Integrated occupancy and ambient light sensors

• US 9,253,857 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Van Der Werff, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): JAGER, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/509,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/23 Retrofit light sources for lighting devices with a single fitting for each light source, e.g. for substitution of incandescent lamps with bayonet or threaded fittings
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0464 the sensor sensing the level of ambient illumination, e.g. dawn or dusk sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2105/10 comprising a two-dimensional array of point-like light-generating elements
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• 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 47/175 by remote control
• 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

Technologies are generally described herein for controlling and using integrated occupancy and ambient light sensors. In some examples, a lighting device includes an illumination source, a light sensor, and a transceiver. A determination can be made to determine if the illumination source is operating in an on mode of operation or an off mode of operation. In response to determining that the illumination source is operating in the off mode of operation, an instruction can be received at the lighting device to pulse operation of the illumination source to emit a light pulse. The lighting device can also be configured to receive an instruction to compressively sense, using the light sensor, a light level associated with an area illuminated by the light pulse. The lighting device can output data indicating the light level compressively sensed by the light sensor.

Claims

1. A method executed on a computing device to control operation of a first lighting device that includes an illumination source and a light sensor, the method comprising:

determining if the illumination source is operating in one of;

an on mode of operation and an off mode of operation;

in response to a determination that the illumination source is operating in the off mode of operation,

pulsing operation of the illumination source to the on mode of operation to generate a light pulse; and

compressively sensing, using the light sensor, a first light level and a second light level associated with an area illuminated by the light pulse, wherein the first light level indicates a presence of a first entity in the area illuminated by the light pulse and the second light level indicates the presence of a second entity in the area illuminated by the light pulse;

generating a first light level map from the first light level by applying compressive sensing algorithms to the first light level and generating a second light level map from the second light level by applying compressive sensing algorithms to the second light level, wherein the first light level map identifies ambient light levels in areas illuminated by the illumination source, and wherein the second light level map identifies additional ambient light levels in the areas illuminated by the illumination source; and

performing a pixel-to-pixel comparison of the first light map and the second light map to identify movement vectors within the area illuminated by the light pulse, wherein the movement vectors indicate a movement and a direction of the movement of the second entity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the first lighting device, if the illumination source is to be operated in the on mode of operation based upon one or more of the first light level measured and the second light level measured; and

in response to a determination that the illumination source is to be operated in the on mode of operation, activating the illumination source in the on mode of operation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the illumination source is operating in the on mode of operation,

pulsing operation of the light sensor to measure light at the light sensor; and

compressively sensing, using the light sensor, one or more of the first light level and the second light level based upon the light measured at the light sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first light level measured indicates presence of a first entity and the second light level measured indicates presence of a second entity in the areas illuminated by the illumination source.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first lighting device further comprises a transceiver, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting one or more of the first light level and the second light level to a third entity in communication with the first lighting device via the transceiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the third entity comprises a second lighting device, wherein the second lighting device is configured to receive data that indicates one or more of the first light level and the second light level are measured at the first lighting device, and wherein the second lighting device is configured to control operation of the second lighting device based upon the data that indicates one or more of the first light level and the second light level are measured at the first lighting device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the third entity comprises a controller operable to be in communication with the first lighting device, and wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the first lighting device based upon one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting one or more of the first light level and the second light level to the controller;

receiving control data from the controller; and

determining, based upon the control data, if the illumination source is to be operated in one of the on mode of operation and the off mode of operation.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with instructions stored thereon to control operation of a first lighting device, the instructions comprising:

determining if an illumination source of the first lighting device is operating in an on mode of operation or an off mode of operation, the first lighting device comprising the illumination source, a light sensor, and a transceiver;

in response to a determination that the illumination source is operating in the off mode of operation,

transmitting, to the first lighting device, a pulse operation of the illumination source, wherein the pulse operation is configured to emit a light pulse and is configured to compressively sense, using the light sensor, a first light level and a second light level associated with an area illuminated by the light pulse, wherein the first light level indicates a presence of a first entity in the area illuminated by the light pulse and the second light level indicates the presence of a second entity in the area illuminated by the light pulse; and

receiving, from the first lighting device, data that indicates one or more of the first light level and the second light level compressively sensed by the light sensor;

generating a first light level map from the first light level by applying compressive sensing algorithms to the first light level and generating a second light level map from the second light level by applying compressive sensing algorithms to the second light level, wherein the first light level map identifies ambient light levels in areas illuminated by the illumination source, and wherein the second light level map identifies additional ambient light levels in the areas illuminated by the illumination source; and

performing a pixel-to-pixel comparison of the first light map and the second light map to identify movement vectors within the area illuminated by the light pulse, wherein the movement vectors indicate a movement and a direction of the movement of the second entity.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

determining if the illumination source is to be operated in the on mode of operation based upon one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured; and

in response to a determination that the illumination source is to be operated in the on mode of operation, transmitting instructions to the first lighting device to activate the illumination source in the on mode of operation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the instructions further comprise:

applying an algorithm to the data indicating one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured to determine if the operation mode is to be changed; and

generating control data based upon a determination made during execution of the algorithm, wherein the control data includes instructions to control operation of one of;

the first lighting device and a second lighting device in communication with the computer.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the algorithm further comprises:

determining ambient light levels at the light sensor; and

generating the control data to control the operation mode of the first lighting device based upon the ambient light levels determined.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise:

transmitting the control data to one of;

the first lighting device and a second lighting device in communication with the computer to adjust ambient light levels at the light sensor.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions further comprise:

predicting a movement of the first entity within areas illuminated by the illumination source.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise:

transmitting control data to one of;

the first lighting device and the second lighting device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

in response to a determination that the illumination source is operating in the on mode of operation,

performing the pulse operation of the light sensor to measure light at the light sensor, and

compressively sensing, using the light sensor, one or more of the first light level and the second light level based upon the light measured at the light sensor.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

applying the compressive sensing algorithms to the first light level measured by the light sensor to determine a presence of the first entity in the areas illuminated by the illumination source; and

applying the compressive sensing algorithms to the second light level measured by the light sensor to determine a presence of the second entity in the areas illuminated by the illumination source.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions further comprise:

generating control data to control an operation of one of;

the first lighting device and a second lighting device in communication with the computer.

19. A lighting system comprising:

a first lighting device that includes an illumination source and a light sensor;

a controller, the controller configured to be in communication with the first lighting device, wherein the controller is configured to;

determine if the illumination source is operating in an on mode of operation or an off mode of operation;

in response to a determination that the illumination source is operating in the off mode of operation,

generate a pulse operation and a measure operation of the illumination source, wherein the pulse operation is configured to emit a light pulse, and wherein the measure operation is configured to measure, using the light sensor, a first light level and a second light level associated with an area illuminated by the light pulse, wherein the first light level indicates a presence of a first entity in the area illuminated by the light pulse and the second light level indicates the presence of a second entity in the area illuminated by the light pulse;

transmit, to the first lighting device, the pulse operation of the illumination source and the measure operation; and

receive, at the controller, data indicating one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured by the light sensor;

generate a first light level map from the first light level by applying compressive sensing algorithms to the first light level and generate a second light level map from the second light level by applying compressive sensing algorithms to the second light level, wherein the first light level map identifies ambient light levels in areas illuminated by the illumination source, and wherein the second light level map identifies additional ambient light levels in the areas illuminated by the illumination source; and

perform a pixel-to-pixel comparison of the first light map and the second light map to identify movement vectors within the area illuminated by the light pulse, wherein the movement vectors indicate a movement and a direction of the movement of the second entity.

20. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine if an operation mode of the illumination source is to be changed based upon the data, wherein the data indicates one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured;

generate operations to control the operation mode, based upon the determination; and

transmit the operations to the first lighting device.

21. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the controller comprises circuitry included in the first lighting device.

22. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to apply the compressive sensing algorithms to the data indicating one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured by the light sensor to determine presence of one or more of the first entity and the second entity in the areas illuminated by the illumination source.

23. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to apply the compressive sensing algorithms to the data indicating one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured by the light sensor to determine the ambient light levels at the light sensor.

24. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the controller is in communication with the first lighting device via a wireless connection.

25. The lighting system of claim 24, further comprising a second lighting device comprising a transceiver, and wherein the controller is configured to generate control data controlling operation of the second lighting device based upon the control data indicating one or more of the first light level and the second light level measured.

26. The lighting system of claim 19, wherein the illumination source comprises a light emitting diode, wherein the light sensor comprises a receiver diode, and wherein the controller comprises a processor.