Receiving an IR control signal through a Fresnel lens of a motion sensor
View Patent ↗A wall switch motion sensor detects motion using a lens and an infrared detector, and in response performs a function (for example, turns on a light). The motion sensor is also adapted to respond to IR remote control signals of the type customarily used to control electronic consumer devices in the home. In one example, a user uses an ordinary remote control device to transmit a sequence of IR control signals and dead times toward the motion sensor. The detector in the motion sensor detects each IR control signal as an increased amount of IR energy, whereas it detects a dead time as a period of less IR energy. If the periodicity of the sequence is appropriate, then the wall switch motion sensor determines that the sequence is an instruction. In one example, the instruction is to turn on/off the light controlled by the wall switch motion sensor.
1. A method comprising:
(a) receiving an infrared (IR) control signal through a multi-section lens, wherein the IR control signal includes a plurality of data bits modulated onto a carrier signal, wherein the carrier signal has a carrier frequency of at least ten kilohertz; and
(b) in response to the receiving, causing a first device to perform a first lighting control function without demodulating the data bits, wherein the receiving in (a) and the causing in (b) are performed by a motion detector and lighting control circuit (MDLCC), and wherein the multi-section lens and the first device are parts of the MDLCC.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multi-section lens is a Fresnel lens.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IR control signal is an IR control signal of a sequence of IR control signals, wherein the IR control signals of the sequence are separated from one another by a dead time of at least twenty milliseconds.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the IR control signal is a single IR control signal, the single infrared transmission including a frame, the frame including at least one start bit and a keycode, wherein the IR control signal is followed by a dead time of at least twenty milliseconds.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MDLCC includes a dimmer functionality.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(c) controlling a second device to perform a second lighting control function, wherein the second device performs the second lighting control function as a result of the first device performing the first lighting control function, and wherein the second lighting control function is taken from the group consisting of: turning a light on, turning a light off, starting a dimming of a light, stopping a dimming of a light, starting a brightening of a light, stopping a brightening of a light.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is a switch of a light, and wherein the first lighting control function is taken from the group consisting of: opening the switch, and closing the switch.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the MDLCC is not tuned to the carrier frequency.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data bits are a keycode, wherein the keycode corresponds to a function of an electronic consumer device, and wherein the keycode does not correspond to the first lighting control function.
10. A device, comprising:
a multi-section lens; and
a motion detector and lighting control circuit (MDLCC) that performs a function in response to receiving an (infrared) IR control signal through the multi-section lens, wherein the IR control signal includes a plurality of data bits modulated onto a carrier signal, wherein the MDLCC performs the function without detecting the data bits, and wherein the carrier signal has a carrier frequency of at least ten kilohertz.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the device is a wall switch motion sensor adapted to be disposed in an electrical wall box.
12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the MDLCC includes an infrared detector that receives the IR control signal after the IR control signal has passed through the multi-section lens.
13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the function is taken from the group consisting of: turning on a light, turning off a light, dimming a light, brightening a light.
14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the device is a wall switch motion sensor, wherein the wall switch motion sensor is adapted to be disposed within an electrical wall box.
15. A device comprising:
a multi-section lens; and
means for detecting motion and for receiving an infrared (IR) control signal through the multi-section lens and in response to the receiving performing a function, wherein the IR control signal includes a plurality of data bits modulated onto a carrier signal, and wherein the function is performed without demodulating the data bits.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the carrier signal has a carrier frequency of at least ten kilohertz.
17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the function is taken from the group consisting of: turning a light on, turning a light off, start dimming a light, starting to brighten a light, stopping a brightening of a light.
18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the device is a wall switch motion sensor, wherein the wall switch motion sensor is adapted to be disposed within an electrical wall box.
19. A method comprising:
directing a user to use a remote control device such that a sequence of infrared (IR) control signals is transmitted toward a motion sensor, wherein each IR control signal of the sequence includes a plurality of data bits modulated onto a carrier signal, wherein the carrier signal has a carrier frequency of at least ten kilohertz; and
providing the motion sensor, wherein the motion sensor is adapted to receive the sequence of IR control signals through a multi-section lens, to determine that the sequence is an instruction, and in response to said determining performing a function without detecting the data bits that are modulated onto any carrier signal.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said directing involves causing the user to program a macrofunction into the remote control device such that a single key press causes the remote control device to transmit the sequence of IR control signals.
21. A method comprising:
receiving an infrared control signal through a multi-section lens, wherein the infrared control signal includes a plurality of data bits modulated onto a carrier signal, wherein a wall switch motion sensor includes the multi-section lens and a virtual machine, and wherein the wall switch motion sensor converts the infrared control signal into digital information without detecting the data bits of the infrared control signal; and
using the digital information in the virtual machine.
22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the infrared signal is received onto a pyroelectric sensor after passing through the multi-section lens, and wherein the digital information is taken from the group consisting of: a script to be interpreted by the virtual machine, and data to be processed by the virtual machine.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the infrared signal is generated by an electronic device.