Systems, devices and methods for controlling one or more lights

• US 9,622,321 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2013
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDEAL Industries Lighting, LLC (Ideal Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: CREE Incorporated (Wolfspeed, Inc.)
• Inventors: Creasman, Ethan Timothy, Snell, Nathan, Pratt, Spencer, Heeter, Shawn Leroux
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Alexander H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kim, Seokjin
• Application Number:
  US14/052,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20150102729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 315119-136, 315149-159, 250216, 178 40-507, 178520-565, 362145-208, 362362-374, 362382-458
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0219 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0271 Housings; Attachments or accessories for photometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0403 Mechanical elements; Supports for optical elements; Scanning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0411 using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0488 with spectral filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods for controlling one or more lights are disclosed. In some aspects, systems for controlling one or more lights can include an interface and a remote sensing device that is separate from and is in electrical communication with the interface. The remote sensing device can additionally include at least one sensor, for example an ambient light sensor. Each of the remote sensing device and the interface can be configured to attach to support structures via retaining features. In one aspect, the remote sensing device can include a first and a second retaining member that rotatably thread onto a main body of the sensing device and adjust according to the thickness and structure of the support structure. In another aspect, the interface can include a retention feature utilizing flexible tabs with integrated detents to accommodate variable sizes of openings of the support structure.

Claims

1. A system for controlling one or more lights, the system comprising:

an interface configured to connect to a junction box;

at least one remote sensing device separate from and in electrical communication with the interface, the remote sensing device being configured for attachment to a first support structure and comprising;

a main body comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the main body is solid except for first and second openings disposed on a surface thereof;

a first sensor disposed coaxially with and protruding, at least partially, through the first opening;

a second sensor disposed coaxially with the second opening and recessed within the main body;

a light pipe disposed to pass through the second opening and configured to transmit light from the second opening to the second sensor;

a cable configured to connect a standard cable connector of the interface with the at least one remote sensing device, wherein the cable protrudes from the main body through a third opening disposed adjacent to the second end of the main body and formed in a radial surface thereof;

a first retaining member for positioning on the first end of the main body; and

a second retaining member for positioning on the second end of the main body;

wherein the first end and the second end of the main body have at least a first portion and a second portion of external threads, the first portion and the second portion of threads having different thread gauges, the different thread gauges corresponding to thread gauges of the first retaining member and the second retaining member, respectively, such that the first and second retaining members are both rotatably threadable onto the main body over the first end of the main body, and the second retaining member is rotatably threadable onto the external threads of the second end of the main body by rotating each retaining member;

wherein the first and second retaining members are configured to abut opposing surfaces of the first support structure; and

wherein the first and second retaining members are adjustable with respect to each other and to the main body, thus enabling an adjustment of the remote sensing device;

wherein the system is adapted to process information from the remote sensing device for controlling one or more lights.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises an enclosure and a retention feature which is attached to an external face of the enclosure and configured for attachment to a second support structure.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensing device comprises an occupancy sensor.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the retention feature comprises a substantially cylindrical body, at least one flexible tab radially angled off of a top portion of the substantially cylindrical body, and one or more detents integrated into an edge of the at least one flexible tab.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein there are one or more opposing pairs of flexible tabs and each of the flexible tabs has one or more detents integrated into its respective surface.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one flexible tab is configured to be displaced towards the substantially cylindrical body with respect to an original resting position, such that the diameter of the retention feature is temporarily smaller than an opening in the second support structure, and the retention feature is configured to fit within the opening in the second support structure and allow the one or more detents to catch onto an edge of the opening and removably secure the retention feature within the opening.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein there are at least two remote sensing devices separate from and in electrical communication with the interface.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is an occupancy sensor, the second sensor is an ambient light sensor, and the at least one remote sensing device further comprises a substrate on which the ambient light sensor and the occupancy sensor are located.

8. At least one remote sensing device in electrical communication with an interface and configured for attachment to a first support structure, the at least one remote sensing device comprising:

a main body comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the main body is solid except for first and second openings disposed on a surface thereof;

a first sensor disposed coaxially with and protruding, at least partially, through the first opening;

a second sensor disposed coaxially with the second opening and recessed within the main body;

a light pipe disposed to pass through the second opening and configured to transmit light from the second opening to the second sensor;

a cable configured to connect a standard cable connector of the interface with the at least one remote sensing device, wherein the cable protrudes from the main body through a third opening disposed adjacent to the second end of the main body and formed in a radial surface thereof;

a first retaining member for positioning on a first end of the main body; and

a second retaining member for positioning on a second end of the main body;

wherein the first end and the second end of the main body have at least a first portion and a second portion of external threads, the first portion and the second portion of threads having different thread gauges, the different thread gauges corresponding to thread gauges of the first retaining member and the second retaining member, respectively, such that the first and second retaining members are both rotatably threadable onto the main body over the first end of the main body, and the second retaining member is rotatably threadable onto the external threads of the second end of the main body by rotating each retaining member;

wherein the first retaining member and the second retaining member are configured to abut opposing surfaces of the first support structure, and

wherein the first and second retaining members are adjustable with respect to each other and to the main body, thus enabling an adjustment of the remote sensing device.

9. The remote sensing device of claim 8, wherein an amount of threaded surface area on the first end of the main body differs from the second end of the main body.

10. The remote sensing device of claim 8, comprising one or more of:

a substantially cylindrical inner body which an interior of the substantially cylindrical main body is configured to receive;

a substrate configured for attachment on a rim of the substantially cylindrical inner body;

an occupancy sensor mounted onto a top surface of the substrate; and

a lens which covers the sensor.

11. The remote sensing device of claim 8, wherein the remote sensing device is configured to send data to at least one of an external device, interface, and structure.

12. A method for controlling one or more lights using the remote sensing device of claim 8, the method comprising:

securing the remote sensing device in a first support structure by inserting the substantially cylindrical main body through an opening in the first support structure and then rotatably threading the first retaining member and the second retaining member onto the substantially cylindrical main body over the first end thereof, such that a surface of each of the first retaining member and the second retaining member abut the first support structure on opposing sides;

coupling an interface in electrical communication with one or more lights to a second support structure by applying pressure to at least one flexible tab disposed on a retention feature so that the pressure displaces the at least one flexible tab with respect to an original resting position, such that the retention feature fits within an opening in the second support structure; and

processing information from the remote sensing device in order to control the one or more lights.

13. The method of claim 12, comprising rotatably adjusting the first retaining member and the second retaining member with respect to the substantially cylindrical main body by rotating each of the retaining members about a positive z-axis.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one flexible tab comprises at least one detent integrated into an edge of the at least one flexible tab such that the at least one detent can catch on to the opening in the second support structure.