Lighting fixture control systems and methods

• US 8,779,340 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Orion Energy Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Verfuerth, Neal R., Czaja, Daniel J. Jr., Potts, Michael J., Franzen, Ryan M., Smasal, Eric A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, DON J
• Application Number:
  US13/902,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20130257292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 250/204, 250/205, 315/312, 315/313, 315320-325, 315/380, 315/157, 315/158, 362/260, 362/274, 362/613, 362/614, 362/250, 362/276, 362/294, 362312-314, 362/316, 362/318, 362/320, 362322-324, 362/360, 362/362
• US Class Current: 250/205
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/38 Controlling the intensity of light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• 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 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting fixture system for fluorescent lamps includes one or more fluorescent lamps and one or more ballasts configured to provide controlled power to the one or more fluorescent lamps. The lighting fixture further includes a controller wired to the fluorescent lighting fixture. The controller includes one or more relays configured to turn power provided to the one or more ballasts on and off such that the one or more fluorescent lamps turn on and off with the switching of the one or more relays. The controller further includes a logic circuit configured to control the switching of the one or more relays, wherein the logic circuit is configured to log usage information for the fluorescent lighting fixture in memory. The controller yet further includes communications electronics configured to output the logged usage information.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture system comprising:

one or more lamps;

one or more ballasts configured to provide controlled power to the one or more lamps;

a controller wired to the lighting fixture, the controller comprising;

one or more relays configured to turn power provided to the one or more ballasts on and off such that the one or more lamps turn on and off with the switching of the one or more relays;

a logic circuit configured to control the switching of the one or more relays, wherein the logic circuit is configured to log usage information for the lighting fixture in memory, the usage information comprising at least one of an indication of an amount of time that the one or more lamps have been on or an indication of a time at which a usage event occurs; and

communications electronics configured to output the logged usage information.

2. The lighting fixture system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to include a sensor and the logic circuit is configured to control the switching of the one or more relays based on inputs received from the sensor.

3. The lighting fixture system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is a motion sensor.

4. The lighting fixture system of claim 3, wherein the logic circuit is configured to discontinue the switching based on inputs received from the sensor by analyzing the behavior of at least one of the sensor, the switching, and a logged usage information.

5. The lighting fixture system of claim 3, wherein the logic circuit is configured to discontinue the switching based on a determination that switching based on the inputs from the sensor has occurred too frequently.

6. A system for controlling lighting in a building, the system comprising:

a plurality of lighting fixtures coupled to electronics configured to control local on/off switching of ballasts for the plurality of lighting fixtures;

wherein the electronics are configured to log usage information for the fixture and wherein the electronics retain a zone identifier for the associated lighting fixture;

a computing system configured to receive the usage information from the plurality of lighting fixtures and to calculate energy use information for the plurality of lighting fixture by aggregating the usage information for the plurality of lighting fixtures;

wherein the computing system is further configured to cause the calculated energy use information to be displayed on an electronic display in communication with the computing system.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing system is configured to generate graphical user interfaces for controlling the plurality of lighting fixtures via a touch screen interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to include a user control configured to override previous settings for the plurality of lighting fixtures.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the computing system is configured to use input received at the touch screen interface to configure settings for the plurality of lighting fixtures.

10. A device for controlling a lighting fixture, comprising:

a control circuit configured to cause one or more lamps of the lighting fixture to turn on and off;

a sensor;

a logic circuit configured to receive a signal from the sensor and to use the signal to determine whether the control circuit should change states, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to log usage information for the lighting fixture;

a radio frequency transceiver configured to transmit the logged usage information and to receive commands via radio frequency communications;

wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause the one or more lamps of the lighting fixture to turn on and off based on the received commands.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is at least one of an infrared sensor and an optical sensor.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the logic circuit is configured to use the signal from the sensor to detect motion and determines whether the control circuit should change states based on whether motion is detected.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the logic circuit is configured to use the signal from the sensor to determine an ambient lighting level.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to determine whether the control circuit should change states based on the ambient lighting level.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the logic circuit is configured to provide commands to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit is further configured to cause the one or more lamps of the lighting fixture to turn on and off based on the commands received from the logic circuit.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the logic circuit is configured to provide a command to the control circuit configured to cause the control circuit to turn the one or more lamps of the lighting fixture on when the logic circuit detects motion via the signal from the sensor and when the logic circuit determines that the ambient lighting level is below a threshold setpoint.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to prevent on/off cycling of the one or more lamps of the lighting fixture by holding the lamp in an “

on”

state for a predefined period of time after the condition that caused the lamp to turn is no longer true.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to include a restrike violation module configured to prevent the logic circuit from commanding the control circuit to cause the one or more lamps to turn on while a restrike time is counted down.

19. The device of claim 10, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to cause the radio frequency transceiver to transmit commands to other radio frequency transceivers coupled to other lighting fixtures.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to cause the radio frequency transceiver to transmit an indication that motion was detected by the sensor.