Ambient lighting control system

• US 9,480,127 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2012
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Philips Lighting Holding BV (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: De Groot, Bastiaan, Natarajan, Raj Dayal, Van Vugt, Henricus Antonius Gerardus
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, DON J
• Application Number:
  US14/241,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20140217261A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 250/203.4, 250/214.AL, 250/205, 250/214.C, 250/214.R, 250/203.1, 250/203.3, 250/214.SW, 315/153, 315/154, 315/291, 315/294, 315299-302, 315/307, 345/63, 345 76- 81, 345/207, 126/569, 126572-578, 126600-603, 126605-607, 136/243, 136/244, 136/252, 136/254
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47H 2005/025 controlled by electronic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/24 Screens or other constructions affording protection against light, especially against sunshine; Similar screens for privacy or appearance; Slat blindsoperating, guiding or securing devices or arrangements for roll-type closures E06B9/56; free-hanging flexible screens A47H23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/00 Photometry, e.g. photographic exposure meter spectrophotometry G01J3/00; specially adapted for radiation pyrometry G01J5/00 ; exposure meters built in cameras G03B17/06
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 25/02 characterised by the use of electric means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• 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

In one embodiment there is provided an ambient lighting control system 1 comprising a controller (2) and a sensor node (3a). The sensor node (3a) comprises an arrangement including a light energy collecting element (8) such as a solar cell, an energy storage element (9) and a transmitter (11). The collecting element (8) charges the storage element (9). The transmitter (11) is arranged to transmit signals to the controller (2) using energy stored by the energy storage element (9), wherein the number of signals provided during a time interval to the controller (2) is proportional to a light intensity at the light energy collecting element (8). The controller (2) may thus output a control signal C for controlling an amount of ambient lighting, wherein the control signal is based on the determined number of received signals.

Claims

1. An ambient lighting control system, comprising:

an energy storage element,

a light energy collecting element arranged to charge the energy storage element,

a transmitter arranged to provide, in response to becoming connected with the energy storage element, signal using energy stored by the energy storage element,

switching circuitry arranged to connect the energy storage element to the transmitter in response to an energy stored by the energy storage element exceeding a threshold energy, so that a number of signals provided by the transmitter during a time interval is proportional to a light intensity at the light energy collecting element,

a controller comprising a receiver arranged to receive the signal from the transmitter, and

circuitry arranged to determine the number of signals received from the transmitter during the time interval, and to output a control signal based on the determined number of received signals for controlling an amount of ambient lighting.

2. An ambient lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the switching circuitry is arranged to disconnect the energy storage element from the transmitter in response to the transmitter providing a signal to the controller.

3. An ambient lighting control system according to claim 2, wherein the switching circuitry is arranged to connect the energy storage element to the transmitter in response to an energy stored by the energy storage element exceeding a first threshold, and to disconnect the energy storage element from the transmitter in response to an energy stored by the energy storage element falling below a second threshold.

4. A ambient lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to output a control signal for reducing an amount of ambient lighting on a condition that the determined number of received signals exceeds a first threshold, and to output a control signal for increasing an amount of ambient lighting on a condition that the determined number of received signals falls below a second threshold.

5. A ambient lighting control system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to estimate a prevailing amount of ambient light using the determined number of received signals, output a control signal for reducing an amount of ambient lighting on a condition that the estimated amount of ambient light exceeds a first threshold value, and to output a control signal for increasing an amount of ambient lighting on a condition that the estimated actual ambient light level falls below a second threshold value.

6. A method performed in an ambient lighting control system, comprising the steps of:

charging an energy storage element using a light energy collecting element,

connecting a transmitter to the energy storage element in response to a stored energy exceeding a threshold energy,

providing a signal from the connected transmitter to

a controller of the ambient lighting control system using energy stored by the energy storage element,

wherein the number of signals transmitted to the controller during a time interval is proportional to a light intensity at the light energy collecting element.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of disconnecting the transmitter from the energy storage element in response to the transmitter providing the signal to the controller.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the steps of connecting and disconnecting the transmitter to and from the energy storage element comprises the steps of connecting the transmitter to the energy storage element in response to a stored energy exceeding a first threshold energy, and disconnecting the transmitter from the energy storage element in response to a stored energy falling below a second threshold energy.