Motion detector module

• US 7,321,120 B1
• Filed: 11/26/2005
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alexandra Block, ANDREW KALANI NIHEU & JAY DEEP CHITNIS, Andrew M. Jenkins, Anne M. Mahoney, Baker Ken, Baum Family Trust, Binkley Family Trust, Bonnie Austin, Brandon Dinoto, Brandon Moore Utma, BRIAN DRISCOLL AND/OR DRISCOLL INVESTMENTS INC., Bruce Johnson, BRUCE & LORENE BOWERS, BRUCE & SANDY BRANDENBURG, CARL A LARSON, TRUSTEE LARSON 1995 REVOCABLE TRUST DTD 11/17/1995, CARL KOBAYASHI & MISHELLE NISHIDA, Chea Chung, CHRISTOPHER MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE MOORE FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/3/2006, Christy L. Hendrickson Trust, CLAUDE KORDUS TRUSTEE KORDUS FAMILY TRUST, CLIFF & MAKOTO MCQUEEN, Court Wilson, Craig Hillegas, Daniel Allen, Daniel C. Serpe, DANIEL & KIMBERLY DOTSON, Daniel White, Dan Way, DAVID & BONNIC AUSTIN INDIVIDUALLY AND AS TRUSTEES AUSTIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 10/1/1999, David Caldwell, David L. Lyon, Dominique Pandolfi, DONALD D. LEARNED, TRUSTEE DONALD LEARNED TRUST C/O SCOTT LEARNED, DONALD & MARY SPENCER, Don Farris Inc Retirement Trust, Doug Cox, Elizabeth Willis, Eric Rawa, Estate Of Gary W. Dixon, GARY & BARBARA A. GENTZKOW AND/OR BARBARA GENTZKOW'S IRA, GARY & LINDSEY BLOCK, George Block, Glenn Frieder, Gloria Marie Gammill, GREG A. JIRAK & LORI HUBBART, GREG BLOCK, TRUSTEE, BLOCK FAMILY TRUST DTD 6/22/1990, Greg MacDonald, Gregory A. Block, Gregory Bernett, HARDEY, JULIE E. AKA JULIE HELLUM FBO BREE DIXON, Hardie David, Howard Brian Malloy, Ian Nausner, IVAN & LORI MENDELSON, James Clifford, James Gammill, JAMES GEVARGES & DOMINIQUE BEITKANOUN, JAMES & KIM WEINBERGER, JAMES & ROBYN CARBAUGH, JANELL SKOMER AKA JANELL SOHMER-BLOCK C/O GREGORY BLOCK, Jeffrey Lubin, Jeffrey Teza, Jeff Schott, Jerry E. Jageman, John Chu, John F. Zolezzi, JOHN & LAUARIE DEWITT AND/OR THIEIR IRAS, JOHN & LYNN BOWEN, TRUSTEES BOWN FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/21/1985, Jon Hillegas, JULIUS & MARRIETTA ZOLEZZI, KASHAN PIRACHA (KPN, LLC), Katherine Williams, KENNETH & JANET SHANER, Ken Rubin, Kevin Thomas Dinoto, Kristopher Dinoto, Laura Lewis, Laurence Balter, LINDA MOORE INDIVIDUALLY & AS TRUSTEE LINDA B. MOORE PERSONAL TRUST, Lisa Odenweller, Lori Shook, MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIMITED C/O SMC MULTI-MEDIA, Man-Ling Lai, Marc Cahal, Marc Odenweller, MARION J. BAUER ROSIDUARY TRUST C/O BLOCK, GAUNCE & ASSOCIATES, MARK & DIANA KENNEY, TRUSTEES KENNEY FAMILY TRUST DTD 11/29/1996, Mark McDonald, Marview Holdings, Inc., Maui Preparatory Academy, Megan Molloy, Melody Kitchens, MICHAEL & ANASTASIA FARRELL AND/OR STERLING TRUST CO. FBO MICHAEL FARRELL, Michael Bosworth, Michael Dewitt, MICHAEL MCLOUGHLIN, TRUSTEE MCLOUGHLIN FAMILY TRUST DTD 3/22/1994, Milton F. Damerow, NGUYEN, PETER (KPN, LLC), Nicholas Block, Nicole Cox, Norman M. Estin Trust, Parvis Nabavi, Paul Block, Persis Hataria, PHILIP BURKHARDT, TRUSTEE BURKHARDT 2005 FAMILY TRUST AND/OR THEIR IRAS, Phillip Moore, PHYLLIS ORNDORFF, TRUSTEE PHYLLIS ORNDORFF TRUST DTD 12-30-2010, RANDY & LONA KENT, R/Com Retail Services, LLC, Richard Babcock, RICHARD & DEBRA MYTKO, RICHARD & JACQUELINE SMITH, Robert C. Albrow, Robert M. Skomer, Robert W. Dudley Trust, Ronald S. Chapman, RYAN & SUSAN BOWERS, Ryota Komaru, Samantha Carroll, Scot Hall, Sean Mundy, Shaochong Yan, SMC Multi-Media Products Company Limited (SMC Multi-Media Limited), S Steven Podstreleny, Steve Benshoof, Steve Marlette, Steven Purves, Steven Sreb, STUART & KAREN SHAFER, Sydney Block, TERRENCE E. LEE, TRUSTEE TERRENCE E. LEE TRUST, Terrill Stewart, Terry Davis, THOMAS DINOTO, TRUSTEE DINOTO FAMILY TRUST DTD 1/11/1993, Thomas Goergen, Thomas H. Zolezzi, Timothy Karis Sirak LLC, TIM WALKER, TRUSTEE WALKER FAMILY TRUST DTD 7/21//2009, Valeo Partners LLC, Vincent Guzzetta Vascular Associates Co., WALTER & REBECCA HICKEL C/O CALWEST PROPERTIES, WARREN & ROBIN COHEN, Wendy Frieder, William Orndorff
• Original Assignee: Protectconnect Incorporated
• Inventors: Gorman, Michael P., Yan, Frank S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taningco; Marcus H
• Application Number:
  US11/287,884
• Time in Patent Office: 787 Days
• Field of Search: 250/338.1
• US Class Current: 250/338.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/193 using focusing means

Abstract

A motion detector comprises a housing having a front side and a back side. Conductors are disposed on the back side so as to electrically connect to a wiring module installed within an electrical box. An infrared (IR) sensor is mounted within the housing and configured to receive IR radiation focused from a lens disposed on the front side. The IR sensor generates a sensor signal in response to motion across the field-of-view of the lens. A controller is responsive to the sensor signal so as to generate a switch signal. A relay is responsive to the switch signal so as to switch an electrical power source connecting to an electrical power load via the conductors and the wiring module.

Claims

1. A motion detector comprising:

a housing having a front side and a back side;

a plurality of conductors disposed on said back side configured to electrically connect to a wiring module installed within an electrical box;

a first circuit board and a second circuit board retained within said housing, said second circuit board piggybacked on said first circuit board;

a lens disposed on said front side configured to focus IR radiation;

an IR sensor mounted within said housing configured to receive IR radiation from said lens and generate a sensor signal in response to motion across the field-of-view of said lens;

a controller responsive to said sensor signal so as to generate a switch signal;

a relay responsive to said switch signal so as to switch an electrical power source in communications with a power one of said conductors via said wiring module to an electrical power load in communication with a load one of said conductors via said wiring module; and

a relay driver configured to actuate said relay in response to said switch signal,

wherein said IR sensor and said controller are mounted on said first circuit board and said relay and said relay driver are mounted on said second circuit board.

2. The motion detector according to claim 1 further comprising:

a tap disposed on said second circuit board and in communication with said power conductor so as to provide said controller an AC signal,

said controller generating said switch signal on a zero crossing of said AC signal.

3. A motion detector comprising:

an electrical box configured to accept a plurality of electrical conductors in communications with a power source and a power load;

a wiring module having a wiring side and a functional side mounted within said electrical box;

a motion detector module having a front side and a back side removably mounted to said wiring module; and

a relay disposed within said motion detector module,

wherein said wiring module wiring side has terminations for said electrical conductors,

wherein said wiring module functional side has wiring module contacts electrically connected to said termination, said wiring module contacts comprising sockets having raised guards and recessed channels disposed around the peripheries thereof,

wherein said motion detector module front side has a lens for receiving IR radiation,

wherein said motion detector module back side has motion detector module contacts removably and electrically connected to said wiring module contacts, said motion detector module contacts comprising plugs having continuous walls disposed around the peripheries, and extending about the length, thereof, wherein said walls define open ends distal said back side and wherein said walls mate with said channels and said raised guards insert into said open ends as said plugs insert into said sockets,

wherein said motion detector module is responsive to motion within the field-of-view of said lens as to connect said power source with said power load via said motion detector module contacts,

wherein said relay has a switch moveable between a closed position connecting said power source to said power load and an open position disconnecting said power source from said power load, and

wherein said switch moves between said closed position and said open position only upon zero-crossings of said power source.

4. A motion detector method comprising the steps of:

routing conductors for an electrical power source and an electrical power load to an electrical box;

mounting a wiring module within said electrical box;

terminating said conductors at said wiring module;

physically mounting and electrically connecting a motion detector module to said wiring module so as to allow said motion detector module to communication with said electrical power source and said electrical power load via said wiring module;

receiving IR radiation into said motion detector module;

detecting motion from said IR radiation;

detecting a zero-crossing of said electrical power source corresponding to a change in AC voltage polarity; and

driving a relay in response to said detected motion and said detected zero-crossing so as to initiate switching said electrical power source to said electrical power load in response to motion in the field-of-view of said motion detector module.

5. The motion detection method according to claim 4 comprising the further step of:

interchangeably plugging said motion detector module and a switch module into said wiring module,

wherein said switch module is configured to manually connect and disconnect said electrical power source and said electrical power load.