System and method for controlling lighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504133-B2
Application number	US-201213648933-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2012
Priority date	Mar 27, 2008
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A controller for controlling a plurality of lighting devices configured for wireless communications in a facility includes a data communications interface communicating with at least one of the devices. The controller further includes a control module configured to provide a control signal to the data communications interface for communicating to a transceiver associated with the device and for turning off the device according to an algorithm wherein the control signal is provided based on a time of day and/or a sensed condition relating to use of the facility. The transceiver reports device data to the control module to quantify a reduction in power obtained by controlling the devices according to the algorithm.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A controller for controlling lighting in a facility provided by a plurality of lighting fixtures configured for wireless communications, the controller comprising:
a data communications interface communicating with at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures; and
a control module configured to provide a control signal to the data communications interface for communicating to the at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures and for at least one of turning on and turning off the plurality of lighting fixtures according to an algorithm that generates the control signal based on a time of day and an occupancy within the facility, the control module configured to determine the occupancy within the facility based on a sensed condition relating to motion within the facility and a level of carbon dioxide within the facility, wherein the control module is configured to compare the level of carbon dioxide within the facility with a carbon dioxide threshold associated with human occupation, and wherein the control module is further configured to quantify a reduction in power obtained by controlling the plurality of lighting fixtures according to the algorithm, and wherein the control module is configured to quantify the reduction in power by calculating the difference of (A) a first amount of power used by the lighting without control according to the algorithm with (B) a second amount of power used by the lighting as controlled by the algorithm.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a master controller for the plurality of lighting fixtures.

3. The controller of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user interface for receiving programming inputs from a user and configured to provide the inputs to the control module.

4. The controller of claim 3 , wherein the user interface allows the user to manually control the behavior of the lighting fixtures.

5. The controller of claim 4 , wherein the user interface is configured to provide at least one user interface element for allowing the user to specify which of providing the control signal based on time of day and providing the control signal based on a sensed condition relating to use of the facility to use by the algorithm.

6. The controller of claim 5 , wherein the user interface is configured to provide at least one user interface element for allowing the user to override the algorithm.

7. The controller of claim 6 , wherein the user interface is configured to provide at least one user interface element for allowing the user to control at least a second group of lighting fixtures in addition to a first group of lighting fixtures formed by the plurality of lighting fixtures, and wherein the algorithm applied to the first group of lighting fixtures can also be applied to the second group of lighting fixtures.

8. The controller of claim 7 , wherein the user interface element is at least one of a switch, a touch screen area, a button, and a hyperlink, and wherein the user may select a time duration for the override using the user interface.

9. The controller of claim 7 , wherein the user interface is further configured to allow the user to adjust the algorithm applied to the first group of lighting fixtures relative to the algorithm applied to the second group of lighting fixtures.

10. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the user interface is configured to allow the user to build the first and second groups of lighting fixtures by relating device identifiers associated with the lighting fixtures to a first group identifier for the first group and a second group identifier for the second group.

11. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the user interface is a touch screen physically and electrically coupled to the control module and wherein the touch screen provides the at least one user interface element via a graphical user interface displayed on the touch screen.

12. The controller of claim 11 , wherein the graphical user interface shows a representation a facility floor plan and wherein the graphical user interface is configured to allow the user to divide the floor plan into one or more zones and to associate at least one of the first group and the second group with the one or more zones.

13. A method for controlling lighting in a facility provided by a plurality of lighting fixtures configured for wireless communications, the method comprising:
determining whether to provide a control signal to at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures according to an algorithm that generates the control signal based on a time of day and an occupancy within the facility;
determining the occupancy within the facility based on a sensed condition relating to motion within the facility and a level of carbon dioxide within the facility;
comparing the level of carbon dioxide within the facility with a carbon dioxide threshold associated with human occupation;
providing the control signal to a data communications interface for communication to the at least one of the plurality of lighting fixtures; and
quantifying a reduction in power obtained by controlling the plurality of lighting fixtures according to the algorithm by calculating the difference of (A) a first amount of power used by the lighting without control according to the algorithm with (B) a second amount of power used by the lighting as controlled by the algorithm; and
storing indicia of the reduction in power in a memory device, displaying indicia of the reduction in power on an electronic display, or storing indicia of the reduction in power in the memory device and displaying indicia of the reduction in power on the electronic display.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
providing the plurality of lighting fixtures;
installing the plurality of lighting fixtures; and
creating at least a first group of lighting fixtures and a second group of lighting fixtures from the plurality of lighting fixtures.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
providing a user interface configured to allow the configuration of the first group of lighting fixtures and the second group of lighting fixtures, wherein the configuration specifies which of control based on time of day and a sensed condition to use by the first group of lighting fixtures and the second group of lighting fixtures.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
manually controlling the first group of lighting fixtures and the second group of lighting fixtures via the user interface.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
adjusting the composition of the first group of lighting fixtures and the second group of lighting fixtures via the user interface.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
setting a different activity for the algorithm via input received from the user interface, wherein the input comprises:
(a) selection of a first mode for the first group of lighting fixtures during a first time period,
(b) selection of a second mode for the first group of lighting fixtures during a second time period, and
(c) selection of an override condition for at least one of the first mode and the second mode.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
electrically coupling a first wireless transceiver to one of the plurality of lighting fixtures to configure the plurality of lighting fixtures for the wireless communication, wherein the wireless communication is bi-directional.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first wireless transceiver is wired to the data commu

Assignees

• Orion Energy Systems Inc

Inventors

• Verfuerth Neal R
• Potts Michael J
• Wang Jun
• Bartol Anthony J

Classifications

• H05B47/105

  in response to determined parameters · CPC title

• H05B47/16 Primary

  by timing means · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B47/1985

  Creation of lighting zones or scenes · CPC title

• Y02B60/50

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic