Occupancy sensors programmed to determine loss of lamp life as lamp is used
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- an occupancy sensor operative to sense occupancy in an area; and
a hardware processor coupled to the occupancy sensor, the hardware processor programmed to calculate at least one of a loss of lamp life or an amount of energy used by a lamp based on occupancy sensed by the occupancy sensor.
2 Assignments
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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 improve 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
31 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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an occupancy sensor operative to sense occupancy in an area; and a hardware processor coupled to the occupancy sensor, the hardware processor programmed to calculate at least one of a loss of lamp life or an amount of energy used by a lamp based on occupancy sensed by the occupancy sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system comprising:
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an occupancy sensor operative to sense occupancy in an area, the occupancy sensor having a selectable time delay; and a hardware processor coupled to the occupancy sensor, the hardware processor programmed to simulate on/off operation of a lamp as if the lamp were controlled by the occupancy sensor for each of a plurality of selectable time delays based on occupancy sensed by the occupancy sensor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system comprising:
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an occupancy sensor operative to sense occupancy in an area, the occupancy sensor having a plurality of time delays, wherein at least one of the plurality of time delays is operative to run alone and at least one of the plurality of time delays is operative to run concurrently with at least one other of the plurality of time delays, and each of the plurality of time delays is operative to affect when the occupancy sensor is operative to cause a lamp to turn off in response to the occupancy sensor sensing no occupancy in the area; a hardware processor coupled to the occupancy sensor, the hardware processor operative to cause the occupancy sensor to be programmed with a value for at least one of the plurality of time delays, wherein the hardware processor is an integral part of a local computer, gateway, host computer, or handheld device coupled directly or via a network to the occupancy sensor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of controlling the on/off state of a lamp, the method comprising:
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an occupancy sensor causing a lamp to turn on in response to sensing occupancy; the occupancy sensor causing the lamp to turn off in response to sensing no occupancy for longer than a first period of time; and a hardware processor calculating a loss of lamp life or an amount of energy used by the lamp based on the occupancy sensor causing the lamp to turn on and turn off. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification