Infrared sensor switch

• US 8,294,576 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Asahi Matsushita Electric Works Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Makiko, Ieki, Tomohiro, Yokota, Koji, Yabu, Hajime, Nakano, Susumu, Miura, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Mullen, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/783,785
• Publication Number:
  US 20070241896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 340/567, 340/693.5, 340/693.9, 340/693.11, 250/221, 362/276
• US Class Current: 340/567
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19 using infrared-radiation detection systems G08B13/194 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2239/07 UV or IR detection, e.g. of human body
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An infrared sensor switch of the invention comprises an infrared sensor with a detection range, and a controller that uses the sensor to try to detect whether or not a person is present in the detection range and controls an ON or OFF state of a corresponding load unit based on each detection result obtained from the sensor. The switch further comprises a sensor block comprising the sensor, and a housing that is mounted in a wall and retains the block so that the center axis of the detection range can be rotated about a horizontal axis and as well as rotated up to at least 40 degrees downward from a forward direction of 0 degrees.

Claims

1. An infrared sensor switch, comprising

an infrared sensor with a detection range,

a controller that comprises the sensor for detecting whether or not a person is present in the detection range and controls an ON or OFF state of a corresponding load unit based on each detection result obtained from the sensor;

wherein the switch further comprises;

a sensor block comprising the sensor; and

a housing that is mounted in a wall and retains the sensor block so that a center of the detection range can be rotated about a horizontal axis up to at least 40 degrees downward from a forward direction of 0 degrees,

wherein the switch further comprises;

an address storage that stores an address related to the corresponding load unit; and

a transmitter that transmits a multiplexed transmission signal to the corresponding load unit through a main control unit, the main control unit transmitting the transmission signal based on a relationship between the address stored in the storage and the address related to the corresponding load unit based on the specified multiplexing;

wherein the corresponding load unit comprises;

at least one load;

a receiver for receiving a multiplexed transmission signal from the main control unit; and

a controller that, when a transmission signal including the address assigned to the load unit is received by the receiver, controls an ON or OFF state of said at least one load in accordance with a corresponding ON or OFF control code included in the transmission signal, respectively;

wherein the controller of the infrared sensor switch transmits a transmission signal including an ON or OFF control code to the corresponding load unit through the main control unit by generating a transmission signal, this transmission signal being generated based on a detection result obtained from the sensor, and including monitor data corresponding to an ON or OFF control code as well as the address stored in the storage, and being transmitted to the main control unit through the transmitter.

2. The infrared sensor switch of claim 1, further comprising a receiver for receiving an address from an external adapter that comprises an input device for entering the address and a transmitter for transmitting the address entered through the input device to the infrared sensor switch;

wherein, when the receiver of the infrared sensor switch receives an address from the adapter, the controller of the infrared sensor switch stores the received address in the address storage.

3. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, wherein the transmitter of the adapter is a wireless transmitter, while the receiver of the infrared sensor switch is a wireless receiver.

4. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, wherein the adapter is an address setting unit that is installed on a wall at a position lower than a person.

5. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, further comprising a brightness sensor that detects an ambient brightness level;

wherein the load is a luminaire; and

the controller of the infrared sensor switch keeps the load turned off regardless of each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor when the level detected by the brightness sensor is higher than a brightness reference level.

6. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, further comprising an indicator for indicating each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor, wherein based on each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor, the controller of the infrared sensor switch drives the indicator so as to indicate each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor.

7. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, wherein the sensor block has graduations, each of which represents an inclination of the center of the detection range.

8. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, further comprising a holding time adjuster that adjusts a holding time for holding an ON state of the load unit from a point in time at which the detection result that a person is present in the detection range is obtained from the infrared sensor;

wherein the controller of the infrared sensor switch keeps the load unit turned on during the holding time after the detection result that a person is present in the detection range is obtained from the infrared sensor.

9. The infrared sensor switch of claim 8, further comprising a forced-ON switch and a forced-OFF switch included in the holding time adjuster,

wherein the controller of the infrared sensor switch is configured:

to transmit a transmission signal including the ON control code to the corresponding load unit through the main control unit regardless of each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor when the forced-ON switch is operative, the transmission signal being transmitted by generating a transmission signal including monitor data corresponding to the ON control code as well as the address stored in the address storage to transmit the transmission signal to the main control unit through the transmitter; and

to transmit a transmission signal including the OFF control code to the corresponding load unit through the main control unit regardless of each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor when the forced-OFF switch is operative, the transmission signal being transmitted by generating a transmission signal including monitor data corresponding to the OFF control code as well as the address stored in the address storage to transmit the transmission signal to the main control unit through the transmitter.

10. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, further comprising a forced-ON switch and a forced-OFF switch,

wherein the controller of the infrared sensor switch is configured:

to transmit a transmission signal including the ON control code to the corresponding load unit through the main control unit regardless of each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor when the forced-ON switch is operative, the transmission signal being transmitted by generating a transmission signal including monitor data corresponding to the ON control code as well as the address stored in the address storage to transmit the transmission signal to the main control unit through the transmitter; and

to transmit a transmission signal including the OFF control code to the corresponding load unit through the main control unit regardless of each detection result obtained from the infrared sensor when the forced-OFF switch is operative, the transmission signal being transmitted by generating a transmission signal including monitor data corresponding to the OFF control code as well as the address stored in the address storage to transmit the transmission signal to the main control unit through the transmitter.

11. The infrared sensor switch of claim 2, further comprising a drive means for rotating the sensor block so that the center of the detection range rotates about the horizontal axis,

wherein in accordance with an external signal including an UP or DOWN instruction, the controller of the infrared sensor switch rotates the block through the drive means so that the center of the detection range is rotated about the horizontal axis at every specified interval of time.

12. The infrared sensor switch of claim 1, wherein the housing retains the block so that the center of the detection range can be rotated about the horizontal axis from the forward to a backward direction to hide a front of the sensor with the housing.

13. The infrared sensor switch of claim 12, wherein the housing retains the block so that the center of the detection range can be rotated about the horizontal axis up to 180 degrees downward and then backward from the forward direction.