Timer controlled outdoor ground lighting system with intruder detection

• US 5,831,391 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nii Northern International Incorporated (NII Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Iain N.B. Mackay
• Inventors: MacKay, Iain N. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, DAVID HUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/757,333
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 340/565, 340/567, 315/149, 315/159, 315/150, 315/151, 315/156, 315/157, 315/360, 315/362, 250/342
• US Class Current: 315/159
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An outdoor ground lighting system that includes one or more low voltage lamp units, provided from a step down transformer connectable to a high voltage AC power supply and an on/off timer operative to turn the lamps on for a selected time period during hours of darkness. Added to this known system is a secondary switching system that includes a solenoid operated switch connected to bypass the timer and a detector to detect the presence of a person or the like in the field of view of the detector. The detector provides an output signal in response to detecting the presence of someone and the solenoid switch is actuated by such signal to switch on the lamps when the timer is in the off cycle. The secondary switching system enhances the garden lighting system by providing a security lighting system when the timer is in an off mode.

Claims

1. An outdoor yard lighting system comprising a plurality of low voltage lamp units, a first step down transformer means for supplying said lamp units with low voltage from a common residential high AC voltage supply, timer controlled switch means in the high voltage circuit connected to said first step down transformer means and operable to turn the lamp units on and off for selected periods of time and a secondary switching system having a normally open switch shunted across said timer controlled switch means, detector means to detect the presence of an intruder in a selected area, said detector means providing an output signal upon detection of the intruder in said selected area, said secondary switching system comprising a second step down transformer with a high voltage side thereof connected to said AC voltage supply and circuit means and a relay connected to a low voltage side of said second step down transformer to close said normally open switch in response to an output signal from said detector means.

2. An outdoor yard lighting system as defined in claim 1, including a second circuit means having a triac shunted across said normally open switch to illuminate said lamps only to a fraction of their full intensity during the timer "off" cycle of operation.

3. An outdoor yard lighting system as defined in claim 2, wherein said triac circuit includes a triac, resistor means including a light dependent resistor shunted across said triac, a capacitor shunted across said light dependent resistor and a diac interposed between said triac and said light dependent resistor.

4. An improved outdoor ground lighting system that includes at least one lamp unit, a first step down transformer connectable to a high voltage AC power supply to provide a low voltage supply for the lamp of said lamp unit, and an on/off timer operative to turn the lamp on for a selected time period during hours of darkness, the improvement comprising detector means to detect the presence of a person in the field of view of the detector and provide an output signal in response to such detection and a secondary switching system operatively responsive to said output signal to switch on said lamp when said timer is in the off cycle, said timer controlling an on/off switch to the high voltage side of said first transformer and wherein said secondary switching system includes a second step down transformer and a relay operated normally open switch, said normally open switch being shunted across said timer controlled on/off switch, said relay of said normally open switch being connected to a low voltage side of said second transformer and wherein said detector output signal is operatively associated with said relay to close said normally open switch in response to an output signal from the detector.

5. An improved outdoor ground lighting system as defined in claim 4, including a system control housing and wherein said step down transformers, timer and secondary switching system are mounted in said housing.