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Multi-zone lighting control system

  • US 5,530,322 A
  • Filed: 04/11/1994
  • Issued: 06/25/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/11/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A multi-zone lighting control system for selectively controlling the respective light levels of a plurality of lighting zones, each of such zones comprising a dimmable light source, said lighting control system comprising:

  • (a) a lighting control unit for multiplexing zone-intensity information representing a desired light level for each of the plurality of lighting zones on a serial communications link, such lighting control unit including a plurality of manipulatable dimming actuators, each being adapted to adjust said information to reflect a desired change in light level for a different one of the lighting zones; and

    (b) dimming control means operatively connected to the lighting control unit and responsive to the multiplexed zone-intensity information on the communications link for adjusting the light level of said dimmable light sources to achieve the desired light level in each of said lighting zones, said dimming control means comprising;

    (i) a plurality of dimming circuits, each being adapted to control the luminous output of a light source in one of the lighting zones in response to receiving an input signal from said dimming control means; and

    (ii) means for assigning a selected dimming circuit to a selected dimming actuator so that the corresponding input signal received by the selected dimming circuit is determined by the zone-intensity information which is adjustable by the selected dimming actuator, said assigning means comprising;

    (1) means for selecting a particular dimning circuit from said plurality of dimming circuits, and (2) means for capturing the selected dimming circuit responsive to a predetermined sequence of changes in zone-intensity information as produced by a predetermined manipulation of the selected dimming actuator to assign the selected dimming actuator to the selected dimming circuit.

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