Occupancy sensors programmed to determine loss of lamp life as lamp is used
First Claim
1. An occupancy sensor that controls the on/off state of a lamp, the sensor comprising:
- a first timer set to a first time delay, the first timer operative to activate upon the sensor detecting vacancy after occupancy had been detected and to deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay, the first timer operative to prevent the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of the first timer and for the duration of the first time delay;
a counter operative to count the number of times the lamp turns on;
a second timer operative to activate upon the lamp turning on and deactivate upon the lamp turning off; and
a register operative to store a cumulative amount of time the lamp is on as timed by the second timer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Programmable occupancy sensors that control the on/off operation of a fluorescent lamp automatically determine loss of lamp life as the lamp is used. The programmable occupancy sensors can provide lamp life status and can automatically alert a user when a lamp is nearing its end of life and should be replaced. The occupancy sensors are also programmable to automatically maximize lamp life and energy savings by selecting an optimal time delay from among a number of selectable time delays at which to operate the sensor. The selection is based on an occupancy pattern sensed by the sensor over a given period of time. The optimal time delay, which prevents the lamp from turning off immediately after last sensing occupancy, extends lamp life by limiting the number of lamp off/on transitions, which shortens lamp life, in view of overall energy usage and lamp usage.
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Citations
112 Claims
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1. An occupancy sensor that controls the on/off state of a lamp, the sensor comprising:
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a first timer set to a first time delay, the first timer operative to activate upon the sensor detecting vacancy after occupancy had been detected and to deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay, the first timer operative to prevent the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of the first timer and for the duration of the first time delay; a counter operative to count the number of times the lamp turns on; a second timer operative to activate upon the lamp turning on and deactivate upon the lamp turning off; and a register operative to store a cumulative amount of time the lamp is on as timed by the second timer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An occupancy sensor that controls the on/off state of a lamp, the sensor comprising:
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a first timer set to a first time delay, the first timer operative to activate upon the sensor detecting vacancy after occupancy had been detected and to deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay, the first timer operative to prevent the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of the first timer and for the duration of the first time delay; and a microcontroller operative to execute firmware or software that simulates an effect of each of a plurality of selectable first time delays on the operation of the lamp by the sensor and determines the number of times the lamp would turn on and the cumulative amount of time the lamp would be on for each of the plurality of selectable first time delays. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An occupancy sensor that controls the on/off state of a lamp, the sensor comprising:
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a first timer set to a first time delay, the first timer operative to activate upon the sensor detecting vacancy after occupancy had been detected and to deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay, the first timer operative to prevent the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of the first timer and for the duration of the first time delay; and a microcontroller operative to execute firmware or software that calculates in real time at least one of a loss of lamp life or energy used by the lamp based on actual operation of the lamp as controlled by the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. An occupancy sensor that controls the on/off state of a lamp, the sensor comprising:
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a first timer set to a first time delay, the first timer operative to activate upon the sensor detecting vacancy after occupancy had been detected and to deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay, the first timer operative to prevent the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of the first timer and for the duration of the first time delay; and a microcontroller operative to execute firmware or software that calculates in real time at least one of a loss of lamp life or energy used by the lamp based on a simulated operation of the lamp as controlled by the sensor for each of a plurality of selectable first time delays. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of using an occupancy sensor to automatically determine at least one of the loss of lamp life or amount of energy used by a lamp whose on/off state is controlled by the occupancy sensor, the method comprising:
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(a) the sensor sensing occupancy and causing the lamp to turn on; (b) the sensor determining a first loss of lamp life caused by the lamp turning on; (c) the sensor sensing no occupancy; (d) the sensor activating a timer in response to sensing no occupancy, the timer set to a first time delay; (e) the sensor causing the lamp to turn off upon expiration of the first time delay and no occupancy being sensed during the first time delay; and (f) the sensor determining a second loss of lamp life caused by the lamp being on; and (g) the sensor summing the first and second losses of lamp life to determine a total loss of lamp life. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66)
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67. A method of controlling the on/off state of a lamp with an occupancy sensor to extend lamp life of the lamp, the method comprising:
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preventing the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of a first timer and for the duration of a first time delay regardless of whether or not occupancy is sensed by the sensor during the duration of the first time delay, the first timer set to the first time delay, the first timer operative to activate upon the lamp turning on and to deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay; and preventing the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of a second timer and for the duration of a second time delay, the second timer automatically programmed by the sensor to the second time delay, the second timer operative to activate upon the sensor first detecting vacancy after occupancy had been detected and to deactivate upon expiration of the second time delay or the sensor sensing occupancy, whichever occurs first. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. An occupancy sensor that controls the on/off state of a lamp, the sensor comprising:
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a first timer set to a first time delay, the first timer operative to activate upon the lamp turning on and deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay, the first timer operative to prevent the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of the first timer and for the duration of the first time delay regardless of whether or not occupancy is sensed by the sensor during the duration of the first time delay; and a second timer set to a second time delay, the second timer operative to activate upon the sensor first detecting vacancy after occupancy had been detected and to deactivate upon expiration of the second time delay or the sensor sensing occupancy, whichever occurs first, the second timer operative to prevent the sensor from turning off the lamp upon activation of the second timer and for the duration of the second time delay. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88)
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89. A method of controlling the on/off state of a fluorescent lamp with an occupancy sensor to extend lamp life of the lamp, the method comprising:
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the sensor turning on the fluorescent lamp in response to detecting occupancy; the sensor keeping the fluorescent lamp on for a first period of time in response to first detecting vacancy after detecting occupancy; the sensor turning off the fluorescent lamp in response to detecting vacancy for longer than the first period of time; and the sensor automatically selecting a selectable value for the first period of time based on (1) the sensor turning the fluorescent lamp on and off over a second period of time and (2) the sensor simulating the effects of the lamp turning on and off over the second period of time using a plurality of selectable values for the first period of time. - View Dependent Claims (90)
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91. A method of controlling the on/off state of a fluorescent lamp with an occupancy sensor to extend lamp life of the lamp, the method comprising:
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the sensor turning on the fluorescent lamp in response to detecting occupancy; the sensor keeping the fluorescent lamp on for a first period of time in response to first detecting vacancy after detecting occupancy; the sensor turning off the fluorescent lamp in response to detecting vacancy for longer than the first period of time; and in response to the sensor turning on the fluorescent lamp, the sensor keeping the fluorescent lamp on for a third period of time regardless of the length of the first period of time.
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92. A method of controlling the on/off state of a fluorescent lamp with an occupancy sensor to extend lamp life of the lamp, the method comprising:
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the sensor turning on the fluorescent lamp in response to detecting occupancy; the sensor keeping the fluorescent lamp on for a first period of time in response to first detecting vacancy after detecting occupancy; the sensor turning off the fluorescent lamp in response to detecting vacancy for longer than the first period of time; and the sensor automatically calculating a loss of lamp life based on the sensor turning the fluorescent lamp on and off over a second period of time. - View Dependent Claims (93, 94)
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95. A method of using an occupancy sensor to automatically determine the amount of time a lamp is on, the on/off state of the lamp controlled by the occupancy sensor, the method comprising:
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(a) the sensor sensing occupancy and causing the lamp to turn on; (b) the sensor activating a first timer in response to the lamp turning on; (c) the sensor sensing no occupancy; (d) the sensor activating a second timer in response to sensing no occupancy, the second timer set to a first time delay; (e) the sensor causing the lamp to turn off and the second timer to deactivate upon expiration of the first time delay and no occupancy being sensed during the first time delay; (f) the sensor deactivating the first timer in response to the lamp turning off; and (g) the sensor determining the amount of time the lamp is on using a value in the first timer. - View Dependent Claims (96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105)
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106. A lighting control system for controlling the on/off state of a lamp, the system comprising:
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an occupancy sensor comprising; a counter operative to count the number of times the lamp turns on; a first timer operative to activate upon the lamp turning on and deactivate upon the lamp turning off; a register operative to store a cumulative amount of time the lamp is on as timed by the first timer; and a transceiver operative to transmit data representing the number of times the lamp turns on and the cumulative amount of time the lamp is on; a lighting unit comprising a fluorescent lamp coupled to either; a relay coupled to the occupancy sensor and to a source of line voltage, the relay operative to couple and decouple line voltage to and from the lighting unit;
orthe occupancy sensor, the occupancy sensor further comprising an integral relay, the integral relay coupled to a source of line voltage and operative to couple and decouple the line voltage to and from the lighting unit; and a gateway or computer coupled to the occupancy sensor and operative to execute firmware or software that calculates at least one of a loss of lamp life or energy used by the lamp based on data received from the occupancy sensor. - View Dependent Claims (107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112)
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Specification