Adaptive integrated daylight and electric light control with multi-sensor for controlled-light distribution

• US 8,941,322 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Birru, Dagnachew
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, JIMMY T
• Application Number:
  US14/009,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20140021866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 315/209.R, 315/291, 315/307, 315/308, 315/312
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 31/50 specially adapted for ac
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system and a method for controlling light distribution in a space including multiple installed light sources (111, 112, 221-223) and an external light source (103, 203). The method includes measuring the luminance levels of light from the multiple installed light sources (111, 112, 221-223) and the external light source (103, 203) at a plurality of measuring areas within the space, controlling the intensity level of each of the installed light sources (111, 112, 221-223) and the amount of light from the external light source entering the space (103, 203) based on the measured luminance levels, and tuning the intensity level of each of the installed light sources (111, 112, 221-223) and the amount of external light entering the space (103, 203) to optimize the conditions such that the mean-squared error between the measured luminance levels and pre-defined target luminance levels for the respective plurality of measuring areas is minimized, and the amount of energy consumed by the multiple installed light sources (111, 112, 221-223) is minimized.

Claims

1. A method of controlling light distribution in a space including multiple installed light sources and an external light source, comprising:

measuring luminance levels of light from the multiple installed light sources and the external light source at a plurality of measuring areas within the space;

controlling an intensity level of each of the installed light sources and an amount of light from the external light source entering the space based on the measured luminance levels; and

tuning the intensity level of each of the installed light sources and the amount of external light entering the space simultaneously to optimize the conditions such that a mean-squared error between the measured luminance levels and pre-defined target luminance levels for the respective plurality of measuring areas is minimized, and the amount of energy consumed by the multiple installed light sources is minimized.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intensity level of each of the installed light sources and the amount of external light entering the space are controlled by a central controller.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the intensity level of each of the installed light sources is controlled by an electric light controller and the amount of external light entering the space is controlled by a window treatment controller.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the tuning is performed by iteratively adjusting the intensity of each of the multiple installed light sources by a first adaptation step size and the amount of external light entering the space by a second adaptation step size, wherein the first and second adaptation step sizes depend on a difference between the pre-defined target luminance level and the measured luminance level, and on the energy consumption.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising detecting presence of a person within a given area of said space, and adjusting the target illumination level based on the detection.

6. A system of controlling light distribution in a space including multiple installed light sources and an external light source, the system comprising:

a plurality of sensors measuring luminance levels of light from the multiple installed light sources and the external light source at a plurality of measuring areas within the space; and

one or more controllers for controlling an intensity level of each of the installed light sources and an amount of light from the external light source entering the space based on the measured luminance levels,

wherein the at least one controller tunes the intensity level of each of the installed light sources and the amount of external light entering the space simultaneously to optimize the conditions such that a mean-squared error between the measured luminance levels and pre-defined target luminance levels for the respective plurality of measuring areas is minimized, and the amount of energy consumed by the multiple installed light sources is minimized.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the intensity level of each of the installed light sources and the amount of external light entering the space are controlled by a central controller.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the intensity level of each of the installed light sources is controlled by an electric light controller and the amount of external light entering the space is controlled by a window treatment controller.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the one or more controller iteratively adjusts the intensity of each of the multiple installed light source by a first adaptation step size and the amount of external light entering the space by a second adaptation step size, wherein the first and second adaptation step sizes depend on a difference between the pre-defined target luminance level and the measured luminance level, and on the energy consumption.

10. The system according to claim 6, further comprising an occupancy sensor for detecting presence of a person within a given area of the space, and wherein the target illumination level is adjusted based on the detection.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to perform a process of controlling light distribution in a space including multiple installed light sources and an external light source, the process comprising:

measuring luminance levels of light from the multiple installed light sources and the external light source at a plurality of measuring areas within the space;

controlling an intensity level of each of the installed light sources and an amount of light from the external light source entering the space based on the measured luminance levels, and

tuning the intensity level of each of the installed light sources and the amount of external light entering the space simultaneously to optimize the conditions such that a mean-squared error between the measured luminance levels and pre-defined target luminance levels for the respective plurality of measuring areas is minimized, and an amount of energy consumed by the multiple installed light sources is minimized.