Lighting space controller

• US 6,025,679 A
• Filed: 05/06/1998
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond G. Harper
• Original Assignee: Raymond G. Harper
• Inventors: Kavounas, Gregory T., Harper, Raymond G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US09/074,168
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 315/312, 315/294, 315/295, 315/308, 315/361, 315/155, 315/158, 315/159, 315/224, 315/307, 250/214 AL, 250/204, 250/205, 364/165, 364/150, 364/157, 364/148
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/042 by measuring the incident light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/3922 and measurement of the incident light
• 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 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An illumination control system uses two photocells, one directed toward an illuminated lamp and the other directed from the ceiling downwardly into the illuminated zone. A feedback signal is derived from the two photocell signals and a reference intercept signal. The feedback signal and a reference set point signal are input into an error amplifier. The error amplifier generates a control signal for setting the illumination in controlled lamps. The photocell signals are variously scaled to provide balancing between them and matching with the intercept signal. Scaling factors and intercept signal level arc set in a calibration procedure that establishes feedback circuit response consistent with a design set point transfer function.

Claims

1. A lighting control system for maintaining illumination at a selected level at a first location within a space that is illuminated by a first set of at least one lamp means the output of which is controlled by a first group of at least a first lamp driver that is responsive to a first control signal, the system comprising:

a first illumination sensor for generating a first illumination signal representative of the illumination at a second location within the space, the illumination at the second location including illumination produced by the lamp means;

a second illumination sensor for generating a second illumination signal representative of the illumination at a third location within the space, the third location being distinct from the second location;

a feedback circuit coupled to the first and second sensors for producing a feedback signal representative of the sum of the first and second illumination signals with the first illumination signal scaled relative to the second illumination signal;

a set point generator for generating a set point signal that corresponds to the selected illumination level; and

error amplifier means responsive to the feedback signal and the set point signal for producing a base control signal appropriate for producing a lamp output that maintains the illumination at the selected level at the first location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the feedback circuit further produces the feedback signal to be representative of the sum of the first and second illumination signals with both the first and second illumination signals scaled.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the feedback circuit further comprises intercept signal generation means for generating an intercept signal, and signal subtraction means for producing the feedback signal to be representative of the difference between the intercept signal and a composite signal representative of the sum of the scaled first and second illumination signals.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the set point signal is adjustable and the system further comprises a first means coupled to the set point generator for automatically adjusting the set point signal.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a manually operable local controller coupled to the set point generator for manually adjusting the set point signal.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the set point signal is adjustable and the system further comprises a first means coupled to the set point generator for automatically adjusting the set point signal.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a manually operable local controller coupled to the set point generator for manually adjusting the set point signal.

8. A system as in claim 3, 4 or 5 wherein the first illumination signal is scaled by a first gain factor, the second illumination signal is scaled by a second gain factor, and the system further comprises a third illumination sensor for generating a third illumination signal representative of the illumination at the first location and a calibration circuit responsive to the third illumination signal and coupled to the feedback circuit for setting the first and second gain factors and the intercept signal level.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising offset generation means for biasing the feedback signal by a positive amount sufficient for preventing the feedback signal from becoming negative during adjustment of the first and second gain factors.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a memory associated with the calibration circuit, wherein the memory contains coded instructions suitable for the calibration circuit to execute a predefined calibration method for setting the first and second gain factors and the intercept signal level.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a first communication module coupled to the calibration circuit, a second communication module coupled to the third illumination sensor and to the first communication module for transmitting the third illumination signal to the first communication module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the calibration circuit is responsive to an enabling signal for enabling operation of the calibration circuit.

13. A system as in claim 2, 6 or 7 wherein the first illumination signal is scaled by a first gain factor, the second illumination signal is scaled by a second gain factor, and the system further comprises a third illumination sensor for generating a third illumination signal representative of the illumination at the first location and a calibration circuit responsive to the third illumination signal and coupled to the feedback circuit for setting the first and second gain factors.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising offset generation means for biasing the feedback signal by a positive amount sufficient for preventing the feedback signal from becoming negative during adjustment of the first and second gain factors.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a memory associated with the calibration circuit, wherein the memory contains coded instructions suitable for the calibration circuit to execute a predefined calibration method for setting the first and second gain factors.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a first communication module coupled to the calibration circuit, a second communication module coupled to the third illumination sensor and to the first communication module for transmitting the third illumination signal to the first communication module.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the calibration circuit is responsive to an enabling signal for enabling operation of the calibration circuit.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the error amplifier means produces the base control signal to have a maximum value, the system further comprising a first source producing a high signal having a voltage greater than the maximum value of the base control signal and a first switch means coupled to the error amplifier means and the first source, the first switch means being operable for outputting, as a first control signal, either the base control signal or the high signal.

19. The system of claim 18 further operable for controlling a second set of at least a second lamp means, the output of which is controlled by a second group of at least a second lamp driver that is responsive to a second control signal, the system further comprising a second switch means also coupled to the error amplifier means and the first source, the second switch means being operable for outputting as a second control signal either the base control signal or the high signal.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a second source producing a low signal having a level corresponding to full lamp power, and third and fourth switch means coupling, respectively, the output of the first switch means and the output of the second switch means to the second source and operable for setting, respectively, the level of the first control signal and the level of the second control signal to the level of the low signal for controlling, respectively, the first and second groups of lamp drivers to fully power the associated lamp means.

21. The system of claim 18, further comprising a second source producing a low signal having a level corresponding to full lamp power, and a third switch means coupling the output of the first switch means to the second source and operable for setting the level of the first control signal to the level of the low signal for controlling the lamp drivers to fully power the lamp means.

22. A lighting control system for maintaining illumination at selected levels at a first location within a space that is illuminated by at least first and second groups of lamp means the outputs of which are controlled by associated lamp drivers that are responsive to respective first and second control signals, the system comprising:

a first illumination sensor for sampling the illumination at a second location within the space and generating a first illumination signal, the illumination at the second location including illumination produced by the lamp means;

a second illumination sensor for sampling the illumination at a third location within the space and generating a second illumination signal, the third location being distinct from the second location;

a feedback circuit comprising first signal scaling means for scaling the first illumination signal by a first gain factor, second signal scaling means for scaling the first and second illumination signals by a second gain factor, and signal addition means, the first and second signal scaling means and the signal addition means being adapted for producing a composite signal representative of the sum of the scaled first and second illumination signals, an intercept signal generation means for generating an intercept signal having a selected level, and signal subtraction means for producing a feedback signal representative of the difference between the composite signal and the intercept signal;

a third illumination sensor for generating a third illumination signal representative of the illumination at the first location;

a first communication module for transmitting a communication signal representative of the third illumination signal;

a calibration memory for storing coded instructions for setting the first and second gain factors and the intercept signal level;

a calibration circuit coupled to the calibration memory, the first and second scaling means, and the feedback circuit, and responsive to the communication signal representative of the third illumination signal for adjusting the first and second gain factors and the intercept signal level;

a second communication module coupled to the first communication module and the calibration circuit for transmitting the communication signal to the calibration circuit, and adapted to receive a key for enabling the calibration circuit to adjust the first and second gain factors and the intercept signal level;

offset generation means, responsive to the calibration circuit, for biasing the feedback signal by a positive amount sufficient for preventing the feedback signal from becoming negative during adjustment of the first and second gain factors;

a set point generator for generating a set point signal having a value that corresponds to the selected illumination level;

a manually operable local controller coupled to the set point generator for adjusting the set point signal value;

a remote controller coupled to the set point generator for transmitting a control signal to the set point generator for adjusting the set point signal value;

error amplifier means responsive to the feedback signal and the set point signal for producing a base control signal appropriate for producing lamp outputs that maintain the illumination at the selected level at the first location, the base control signal having a maximum value corresponding to a fully dimmed lamp means condition;

a first source producing a high signal having a value greater than the maximum value of the base control signal, the high signal value corresponding to a lamp means OFF condition;

first and second switch means each coupled to the error amplifier means and the first source, the first and second switch means being operable for outputting, as respective first and second control signals, either the base control signal or the high signal, for selectively turning the first and second groups of lamp means to OFF;

a second source producing a low signal having a level corresponding to full lamp means power;

third switch means coupling the output of the first switch means to the second source and operable for setting the level of the first control signal to the level of the low signal for controlling the lamp drivers to fully power the associated lamp means; and

fourth switch means coupling the output of the second switch means to the second source and operable for setting the level of the second control signal to the level of the low signal for controlling the lamp drivers to fully power the associated lamp means.