Automatic timing adjustment system for occupancy sensors
A lighting control system for a space equipped with lamps for illuminating the space comprises a power circuit for supplying power to the lamps, a controllable switch in the power circuit for turning the lamps on and off, an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within the space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, and a timer for measuring a time-out interval following the generation of the motion-detected control signal by the occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of the time-out interval. A processor receives the control signals from the occupancy sensor and the timer and produces a switch-off control signal for the controllable switch to turn the lamps off in response to the time-out control signal, modifies the time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events, counts the number of times the switch-off control signal is produced, without the receipt of the motion-detected control signal, within a predetermined time following the end of the time-out interval, and decrements the time-out interval by the offset value in response to the count reaching a predetermined value.
1. A lighting control system for a space equipped with lamps for illuminating the space, comprising
a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps,
a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off,
an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion,
a timer for measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval, and
a processor receiving said control signals from said occupancy sensor and said timer and programmed to
produce a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,
modify said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events,
count the number of times said switch-off control signal is produced without the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval, and
decrement said time-out interval by said offset value in response to said count reaching a predetermined value.
2. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said offset value is about 30 seconds.
3. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said processor is programmed to increment said time-out interval by said offset value in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.
4. The lighting control system of claim 3 in which said offset value is about 30 seconds.
5. The lighting control system of claim 3 which includes
an input device for manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and
said processor is programmed to limit modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.
6. The lighting control system of claim 3 in which said processor is programmed to store the time-out interval as modified by the algebraic sum of said increments and decrements.
7. The lighting control system of claim 3 in which
said timer is set to an initial value for said time-out interval, and
said processor is programmed to reset said time-out interval in response to a change in said initial value of said time-out interval, and to limit said time-out interval to values below a predetermined maximum value.
8. The lighting control system of claim 1 which includes
an input device for manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and
said processor is programmed to limit modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.
9. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which
said time-out interval has a preselected maximum value, and
said processor is programmed to limit modification of said time-out interval to values below said preselected maximum value.
10. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said time-out interval has a preselected initial value.
11. The lighting control system of claim 1 in which said processor is programmed to produce a switch-on control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps on in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.
12. A lighting control system for a space equipped with lamps for illuminating the space, comprising
a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps,
a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off,
an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion,
a timer for measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,
an input device for manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and
a processor receiving said control signals from said occupancy sensor and said timer and programmed to
produce a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,
modify said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events occurring within a predetermined time period after said time-out control signal is produced by said timer, and
limit modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.
13. The lighting control system of claim 12 in which said time-out interval has a manually selectable initial value that is equal to said minimum value.
14. A method of controlling artificial illumination of a space equipped with electrically powered lamps for illuminating the space, a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps, a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off, and an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, said method comprising
measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,
modifying said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events,
counting the number of times said switch-off control signal is produced without the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval, and
decrementing said time-out interval by said offset value in response to said count reaching a predetermined value.
15. The method of claim 14 which includes incrementing said time-out interval in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.
16. The method of claim 15 which includes manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and limiting modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.
17. The method of claim 15 which includes storing the time-out interval as modified by the algebraic sum of said increments and decrements.
18. The method of claim 15 which includes setting said time-out interval to an initial value, resetting said time-out interval in response to a change in said initial value of said time-out interval, and limiting said time-out interval to values below a predetermined maximum value.
19. The method of claim 14 which includes producing a switch-on control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps on in response to the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval.
20. A method of controlling artificial illumination of a space equipped with electrically powered lamps for illuminating the space, a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps, a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off, and an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, said method comprising:
measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,
manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval,
producing a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,
modifying said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events occurring within a predetermined time period after said time-out control signal is produced, and
limiting modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.