Network based multiple sensor and control device with temperature sensing and control

• US 6,798,341 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2000
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Porter, James A., Bonasia, Gaetano, Eckel, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US09/701,115
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 340/517, 340/521, 340/525, 340/565, 340/309.15, 340/691.1, 340/691.4, 340/691.5, 340/691.6, 340/693.5, 340/693.9, 340/693.11, 340/310.01, 340/310.06, 340/3.1, 340/309.16
• US Class Current: 340/521
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/045 temperature indication combined with the indication of another variable indicating of human comfort G01W1/17
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/08 Protective devices, e.g. casings
• 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 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• 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

A multifunction sensor device (10) provides various transducer functions for performing temperature sensing, humidity sensing, ambient light sensing, motion detection, thermostat functions, switching functions, load switching and dimming functions, displaying actual and set temperature values, displaying time of day values apparatus for putting the device in an on/off or auto mode. Key elements include mounting the diverse sensors or transducers within the same housing (14) that can be mounted to a wall in a flush manner, eliminating the requirement of an air flow channel in the device (10), thus minimizing any adverse effects on the motion detecting element or sensor. The device can transmit and receive real time data, relative data and actual discrete data in addition to switching and controlling loads locally or remotely.

Claims

1. A multiple sensor and control device for use on a local operating network, comprising:

a communications transceiver for transmitting and receiving data between said multiple sensor device and said local operating network;

a plurality of sensor devices each sensor device adapted to measure a physical phenomenon;

control means for determining a level of electrical power to be applied to a load electrically connected to said multiple sensor and control device;

a housing to accommodate at least one of said communication transceiver, said plurality of sensor devices and said control means; and

a controller programmed to;

execute one or more software application tasks stored in a memory means for storing information;

receive information over said local operating network from one or more electrical devices;

transmit information over said local operating network to one or more electrical devices.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device comprises a motion sensor.

3. The multiple sensor device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device comprises motion sensing circuitry including a passive infrared (PIR) sensor.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device comprises an ambient light sensor.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device comprises ambient light sensing circuitry including a photodiode.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device comprises a temperature sensor.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device comprises temperature sensing circuitry including said temperature sensor element.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor device comprises a humidity sensor.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a cavity adapted to contain a temperature sensor element wherein said cavity is substantially sealed from the rest of said device but open to the environment via a vent such that said temperature sensor element is coupled to the surrounding environment but is neither exposed to the flow of air in the surrounding area nor lies in an airflow channel within said device, the temperature of the air within said cavity changing via diffusion with the air in the surrounding environment.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a cavity adapted to contain a temperature sensor element wherein said cavity is substantially sealed from the rest of said device but open to the environment via a vent in combination with one or more channels adapted to direct air flow in from said vent, over said temperature sensing element, through said channels and out one or more vent holes located on the front surface of said housing.

11. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a pedestal within said housing wherein a temperature sensor element is positioned at a distance from a printed circuit board, said pedestal adapted to substantially environmentally seal said cavity from an inner portion of said housing.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein said housing comprises openings on one side only so as to direct airflow through an area that does not impact any circuitry located therewithin.

13. The device according to claim 1, further comprising means for communicating one or more quantities representing measured said physical phenomena over said local operating network.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises relay control circuitry.

15. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises ballast dimming circuitry.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises dimming circuitry.

17. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises at least one electrical switch means operable by a user for turning electrical power to a load on and off, said device operative to communicate the actions of said user over said local operating network.

18. The device according to claim 1, wherein said control means comprises at least one electrical switch means operable by a user for brightening and dimming a logical electrical lighting load, said device operative to communicate the actions of said user over said communications network.

19. The device according to claim 1, further comprising one or more movable or translucent blinders for adjusting the field of view or amount of radiation falling on one or more motion detectors located within said housing.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein said blinder comprises an elongated shutter portion supported by a lower wall and an upper wall, said blinder pivotally mounted in said housing via a cylindrical stud wherein said blinder pivots on an axis perpendicular to said cylindrical stud.

21. The multiple sensor device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises relay software application code for controlling the power on/off state of one or more lighting loads bound to and/or physically connection to said device.

22. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises dimming software application code for providing dimming and brightening control of one or more dimming loads bound to said device.

23. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises occupancy software application code for controlling a logical lighting load bound to said device in accordance with the detection of motion in an area.

24. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises California Title 24 software application code for modifying relay and dimming functionality in accordance therewith.

25. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises ambient light level software application code for maintaining a particular light level within an area.

26. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises reset software application code for placing said device in an initialization state.

27. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises go unconfigured software application code for placing said device in an unconfigured state.

28. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises communication input/output (I/O) software application code for receiving data from and/or transmitting data to said local operating network.

29. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises inhibit software application code for inhibiting and overriding the normal operating mode of said device.

30. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises temperature software application code for measuring the temperature of the area surrounding said device.

31. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises temperature software application code for providing a thermostat function adapted to control temperature by controlling artificial and natural cooling, heating and/or fan means.

32. The device according to claim 1, wherein said software application task comprises fast change application code for detecting rapid increases in temperature and in response thereto sending a warning message over said local operating network.

33. The device according to claim 1, wherein said local operating network comprises twisted pair wiring.

34. The device according to claim 1, wherein said local operating network comprises radio frequency (RF) communications.

35. The device according to claim 1, wherein said local operating network comprises infrared communications.

36. The device according to claim 1, wherein said local operating network comprises optical communication over optical fiber.

37. The multiple sensor device according to claim 1, wherein said local operating network comprises power line carrier communications.

38. The device according to claim 1, wherein said local operating network comprises coaxial communications.

39. The device according to claim 1, wherein said local operating network utilizes a standard protocol such as LonWorks, CEBus, X10, BACNet and CAN or any other proprietary protocol.

40. The device according to claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises random access memory (RAM).

41. The device according to claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises read only memory (ROM).

42. The device according to claim 1, wherein said memory means comprises electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM).

43. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communications transceiver comprises a twisted pair wiring transceiver.

44. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communications transceiver comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver.

45. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communications transceiver comprises a power line carrier transceiver.

46. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communications transceiver comprises an infrared (IR) transceiver.

47. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communications transceiver comprises an optical fiber transceiver.

48. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communications transceiver comprises a coaxial cable transceiver.

49. The device according to claim 1, wherein said communications transceiver comprises an FFT-10A twisted pair wiring transceiver.

50. The device according to claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a Neuron 3120 integrated circuit.

51. The device according to claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a microprocessor, microcontroller or custom integrated circuit that employs the LonTalk EIA 709.1 protocol.

52. The device according to claim 1, wherein said load comprises one or more physical electrical lighting loads.

53. The device according to claim 1, wherein said load comprises one or more logical electrical lighting loads.

54. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a press to release button adapted to permit the device to be removed from a wall and used as a remote control as well as a regular wall mounted or table top switch or dimmer, sensor or thermostat and adapted to control natural and artificial lighting, temperature and humidity devices.

55. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a display adapted to display a timer readout.

56. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a display adapted to display the time of day.

57. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a display adapted to display temperature.

58. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a light bar adapted to display the illumination state of a lighting load.