Lighting Control System and Method

• US 20150305116A1
• Filed: 04/18/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanjaykumar J. Vora
• Original Assignee: Sanjaykumar J. Vora
• Inventors: Vora, Sanjaykumar J.
• Application Number:
  US14/256,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20150305116A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/12 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the 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: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• 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

A graphical user interface is displayed to a user on a display in signal communication with the computer system. The graphical user interface has a first lighting control schedule area and a first interface object representing a lighting control device. The first interface object is located outside of the first lighting control schedule area. A second lighting control schedule area is displayed adjacent the first lighting control schedule area when the first lighting control schedule area is empty of any interface object representing a lighting control device and the first interface object is moved into the first lighting control schedule area.

Claims

1. A method of lighting control scheduling in a lighting control application on a computer system, comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical user interface to a user on a display in signal communication with the computer system, the graphical user interface comprising a first lighting control schedule area and a first interface object representing a lighting control device, the first interface object located outside of the first lighting control schedule area;

displaying a second lighting control schedule area adjacent the first lighting control schedule area when the first lighting control schedule area is empty of any interface object representing a lighting control device and the first interface object is moved into the first lighting control schedule area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a second lighting control schedule area is further defined in that the first interface object is selected, dragged, and dropped within boundaries of the first lighting control schedule area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a graphical user interface is further defined in that the first interface object comprises graphics.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a graphical user interface is further defined in that the first interface object comprises text describing the corresponding lighting control device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a second lighting control schedule area is further defined in that the first interface object is moved from an unassigned lighting control device area to the first lighting control schedule area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying a second lighting control schedule area is further defined in that the first interface object is dragged from a third lighting control schedule area.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of instructing the lighting control device corresponding the first interface object to operate on a light control schedule of the first lighting control schedule area.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of removing the second lighting control schedule area from the graphical user interface when all of the interface objects representing lighting control devices are removed the second lighting control schedule area.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of removing the second lighting control schedule area from the graphical user interface when a last interface object is removed from the second lighting control schedule area so that the first lighting control schedule area is empty of interface objects corresponding to lighting control devices, and the second lighting control schedule area is empty of interface objects representing lighting control devices, and a schedule corresponding to the second lighting control schedule area is undefined.

10. A computer-implemented method for manipulating objects in a graphical user interface of a lighting control application, comprising:

providing the graphical user interface comprising a first interface object corresponding to a lighting control device, the first interface object operable to be selected and moved within the graphical user interface; and

in response to movement of the first interface object into an empty first lighting control schedule area in the graphical user interface, presenting a second lighting control schedule area.

11. The method of claim 10, where the step of presenting is further defined in that the movement of the first interface object is a selecting, dragging, and dropping of the first interface object into the first lighting control schedule area.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of presenting comprises the step of presenting the second lighting control schedule area adjacent the first lighting control schedule area.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing is further defined in that the first interface object comprises graphics.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of providing is further defined in that the first interface object comprises text describing the corresponding lighting control device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of presenting is further defined in that the first interface object is moved from a list of unassigned lighting control devices.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of presenting is further define in that the first interface object is moved from a third lighting control schedule area.

17. The method of claim 10, comprising the step of removing the second lighting control schedule area from the graphical user interface when a last interface object representing a lighting control device is removed from the second lighting control schedule area and the second lighting control schedule area is empty of interface objects representing lighting control devices.

18. The method of claim 10, comprising the step of removing the second lighting control schedule area from the graphical user interface when a last interface object is removed from the second lighting control schedule area so that the first lighting control schedule area is empty of interface objects corresponding to lighting control devices, and the second lighting control schedule area is empty of interface objects representing lighting control devices, and a schedule corresponding to the second lighting control schedule area is undefined.

19. A lighting control system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory;

an input device;

a display;

the processor is signal connected to the memory, the input device, and the display;

a generate new lighting control schedule area function executable by the processor to display a second lighting control schedule area in a user interface on the display when a first interface object, representing a lighting control device, in the user interface is moved to a first lighting control schedule area using the input device, if the first lighting control schedule area was empty of any interface object representing a lighting control device before the first interface object was moved into the first lighting control schedule area.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the generate new lighting control schedule area function is further defined in that the first interface object is moved by user selecting, dragging, and dropping of the first interface object into the first lighting control schedule area with the input device.

21. The system of claim 19, comprising a remove empty lighting control schedule area function for removing an empty lighting control schedule area from the user interface when a last interface object is removed from the empty lighting control schedule area and a schedule corresponding to the empty lighting control schedule area is not defined.

22. A method of lighting control with a lighting control application on a computer system, comprising the steps of:

displaying a graphical user interface to a user on a display in signal communication with the computer system, the graphical user interface comprising a first lighting control area and a first interface object representing a lighting control device, the first interface object located outside of the first lighting control area;

instructing the lighting control device corresponding to the first interface object to operate on a light control schedule of the first lighting control area when the first interface object is moved into the first lighting control schedule area.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first lighting control area is a first sensor event area and a first lighting control schedule is activated when a trigger signal is received by the lighting control device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the trigger signal is selected from the group consisting of a motion sensor trigger signal, a light sensing trigger signal, a dimming trigger signal, a temperature sensor trigger signal, a smoke detector trigger signal, a carbon monoxide detector trigger signal, a vacuum sensor trigger signal, an audible sound sensor trigger signal, a humidity sensor trigger signal, a any pulse sensor trigger, a magnetic sensor trigger, a speed sensor trigger, a friction sensor trigger, a resistive sensor trigger signal, a level sensor trigger signal, an acceleration sensor trigger signal, a vibratory sensor signal, a current sensor trigger signal, a voltage trigger signal, a chemical sensor signal, an radio frequency sensor trigger signal, atomic sensor trigger signal, electromechanical sensor trigger signal, mechanical sensor trigger signal, a heat sensor trigger signal, and a pressure sensor trigger signal.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first lighting control area is a first lighting schedule area and a first lighting control schedule is activated when no superior priority event condition is active.

26. The method of claim 22, step of instructing comprises instructing the lighting control device corresponding to the first interface object to operate on a sensor event lighting control schedule when a sensor event is detected at the lighting control device corresponding to the first interface object.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the step of instructing is further defined in that the sensor event is selected from the group consisting of:

a motion sensor event, a light sensing event, an exit light sensing event, and a dimming event.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of instructing is further defined in that the first interface object is selected, dragged, and dropped within boundaries of the first lighting control area.