Method and apparatus for controlling light levels to save energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10485077-B2
Application number	US-201916443356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2019
Priority date	Aug 27, 2012
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

An occupancy sensor with integral light level sensors is configured to turn off or disable peripheral circuits and go into a periodic deep sleep mode to reduce phantom loading. Peripheral circuits include occupancy sensor circuits and relay drive circuits, but may include other circuits such as communication circuits. The sensor may be configured to periodically wake itself up, check ambient light conditions to see if lighting is below the set threshold. If it is not, the sensor goes back to sleep. If it is, then the sensor can power up the occupancy sensor circuit to see if the space is occupied; if not, it can go back to sleep. If the space is occupied, it can turn on other peripheral circuits necessary to control the load.

First claim

We claim:

1. A lighting control system comprising:
a lighting control component with a microcontroller and a first group of circuits and a second group of circuits for controlling the application of mains power to loads;
one or more loads operatively connected to the lighting control component;
a light sensor operatively connected to the lighting control component, the light sensor producing a first signal when it senses light levels above a predetermined threshold and a second signal when it senses light levels below the predetermined threshold; and
wherein the microcontroller is operable to reduce power to the first group of circuits when the first signal is received and restores full power to the first group of circuits when the second signal is received.

2. The lighting control system of claim 1 further comprising:
one or more lighting or load control sensors, each sensor having a first group of circuits and a second group of circuits;
a low voltage power and communication network interconnecting the lighting control component and the one or more lighting or load control sensors; and
wherein the microcontroller is operable to transmit signals through the low voltage power and communication network to the one or more lighting or load control sensors to reduce power to the first group of circuits when the first signal is received and restore full power to the first group of circuits when the second signal is received.

3. The lighting control system of claim 2 wherein the microcontroller also disables power to the second group of circuits when the first signal is received and enables power to the second group of circuits when the second signal is received.

4. The lighting control system of claim 2 wherein the microcontroller is operable to transmit signals through the low voltage power and communication network to the one or more lighting or load control sensors to also disable power to the second group of circuits when the first signal is received and enable power to the second group of circuits when the second signal is received.

5. The lighting control system of claim 2 wherein the one or more lighting or load control sensors are wirelessly connected to the lighting control component.

6. The lighting control system of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller is also operable to disable power to the second group of circuits when the first signal is received and enables power to the second group of circuits when the second signal is received.

7. The lighting control system of claim 1 wherein the microcontroller is operable to transmit signals through the low voltage power and communication network to the one or more lighting or load control sensors to also disable power to the second group of circuits when the first signal is received and enable power to the second group of circuits when the second signal is received.

8. The lighting control system of claim 1 wherein the one or more lighting or load control sensors are wirelessly connected to the lighting control component.

Assignees

• Watt Stopper Inc

Inventors

• Joyce Jason
• Grey Thomas L

Classifications

• H05B47/11 Primary

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• H05B37/0272

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02B20/48

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic