UNIFIED CONTROLLER FOR INTEGRATED LIGHTING, SHADING AND THERMOSTAT CONTROL

• US 20150234369A1
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Published: 08/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting BV (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Wen, Yao-Jung, Birru, Dagnachew
• Application Number:
  US14/429,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20150234369A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6809 Control
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6818 using sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• 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: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/20 Sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/30 Artificial light
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• 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: Y02B 20/00 : Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A controller (100) for control of lighting (13), shades (12), and thermostat (11) is disclosed. The controller comprises at least one comfort regulator (1) for providing an indication for setting at least one rule (2, 5); at least a controller interface (10) for controlling at least one of thermostat, lighting and shades; at least a sensor interface (18) for receiving sensory information respective of at least one of heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) (17), occupancy (16), lighting and shading from a photosensor (15); wherein the at least controller interface responsive of receiving the sensory information and based on the at least one rule controls the thermostat, the lighting and the shades to an optimal position.

Claims

1. A method for controlling light, shades and thermostat, comprising:

determining relative importance of user preference or comfort, and energy consumption based on sensory information from at least one of a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor, an occupancy sensor, a lighting and shading photosensor and supervisory signals;

setting at least one rule from a comfort regulator of a controller for controlling lighting, shades and thermostat based on determined relative importance;

and

generating control signals by a driver connector to control the lighting, shades, and thermostat respective of the sensory information and the at least one rule.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one rule is any one of:

a rule for thermal comfort and a rule for visual comfort, wherein the rule for thermal comfort includes a range of possible temperature set-points, and wherein the rule for visual comfort determines a proper overall light level.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein calculating the range of set-points is performed respective of determination of importance of the thermal comfort.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the proper overall light level is further determined based on importance of the visual comfort.

5. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing one or more controllers to execute the method according to claim 1.

6. A controller for controlling lighting, shades and thermostat, comprising:

at least one comfort regulator for determining a relative importance of user preference or comfort, and energy consumption;

setting at least one rule for controlling lighting, shades and thermostat based on determined relative importance;

at least one controller interface for controlling at least one of thermostat, lighting and shades;

at least one sensor interface for receiving sensory information from at least one of a heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) sensor, an occupancy sensor, a lighting and shading photosensor;

wherein the at least one comfort regulator determines the relative importance based on said sensory information and supervisory signals, and wherein the at least one controller interface responsive of receiving the sensory information and based on the at least one rule controls the thermostat, the lighting and the shades to an optimal position.

7. The controller of claim 6, wherein the at least one comfort regulator determines a value of the at least one rule using sensory information received from an occupancy sensor, the value of the at least one rule is determined at least to balance between comfort preferences of a user and a minimal energy consumption.

8. The controller of claim 6, further comprising a thermal comfort module connected to at least one comfort regulator, wherein the thermal comfort is configured to hold at least one rule for thermal comfort.

9. The controller of claim 8, further comprising a thermostat set-point module connected to the thermal comfort module and configured to select a set-point within the range of possible temperature set-points generated by the thermal comfort module that results in a minimal energy consumption.

10. The controller of claim 6, further comprising a visual comfort module connected to the at least one comfort regulator and configured to hold at least one rule for visual comfort.

11. The controller of claim 10, wherein the visual comfort module sets and computes a value of one or more set-points for overall lighting in a space based on the at least one rule for the visual comfort.

12. The controller of claim 10, further comprising a lighting load balancing module connected to a HVAC connector, wherein the lighting load balancing module is configured to determine at least one set point value for an optimal electric light level and an optimal external light level.

13. The controller of claim 12, further comprising:

a closed-loop controller configured to receive the electric lighting and shading set-points as a reference input and a feedback input from the at least one photosensor; and

a driver connector connected to a thermostat set-point module and the closed-loop controller, the driver connector being connected to least one of;

a thermostat, a shading system driver, and a lighting system driver in the controlled zone.

14. A controller for controlling a lighting system driver, a shading system driver, and a thermostat, comprising:

a set-point decision engine for determining settings for at least a horizontal illuminance set-point, a vertical illuminance set-point, and a thermostat set-point, wherein the determination is performed based on a rule-based setting process;

a lighting load balancing engine for determining a set of settings for the lighting and the shading, wherein the set of settings meets at least the set-points received and the set-point decision engine meets at least the horizontal illuminance set-point and the vertical illuminance set-point, wherein the set of settings is determined in order to minimize glare and power consumption by the lighting system; and

a driver connector for controlling the thermostat, the lighting system driver, and the shading system driver in a controlled zone based in part on the thermostat set-point, and the set of settings determined by the lighting load balancing engine.

15. The controller of claim 14, wherein the lighting load balancing engine receives sensory information from a horizontal illuminance sensor and a vertical illuminance sensor, wherein the set of settings is determined responsive to the received sensory information.