Photosensor employing a fiber optic collector

• US 9,681,520 B1
• Filed: 08/10/2016
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Douglas Lighting Controls, Inc. (Atar Capital LLC)
• Original Assignee: Universal Lighting Technologies Incorporated (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Berry, Travis L., Cavacuiti, John, Mahaffey, Rob
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Monica C
• Application Number:
  US15/233,365
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/0464 the sensor sensing the level of ambient illumination, e.g. dawn or dusk sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0425 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4204 with determination of ambient light solar light G01J2001/4266
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/44 Electric circuits for command of an exposure part G03B7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0008 the light being emitted at the end of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0096 the lights guides being of the hollow type
• 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

A lighting control system for a light fixture has an ambient light sensor mounted therein. A switching circuit provides power for driving lighting sources. A controller receives signals from the light sensor and regulates switching frequencies based on desired lighting output level and the ambient light condition. An ambient lighting channel extends from the ambient light sensor to an aperture between outer and inner surfaces of the housing. The ambient lighting channel may include a fiber optic light pipe which extends from the aperture to surround the light sensor. The fiber optic light pipe may extend through the aperture from the ambient light sensor to an ambient light source external to the light fixture. The light sensor may mount on a shared PCB with respect to the lighting sources, such as an LED array, and transmit ambient lighting information to the controller via a feedback loop.

Claims

1. A lighting control system comprising:

a light fixture having a housing with an outer surface and an inner surface;

one or more driven lighting sources mounted within the housing;

an ambient light sensor mounted within the housing and configured to generate signals representative of an ambient light condition;

a controller configured to

receive the signals from the ambient light sensor, and

regulate an operating current to the one or more driven lighting sources based on a desired lighting output level and the ambient light condition; and

an ambient lighting channel extending from the ambient light sensor to an aperture between the outer surface of the housing and the inner surface of the housing.

2. The lighting control system of claim 1, further comprising a switching circuit configured to provide power for driving the one or more driven lighting sources, wherein the controller is further configured to regulate current through the one or more driven lighting sources by regulating an operating frequency of the switching circuit based on the desired lighting output level and the ambient light condition.

3. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the ambient lighting channel comprises a fiber optic light pipe.

4. The lighting control system of claim 3, wherein the fiber optic light pipe extends from the aperture to surround the ambient light sensor.

5. The lighting control system of claim 4, wherein the fiber optic light pipe extends through the aperture from the ambient light sensor to an ambient light source external to the light fixture.

6. The lighting control system of claim 5, wherein the fiber optic light pipe has a diameter no greater than 1 mm.

7. The lighting control system of claim 3, wherein the fiber optic light pipe comprises highly reflective side portions.

8. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the aperture in the housing has a diameter no greater than 1 mm.

9. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the ambient light sensor comprises a photodetector.

10. The lighting control system of claim 1, wherein the one or more lighting sources comprise one or more light emitting diodes.

11. The lighting control system of claim 10, further comprising a printed circuit board having the one or more light emitting diodes and the ambient light sensor mounted thereon, and wherein the printed circuit board is mounted in the light fixture housing.

12. The lighting control system of claim 11, further comprising a feedback loop for providing the ambient light sensor signals from the printed circuit board to the controller.

13. The lighting control system of claim 12, further comprising a wireless communications module mounted on the printed circuit board for communicating the ambient light sensor signals to one or more remote devices.

14. An LED lighting device comprising:

a printed circuit board having one or more LED lighting elements mounted thereon;

an ambient light sensor mounted on the printed circuit board and configured to generate signals representative of an ambient light condition; and

a fiber optic light pipe extending from a first end surrounding the ambient light sensor to a second end and configured to direct light from an ambient light source to the ambient light sensor.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the fiber optic light pipe has a diameter no greater than 1 mm.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the fiber optic light pipe comprises highly reflective side portions.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the ambient light sensor comprises a photodetector.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising a wired feedback loop for providing at least the ambient light sensor signals from the printed circuit board to a remote controller.

19. The device of claim 14, further comprising a wireless communications module mounted on the printed circuit board for communicating the ambient light sensor signals to one or more remote devices.

20. A lighting control system comprising:

a plurality of light fixtures each having a housing with an outer surface and an inner surface, and one or more driven lighting sources mounted within the housing, wherein at least one of said light fixtures further comprises;

an ambient light sensor mounted within the respective housing and configured to generate signals representative of an ambient light condition;

an ambient light channel extending from the ambient light sensor to an aperture between the outer surface of the housing and the inner surface of the housing; and

a feedback loop to transmit the signals representative of the ambient lighting condition to a controller;

wherein the controller is configured to

receive the signals from the ambient light sensors for the at least one of said light fixtures, and

regulate a lighting output for the driven lighting sources in each of the plurality of light fixtures based on a desired lighting output level and the ambient light condition.

21. The lighting control system of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of light fixtures comprises a switching circuit configured to provide power for driving the one or more respective driven lighting sources, and the controller is further configured to provide control signals for regulating current through the one or more driven lighting sources by regulating an operating frequency of the switching circuit based on the desired lighting output level and the ambient light condition.

22. The lighting control system of claim 21, wherein the controller is remotely positioned with respect to each of the plurality of light fixtures, and configured to communicate with local controllers associated with respective ones of the plurality of light fixtures.

23. The lighting control system of claim 20, wherein the ambient lighting channel comprises a fiber optic light pipe extending from the aperture to surround the ambient light sensor.

24. The lighting control system of claim 23, wherein the fiber optic light pipe extends through the aperture from the ambient light sensor to an ambient light source external to the light fixture.

25. The lighting control system of claim 24, wherein the fiber optic light pipe comprises highly reflective side portions.