Control system for active window glass managing the colour of the light in a building

• US 9,226,366 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2011
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Glass France (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Orillard, Julien, Nicolas, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Donovan, Lincoln
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skibinski, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/995,039
• Publication Number:
  US 20130264948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 315/155, 356/213, 362/276, 362/552, 362/554, 362/559, 362/147, 359/265, 359/245, 359/267, 359/275, 359/249
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/22 using optical feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

The present invention relates to a lighting control system, comprising a control unit comprising a memory in which control programs are recorded. The control programs are capable of controlling the optical transmission through an active window pane with electro-controllable optical transmission properties and are capable of controlling an electro-controllable lighting device. The system furthermore comprises a coloration sensor for measuring a value representative of a coloration of the light. The control programs are capable of controlling the lighting generated by the lighting device as a function of the value supplied by the coloration sensor.

Claims

1. A lighting control system, comprising:

a control unit having a memory in which control programs are recorded, the control programs programmed to separately control each of optical transmission through an active glass pane with electro-controllable optical transmission properties, and an electro-controllable lighting device; and

a coloration sensor for measuring a value representative of a coloration of light and supplying the value to the control unit, the control programs programmed to control lighting generated by the lighting device as a function of the value supplied by the coloration sensor.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which the control programs are programmed to control the lighting device to generate an illumination whose coloration is such that lighting generated by the lighting device makes the coloration of the light measured by the sensor measuring coloration closer to a reference value.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which the control programs are programmed to control the lighting device to generate different colored lighting effects depending on the value supplied by the coloration sensor.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which the lighting device comprises an artificial source of light.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, in which the lighting device comprises at least one color LED, or plural different color LEDs, the control programs programmed to control intensity of the lighting of the at least one color LED as a function of the value supplied by the coloration sensor.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which the lighting device comprises a reflector reflecting outside light toward an inside in an electro-controllable manner, or comprises an electro-controllable and reflecting venetian blind.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which the control programs are programmed to control the optical transmission through the active glass pane as a function of the value supplied by the coloration sensor.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which the control programs are programmed to control plural active glass panes with electro-controllable optical transmission properties, the control programs programmed to control the active glass panes such that one of the active glass panes receives an optical transmission setpoint value different from that of another of the active glass panes.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, in which the coloration sensor supplies a CRI value or a value representative of at least a* or b* of the (L*,a*,b*) coloration system or a value representative of at least X, Y or Z of the (X,Y,Z) system or a value representative of at least u* or v* of the (L*,u*,v*) system.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a brightness sensor for supplying a value representative of brightness, the control programs programmed to control the optical transmission through the active glass pane as a function of the value representative of brightness supplied by the brightness sensor.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor for supplying a value representative of temperature, the control programs programmed to control the optical transmission through the active glass pane as a function of the value representative of temperature supplied by the temperature sensor.

12. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a glare level sensor for supplying a value representative of glare level, the control programs programmed to control the optical transmission through the active glass pane as a function of the value representative of glare level supplied by the glare level sensor.

13. An assembly comprising:

an active glass pane with electro-controllable optical transmission properties;

a lighting device; and

a control system for controlling the active glass pane and the lighting device, the control system being as claimed in claim 1.

14. A method for separately controlling each of an active glass pane with electro-controllable optical transmission properties, and a lighting device, the method comprising:

using a coloration sensor for measuring a value representative of coloration of a light;

supplying the value representative of coloration of the light to a control unit; and

controlling the lighting generated by the lighting device as a function of the value supplied by the coloration sensor.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, the controlling the lighting generated includes controlling the lighting device to generate an illumination whose spectral distribution is such that the lighting generated by the lighting device neutralizes, at least partially, a shift of spectral distribution of light transmitted through the at least one active glass pane.