Distributed Intelligence Automated Lighting Systems and Methods

• US 20070273307A1
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lydecker, Stephen H., Norton, Mark, Westrick, Rich L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,214,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A distributed intelligence lighting system is comprised of a global controller, one or more local controllers, wall stations, sensors and lighting fixtures. In one aspect, the lighting system provides schedule-based, occupancy-based, and/or daylight-responsive automated control and multi-level or ON/OFF manual control of lighting loads. System components communicate over a topology-free and polarity-free modular low voltage digital network that combines power and control wiring in an easily installed labeled and keyed cable. Embodiments according to the system do not require any components to be addressed, manually configured, or programmed (beyond setting the project location and current time and date) for energy code compliance. Manual and after-hours override control is accomplished via local low voltage wall stations or occupancy sensors. Global controllers generally each incorporate an onboard modem and user interface with LCD display, both permitting programming of advanced features, override, system monitoring, and diagnostics.

Claims

1. A distributed intelligence lighting system comprising:

a power supply;

a global controller having a processor operably connected to a global bus;

at least one local controller having a processor, wherein said local controller is operably connected to said global bus and is operably connected to a local bus;

one or more lighting fixtures operably connected to said local bus, wherein said one or more lighting fixtures have ballasts configured to communicate in accordance with DALI protocol and said one or more lighting fixtures are at least controlled by control signals from the local controller;

one or more sensors operably connected with the local controller;

one or more wall stations operably connected with said local bus, wherein said one or more wall stations are configured to adjust light output of said one or more lighting fixtures operably connected to said local bus in accordance with the DALI protocol and to override automated control of said one or more lighting fixtures; and

modular wiring comprised of power and control wiring in interlocking sections, wherein said modular wiring is used to form said global bus and said local bus and to operably connect said power supply and said global controller with said local controller, said one or more lighting fixtures, said one or more sensors and said one or more wall stations,

wherein said global controller provides control signals to the local controller through said global bus that place said local controller in an operational state, and

wherein said local controller operates said one or more fixtures in accordance with one or more of said control signals received from said global controller, from signals received from said one or more sensors, and from inputs received from said one or more wall stations.

2. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 1, wherein said operational state comprises adaptive control.

3. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 2, wherein an ON time or an OFF time for said distributed intelligence lighting system is automatically adjusted by override of said control signals from said local controller by said one or more wall stations.

4. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 1, wherein said operational state comprises manually-programmed time-of-day control.

5. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises one or more photocells.

6. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 5, wherein said one or more lighting fixtures are dimmed or brightened by said local controller based up signals received from said one or more photocells.

7. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises one or more occupancy sensors.

8. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 7, wherein said operational state is adaptive control and an ON time or an OFF time for said distributed intelligence lighting system is automatically adjusted by said local controller by the detection of occupancy by said one or more occupancy sensors.

9. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 1, wherein said one or more sensors comprises one or more photocells and one or more occupancy sensors.

10. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 1, further comprising a second local controller operably connected with the local bus, wherein said local controller comprises a first local controller and said second local controller receives control signals from said first local controller and controls a second set of one or more lighting fixtures in accordance with said control signals.

11. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 1, wherein said local controller, said one or more lighting fixtures operably connected to said local bus, said one or more sensors operably connected with the local controller, and said one or more wall stations operably connected with said local bus comprise a zone, and said distributed intelligence lighting system is comprised of a plurality of zones.

12. The distributed intelligence lighting system of claim 11, wherein one zone provides lighting in a room.

13. The distributed lighting system of claim 11, wherein more than one zone provides lighting in a room.

14. The distributed lighting system of claim 11, wherein said distributed lighting system is comprised of at least a first zone and a second zone, the local controller of the first zone is operably connected to the global bus and the local controller of the second zone is operably connected with the local bus of the first zone.

15. The distributed lighting system of claim 11, wherein the distributed lighting system is comprised of at least a first zone and a second zone, the local controller of the first zone is operably connected to the global bus and the local controller of the second zone is operably connected with the global bus.

16. A method of operating a distributed intelligence lighting system comprising:

providing global control signals from a global controller to one or more first local controllers through a global bus;

receiving by said one or more first local controllers said global control signals and sensor signals from one or more sensors operably connected with said one or more first local controllers;

controlling by said one or more first local controllers of one or more respective lighting devices and one or more respective second local controllers, wherein said respective lighting devices and said one or more respective second local controllers are operably connected with said one or more first local controllers via a local bus,

wherein said global bus and said local bus are comprised of modular wiring comprised of power and control wiring in interlocking sections, said modular wiring is used to operably connect a power supply and said global controller with said one or more first local controllers and to operably connect said one or more first local controllers with said respective lighting devices, said one or more sensors and said one or more respective second local controllers,

wherein said global control signals comprise control signals that place said one or more first local controllers in an operational state, and

wherein said one or more first local controllers operate said respective lighting devices in accordance with one or more of said global control signals received from said global controller and from sensor signals received from said one or more sensors.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling by said one or more first local controllers of one or more respective lighting devices comprises controlling at least one lighting fixture having a ballast configured to communicate in accordance with DALI protocol.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing one or more wall stations operably connected with said local bus, wherein said one or more wall stations are configured to adjust a scene setting of said respective lighting devices connected to said local bus in accordance with the DALI protocol and to override automated control of said lighting devices.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising automatically adjusting an ON time or an OFF time for said distributed intelligence lighting system by override of local control signals from said one or more first local controllers by said one or more wall stations.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein placing said one or more first local controllers in an operational state comprises placing at least one of said one or more first local controllers in adaptive control.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein placing said one or more first local controllers in an operational state comprises placing at least one of said one or more first local controllers in manually-programmed time-of-day control.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving by said one or more first local controllers sensor signals from one or more sensors operably connected with said one or more first local controllers comprises receiving sensor signals from one or more photocells.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising adjusting said respective lighting devices by said one or more first local controllers based up sensor signals received from said one or more photocells.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising adjusting said one or more respective second controllers by said one or more first local controllers based up sensor signals received from said one or more photocells.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving by said one or more first local controllers sensor signals from one or more sensors operably connected with said one or more first local controllers comprises receiving sensor signals from one or more occupancy sensors.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising adjusting said respective lighting devices by said one or more first local controllers based up sensor signals received from said one or more occupancy sensors.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising adjusting said one or more respective second controllers by said one or more first local controllers based up sensor signals received from said one or more occupancy sensors.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein placing said one or more first local controllers in an operational state comprises placing at least one of said one or more first local controllers in adaptive control and an ON time or an OFF time for said distributed intelligence lighting system is automatically adjusted by said one or more first local controllers by the detection of occupancy by said one or more occupancy sensors.

29. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving by said one or more first local controllers sensor signals from one or more sensors operably connected with said one or more first local controllers comprises receiving sensor signals from one or more photocells or one or more occupancy sensors.

30. The method of claim 16, wherein controlling by said one or more first local controllers of one or more respective second local controllers comprises said respective second local controller receiving control signals from said one or more first local controllers and controlling a second set of one or more lighting fixtures in accordance with said control signals.

31. A modular lighting control system for at least one zone of lighting, wherein each said zone of lighting comprises at least one light fixture, comprising:

a power supply;

a global controller for controlling said at least one zone of lighting with global digital signals;

a converter, having as inputs power from said power supply and global digital signals from said global controller, connected at its output to a modular cable carrying both signal and power wires, wherein the converter directs the global digital signal input to the signal wire in said modular cable, and the power supply input to the power wire in said modular cable;

a local controller, connected at its input to the modular cable and having as inputs said global digital signals and sensor signals from one or more sensors and connected at its outputs to the modular cable, wherein said local controller is configured to control said at least one light fixture with local digital signals in accordance with said global digital signals and said sensor signals;

an override switch that is configured to send digital signals to said at least one light fixture and override said local digital signals; and

a modular connector for connecting said override switch to the modular cable;

wherein the modular cable connects to said at least one light fixture to provide power and to control the operation of the at least one light fixture.

32. An adaptive lighting control system, comprising:

a power supply or power control equipment to supply power to at least one zone of lighting, wherein each said zone of lighting comprises at least one light fixture;

a timing device;

at least one local controller or override station associated with each zone of lighting;

a global controller in communication with each local controller and the timing device, and which controls the power supply to each zone of lighting, wherein the global controller includes program means that direct the at least one local controller to;

associate a time-out period with each zone, which time-out period is restarted each time a light control is activated;

associate two states with each zone with associated start and stop times on the timing device, wherein;

in the first state the local controller turns on the lights in a zone when a light control associated with the zone is activated, and turns off the lights in the zone either when the light control in the zone is deactivated or when the stop time for the first state occurs, and

in the second state the local controller turns on the lights in a zone when a light control associated with the zone is activated, and turns out the lights in the zone either when the light control in the zone is deactivated or when the time-out period associated with that zone expires; and

adjusts the start and stop times associated with the two states for a zone based on activation of the light controls associated with the zone.

33. A method of signaling to occupants that an automatically controlled lighting system, which includes adjustable light levels from fully off to fully powered, is about to turn off the lights, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

determining the present light level of the lights to be turned off; and

cycling the light level from the present light level to the fully powered level, then to the fully off level, and then back to the previously determined present level.

34. A method of controlling a lighting system to maintain a consistent light level comprising:

providing at least one light fixture in a room, wherein the at least one light fixture has a light source that is configured to provide light output at more than one discrete level;

providing a sensor in the room, wherein said sensor detects light level in the room;

determining at said sensor the light output from the at least one light fixture at each of the more than one discrete level;

determining a setpoint level of light desired in the room;

detecting a current level of lighting in a room with the sensor, wherein said current level of light includes light output from said at least one light fixture and light from other sources, such as natural light; and

adjusting the more than one discrete levels of the at least one light fixture to maintain the current level of light in the room as close to the setpoint level of light desired in the room as possible.