Two-level security lighting system

• US 5,747,937 A
• Filed: 10/30/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Heathco LLC (Transom Capital Group)
• Original Assignee: Heath And Company, LLC
• Inventors: Wiesemann, David L., Schaaf, Daniel E., Ko, Wai-Shing P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US08/739,638
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 315/159, 315/155, 315/149, 315/153, 315/154, 250/238, 250/338.1, 250/221, 340/469
• US Class Current: 315/159
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/42 in two steps only
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A security light has a quartz-halogen lamp, a photocell, a passive infrared sensor for detecting motion external to the security light, and a circuit which causes the quartz-halogen lamp to operate at about 50% of full brightness in the absence of detection of motion at night, to operate at 95% of full brightness for a predetermined time interval in response to detection of motion at night, and to be off while the photocell is detecting daylight. A switch allows the user to select a different mode of operation which is similar except that the lamp is kept off in the absence of detection of motion at night. A user-initiated override mode is also provided, which causes the lamp to continuously operate at 95% of full brightness until the photocell detects daylight or until the user disables the override mode.

Claims

1. A lighting system comprising:

a motion sensor for sensing motion;

a photocell for sensing the presence or absence of daylight;

a lamp;

a housing for carrying said motion sensor, said photocell and said lamp;

means for connecting said lamp to a source of external electrical power; and

a control circuit for electrically connecting said connecting means to said motion sensor and said photocell for enabling said lamp to be illuminated by said motion sensor or said photocell, said control circuit allowing for manual override of said motion sensor and said photocell to enable said lamp to be illuminated by an external switch.

2. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein said control circuit allows for reset by said photocell after being manually activated.

3. The lighting system as recited in claim 1, wherein said lamp is adapted to be illuminated at a plurality of illumination levels.

4. The lighting system as recited in claim 3, wherein said control circuit is configured to cause said lamp to be illuminated at a first illumination level by said photocell and a second illumination level by said motion sensor.

5. The lighting system as recited in claim 4, wherein said control circuit is configured to cause said lamp to be illuminated at a third illumination level during a manual override.

6. The lighting system as recited in claim 4, wherein said first and second illumination levels are different.

7. The lighting system as recited in claim 4, wherein said third illumination level is the same as said second illumination level.