overrides of the light level that result in repeated adjustments of the control setpoint.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller adjusts the default setpoint in response to the repeated manual overrides of the light level by averaging the values of the override light level over time.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller averages the values of the override light level during specific times of the day.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller averages the values of the override light level during times of the day when the sun glare is likely to occur.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller averages the values of the override light level during periods approximately three hours after sunrise and three hours before sunset

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller continuously averages the values of the override light level.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller averages the values of the override light level over time to generated an averaged light level, determines whether the default setpoint is consistently overridden to a setpoint close to or equal to the temporary setpoint, and adjusts the default setpoint to the averaged light level if the default setpoint is consistently overridden to a setpoint close to or equal to the temporary setpoint.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller adjusts the default setpoint towards the temporary setpoint in response to repeated manual overrides of the light level.