Self-learning auto-cutoff daylight detection control for light fixtures

• US 9,686,838 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Cooper Technologies Company (Eaton Corporation PLC.)
• Inventors: Elwell, Brian Eugene, Kemp, Timothy R, Whitten, Jonathan Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US15/142,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 315151
• 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 light fixture can include at least one light fixture component comprising at least one light source that emits a first level of fixture light. The light fixture can also include at least one sensor that measures a first total light amount at a first time of a first day, where the first total light amount includes the first level of fixture light and a first natural light amount. The light fixture can further include a controller coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one light fixture component, where the controller controls and communicates with at least one sensor. The controller can further control the at least one light fixture component based on the first total light amount measured by the at least one sensor at the first time of the first day.

Claims

1. A light fixture, comprising:

at least one light fixture component comprising at least one light source that emits a first level of fixture light;

at least one sensor that measures a first total light amount at a first time of a first day, wherein the first total light amount comprises the first level of fixture light and a first natural light amount; and

a controller coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one light fixture component, wherein the controller controls and communicates with at least one sensor,

wherein the controller further controls the at least one light fixture component based on the first total light amount measured by the at least one sensor at the first time of the first day,

wherein the controller calibrates a first threshold value for controlling the at least one light fixture component, wherein the first threshold value is based on a sensor reading taken by the at least one sensor when the first total light amount measured by the at least one sensor is substantially equal to the first level of fixture light.

2. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the controller terminates power to the at least one light fixture component when the first total light amount exceeds the first threshold value, wherein terminating the power to the at least one light fixture component eliminates the first level of fixture light.

3. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the first threshold value is further calibrated by the controller based on a minimum dimming level of the at least one light source.

4. The light fixture of claim 2, wherein the controller provides the power to the at least one light fixture component when the first total light amount falls below a second threshold value, wherein the power provided to the at least one light fixture component causes the at least one light source to emit the first level of fixture light.

5. The light fixture of claim 4, wherein the second threshold value is calibrated by the controller based on a sensor reading taken by the at least one sensor when the first total light amount measured by the at least one sensor is greater than the first natural light amount.

6. The light fixture of claim 2, wherein the controller provides the power to the at least one light fixture component when the first total light amount falls below the first threshold value.

7. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is disposed external to a housing of the light fixture.

8. The light fixture of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises:

a hardware processor;

memory comprising a plurality of instructions; and

a control engine that executes the plurality of instructions on the hardware processor to control and communicate with the at least one sensor and the at least one light fixture component.

9. A controller for a light fixture, the controller comprising:

memory comprising a plurality of instructions; and

a control engine coupled to the memory, wherein the controller is configured to send and receive communication signals with at least one sensor and at least one light fixture component based on the plurality of instructions, wherein the at least one light fixture component comprises at least one light source, wherein the at least one sensor measures a first total light amount at a first time of a first day, wherein the first total light amount comprises the first level of fixture light and a first natural light amount, wherein the control engine compares the first total light amount to a threshold value, wherein the control engine further controls the at least one light fixture component based comparing the first total light amount to the threshold value, wherein the at least one light source emits a first level of fixture light based on the control engine controlling the at least one light fixture component,

wherein the first natural light amount occurs at a second time of a second day, wherein the control engine self-calibrates for the first total light amount comprising the first natural light amount at the second time of the second day based on the first time of the first day.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the at least one light fixture component further comprises a power module and a dimmer that are coupled to the control engine and the at least one light source.

11. The controller of claim 9, wherein the at least one light source is replaced by at least one replacement light source, wherein the control engine self-calibrates based upon differences in characteristics between the at least one light source and the at least one replacement light source.

12. A light fixture, comprising:

at least one light fixture component comprising at least one light source that emits a first level of fixture light;

at least one sensor that measures a first total light amount at a first time of a first day, wherein the first total light amount comprises the first level of fixture light and a first natural light amount; and

a controller coupled to the at least one sensor and the at least one light fixture component, wherein the controller controls and communicates with at least one sensor,

wherein the controller further controls the at least one light fixture component based on the first total light amount measured by the at least one sensor at the first time of the first day,

wherein the at least one light fixture component further comprises a dimming module coupled to the controller and the light source, wherein the dimming module adjusts the first level of fixture light to a second level of fixture light emitted by the at least one light source,

wherein the controller adjusts, using the dimming module, the at least one light source to emit the second level of fixture light based on a second natural light amount at a second time of the first day, wherein the first total light amount at the second time of the first day comprises the second level of fixture light and the second natural light amount.

13. The light fixture of claim 12, wherein the at least one sensor measures a second total light amount comprising the second level of fixture light and the second natural light amount during the first day.

14. The light fixture of claim 12, wherein a difference between the first level of fixture light and the second level of fixture light is substantially equal to the difference between the first natural light amount and the second natural light amount.

15. The light fixture of claim 12, wherein the dimming module adjusts the first level of fixture light to a second level of fixture light emitted by the at least one light source, wherein the second level of fixture light is substantially equal to a full output of the at least one light source.

16. The light fixture of claim 15, wherein the first total light amount at a third time of the first day comprises the second level of fixture light and a second natural light amount, wherein the second natural light amount is substantially zero at the third time of the first day.

17. The light fixture of claim 12, wherein the controller keeps the first total light amount substantially constant by adjusting a level of fixture light emitted by the at least one light source as long as the first total light amount is less than a first threshold value.