AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST SENSOR SAMPLE RATES AND MODES BASED ON SENSOR FEEDBACK AND SYSTEM STATE

• US 20160345406A1
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Thomas, Douglas John, Ma, Shao-Po, Donhowe, Kristoffer John, Modi, Yash
• Granted Patent: US 10,004,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• 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 path light control device that can include a processor and light source, and any combination of ambient light sensors (ALS), passive infrared (PIR) sensors, accelerometers and compass sensors, where the sensor sampling mode and sampling period may be dynamically determined to permit the ALS to accurately measure an ambient light without excessive operation. The accelerometer and compass sensor may be provided to determine device movement and orientation to avoid sensor operation when movement or orientation of the device indicates that the data of the sensor is not applicable for proper device control.

Claims

1. A device for control of path light illumination and motion detection systems, comprising:

a sensor, configured to detect at least one metric selected from the group consisting of;

motion in an area, ambient light level in an area, motion of the device and directional orientation of the device;

a path light source; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the sensor and the path light source, the processor configured to determine a sensor sampling mode and a sensor sampling period based on the at least one metric, and control the path light source based on sensor data obtained at the determined sensor sampling mode and sensor sampling period.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of an ambient light sensor (ALS) to detect an ambient light level in an area, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor to detect motion in an area, an accelerometer to detect motion of the device and a compass sensor to detect motion of the device and directional orientation of the device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine an ambient light sensor (ALS) sampling mode based on the detected ambient light level in the area,

the sampling mode comprising a first integration time when the detected ambient light in the area is greater than a threshold value, and

the sampling mode comprising a second integration time when the detected ambient light in the area is not greater than the threshold value, wherein the first integration time is less than the second integration time.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine an ambient light sensor (ALS) sampling period based on the detected motion in the area,

the sampling period comprising a first interval when motion in the area is detected within a threshold time period, and

the sampling period comprising a second interval when motion in the area is not detected within the threshold time period, wherein the first interval is less than the second interval.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode based on the detected motion of the device,

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being disabled when motion of the device is detected, and

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being enabled when no motion of the device is detected.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication interface to notify a user that the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode is disabled due to detected motion of the device.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode based on the detected directional orientation of the device,

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being disabled when an inoperative directional orientation of the device is detected, and

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being enabled when an inoperative directional orientation of the device is not detected.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication interface to notify a user that the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode is disabled due to a detected inoperative directional orientation of the device.

9. A device for control of path light illumination and motion detection systems, comprising:

a processor, configured to determine a sensor sampling mode and a sensor sampling period based on at least one metric selected from the group consisting of;

detected motion in an area, ambient light level in an area, motion of the device and directional orientation of the device;

the processor further configured to control a sensor using the determined sensor sampling mode and sensor sampling period; and

the processor further configured to control at least one path light source based on sensor data obtained at the determined sensor sampling mode and sensor sampling period.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a sensor, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of an ambient light sensor (ALS) to detect an ambient light level in an area, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor to detect motion in an area, an accelerometer to detect motion of the device and a compass sensor to detect motion of the device and directional orientation of the device.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine an ambient light sensor (ALS) sampling mode based on the detected ambient light level in the area,

the sampling mode comprising a first integration time when the detected ambient light in the area is greater than a threshold value, and

the sampling mode comprising a second integration time when the detected ambient light in the area is not greater than the threshold value, wherein the first integration time is less than the second integration time.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine an ambient light sensor (ALS) sampling period based on the detected motion in the area,

the sampling period comprising a first interval when motion in the area is detected within a threshold time period, and

the sampling period comprising a second interval when motion in the area is not detected within the threshold time period, wherein the first interval is less than the second interval.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine a passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode based on the detected motion of the device,

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being disabled when motion of the device is detected, and

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being enabled where no motion of the device is detected.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication interface to notify a user that the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode is disabled due to detected motion of the device.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine a passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode based on the detected directional orientation of the device,

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being disabled when an inoperative directional orientation of the device is detected, and

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being enabled when an inoperative directional orientation of the device is not detected.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to control the communication interface to notify a user that the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode is disabled due to a detected inoperative directional orientation of the device.

17. A method for control of path light illumination and motion detection systems, comprising:

detecting at least one metric selected from the group consisting of;

motion in an area, ambient light level in an area, motion of the device and directional orientation of the device;

determining a sensor sampling mode and a sensor sampling period based on the at least one metric; and

controlling a path light source based on sensor data obtained at the determined sensor sampling mode and sensor sampling period.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the sensor comprises one or more of an ambient light sensor (ALS) to detect an ambient light level in an area, a passive infrared (PIR) sensor to detect motion in an area, an accelerometer to detect motion of the device and a compass sensor to detect motion of the device and directional orientation of the device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining an ambient light sensor (ALS) sampling mode based on the detected ambient light level in the area,

the sampling mode comprising a first integration time when the detected ambient light in the area is greater than a threshold value, and

the sampling mode comprising a second integration time when the detected ambient light in the area is not greater than the threshold value, wherein the first integration time is less than the second integration time.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining an ambient light sensor (ALS) sampling period based on the detected motion in the area,

the sampling period comprising a first interval when motion in the area is detected within a threshold time period, and

the sampling period comprising a second interval when motion in the area is not detected within the threshold time period, wherein the first interval is less than the second interval.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode based on the detected motion of the device,

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being disabled when motion of the device is detected, and

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being enabled when no motion of the device is detected.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising notifying a user that the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode is disabled due to detected motion of the device.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode based on the detected directional orientation of the device,

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being disabled when an inoperative directional orientation of the device is detected, and

the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode being enabled when an inoperative directional orientation of the device is not detected.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising notifying a user that the passive infrared (PIR) sensor sampling mode is disabled due to a detected inoperative directional orientation of the device.