Lighting control with integral dimming

• US 9,781,814 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ABL IP Holding LLC (Acuity Brands, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wagner, Phillip Ryan, Burt, Robert, Shelton, Christopher Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): HAMMOND, DEDEI KHALIEAH
• Application Number:
  US14/882,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20160113096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/22 with communication between the lamps and a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

Lighting control devices, network systems, and methodologies, including methods for providing closed-loop dimming control of such systems, are described. In some examples, disclosed methods and device configurations may include an intelligent photo control configured to accept target dimmed fixture wattage value commands from a user, and provide closed-loop control at the fixture to achieve that target wattage via real-time adjustment of the 0-10V dimming control signal sent to the LED driver. As such, the need for trial-and-error adjustments of the 0-10V analog control voltage, or derivation of dim voltage to fixture wattage response curves in order to achieve a desired fixture wattage level, may be reduced or eliminated.

Claims

1. A lighting fixture control system, comprising:

a control station configured to communicate with a plurality of fixture control devices located remotely from the control station, to receive a dimming command for at least one of the fixture control devices via a user interface, and to send a dimming setting command to the at least one of the fixture control devices based at least in part on the received dimming command;

a fixture control device that is associated with a lighting fixture, located remotely from the control station, and configured to dim the lighting fixture via a variable dimming control signal based at least in part on the dimming setting command and a Wattage measurement received from the lighting fixture.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixture control device includes:

a dimming controller module; and

a fixture power measurement module,

wherein the dimming controller module is configured to determine a target Wattage based at least in part on the dimming setting command and to iteratively adjust the dimming control signal based at least in part on a fixture Wattage measurement obtained by the measurement module until the fixture Wattage measurement is within a predetermined range of the target Wattage.

3. A lighting fixture control apparatus, comprising:

a command-receiving module configured to receive a dimming setting command from a remote command center;

a dimming controller module; and

a fixture power measurement module,

wherein the dimming controller module is configured to determine a target Wattage value based at least in part on the dimming setting command, and to iteratively adjust a dimming control signal based at least on part on a fixture Wattage measurement provided by the fixture power measurement module until the fixture Wattage measurement is within a predetermined range of the target Wattage value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimming controller module is configured to determine the target Wattage based on at least one of a table of values associated with the lighting fixture or a rated fixture maximum Wattage and the dimming setting command expressed as a percentage.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimming controller module is configured to determine a minimum dimmed Wattage supported by the lighting fixture based on a plurality of the fixture Wattage measurements, and to limit attempts to dim the lighting fixture below the minimum dimmed Wattage.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimming controller module is configured to determine a driver dead band based on a plurality of the fixture Wattage measurements, and to limit the dimming control signal during subsequent dimming operations to avoid the driver dead band.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimming control signal is a 0-10V control signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimming controller module uses at least one of a PID control loop or a proportional control algorithm to vary the dimming control signal.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the dimming controller module is configured to override the dimming setting command in response to a sensor event, and to set a dimming level for the lighting fixture to a predetermined level for a default period of time based on the sensor event.

10. A lighting fixture control system, comprising:

a processor;

a communication device;

memory including computer-executable instruction that configure the processor to perform operations including;

receiving a network identifier for a remote lighting control module associated with a lighting fixture;

registering the lighting control module with the lighting fixture control system;

determining whether at least one of the lighting control module or the lighting fixture supports a dimming function;

enabling a dimming option in a user interface based on a determination that the at least one of the lighting control module or the lighting fixture supports a dimming function;

receiving a dimming input control via the user interface; and

providing a dimming setting signal to the lighting control module based at least in part on the received dimming input control.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising computer-executable instructions for receiving a message that the at least one of target dimmed fixture wattage value or the target dimmed fixture lumen output has been implemented by the lighting control module.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the dimming setting signal is a 0-10V dimming signal that is automatically determined by the system based on a desired percentage light level via a table that correlates fixture wattage to fixture lumen output.

13. A lighting fixture control system, comprising:

a control station configured to communicate with a plurality of fixture control devices located remotely from the control station, to receive a dimming command for at least one of the fixture control devices via a user interface, and to send a dimming setting command to the at least one of the fixture control devices based at least in part on the received dimming command;

a fixture control device that is associated with a lighting fixture, located remotely from the control station, and configured to dim the lighting fixture via a variable dimming control signal based at least in part on the dimming setting command and a Wattage measurement received from the lighting fixture;

a fixture power measurement module; and

a dimming controller module configured to determine a target Wattage based at least in part on the dimming setting command and to iteratively adjust the dimming control signal based at least in part on a fixture Wattage measurement obtained by the measurement module until the fixture Wattage measurement is within a predetermined range of the target Wattage.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the fixture control device is configured to set a target Wattage based at least in part on the received dimming command, and to use closed-loop feedback to achieve the target Wattage.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the fixture control device is configured to slew the dimming control signal until a fixture Wattage observed by the fixture control device is within a predetermined range of target Wattage.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the target Wattage is determined based on at least one of a table of values associated with the lighting fixture or a rated fixture maximum Wattage and a dimming setting command expressed as a percentage.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the fixture control device is configured to determine a minimum dimmed Wattage supported by the lighting fixture via at least one iteration of the closed-loop feedback, and to limit attempts to dim the lighting fixture below the minimum dimmed Wattage.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the fixture control device is configured to determine a driver dead band via at least one iteration of the closed-loop feedback, and to limit the dimming control signal during subsequent dimming operations to avoid the driver dead band.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the dimming control signal is a 0-10V control signal.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the fixture control device uses at least one of a PID control loop or a proportional control algorithm to vary the dimming control signal.