System with presence detector, method with presence detector, presence detector, radio receiver

• US 8,970,342 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Original Assignee: EnOcean GmbH
• Inventors: Schmidt, Frank, Anders, Armin, Bach, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): OBINIYI, PAULSON IDOWU
• Application Number:
  US14/012,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20140091899A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.1, 340/506, 340/526, 340/531, 340/539.19, 340/539.26, 340/541, 340/693.1, 340/573.1, 340/573.2, 340/573.4
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/01 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and a method with at least one presence detector, wherein the presence detector has a radio transmitter. The system further comprises at least one radio receiver that is constructed in such a manner as to receive and evaluate signals of the presence detector transmitted via radio. The radio receiver further comprises at least one device that acts on downstream units as a function of the evaluation result.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a presence detector powered by environmental energy available from a surrounding environment, the presence detector comprising a presence sensor and a first radio transmitter, wherein said presence detector is constructed to send at least a first predeterminable signal by said first radio transmitter, and wherein said presence sensor is coupled to said first radio transmitter, and said presence sensor triggers the transmitting of said first predeterminable signal in response to a sensed presence;

a terminal for an electrical load;

a radio receiver, which is constructed to couple said terminal by a first switching element to an electrical energy source in response to receiving the first predeterminable signal, and which is constructed to decouple said terminal by said first switching element from the electrical energy source after a time point of a last reception of said first predeterminable signal;

a wireless switch constructed to transmit, wirelessly, at least one of the first predeterminable signal and a second predeterminable signal by a second radio transmitter, wherein the wireless switch generates electrical energy used to transmit the at least one of the first predeterminable signal and the second predeterminable signal by converting, with an actuating element that is coupled to an electromechanical energy converter, a mechanical force exerted on said actuating element into the electrical energy which is conducted to said second radio transmitter.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the energy for operating the presence detector and its components is supplied by a photoelectric energy converter.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said radio receiver is coupled to a hardwired electromechanical switching element in such a way that a first switch position of a second switching element at said radio receiver generates an input signal that excites the radio receiver to couple the electrical load by said first switching element to the electrical energy source, and a second switch position disconnects the input signal from the radio receiver so that the electrical load is decoupled from the electrical energy source.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said radio receiver is coupled to a hardwired electromechanical switching element, which is constructed as a momentary contact switch, in such a way that a first switching pulse at the radio receiver causes the electrical load to be coupled to the electrical energy source by said first switching element, and a second switching pulse causes the electrical load to be decoupled from the electrical energy source.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said wireless switch comprises a first actuation sensor that senses an actuation of said actuating element in a first direction, and a second actuation sensor that senses an actuation of said actuating element in a second direction.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said first predeterminable signal is transmitted in response to the first actuation sensor sensing actuation of said actuating element in said first actuation direction and said second predeterminable signal is transmitted in response to the second actuation sensor sensing actuation of said actuating element in said second actuation direction.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said presence detector comprises:

a storage element configured to store electrical energy;

a control unit configured to encode a detected presence;

a detector circuit configured to activate the control circuit in the presence of a predeterminable electrical signal at said presence sensor and to deactivate the control circuit after decay of the predeterminable electrical signal; and

a photovoltaic element to which said storage element is connected for supplying energy to said presence detector.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said detector circuit is operated in a pulsed mode, wherein an off-phase is longer than an on-phase.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said storage element is a capacitor and/or an electrochemical energy accumulator.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein said presence sensor is an infrared sensor.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the infrared sensor is equipped with a lens for concentrating the infrared radiation fields.

12. The presence detector according to claim 1, wherein the first radio transmitter comprises a surface wave resonator as a frequency-determining component.

13. The presence detector according to claim 1, wherein the radio receiver comprises a timer and the radio receiver is configured to decouple said terminal from the electrical energy source in response to the timer indicating a predetermined period of time has passed since the last receipt of the first predeterminable signal.

14. The presence detector according to claim 1, wherein the radio receiver is configured to decouple said terminal from the electrical energy source in response to the radio receiver receiving the second predeterminable signal from one of the presence detector and the wireless switch.

15. A method for use with a presence detector comprising:

transmitting by a presence detector a first predeterminable signal after a sensed presence;

receiving the first predeterminable signal;

coupling a terminal for an electrical load by a radio receiver to an electrical energy source by a switching element in response to receiving the first predeterminable signal;

after lapse of a predetermined time period following the time of a last reception of the first predeterminable signal, decoupling the terminal by the switching element from the electrical energy source;

supplying energy for operating the presence detector and its components from environmental energy available from the environment;

providing one of the first predeterminable signal and a second predeterminable signal by a wireless switch; and

powering the wireless switch with electrical energy generated by converting a mechanical force exerted on an actuating element included in the wireless switch into the electrical energy used to transmit at least one of the first predeterminable signal and the second predeterminable signal.