LIGHTING CONTROL

• US 20130020949A1
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Building Robotics, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Enlighted, Inc. (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Mohan, Tanuj, Ashar, Premal, Danz, James William
• Granted Patent: US 8,604,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/158
• 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 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• 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

An apparatus and method of controlling a light are disclosed. One light apparatus includes a light and a controller. The controller is operative to detect a light adjusting trigger event, select a random delay time, and adjust the light, wherein the light adjustment occurs the random delay time after detecting the light adjusting trigger event.

Claims

1. A light apparatus, comprising:

a light

a controller operative to;

detect a light adjusting trigger event;

select a random delay time;

adjust the light, wherein the light adjustment occurs the random delay time after detecting the light adjusting trigger event.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor connected to the controller, wherein the controller detecting a light adjusting trigger event comprises the sensor sensing a light level change greater than a change threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor connected to the controller, wherein the controller detecting a light adjusting trigger event comprises at least one of the sensor sensing a light level different from a target light level by an amount that is greater than a difference threshold, or the sensor sensing a change in room occupancy state, user input, or a state of emergency.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller detecting a light adjusting trigger event comprises the controller detecting at least one of a change in time of day, a day of a week, a day of a year, a change in weather.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller detecting a light adjusting trigger event comprises the controller receiving a demand response request or a real-time pricing request.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operative to adjust the light only once per a fixed adjustment interval.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further operative to adjust the light the random delay time after initiating the fixed adjustment interval.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller is further operative to periodically poll throughout the fixed adjustment interval to confirm that a state change that caused the light adjusting trigger event persists.

9. The apparatus of claims 8, wherein if the state change that caused the trigger no longer persists, then the controller is operative to initiate a new light triggering event.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising receiving a light profile, wherein at least one light parameter is included within the light profile.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further operative to receive a light profile, wherein at least one light parameter is included within the light profile, and wherein the change threshold as either a percentage or an absolute value is based on at least one of the light parameters.

12. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is further operative to receive a light profile, wherein at least one light parameter is included within the light profile, and wherein the target light level is based on at least one of the light parameters.

13. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is further operative to receive a light profile, wherein at least one light parameter is included within the light profile, and wherein the difference threshold is based on at least one of the light parameters.

14. The apparatus of claims 6, wherein the controller is further operative to receive a light profile, wherein at least one light parameter is included within the light profile, and wherein the fixed adjustment interval is based on at least one of the light parameters.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller is further operative to adaptively update the light profile based at least in part on at least one of a productivity versus efficiency (PVE) scale, a daylight likelihood assessment, time of day, day of week/holidays, weather, emergency, demand response requests, real-time-pricing events.

16. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller is further operative to receive a light profile, wherein at least one light parameter is included within the light profile, and wherein the light parameters are configured such that a light level higher than the target light level is responded to differently than a light level that is tower than the target light level.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein adjusting the light comprises controller adjusting a light intensity of the light by an increment step, wherein the incremental step is a fraction of a difference between a present light intensity and a target light intensity.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein if the target is greater than the present light intensity, then the controller adjusts the light intensity at a faster rate if the present light intensity is below an acceptable level, and at a slower rate if the present light intensity is greater than the acceptable level.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein if the target is less than the present light intensity, then the controller adjusts the light intensity at a slower rate.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein after one incremental adjustment, the controller is operative to check if the measured light level remains such that further adjustment is necessary and if so, adjusting the light a new random delay time after the remainder of the fixed adjustment interval and repeating this process until the measured light level is no longer such that further adjustment is necessary.