OCCUPANCY SENSOR WITH BUILT-IN POWER PACK TO OPERATE MULTIPLE SENORS

• US 20170105267A1
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Muthu, Subramanian, Hick, Robert, Balasubramanian, Jaiganesh, Elzie, John
• Granted Patent: US 9,974,145 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/006 Solar simulators, e.g. for testing photovoltaic panels
• 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 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system and method provide fail-safe operation of a lighting system. A lighting level detector is used to obtain a baseline lighting level for a low-intensity light. If the detector measures less than the baseline level when an occupancy sensor determines the space is unoccupied, a high-intensity light is energized and an indication is provided to a user that the low-intensity light has failed. A method provides daylighting operation of a lighting system. An occupancy sensor can have Wi-Fi functionality to enable remote configuration of the sensor. A line voltage occupancy sensor can include an interface with low voltage devices. An occupancy sensor can include an integral interface to enable an external control system to override the sensor'"'"'s normal logic under emergency conditions. An occupancy sensor can include an active temperature compensation feature. An occupancy sensor can also incorporate an automatically adjustable coverage area.

Claims

1. A line voltage occupancy sensor comprising:

an occupancy sensing element for sensing an occupancy condition of a monitored area;

a load control device communicatively coupled to the occupancy sensing element, the load control device including a relay for controlling a load in response to signals received from the occupancy sensing element;

an input interface for connecting to a building main power supply for receiving line AC voltage from the building main power supply to power the occupancy sensor;

an AC/DC converter for converting the AC voltage to low voltage DC power; and

a low voltage output interface for coupling to DC power wires for transmitting low voltage DC power to one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors.

2. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 1, further comprising a communication input interface for coupling to a communication wire to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors to enable the line voltage occupancy sensor to receive signals from the one or more of the low voltage occupancy sensors and to control an associated load in response thereto.

3. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 2, wherein the communication input interface is coupled to an analog/digital (A/D) communication interface to convert analog signals from the low voltage occupancy sensors to digital signals.

4. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 1, further comprising a light sensor located within a housing of the line voltage occupancy sensor, the light sensor for providing a lighting signal representative of a lighting level of the monitored area.

5. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 1, further comprising 0-10 Volt (V) circuitry within a housing of the line voltage occupancy sensor, the 0-10V circuitry coupled to a processor to enable the processor to control the 0-10V circuitry to provide less than full power to a connected load.

6. An occupancy sensing system comprising:

one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for sensing an occupancy condition of a first portion of a monitored space;

a line voltage occupancy sensor including an occupancy sensing element for sensing an occupancy condition of a second portion of the monitored area, a load control device communicatively coupled to the occupancy sensing element, the load control device including a relay for controlling a load in response to signals received from the occupancy sensing element, an input interface for connecting to a building main power supply for receiving line AC voltage from the building main power supply to power the line voltage occupancy sensor; and

an AC/DC converter for converting the AC voltage to low voltage DC power; and

one or more low voltage DC power wires for connecting the line voltage occupancy sensor to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising one or more communication wires for connecting the line voltage occupancy sensor to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors so that the low voltage occupancy sensors can transmit operational signals to the line voltage occupancy sensor.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the load is controllable by the load control device in response to signals received from at least one of the low voltage occupancy sensors.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a light sensor located within a housing of the line voltage occupancy sensor, the light sensor for providing a lighting signal representative of a lighting level of the second portion of the monitored space.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a low voltage light sensor communicatively coupled to the line voltage occupancy sensor via one or more communication wires so that the low voltage light sensor can provide a lighting signal to the line voltage occupancy sensor, the lighting signal representative of a lighting level of the monitored space.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a low voltage wallswitch communicatively coupled to the line voltage occupancy sensor via one or more communication wires so that signals can be transmitted to the line voltage occupancy sensor based on manual actuation of the wallswitch.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein line voltage occupancy sensor is configured to receive the signals from the low voltage wallswitch and to control the load in response thereto.

13. A line voltage occupancy sensor comprising:

an occupancy sensing element for sensing an occupancy condition of a monitored area; and

a low voltage output interface for transmitting DC power to one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors.

14. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 13, further comprising a communication input interface for coupling to a communication wire to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors to enable the line voltage occupancy sensor to receive signals from the one or more of the low voltage occupancy sensors and to control an associated load in response thereto.

15. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 14, further comprising an input interface for connecting to a building main power supply for receiving line AC voltage from the building main power supply to power the occupancy sensor;

and an AC/DC converter for converting the AC voltage to low voltage DC power for transfer along low voltage DC power wires to power the low voltage occupancy sensors.

16. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 13, further comprising a load control device communicatively coupled to the occupancy sensing element, the load control device including a relay for controlling a load in response to signals received from the occupancy sensing element.

17. An occupancy sensing system comprising:

one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for sensing an occupancy condition of a first portion of a monitored space; and

a line voltage occupancy sensor including;

an occupancy sensing element for sensing an occupancy condition of a second portion of the monitored area;

a low voltage output interface to transmit DC power to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors;

a communication input interface to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors; and

a processor to receive a signal from the occupancy sensing element in the line voltage occupancy sensor and to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors, and to control an associated load in response thereto.

18. The occupancy sensing system of claim 17, further comprising low voltage DC power wires for connecting the line voltage occupancy sensor to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors, and communication wires for connecting the line voltage occupancy sensor to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for transmitting signals to the line voltage occupancy sensor.

19. The occupancy sensor of claim 18, wherein the line voltage occupancy sensor further includes an input interface for connecting to a building main power supply for receiving line AC voltage from the building main power supply to power the line voltage occupancy sensor;

and an AC/DC converter for converting the AC voltage to DC power for transmission to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors via the low voltage DC power wires.