Systems and apparatus for image-based lighting control and security control

1. A lighting control system comprising: a camera capturing at least one image and transmitting an image signal; a processor in signal communication with the camera, wherein the processor is configured to receive the image signal and is further configured to execute an algorithm comprising; extracting, from the image signal, information describing the at least one image; processing the at least one image to determine at least two of: an indicator of natural illumination, an indicator of occupancy, and an indicator of security; and generating a control signal for a plurality of individually-controllable luminaries based on at least one indicator, wherein the plurality of individually-controllable luminaries comprises a plurality of arrangements of one or more lighting units comprising one or more LED-based light sources, wherein the processor additionally processes the at least one image to effect an adjustable per-pixel sensitivity associated with the camera, the processing comprising multiplying the at least one image with a grey-scale mask image on a per-pixel basis: wherein the camera includes a multi-channel color detector; and wherein the processor processing the at least one image to determine an average workplane illuminance in the space related to the at least one image comprises: estimating a spectral power distribution of natural daylight and electric lighting associated with the space, computing a workplane illuminance associated with the space, calculating a multiplier for the workplane illuminance based on the spectral power distribution of the natural daylight and electric lighting associated with the space, and determining the average workplane illuminance in the space by multiplying the workplane illuminance by the multiplier.

2. The lighting control system of claim 1 ,

wherein the at least one image comprises a first image and a second image;

wherein the processor comprises a first processor and a second processor; and

wherein the processor processing the at least one image comprises the first processor processing the first image while the second processor simultaneously processes the second image.

3. The lighting control system of claim 1 ,

wherein at least LED-based light source comprises an optically modulated LED for enabling optical communications.

4. A lighting control system comprising:

a camera configured to capture at least one image and to transmit an image signal including information describing the at least one image; and

a processor in signal communication with the camera, wherein the processor is configured to receive the image signal and is further configured to execute an algorithm, comprising:

extracting from the image signal the information describing the at least one image,

processing the at least one image to determine an average workplane illuminance in a space related to the at least one image,

comparing the average workplane illuminance to a range of values, and

in response to the average workplane illuminance being outside the range of values, generating at least one control signal for individually controlling at least one of a plurality of individually-controllable luminaires to adjust an illumination provided by the at least one luminaire,

wherein the camera includes a multi-color channel detector; and

wherein the processor processing the at least one image to determine an average workplane illuminance in the space related to the at least one image includes:

calculating a spectral power distribution of natural daylight and synthetic lighting associated with the space,

determining a workplane illuminance associated with the space,

calculating a multiplier for the workplane illuminance based on the spectral power distribution of the natural daylight and the synthetic lighting associated with the space, and

determining the average workplane illuminance in the space by multiplying the workplane illuminance by the multiplier.

5. The lighting control system of claim 4 ,

wherein the processor additionally processes the at least one image to effect an adjustable field of view associated with the camera, the processing comprising electronically masking the at least one image.

6. The lighting control system of claim 4 , wherein the processor additionally processes the at least one image to effect an increase in dynamic range associated with the camera, the processing comprising subjecting the at least one image to a logarithmic transfer function befbre digitizing the at least one image.

7. The lighting control system of claim 4 ,

wherein the at least one image comprises a first image and a second image, the first image being captured before the second image; and

wherein the processor processes the at least one image by combining the first image the second image on a per-pixel basis.

8. The lighting control system of claim 4 ,

wherein the processor processing the at least one image comprises:

adaptively subsampling the at least one image to produce at least one lower resolution image for use by the processor, and

generating a hierarchical representation of the at least one image, the hierarchical representation comprising the at least one image in a plurality of resolutions for use by the processor.

9. The lighting control system of claim 4 , wherein processing the at least one image to determine the average workplane illuminance associated with the space comprises determining an indicator of natural illumination for the space.

10. A lighting control system, comprising:

a camera configured to capture at least one image and to transmit an image signal including information describing the at least one image; and

a processor in signal communication with the camera, wherein the processor is configured to receive the image signal and is further configured to execute an algorithm, comprising:

extracting from the image signal the information describing the at least one image,

processing the at least one image to determine an average workplane illuminance in a space related to the at least one image,

comparing the average workplane illuminance to a range of values, and

in response to the average workplane illuminance being outside the range of values, generating at least one control signal for individually controlling at least one of a plurality of individually-controllable luminaires to adjust an illumination provided by the at least one luminaire,

wherein the camera comprises a red color channel, a green color channel, and a blue color channel; and

wherein the processor processing the at least one image to determine an average workplane illuminance in the space related to the at least one image comprises:

estimating a spectral power distribution of natural daylight and electric lighting associated with the space,

computing a raw workplane illuminance associated with the space,

calculating a multiplier for the raw workplane illuminance based on the spectral power distribution of the natural daylight and the electric lighting associated with the space, and

determining the average workplane illuminance in the space by multiplying the raw workplane illuminance by the multiplier.