Outdoor lighting system controlled using motion sensor interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10143056-B2
Application number	US-201715851786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Apr 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

Aspects are provided for controlling outdoor lighting systems using a photocontrol interface that can be connected to a motion sensor and a luminaire driver or ballast. In some aspects, a dimming control node is electrically and communicatively coupled to a motion sensor via wired connections to a photocontrol interface. The dimming control node is also communicatively coupled to a luminaire ballast or driver. The dimming control node can provide power to the motion sensor. The dimming control node can also receive sensor data from the motion sensor via one of the wired connections. The dimming control node can determine a sensor output state of the motion sensor from the received sensor data, and can select a dim-level configuration corresponding to the determined sensor output state. The dimming control node can cause the luminaire ballast or driver to implement the selected dim-level configuration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dimming control node comprising:
a photocontrol interface comprising:
a sensor power terminal that is electrically couplable to a motion sensor and configured for providing power to the motion sensor, and
a sensor input terminal that is communicatively couplable to the motion sensor and configured for receiving sensor data via a wired connection to the motion sensor; and

a processing device communicatively coupled to the sensor input terminal, wherein the processing device is configured for:
determining a sensor output state of the motion sensor from the sensor data received via the wired connection,
selecting a dim-level configuration corresponding to the sensor output state of the motion sensor, and
causing the dimming control node to set a luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the selected dim-level configuration.

2. The dimming control node of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured for:
determining, from the sensor data, that the sensor output state indicates a motion duration greater than or equal to a minimum occupancy-detection pulse width and less than a minimum response duration, wherein the dim-level configuration comprises:
(i) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a high dim-level state based on the motion duration being greater than or equal to the minimum occupancy-detection pulse width, and
(ii) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a low dim-level state after the minimum response duration has elapsed and based on the motion duration being less than the minimum response duration; and

transmitting control signals for (i) setting the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the high dim-level state in accordance with selected the dim-level configuration and (ii) setting the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the low dim-level state in accordance with the selected dim-level configuration.

3. The dimming control node of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured for:
determining, from the sensor data, that the sensor output state indicates a motion duration that is (i) greater than or equal to a minimum occupancy-detection pulse width and (ii) greater than or equal to a minimum response duration, wherein the dim-level configuration comprises:
(i) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a high dim-level state based on the motion duration being greater than or equal to the minimum occupancy-detection pulse width, and
(ii) a subsequent dim-level state of the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being synchronized with a subsequent sensor output state based on the motion duration being greater than or equal to the minimum response duration; and

transmitting a control signal for (i) setting the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the high dim-level state in accordance with selected the dim-level configuration and (ii) synchronizing the subsequent dim-level state of the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the sensor output state in accordance with the selected dim-level configuration.

4. The dimming control node of claim 1 , wherein the processing device is further configured for:
receiving, via the sensor input terminal, additional sensor data;
determining, from the additional sensor data, that an additional sensor output state has a duration less than a minimum occupancy-detection pulse width; and
maintaining, based the duration being less than the minimum occupancy-detection pulse width, a low dim-level state of the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver.

5. The dimming control node of claim 1 , wherein the dim-level configuration comprises:
(i) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a high dim-level state based on a motion duration, as indicated by the sensor output state, being greater than or equal to a minimum occupancy-detection pulse width, and
(ii) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a low dim-level state after a minimum response duration has elapsed and based on the motion duration being less than the minimum response duration,

wherein the processing device is further configured for:
determining an additional sensor output state of the motion sensor from additional sensor data received via the wired connection,
selecting an additional dim-level configuration corresponding to the additional sensor output state, wherein the additional dim-level configuration comprises:
(i) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a high dim-level state based on an additional motion duration, as indicated by the additional sensor output state, being greater than or equal to the minimum occupancy-detection pulse width, and
(ii) a subsequent dim-level state of the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being synchronized with a subsequent sensor output state based on the additional motion duration being greater than or equal to the minimum response duration; and

and
causing the dimming control node to transmit a control signal to the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver, the control signal configured for setting the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the selected additional dim-level configuration.

6. The dimming control node of claim 1 , further comprising a hardware filter configured to prevent additional sensor data, which indicates a sensor output duration less than a minimum occupancy-detection pulse width, from being provided to the processing device.

7. The dimming control node of claim 1 , wherein the photocontrol interface further comprises a sensor power terminal, a line terminal, a low-voltage common terminal, and a neutral terminal,
wherein the sensor power terminal and the low-voltage common terminal are configured to form a first electrical connection providing power to the motion sensor,
wherein the line terminal and the neutral terminal are configured to form a second electrical connection providing power to the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver.

8. A method comprising:
providing, by a dimming control node, power to a motion sensor via a photocontrol interface;
receiving, by the dimming control node, sensor data from the motion sensor via a wired connection to the motion sensor:
determining, by the dimming control node, a sensor output state of the motion sensor from the sensor data received via the wired connection;
selecting, by the dimming control node, a dim-level configuration corresponding to the sensor output state of the motion sensor; and
configuring, by the dimming control node, a luminaire ballast or luminaire driver with the selected dim-level configuration.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
determining, by the dimming control node and from the sensor data, that the sensor output state indicates a motion duration greater than or equal to a minimum occupancy-detection pulse width and less than a minimum response duration, wherein the dim-level configuration comprises:
(i) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a high dim-level state based on the motion duration being greater than or equal to the minimum occupancy-detection pulse width, and
(ii) the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver being set to a low dim-level state after the minimum response duration has elapsed and based on the motion duration being less than the minimum response duration;

generating, by the dimming control node, a control signal for setting the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the high dim-level state in accordance with selected the dim-level configuration and for setting the luminaire ballast or luminaire driver to the low dim-level state in accordance with the selected dim-level configuration; and
transmitting the control signal from the di

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Wagner Phillip Ryan
• Burt Robert

Classifications

• H05B45/10 Primary

  Controlling the intensity of the light · CPC title

• H05B33/089

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0854 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B37/0272

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title