Light guiding system and a method for controlling the same

• US 9,237,634 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Knibbe, Engel Johannes, Ertz, Alexander, Klee, Mareike, Verhees, Leo
• Primary Examiner(s): Cole, Brandon S
• Application Number:
  US13/388,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20120181934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,993 Days
• Field of Search: 327129-136
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 29/181 due to failing power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/066 guiding along a path, e.g. evacuation path lighting strip
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/02 in which an auxiliary distribution system and its associated lamps are brought into service
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/125 by using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

According to the present invention, a light guidance system for adapted illumination in emergency or power cut situations is provided, wherein the light guidance system is connected to an auxiliary power supply system (101) and comprises at least one light unit (103) adapted to emit light for illuminating surroundings and a control unit adapted to increase a light level of the light unit (103) according to a presence signal indicating the presence of a person, wherein the increasing of the light level is adjusted to enable a mandatory lighting period and a mandatory light level by considering a power value of the auxiliary power supply system (101).

Claims

1. Light guidance system, comprising:

an auxiliary power supply;

at least one light unit adapted to emit light for illuminating surroundings; and

a control unit configured to increase a light level of the light unit according to a presence signal indicating a presence of a person, wherein the control unit is further configured to reduce at least one of the increased light level or a duration of the increased light level in response to determining that a power supply capacity of the power supply falls below a power supply capacity value, wherein the reduction enables the power supply to provide a mandatory lighting period and a mandatory light level after the reduction.

2. Light guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary power supply system comprises a battery or a self-contained power supply.

3. Light guidance system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a charge status of the battery or a voltage status of a self-contained power supply.

4. Light guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to increase the light level for a predetermined time period in case of a high-charged auxiliary power supply system and a presence signal.

5. Light guidance system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the light level and/or the mandatory lighting period.

6. Light guidance system according to claim 1, wherein in case of a low power value, the control unit is configured to adjust the light level of the light unit to the mandatory light level regardless of a presence signal.

7. Light guidance system according to claim 1, comprising at least two light units connected to the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a priority of the light units according to at least one presence signal indicating the presence of a person next to at least one of the light units and to adjust a light level of the light units according to their priority.

8. Light guidance system as in claim 1, comprising at least one presence sensor configured to detect the presence of a person and, in case of presence detection, to provide the presence signal to the control unit.

9. Light guidance system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the presence sensor is realized as an ultrasonic movement sensor and/or a radar-based movement sensor.

10. Light guidance system as in claim 1, used as a rescue aiding system, wherein the control unit is further configured to receive an alarm signal and/or to determine an alarm state.

11. Light guidance system as in claim 1, further comprising a presence indicator configured to indicate the presence and/or a direction of movement of a person locally and/or centrally.

12. Light guidance system as in claim 1, comprising a local alerting unit configured to indicate acoustically and/or optically an alarm state in a place, where a person is detected.

13. Light guidance system as in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to receive a plurality of presence signals of the light guidance system and to display the location of persons corresponding to the presence signals.

14. Light guidance system as in claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the at least one light unit to emit light at high level, the at least one light unit being subsequent on the escape route to a light unit closest to a detected person.

15. Light guidance system as in claim 1, wherein said reduction is performed irrespective of said presence signal.

16. Method for controlling a light guidance system, comprising a light unit and a control unit, connected to an auxiliary power supply, the method comprising:

determining whether a presence signal is received;

determining whether a power supply capacity of the auxiliary power supply system falls below a power supply capacity value;

adjusting a level of light emitted by the light unit according to the presence signal; and

in response to determining that the power supply capacity falls below the power supply capacity value, reducing at least one of the adjusted light level or a duration of the adjusted light level such that the reducing enables the power supply to provide a mandatory lighting period and a mandatory light level of the light unit after the reducing.

17. Method as in claim 16, wherein said reducing is performed irrespective of said presence signal.