IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,616,979

Granted Patent B2

US 10,616,979 · App. 16/371,242 · Granted Apr 7, 2020

Controlling lighting loads to achieve a desired lighting pattern

Inventors: Craig Alan Casey (Coopersburg, PA); Brent Protzman (Easton, PA); James P. Steiner (Royersford, PA)

H05B37/0272 G01V8/20 G05B15/02 G06K9/00771 G06K9/20 G06K9/2027 G06K9/2081 G06T5/20 G06T5/50 G06T7/11 G06T7/246 H04N1/40012 H04N5/23206 H04N5/23216 H04N5/23245 H05B33/0851 H05B33/0854 H05B33/0863 H05B33/0872 H05B37/0218 H05B37/0227 F24F11/56 F24F11/88 F24F2110/10 F24F2120/10 F24F2130/30 G06T2207/10004 G06T2207/10016 G06T2207/10024 G06T2207/10048 G06T2207/20224 G06T2207/30196 G06T2207/30232 H04N7/185 H04N2201/0084

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 10,616,979
App. No.: 16/371,242
Granted: Apr 7, 2020
Kind: B2

External Links

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Abstract

A visible light sensor may be configured to sense environmental characteristics of a space using an image of the space. The visible light sensor may be controlled in one or more modes, including a daylight glare sensor mode, a daylighting sensor mode, a color sensor mode, and/or an occupancy/vacancy sensor mode. In the daylight glare sensor mode, the visible light sensor may be configured to decrease or eliminate glare within a space. In the daylighting sensor mode and the color sensor mode, the visible light sensor may be configured to provide a preferred amount of light and color temperature, respectively, within the space. In the occupancy/vacancy sensor mode, the visible light sensor may be configured to detect an occupancy/vacancy condition within the space and adjust one or more control devices according to the occupation or vacancy of the space. The visible light sensor may be configured to protect the privacy of users within the space via software, a removable module, and/or a special sensor.

Claims (48)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a control circuit configured to:

retrieve an image of a space;

determine a lighting level for a first sub-area within the space;

determine a lighting level for a second sub-area within the space;

determine a first lighting fixture that affects the lighting level for the first sub-area and the lighting level for the second sub-area;

determine a second lighting fixture that affects the lighting level for the second sub-area; and

adjust the first lighting fixture and the second lighting fixture to achieve a first target light level in the first sub-area and a second target light level in the second sub-area, wherein the adjustment of the second lighting fixture is in response to an amount that the first lighting fixture affects the lighting level for the second sub-area when the first lighting fixture is adjusted.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine, during a configuration procedure prior to an operation for performing load control, a light contribution for each lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures that affects the lighting level for the first sub-area and for each lighting fixture of the plurality of lighting fixtures that affects the lighting level for the second sub-area.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the first lighting fixture has a greatest impact on the lighting level of the first sub-area; and

determine that the second lighting fixture has a highest contribution on the lighting level of the second sub-area.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine a first intensity to which to control the first lighting fixture to control the lighting level of the first sub-area to be greater than or equal to the first target light level; and

determine a second intensity to which to control the second lighting fixture to control the lighting level of the second sub-area to be greater than or equal to the second target light level.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine whether the lighting level for the first sub-area is greater than an upper-limit lighting level that is equal to the first target light level plus an offset amount; and

adjust the first intensity for the first lighting fixture for the first sub-area to reduce the lighting level for the first sub-area below the upper-limit lighting level without reducing the lighting level for the first sub-area below the target light level.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

after the first and second intensities are determined, control the first lighting fixture to the first intensity and control the second lighting fixture to the second intensity.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine the first and second target light levels from a predefined light profile.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the predefined light profile is a uniform light profile, and the first and second target light levels are the same.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the predefined light profile is a gradient profile, and the first and second target light levels are different.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first sub-area and the second sub-area are adjacent sub-areas.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a control circuit configured to:

retrieve an image of a space;

determine a lighting level for a first sub-area within the space;

determine a lighting level for a second sub-area within the space;

determine a first lighting fixture that affects the lighting level for the first sub-area and the lighting level for the second sub-area;

determine a second lighting fixture that affects the lighting level for the second sub-area; and

adjust the first lighting fixture and the second lighting fixture to achieve a uniform lighting level across the first sub-area and the second sub-area, wherein the adjustment of the second lighting fixture is in response to an amount that the first lighting fixture affects the lighting level for the second sub-area when the first lighting fixture is adjusted.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the first lighting fixture has a greatest impact on the lighting level of the first sub-area; and

determine that the second lighting fixture has a highest contribution on the lighting level of the second sub-area.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine a first intensity to which to control the first lighting fixture to control the lighting level of the first sub-area to be greater than or equal to the uniform lighting level; and

determine a second intensity to which to control the second lighting fixture to control the lighting level of the second sub-area to be greater than or equal to the uniform lighting level.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine whether the lighting level for the first sub-area is greater than an upper-limit lighting level that is equal to the uniform lighting level plus an offset amount; and

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

after the first and second intensities are determined, control the first lighting fixture to the first intensity and the second lighting fixture to the second intensity.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first sub-area and the second sub-area are adjacent sub-areas.

Cited By (5)

US 12,213,226 US 12,225,646 US 12,389,512 US 12,439,494 US 12,495,128