System and method for occupancy sensing with enhanced functionality

• US 9,095,013 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Leinen, Richard A., Balasubramanian, Jaiganesh, Morton, Justin, Muthu, Subramanian
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Tung X
• Application Number:
  US14/479,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375218A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 315/149, 315/152, 315/155, 315/291, 315/312
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 8/006 Solar simulators, e.g. for testing photovoltaic panels
• 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: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/20 Responsive to malfunctions or to light source life; for protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A system and method provide fail-safe operation of a lighting system. A lighting level detector is used to obtain a baseline lighting level for a low-intensity light. If the detector measures less than the baseline level when an occupancy sensor determines the space is unoccupied, a high-intensity light is energized and an indication is provided to a user that the low-intensity light has failed. A method provides daylighting operation of a lighting system. An occupancy sensor can have Wi-Fi functionality to enable remote configuration of the sensor. A line voltage occupancy sensor can include an interface with low voltage devices. An occupancy sensor can include an integral interface to enable an external control system to override the sensor'"'"'s normal logic under emergency conditions. An occupancy sensor can include an active temperature compensation feature. An occupancy sensor can also incorporate an automatically adjustable coverage area.

Claims

1. A load control system, comprising:

an occupancy sensor for sensing an occupancy condition of a monitored area;

a light sensor for providing a lighting, signal. representative of a lighting, level of the monitored area; and

a wireless transceiver associated with the occupancy sensor, the wireless transceiver for receiving wireless signals from a remote device to configure the occupancy sensor from a remote location;

wherein said wireless transceiver is further configured to transmit wireless signals to the remote device, said transmitted wireless signals including information representative of an operational characteristic of said occupancy sensor during a previous time period, and

wherein, regardless of the occupancy condition of the monitored area, an associated load is energized when the lighting signal indicates the lighting, ;

level is below a predetermined threshold lighting level.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the associated load comprises a first light, and the system further comprises a second light configured to be energized when the occupancy condition of the monitored area is determined by the occupancy sensor to be a vacant condition.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the predetermined threshold lighting level is a fighting level associated with the second light

4. The load control system of claim 2, wherein when the lighting signal indicates the lighting level is below the predetermined threshold, the system presents an indication to a user that, the second light has failed.

6. The load control system of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure, wherein the occupancy sensor, light sensor and wireless transceiver are located within the enclosure.

7. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is one of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop and a personal computer.

8. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the operational characteristic comprises a number of times the associated load has been energized.

5. The load control system of claim t, further comprising a processor associated with the occupancy sensor, the processor for receiving the lighting signal and for energizing the load when the lighting signal indicates the lighting level is below the predetermined threshold lighting level.

9. A method for controlling an electrical load, comprising:

receiving, at a load control device, a lighting signal representative of a lighting level of a monitored area;

energizing an electrical load when the lighting signal indicates the lighting level is below a predetermined threshold lighting level and an occupancy sensor associated with the monitored area indicates the monitored area is vacant;

receiving, at the occupancy sensor, wireless signals from a remote device, said received wireless signals configuring the occupancy sensor; and

transmitting, from said wireless occupancy sensor, wireless signals to the remote device, said transmitted wireless signals including information representative of an operational characteristic of said wireless occupancy sensor during a previous time period

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrical load comprises a first light, and the predetermined threshold lighting level is associated with a second light having an intensity that is less than an intensity of the first light.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the associated load comprises a first light, and the load control device selectively energizes the first light when the occupancy sensor transmits an occupancy signal indicative of an occupied condition of the monitored space.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising a processor associated with the occupancy sensor, the processor for receiving the lighting signal and for energizing the load when the lighting signal indicates the lighting level is below the predetermined threshold lighting level.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote device is one of a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop and a personal computer.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the operational characteristic comprises a number of times the associated load has been energized.