Fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement for "smart" buildings

• US 5,220,250 A
• Filed: 04/23/1991
• Issued: 06/15/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North American Philips Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: North American Philips Corp. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Szuba, Stefan F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laroche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, SON T
• Application Number:
  US07/690,441
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 315/307, 315/291, 315/153, 315/155, 315/156, 315/158, 340/541, 340/566, 340/600, 250/221
• US Class Current: 315/307
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/3922 and measurement of 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 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement controlled by both a motion detector and a light sensing detector operable when said motion detector senses motion.

Claims

1. A fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement including a fluorescent lamp, lamp controller means for controlling the light intensity of said lamp, control signal means responding to a predetermined stimulus and producing a control signal when stimulus occurs, operating means responding to said control signal to cause said controller means to change the light intensity of said lamp, said operating means including first and second stages wherein said first stage includes amplifier means for amplifying said control signal and said second stage includes voltage regulating means for regulating a first operating voltage applied to said amplifier means based on a second operating voltage received from said lamp controller means.

2. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said voltage regulating means includes switch means for reducing the second operating voltage applied to said voltage regulating means in the absence of said control signal from the magnitude of said second operating voltage applied in the presence of said control signal, said voltage regulating means providing substantially the same first operating voltage to said amplifier means regardless of the magnitude of said second operating voltage applied to said voltage regulating means.

3. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control signal means includes a pyroelectric sensor serving as a motion detector.

4. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 3, wherein said operating means operates in response to said control signal to cause said controller means to raise the light intensity of said lamps in the presence of movement sensed by said motion detector.

5. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein said control signal means causes said controller means to dim the light intensity of said lamps in the absence of motion sensed by said motion detector.

6. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein said controller means raises the light intensity of said lamp from a dimmed condition with a shorter time delay than the time delay which it provides when it dims said lamp in the absence of motion.

13. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, said light control means further including a photo amplifier comprising a pair of transistors which operate at a high current gain at low natural light levels.

14. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 13, wherein one of said pair of transistors saturates at a relatively high natural light level.

15. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 14, wherein said determination means includes a resistor connected to the collector of said one of said transistors.

16. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 15, wherein said determination means includes a resistor connected across the collector and emitter of said one of said pair of transistors.

18. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 16, wherein said control signal means includes a pyroelectric sensor serving as as a motion detector.

19. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 18, wherein said operating means in response to said first control signal causes said controller means to raise the light intensity of said lamp in the presence of movement sensed by said motion detector and to lower the light intensity of said lamp in the absence of motion sensed by said motion detector.

20. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 19, wherein said controller means raises the light intensity of said lamp from a dimmed condition with a shorter time delay than the time delay which it provides before it dims said lamp in the absence of motion.

21. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said amplifier means include comparator circuit means for rendering said lamp controller means insensitive to said control signal based on the magnitude of the latter.

22. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 21, wherein said comparator circuit means includes a pair of matched transistors.

7. A fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement including a fluorescent lamp, lamp controller means for controlling the light intensity of said lamp, control signal means responding to a predetermined stimulus and producing a control signal when said stimulus occurs, operating means responding to said control signal to cause said controller means to change the light intensity of said lamp, said operating means including a light control circuit which responds to said control signal and operates to control the amount of light provided by said fluorescent lamp at a prescribed location in accordance with a predetermined curve, said light control circuit including light sensing means sensing the amount of illumination at the prescribed location provided by natural light and by said fluorescent lamp, said predetermined curve having a steep slope when said light sensing means indicates said fluorescent lamp should provide a high amount of light and a more moderate slope when said light sensing means indicates said fluorescent lamp should provide a lesser amount than said high amount, said light control circuit including determination means for determining at what amount of light from said fluorescent lamp said curve is transposed from said steep slope to said more moderate slope.

8. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein said light control circuit includes a photo amplifier comprising a pair of transistors which operate at a high current gain at low natural light levels.

9. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 8, wherein one of said pair of transistors saturates at a relatively high natural light level.

10. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 9, wherein said determination means includes a resistor connected to the collector of said one of said pair of transistors.

11. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 10, wherein said determination means includes a resistor connected across the collector and emitter of said one of said pair of transistors.

12. A fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement including a fluorescent lamp, lamp controller means for controlling the light intensity of said lamp, control signal means responding to predetermined stimuli and producing first and second control signals when said stimuli occur, operating means responding to said first and second control signals to cause said controller means to change the light intensity of said lamp, said operating means including first and second stages, said first stage including amplifier means for amplifying said first control signal, said second stage including voltage regulating means for regulating a first operating voltage applied to said amplifier means based on a second operating voltage received from said lamp controller means, said operating means further including light control means responsive to said second control signal and for controlling the amount of light provided by said fluorescent lamp at a prescribed location, said light control means including light sensing means for sensing the amount of illumination at the prescribed location provided by natural light and by said fluorescent lamp, said light control means including determination means for determining the amount of light to be provided by said fluorescent lamp.

17. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 12, wherein said voltage regulating means includes switch means for reducing the second operating voltage applied to said voltage regulating means in the absence of said first control signal relative to said second operating voltage applied in the presence of said first control signal, said voltage regulating means providing substantially the same first operating voltage to said amplifier means regardless of the magnitude of said second operating voltage applied to said voltage regulating means.

23. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 17, wherein said light control means is coupled to said switch means of said voltage regulating means.

24. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 23, wherein said switch means is further operable for disabling control by said light control means of said fluorescent lamp in the absence of said first control signal.

25. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 17 wherein said control signal means includes a motion detector, said operating means in response to said first control signal causing said controller means to raise the light intensity of said lamp in the presence of movement sensed by said motion detector and to lower the light intensity of said lamp in the absence of motion sensed by said motion detector.

26. The fluorescent lamp lighting arrangement as claimed in claim 24, wherein said control signal means includes a motion detector, said operating means in response to said first control signal causing said controller means to raise the light intensity of said lamp in the presence of movement sensed by said motion detector and to lower the light intensity of said lamp in the absence of motion sensed by said motion detector.