Ambient light regulation methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10912170-B2
Application number	US-201916578522-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2019
Priority date	Nov 22, 2013
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A lighting fixture includes a solid-state light source and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to receive one or more ambient light level measurements corresponding to the amount of ambient light detected by an ambient light sensor, and determine a range of values for the one or more ambient light level measurements corresponding to a desired amount of light detected by the ambient light sensor. The control circuitry is then configured to drive the solid-state light source such that the one or more ambient light level measurements received from the ambient light sensor fall within the determined range of values.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting fixture comprising: a light source; an ambient light sensor configured to provide an ambient light sensor output; and control circuitry configured to: determine a setpoint for the ambient light sensor output based on one or more initial ambient light level measurements, the setpoint corresponding with a light intensity detected by the ambient light sensor; drive the light source according to the setpoint; communicate the setpoint to a different lighting fixture; adjust the setpoint to an adjusted setpoint based on changes to a drive current signal provided to the light source while driving the ambient sensor output corresponds to the setpoint; and communicate the adjusted setpoint to the different lighting fixture.

2. The lighting fixture of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine a first value that is below the setpoint for the ambient light sensor output and a second value that is above the setpoint for the ambient light sensor output.

3. The lighting fixture of claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the setpoint to the adjusted setpoint when changes to the drive current signal are detected while the ambient light sensor output falls between the first value and the second value.

4. The lighting fixture of claim 1 , wherein determining the setpoint for the ambient light sensor output comprises:
reading the ambient light sensor output with the light source driven at a first level to obtain one or more first ambient light level measurements;
reading the ambient light sensor output with the light source driven at a second level to obtain one or more second ambient light level measurements; and
determining the setpoint based on a difference between the one or more first ambient light level measurements and the one or more second ambient light level measurements.

5. The lighting fixture of claim 4 , wherein the first level corresponds to the light source being driven to a fully on state and the second level corresponds to the light source being off.

6. The lighting fixture of claim 4 , wherein the first level corresponds to the light source being driven at a first dimming level and the second level corresponds to the light source being driven at a second dimming level, which is different from the first dimming level.

7. The lighting fixture of claim 1 , wherein the ambient light sensor is arranged outside of a mixing chamber of the lighting fixture.

8. The lighting fixture of claim 1 , wherein the ambient light sensor is arranged within a mixing chamber of the lighting fixture.

9. The lighting fixture of claim 1 , wherein the light intensity detected by the ambient light sensor corresponds to a reference light level being reflected off of a task surface that is at least partially illuminated by the lighting fixture.

10. The lighting fixture of claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises a solid-state light source.

11. A lighting fixture comprising:
a light source;
an ambient light sensor configured to provide an ambient light sensor output; and
control circuitry configured to:
determine a preliminary setpoint for the ambient light sensor output based on one or more initial ambient light level measurements, the preliminary setpoint corresponding with a light intensity detected by the ambient light sensor;
communicate the preliminary setpoint to a designated coordinator;
receive a setpoint from the designated coordinator, the setpoint determined by the preliminary setpoint and other preliminary setpoints communicated to the designated coordinator by other lighting fixtures; and
drive the light source according to the setpoint.

12. The lighting fixture of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry comprises the designated coordinator.

13. The lighting fixture of claim 11 , wherein the setpoint is a group setpoint that is common for other lighting fixtures of a lighting fixture network.

14. The lighting fixture of claim 11 , wherein the setpoint is different than other setpoints communicated by the designated coordinator to other lighting fixtures of a lighting fixture network.

15. The lighting fixture of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the preliminary setpoint to an adjusted setpoint based on changes to a drive current signal provided to the light source and communicate the adjusted setpoint to the designated coordinator.

16. The lighting fixture of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine a first value that is below the preliminary setpoint for the ambient light sensor output and a second value that is above the preliminary setpoint for the ambient light sensor output.

17. The lighting fixture of claim 16 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the preliminary setpoint to an adjusted setpoint when changes to a drive current signal provided to the light source are detected while the ambient light sensor output falls between the first value and the second value.

18. The lighting fixture of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to independently adjust an output level of the light source based on the setpoint received from the designated coordinator.

19. A lighting fixture comprising:
a light source;
an ambient light sensor configured to provide an ambient light sensor output; and
control circuitry configured to:
determine a preliminary setpoint for the ambient light sensor output based on one or more initial ambient light level measurements, the preliminary setpoint corresponding with a light intensity detected by the ambient light sensor;
communicate the preliminary setpoint to one or more other lighting fixtures;
receive one or more other preliminary setpoints from the one or more other lighting fixtures, the one or more other preliminary setpoints corresponding with one or more light intensities detected by one or more other ambient light sensors of the one or more other lighting fixtures;
determine a setpoint for the lighting fixture based on the preliminary setpoint and the one or more other preliminary setpoints; and
drive the light source according to the setpoint.

20. The lighting fixture of claim 19 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to adjust the preliminary setpoint to an adjusted group setpoint based on changes to a drive current signal provided to the light source and communicate the adjusted group setpoint to the one or more other lighting fixtures.

21. The lighting fixture of claim 19 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to independently adjust an output level of the light source based on the preliminary setpoint and the one or more other preliminary setpoints.

Assignees

• Ideal Ind Lighting Llc

Inventors

• Pope Daniel J

Classifications

• H05B47/199

  Commissioning of light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B45/18

  using temperature feedback · CPC title

• H05B45/12

  using optical feedback · CPC title

• H05B47/11 Primary

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