Occupancy sensor with built-in power pack to operate multiple sensors

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9974145-B2
Application number	US-201615387835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2013
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A system and method provide fail-safe operation of a lighting system. A lighting level detector is used to obtain a baseline lighting level for a low-intensity light. If the detector measures less than the baseline level when an occupancy sensor determines the space is unoccupied, a high-intensity light is energized and an indication is provided to a user that the low-intensity light has failed. A method provides daylighting operation of a lighting system. An occupancy sensor can have Wi-Fi functionality to enable remote configuration of the sensor. A line voltage occupancy sensor can include an interface with low voltage devices. An occupancy sensor can include an integral interface to enable an external control system to override the sensor's normal logic under emergency conditions. An occupancy sensor can include an active temperature compensation feature. An occupancy sensor can also incorporate an automatically adjustable coverage area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A line voltage occupancy sensor comprising:
an occupancy sensor housing;
an occupancy sensing element located within the occupancy sensor housing, the occupancy sensing element for sensing an occupancy condition of a monitored area;
a load control device located within the occupancy sensor housing, the load control device communicatively coupled to the occupancy sensing element, the load control device including a relay for controlling a load in response to signals received from the occupancy sensing element;
an input interface located within the occupancy sensor housing, the input interface for connecting to a building main power supply for receiving line AC voltage from the building main power supply to power the occupancy sensor;
an AC/DC converter located within the occupancy sensor housing, the AC/DC converter for converting the AC voltage to low voltage DC power; and
a low voltage output interface located within the occupancy sensor housing, the low voltage output interface for coupling to DC power wires for transmitting low voltage DC power to one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors.

2. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a communication input interface located within the occupancy sensor housing, the communication input interface for coupling to a communication wire to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors to enable the line voltage occupancy sensor to receive signals from the one or more of the low voltage occupancy sensors and to control an associated load in response thereto.

3. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 2 , wherein the communication input interface is coupled to an analog/digital (A/D) communication interface to convert analog signals from the low voltage occupancy sensors to digital signals.

4. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a light sensor located within the occupancy sensor housing, the light sensor for providing a lighting signal representative of a lighting level of the monitored area.

5. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 1 , further comprising 0-10 Volt (V) circuitry within the occupancy sensor housing, the 0-10V circuitry coupled to a processor to enable the processor to control the 0-10V circuitry to provide less than full power to a connected load.

6. An occupancy sensing system comprising:
one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for sensing an occupancy condition of a first portion of a monitored space;
a line voltage occupancy sensor including an occupancy sensor housing; an occupancy sensing element located within the occupancy sensor housing for sensing an occupancy condition of a second portion of the monitored area, a load control device located within the occupancy sensor housing and communicatively coupled to the occupancy sensing element, the load control device including a relay for controlling a load in response to signals received from the occupancy sensing element, an input interface located within the occupancy sensor housing for connecting to a building main power supply for receiving line AC voltage from the building main power supply to power the line voltage occupancy sensor; and an AC/DC converter located within the occupancy sensor housing for converting the AC voltage to low voltage DC power; and
one or more low voltage DC power wires for connecting the line voltage occupancy sensor to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising one or more communication wires for connecting the line voltage occupancy sensor to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors so that the low voltage occupancy sensors transmit operational signals to the line voltage occupancy sensor.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the load is controllable by the load control device in response to signals received from at least one of the low voltage occupancy sensors.

9. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a light sensor located within the occupancy sensor housing, the light sensor for providing a lighting signal representative of a lighting level of the second portion of the monitored space.

10. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a low voltage light sensor communicatively coupled to the line voltage occupancy sensor via one or more communication wires so that the low voltage light sensor provides a lighting signal to the line voltage occupancy sensor, the lighting signal representative of a lighting level of the monitored space.

11. The system of claim 6 , further comprising a low voltage wallswitch communicatively coupled to the line voltage occupancy sensor via one or more communication wires so that signals can be transmitted to the line voltage occupancy sensor based on manual actuation of the wallswitch.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein line voltage occupancy sensor is configured to receive the signals from the low voltage wallswitch and to control the load in response thereto.

13. A line voltage occupancy sensor comprising:
an occupancy sensor housing;
an occupancy sensing element located within the occupancy sensor housing for sensing an occupancy condition of a monitored area;
a low voltage output interface located within the occupancy sensor housing for transmitting DC power to one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors; and
a load control device located within the occupancy sensor housing and communicatively coupled to the occupancy sensing element, the load control device including a relay for controlling a load in response to signals received from the occupancy sensing element.

14. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 13 , further comprising a communication input interface located within the occupancy sensor housing for coupling to a communication wire to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors to enable the line voltage occupancy sensor to receive signals from the one or more of the low voltage occupancy sensors and to control an associated load in response thereto.

15. The line voltage occupancy sensor of claim 14 , further comprising an input interface located within the occupancy sensor housing for connecting to a building main power supply for receiving line AC voltage from the building main power supply to power the occupancy sensor; and an AC/DC converter located within the occupancy sensor housing for converting the AC voltage to low voltage DC power for transfer along low voltage DC power wires to power the low voltage occupancy sensors.

16. An occupancy sensing system comprising:
one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for sensing an occupancy condition of a first portion of a monitored space; and
a line voltage occupancy sensor including:
an occupancy sensor housing;
an occupancy sensing element located within the occupancy sensor housing for sensing an occupancy condition of a second portion of the monitored area;
a low voltage output interface located within the occupancy sensor housing to transmit DC power to the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors for powering the low voltage occupancy sensors;
a communication input interface located within the occupancy sensor housing to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors; and
a processor located within the occupancy sensor housing to receive a signal from the occupancy sensing element in the line voltage occupancy sensor and to receive signals from the one or more low voltage occupancy sensors, and

Assignees

• Leviton Manufacturing Co

Inventors

• Muthu Subramanian
• Hick Robert
• Balasubramanian Jaiganesh
• Elzie John

Classifications

• H05B47/11 Primary

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

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/10

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• F21S8/006

  Solar simulators, e.g. for testing photovoltaic panels · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title