System and method for controlling operation of an LED-based light

• US 9,271,367 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ilumisys Incorporated (Altair Engineering Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ilumisys Incorporated (Altair Engineering Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ivey, John, Simon, David L., Ngo, Hoan, Norton, Anthony J., Nickol, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, JUNG H
• Application Number:
  US13/934,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/30 Driver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/357 specially adapted for retrofit LED light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

In one aspect of an embodiment for controlling operation of a light source, a method of associating a light source with an area for which the light source is positioned to provide lighting comprises: identifying, based on a determined physical position of a light source, one of a plurality of areas as the area for which the light source is positioned to provide lighting; identifying at least one desired lighting condition for the identified area; and controlling, using a processor, operation of the light source based on the identified at least one desired lighting condition for the identified area.

Claims

1. A method of associating a light source with an area for which the light source is positioned to provide lighting, comprising:

receiving, with a plurality of spatially distributed communications units, one or more location signals from the area;

determining the physical position of the light source based on the location signals;

transmitting the determined physical position of the light source to a processor;

identifying, based on the determined physical position of the light source, one of a plurality of areas as the area for which the light source is positioned to provide lighting;

identifying at least one desired lighting condition for the identified area;

controlling, using the processor, operation of the light source based on the identified at least one desired lighting condition for the identified area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the determined physical position of the light source against known physical positions of the plurality of areas to identify the area for which the light source is positioned to provide lighting.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the determined physical position of the light source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light source is an LED-based replacement for a fluorescent light.

5. A lighting control system, comprising:

a light source positioned to provide lighting for an area;

a control unit configured to;

identify, based on a determined physical position of the light source, one of a plurality of areas as the area for which the light source is positioned to provide lighting,

identify at least one desired lighting condition for the identified area, and

control operation of the light source based on the identified at least one desired lighting condition for the identified area; and

a plurality of spatially distributed communications units, the communications units configured to receive one or more location signals from the area, determine the physical position of the light source based on the location signals, and transmit the determined physical position of the light source to the control unit.

6. The lighting control system of claim 5, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

compare the determined physical position of the light source against known physical positions of the plurality of areas to identify the area for which the light source is positioned to provide lighting.

7. The lighting control system of claim 5, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

receive the determined physical position of the light source.

8. The lighting control system of claim 5, further comprising:

a transmitter, the transmitter located in the area proximate to the light source and configured to transmit the location signals from the area to the communications units.

9. The lighting control system of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is included in the light source.

10. The lighting control system of claim 5, further comprising:

a switching unit responsive to the control unit to regulate a supply of power to the light source, the switching unit located in the area proximate to the light source and including a transmitter configured to transmit the location signals from the area to the communications units.

11. The lighting control system of claim 10, wherein the switching unit is included in the light source.

12. The lighting control system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of communications units are included in respective spatially distributed light sources different from the light source positioned to provide lighting for the area.

13. The lighting control system of claim 5, wherein the light source is an LED-based replacement for a fluorescent light.