Sky camera system utilizing circadian information for intelligent building control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11473371-B2
Application number	US-202117327434-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 21, 2021
Priority date	May 6, 2004
Publication date	Oct 18, 2022
Grant date	Oct 18, 2022

Abstract

Intelligent building control systems utilize sky information from a camera or cameras to facilitate control of building systems such as lighting, motorized window coverings, electrochromic glazings, HVAC systems, and so forth. Based on the sky information, interior lighting intensity and/or color temperature may be modified, for example in order to achieve a desired circadian effect for building occupants. In this manner, energy efficiency and occupant comfort and convenience are improved.

First claim

We claim:

1. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor,
the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
predicting, by the processor and utilizing a camera image of a sky, a predicted circadian impact associated with a location of interest, in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest; and
performing, by the processor, at least one of:
(i) communicating, to a building management system, information regarding the predicted circadian impact at the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest,
(ii) causing an adjustment of a window shade associated with the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest,
(iii) causing activation of a glass controller to adjust a variable characteristic of a glass associated with the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest,
(iv) communicating, to a lighting control system, information regarding the predicted circadian impact at the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest, or
(v) causing an adjustment of a lighting fixture associated with the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predicting the predicted circadian impact is based on at least one of averaging a color temperature in a multi-pixel representation of the sky, segmenting the color temperature at a pixel level, or averaging the color temperature within a section of the sky comprising a plurality of pixels.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the adjustment of the lighting fixture comprises independently causing the adjustment of a light level and a color temperature.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the adjustment of the lighting fixture comprises modifying a color temperature of an overall light output of the lighting fixture by varying a relative output of a first set of LEDs and a second set of LEDs, while a luminance of the overall light output stays similar.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the adjustment of the lighting fixture comprises creating a similar color temperature profile as would exist if there were no obstructions to natural light above the location of interest.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the adjustment of the lighting fixture comprises the lighting fixture being adjusted to at least one of approximate external conditions or compensate for less desirable external conditions.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of qualifying or quantifying a lux level relative to a condition of the sky, based on a daylight sensor at the location of interest detecting the lux level.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the processor, inputs of at least one of lux level information or color temperature information from a daylight sensor for use by the predictive algorithm.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predicting is further based on receiving input from a sensor located at least one of on or near an individual at the location of interest, wherein the input from the sensor includes at least one of preferences of the individual, working shift information for the individual, travel schedule information for the individual, chronotype information for the individual, conditions that improve a circadian rhythm of the individual, health related information of the individual, movements of the individual or physical changes of the individual.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the adjustment of the lighting fixture comprises causing the adjustment of luminance and color temperature to replicate a passage of time of sky conditions throughout a day across a floorplan that includes the location of interest.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the adjustment of the lighting fixture comprises causing the adjustment to a warmer setting to mix with a cooler color temperature from an external light impacting the location of interest to obtain a desired overall color temperature profile.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the causing the adjustment of the lighting fixture is based on address mapping information for the lighting fixture and an evaluation of natural light contribution factors to the location of interest.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predicting the predicted circadian impact associated with the location of interest is based on mitigating solar glare by blocking the solar glare from the location of interest.

14. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring, by the processor in communication with a daylight sensor, a brightness level associated with the location of interest;
determining, based on the brightness level and the predicted circadian impact, light exposure information for the location of interest; and
communicating, by the processor and to a wearable electronic device of a building occupant, the light exposure information.

15. The system of claim 1 , further comprising communicating, via the lighting control system and utilizing one or more visible light fixtures, information to a wearable electronic device of a building occupant.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting lighting conditions that reinforce the predicted circadian impact with melanopic light intensity adjustments associated with the location of interest.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communicating to the lighting control system comprises applying a first level of light to a daylight zone and applying a second level of light outside the daylight zone.

18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising using visible light communication wherein lighting fixtures send information to opto-electronic devices.

19. The system of claim 1 , further comprising reducing external sky contributions on the location of interest by at least one of enhance a lighting effect created by the lighting fixture by lowering the window covering in front of a windowed area impacting the location of interest or reducing visible light transmission into the location of interest in a building by the causing activation of the glass controller.

20. The method comprising:
predicting, by a processor and utilizing a camera image of a sky, a predicted circadian impact associated with a location of interest, in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest; and
performing, by the processor, at least one of:
(i) communicating, to a building management system, information regarding the predicted circadian impact at the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest,
(ii) causing an adjustment of a window shade associated with the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest,
(iii) causing activation of a glass controller to adjust a variable characteristic of a glass associated with the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest,
(iv) communicating, to a lighting control system, information regarding the predicted circadian impact at the location of interest in advance of the circadian impact impacting the location of interest, or
(v) causing an adjustm

Assignees

• Mechoshade Sys Llc

Inventors

• Hebeisen Stephen P
• Greenspan Alex
• Berman Joel

Classifications

• Y02A30/24

  Structural elements or technologies for improving thermal insulation · CPC title

• F24F11/30

  for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring · CPC title

• E06B2009/6827

  sensing light · CPC title

• Y02B80/00

  Architectural or constructional elements improving the thermal performance of buildings · CPC title

• H04L12/2827

  Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality · CPC title