Sensor arrangement for controlling room lighting, sensor network for controlling room lighting and method for controlling room lighting

• US 9,338,863 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ams AG (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: ams AG (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Ghoshal, Sajol Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Jany
• Application Number:
  US14/576,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/325 Pulse-width modulation [PWM]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A sensor arrangement for controlling room lighting comprises a light sensor and a controller. The light sensor is arranged for both detecting an ambient light level and for detecting a remote signal to be emitted by a remote control unit. A detection signal is providing at a sensor terminal and is indicative of the ambient light level and indicative of the remote signal. The controller comprises an input terminal connected to the sensor terminal and comprises a controller means to generate a control signal depending on the detection signal to control a light source to be connected at an output terminal.

Claims

1. A sensor arrangement for controlling room lighting, comprising:

a light sensor comprising a single sensor, the single sensor arranged for;

detecting an ambient light level, in particular, arranged for detecting a photopic and/or scotopic ambient light level,

detecting a remote signal to be emitted by a remote control unit, and

providing at a sensor terminal a detection signal indicative of the ambient light level and indicative of the remote signal; and

a controller comprising an input terminal connected to the sensor terminal and comprising a controller means to generate a control signal depending on the detection signal to control a light source to be connected at an output terminal.

2. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the detection signal comprises a light signal portion indicative of the ambient light level, and further comprises a remote signal portion indicative of the remote signal.

3. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller means is arranged to adjust a light output of the light source depending on the ambient light level with respect to a target value and/or is arranged to adjust control parameters of the light source depending on the remote signal, in particular arranged to adjust the target value, a color temperature, and/or control parameter presets.

4. The sensor arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the controller means comprises a micro-controller and/or control logic.

5. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the controller means comprises a driver circuit for light emitting diodes and the light source comprises a light emitting diode or an array of light emitting diodes.

6. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the light sensor and the controller are integrated into a common module.

7. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, further comprising a proximity sensor connected to the controller and providing at the sensor terminal a proximity signal, wherein the controller is arranged to adjust the control parameters depending on the proximity signal.

8. A sensor network for controlling room lighting, comprising a plurality of sensor arrangements according to claim 1, wherein each controller (2) comprises a communication means arranged for a bidirectional communication within the plurality of sensor arrangements.

9. The sensor network according to claim 8, wherein the communication means comprises a visible light communication interface, an infrared light communication interface, a Bluetooth interface, a wireless local area network interface, and/or a universal serial bus.

10. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the single sensor is a multispectral sensor comprising different areas configured to sense different wavelengths.

11. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the single sensor comprises dedicated spectral filters, such that different areas of the single sensor are covered by different filters.

12. The sensor arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the controller means provides for a permanent feedback that automatically adjusts the light source, to allow for a constant room lighting.

13. A method for controlling room lighting, comprising the steps of:

detecting, using a single sensor corresponding to a light sensor, an ambient light level, in particular, a photopic and/or scotopic ambient light level, and detecting a remote signal to be emitted by a remote control unit;

generating a detection signal indicative of the detected ambient light level and indicative of the detected remote signal; and

providing the detection signal at a controller and generating a control signal depending on the detection signal to control a light source to be connected to the controller.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

adjusting a light output of the light source depending on the control signal with respect to a target value; and

/or

adjusting control parameters of the light source-depending on the control signal, in particular adjusting the target value, a color temperature, and/or control parameter presets.

15. The method according to claim 13 or 14, further comprising adjusting the control parameters depending on a proximity signal received from a proximity sensor and provided at the controller.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of receiving and broadcasting the control parameters to at least one further controller coupled to the controller by means of a network designed for a bidirectional communication to the at least one further controller, in particular designed for a visible light communication, an infrared light communication, communication via Bluetooth, a wireless local area network, and/or a universal serial bus.