Automatic timing adjustment system for occupancy sensors

• US 8,077,035 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Schneider Electric USA, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Inventors: Reid, Drew A., Stottlemyer, William, Reneau, Charles, Moore, Robert, Murley, James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ismail, Shawki S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Jany
• Application Number:
  US12/259,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20100102760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 315307-308, 315/360
• US Class Current: 340/565
• 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

Abstract

A lighting control system for a space equipped with lamps for illuminating the space comprises a power circuit for supplying power to the lamps, a controllable switch in the power circuit for turning the lamps on and off, an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within the space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, and a timer for measuring a time-out interval following the generation of the motion-detected control signal by the occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of the time-out interval. A processor receives the control signals from the occupancy sensor and the timer and produces a switch-off control signal for the controllable switch to turn the lamps off in response to the time-out control signal, modifies the time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events, counts the number of times the switch-off control signal is produced, without the receipt of the motion-detected control signal, within a predetermined time following the end of the time-out interval, and decrements the time-out interval by the offset value in response to the count reaching a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A lighting control system for a space equipped with lamps for illuminating the space, comprising

a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps,

a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off,

an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion,

a timer for measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval, and

a processor receiving said control signals from said occupancy sensor and said timer and programmed to

produce a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,

modify said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events,

count the number of times said switch-off control signal is produced without the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval, and

decrement said time-out interval by said offset value in response to said count reaching a predetermined value.

2. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said offset value is about 30 seconds.

3. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said processor is programmed to increment said time-out interval by said offset value in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.

4. The lighting control system of claim 3 in which said offset value is about 30 seconds.

5. The lighting control system of claim 3 which includes

an input device for manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and

said processor is programmed to limit modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.

6. The lighting control system of claim 3 in which said processor is programmed to store the time-out interval as modified by the algebraic sum of said increments and decrements.

7. The lighting control system of claim 3 in which

said timer is set to an initial value for said time-out interval, and

said processor is programmed to reset said time-out interval in response to a change in said initial value of said time-out interval, and to limit said time-out interval to values below a predetermined maximum value.

8. The lighting control system of claim 1 which includes

an input device for manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and

said processor is programmed to limit modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.

9. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which

said time-out interval has a preselected maximum value, and

said processor is programmed to limit modification of said time-out interval to values below said preselected maximum value.

10. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said time-out interval has a preselected initial value.

11. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said processor is programmed to produce a switch-on control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps on in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.

12. A lighting control system for a space equipped with lamps for illuminating the space, comprising

a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps,

a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off,

an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion,

a timer for measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,

an input device for manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and

a processor receiving said control signals from said occupancy sensor and said timer and programmed to

produce a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,

modify said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events occurring within a predetermined time period after said time-out control signal is produced by said timer, and

limit modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.

13. The lighting control system of claim 12 in which said time-out interval has a manually selectable initial value that is equal to said minimum value.

14. A method of controlling artificial illumination of a space equipped with electrically powered lamps for illuminating the space, a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps, a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off, and an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, said method comprising

measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,

modifying said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events,

counting the number of times said switch-off control signal is produced without the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval, and

decrementing said time-out interval by said offset value in response to said count reaching a predetermined value.

15. The method of claim 14 which includes incrementing said time-out interval in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.

16. The method of claim 15 which includes manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and limiting modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.

17. The method of claim 15 which includes storing the time-out interval as modified by the algebraic sum of said increments and decrements.

18. The method of claim 15 which includes setting said time-out interval to an initial value, resetting said time-out interval in response to a change in said initial value of said time-out interval, and limiting said time-out interval to values below a predetermined maximum value.

19. The method of claim 14 which includes producing a switch-on control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps on in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.

20. A method of controlling artificial illumination of a space equipped with electrically powered lamps for illuminating the space, a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps, a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off, and an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, said method comprising:

measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,

manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval,

producing a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,

modifying said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events occurring within a predetermined time period after said time-out control signal is produced, and

limiting modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.