Lighting control system and method

• US 6,841,945 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Novitas, Inc.
• Inventors: Elwell, Brian E.
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYET THI
• Application Number:
  US10/254,042
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/307, 315/312, 315/320, 315/322, 315/DIG.4, 315/224, 315/225, 315/209.R, 315/149, 315150-159, 315/324
• US Class Current: 315/154
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 315/04 Dimming circuit for fluorescent lamps

Abstract

An energy-saving lighting control system for controlling a series of banks of lights in an area. The system activates less than all of the series of banks of lights upon entry into the area, regardless of the last light-activating setting selected by a user.

Claims

1. A system for automatically activating only less than all of a plurality of banks of lights, upon automatically sensing entry into an area which includes the plurality of banks of lights, regardless of the last light-activating setting selected by a user, wherein the system is incorporated in an apparatus for sensing entry into the area, and wherein the system includes a plurality of selectable light-activating settings, comprising:

a selecting-enabling element for enabling the selecting by the user of one of a plurality of light-activating settings for the plurality of banks of lights, wherein the plurality of light-activating settings include a plurality of less-than-all-banks-only settings for enabling the selecting of only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights, and an all-banks setting for enabling the selecting of all of the plurality of banks of lights;

a sensing element for automatically sensing entry into the area which includes the plurality of banks of lights; and

an activating element for automatically activating only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the automatic sensing by the sensing element of entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of light-activating settings selected by the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the entry into the area sensed by the apparatus comprises initial detection of occupancy.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system forces only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights to activate upon the sensing by the apparatus of an entry into the area.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system automatically activates only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the sensing by the apparatus of an entry into the area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the selecting-enabling element further includes an off-lighting setting for enabling the selecting of all of the banks of lights to be off.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a cycling-enabling element for enabling the cycling through the plurality of light-activating settings.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the cycling-enabling element comprises a touchplate momentary pushbutton control.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a system enabling-disabling element which includes a system enabling setting and a system disabling setting for enabling the selecting of the enabling or disabling of the system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the system enabling-disabling element comprises a dual in-line package switch.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of banks of lights comprise two banks of light, the less than all of the plurality of banks of lights comprise one bank of lights, the plurality of less-than-all-banks-only setting comprises a plurality of one-bank-only settings, and the all-banks-setting comprises a both-banks setting.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the two banks of light include a first lighting bank and a second lighting bank, and the plurality of one-bank-only settings include a first lighting bank only setting and a second lighting bank only setting.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the area includes a plurality of lighting fixtures, each of which is controlled by the apparatus and the system, and each of which includes one of the two banks of lights.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the area includes a plurality of lighting fixtures, each of which is controlled by the apparatus and the system, and each of which includes the two banks of lights.

14. A method of automatically activating only less than all of a plurality of banks of lights, upon automatically sensing entry into an area which includes the plurality of banks of lights, regardless of the last light-activating setting selected by a user, in a system which is incorporated in an apparatus for sensing entry into the area, wherein the system includes a plurality of selectable light-activating settings, and wherein the system comprises a selecting-enabling element for enabling the selecting by the user of one of a plurality of light-activating settings for the plurality of banks of lights, wherein the plurality of light-activating settings include a plurality of less-than-all-banks-only settings for enabling the selecting of only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights, and an all-banks setting for enabling the selecting of all of the plurality of banks of lights, a sensing element for automatically sensing entry into the area which includes the plurality of banks of lights, and an activating element for automatically activating only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the automatic sensing by the sensing element of entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of light-activating settings selected by the user, wherein the method comprises:

automatically activating only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the automatic sensing by the sensing element of entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of light-activating settings selected by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the entry into the area sensed by the apparatus comprises initial detection of occupancy, and wherein activating further comprises activating upon initial detection of occupancy.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the system forces only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights to activate upon the sensing by the apparatus of an entry into the area, and wherein activating comprises forcing only one bank of lights to activate.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the system automatically activates only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the sensing by the apparatus of an entry into the area, and wherein activating comprises automatically activating only one bank of lights.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the selecting-enabling element further includes an off-lighting setting for enabling the selecting of all of the banks of lights to be off, further comprising selecting the off-lighting setting.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising a cycling-enabling element enabling the cycling through the plurality of light-activating settings, further comprising cycling through the plurality of light-activating settings in the cycling-enabling element.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the cycling-enabling element comprises a touchplate momentary pushbutton control, further comprising cycling through the plurality of light-activating settings in the touchplate momentary pushbutton control.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising a system enabling-disabling element which includes a system enabling setting and a system disabling setting for enabling the selecting of the enabling or disabling of the system, further comprising selecting the system enabling setting or the system disabling setting in the enabling-disabling element.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the system enabling-disabling element comprises a dual in-line package switch, further comprising selecting the system enabling setting or the system disabling setting in the dual in-line package switch.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of banks of lights comprise two banks of light, the less than all of the plurality of banks of lights comprise one bank of lights, the plurality of less-than-all-banks-only setting comprises a plurality of one-bank-only settings, and the all-banks-setting comprises a both-banks setting, and wherein activating comprises activating only one bank of lights upon entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of light-activating settings selected by the user.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the two banks of light include a first lighting bank and a second lighting bank, and the plurality of one-bank-only settings include a first lighting bank only setting and a second lighting bank only setting, and wherein activating comprises activating only one bank of lights upon entry into the area regardless of whether the first lighting bank only setting or the second lighting bank only setting is the last setting selected by the user.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the area includes a plurality of lighting fixtures, each of which is controlled by the apparatus and the system, and each of which includes one of the two banks of lights, and wherein activating comprises activating only one bank of lights in the plurality of lighting fixtures.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the area includes a plurality of lighting fixtures, each of which is controlled by the apparatus and the system, and each of which includes the two banks of lights, and wherein activating comprises activating only one bank of lights in each of the plurality of lighting fixtures.

27. A system for automatically activating only less than all of a plurality of loads, upon automatically sensing entry into an area which includes the plurality of loads, regardless of the last load-activating setting selected by a user, wherein the system is incorporated in an apparatus for sensing entry into the area, and wherein the system includes a plurality of selectable load-activating settings, comprising:

a selecting-enabling element for enabling the selecting by the user of one of a plurality of load-activating settings for the plurality of loads, wherein the plurality of load-activating settings include a plurality of less-than-all-loads-only settings for enabling the selecting of only less than all of the plurality of loads, and an all-loads setting for enabling the selecting of all of the plurality of loads;

a sensing element for automatically sensing entry into the area which includes the plurality of banks of lights; and

an activating element for automatically activating only less than all of the plurality of loads upon the automatic sensing by the sensing element of entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of load-activating settings selected by the user.

28. A system for automatically activating only less than all of a plurality of banks of lights, upon automatically sensing entry into an area which includes the plurality of banks of lights, regardless of the last light-activating setting selected by a user, wherein the system is incorporated in an apparatus for sensing entry into the area, and wherein the system includes a plurality of selectable light-activating settings, comprising:

selecting-enabling means for enabling the selecting by the user of one of a plurality of light-activating settings for the plurality of banks of lights, wherein the plurality of light-activating settings include a plurality of less-than-all-banks-only settings for enabling the selecting of only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights, and an all-banks setting for enabling the selecting of all of the plurality of banks of lights;

sensing means for automatically sensing entry into the area which includes the plurality of banks of lights; and

activating means for automatically activating only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the automatic sensing by the sensing means of entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of light-activating settings selected by the user.

29. A method of automatically activating only less than all of a plurality of banks of lights, upon automatically sensing entry into an area which includes the plurality of banks of lights, regardless of the last light-activating setting selected by a user, in a system which is incorporated in an apparatus for sensing entry into the area, wherein the system includes a plurality of selectable light-activating settings, and wherein the system comprises selecting-enabling means for enabling the selecting by the user of one of a plurality of light-activating settings for the plurality of banks of lights, wherein the plurality of light-activating settings include a plurality of less-than-all-banks-only settings for enabling the selecting of only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights, and an all-banks setting for enabling the selecting of all of the plurality of banks of lights, sensing means for automatically sensing entry into the area which includes the plurality of banks of lights, and activating means for automatically activating only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the automatic sensing by the sensing means of entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of light-activating settings selected by the user, wherein the method comprises:

automatically activating only less than all of the plurality of banks of lights upon the automatic sensing by the sensing means of entry into the area regardless of the last of the plurality of light-activating settings selected by the user.