Methods, apparatus and systems for providing occupancy-based variable lighting

Abstract

A presence and an absence of an occupant is detected, and an occupancy sensor signal is generated representative of an active state in which the presence of the occupant is detected, and an inactive state in which the absence of the occupant is detected. An ambient light sensor detects the ambient light level and generates an ambient light sensor signal representative of the ambient light level. Dimmable illumination is generated at a first dimming level, based on the ambient light level, corresponding to the active state and a second dimming level corresponding to the inactive state. A transition delay time between an onset of the inactive state and a transition between the first dimming level and the second dimming level may be controlled. The first dimming level, the second dimming level, and/or the transition delay time may be variably set or controlled locally or via a remote device.

1 . A lighting apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of LED-based light sources to generate dimmable illumination at a plurality of different dimming levels;   an occupancy sensor to detect a presence and an absence of an occupant within a sensing range of the lighting fixture, the occupancy sensor generating an occupancy sensor signal representative of:
 an active state in which the presence of the occupant is detected; and 
 an inactive state in which the absence of the occupant is detected; 
   an ambient light sensor to detect an ambient light level within an illumination range of the light fixture, the ambient light sensor generating an ambient light sensor signal representative of the ambient light level within the illumination range of the light fixture; and   a controller, coupled to the plurality of LED-based light sources, the occupancy sensor, and the ambient light sensor, to control the plurality of LED-based light sources based at least in part on the occupancy sensor signal and the ambient light sensor signal, wherein the controller:
 A) controls the plurality of LED-based light sources to generate the dimmable illumination at a first dimming level of the plurality of different dimming levels corresponding to the active state represented by the occupancy sensor signal and the ambient light level represented by the ambient light sensor signal; and 
 B) controls the plurality of LED-based light sources to generate the dimmable illumination at a second dimming level of the plurality of different dimming levels corresponding to the inactive state represented by the occupancy sensor signal and the ambient light level represented by the ambient light sensor signal. 
   
     
     
         2 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of different dimming levels includes a range of dimming levels between 0% of a full-scale illumination value and 100% of the full-scale illumination value. 
     
     
         3 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of different dimming levels are respectively represented by a corresponding plurality of digital values having a 16-bit digital resolution;   the first dimming level is represented by a first digital value of the plurality of digital values; and   the second dimming level is represented by a second digital value of the plurality of digital values.   
     
     
         4 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a memory, communicatively coupled to the controller, to store representations of at least the first dimming level and the second dimming level. 
     
     
         5 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first dimming level is different than the second dimming level. 
     
     
         6 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first dimming level is less than a maximum illumination value of which the apparatus is capable. 
     
     
         7 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second dimming level is a non-zero dimming level. 
     
     
         8 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller further:
 C) controls a transition delay time between an onset of the inactive state and a transition between the first dimming level and the second dimming level.   
     
     
         9 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one communication interface, communicatively coupled to the controller, to receive at least one control signal from an external device,   wherein the at least one control signal includes information relating to at least one of the first dimming level, the second dimming level, and the transition delay time.   
     
     
         10 . The lighting apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 at least one of the first dimming level, the second dimming level and the transition delay time are set by and/or determined at the external device; and   the controller controls the plurality of LED-based light sources based on the at least one control signal received from the external device.   
     
     
         11 . A lighting method, comprising:
 A) detecting a presence and an absence of an occupant;   B) generating an occupancy sensor signal based on A), the occupancy sensor signal representative of:
 B1) an active state in which the presence of the occupant is detected; and 
 B2) an inactive state in which the absence of the occupant is detected; and 
   D) detecting an ambient light level;   E) generating an ambient light sensor signal based on D), the ambient light sensor signal representative of:   F) generating dimmable illumination at a plurality of different dimming levels based at least in part on B) and E), wherein F) comprises:
 F1) generating the dimmable illumination at a first dimming level of the plurality of different dimming levels corresponding to the active state; and 
 F2) generating the dimmable illumination at a second dimming level of the plurality of different dimming levels corresponding to the inactive state. 
   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first dimming level is different than the second dimming level. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of different dimming levels includes a range of dimming levels between 0% of a full-scale illumination value and 100% of the full-scale illumination value. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first dimming level is less than the full-scale illumination value. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the second dimming level is a non-zero dimming level. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the plurality of different dimming levels are respectively represented by a corresponding plurality of digital values having a 16-bit digital resolution;   the first dimming level is represented by a first digital value of the plurality of digital values; and   the second dimming level is represented by a second digital value of the plurality of digital values.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 G) controlling a transition delay time between an onset of the inactive state and a transition between the first dimming level and the second dimming level.   
     
     
         18 . A lighting apparatus, comprising:
 a plurality of LED-based light sources to generate dimmable illumination at a plurality of different dimming levels;   an occupancy sensor to detect a presence and an absence of a person or an object of interest;   an ambient light sensor to detect an ambient light level in an environment illuminated by the plurality of LED-based light source; and   a state machine, coupled to the occupancy sensor, the ambient light sensor, and the plurality of LED-based light sources, to control the plurality of LED-based light sources, wherein the state machine implements:   A) an active state in which the plurality of LED-based light sources are controlled to generate the illumination at a first dimming level if the occupancy sensor detects the presence of the person or the object of interest at a given ambient light level detected by the ambient light sensor;   B) a countdown state in which the plurality of LED-based light sources are controlled to generate the illumination at the first dimming level if the occupancy sensor detects the absence of the person or the object of interest, and a transition delay time has not expired; and   C) an inactive state in which the plurality of LED-based light sources are controlled to generate the illumination at a second dimming level if the occupancy sensor detects the absence of the person or the object of interest and the transition delay time has expired,   wherein:   the state machine transitions between A) and B) when the occupancy sensor first detects the absence of the person or the object of interest following detection of the presence of the person or the object of interest; and   at least one of the first dimming level, the second dimming level, and the transition delay time are controllably variable.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of different dimming levels includes a range of dimming levels between 0% of a full-scale illumination value and 100% of the full-scale illumination value. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the plurality of different dimming levels are respectively represented by a corresponding plurality of digital values having a 16-bit digital resolution;   the first dimming level is represented by a first digital value of the plurality of digital values; and   the second dimming level is represented by a second digital value of the plurality of digital values.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , further comprising a memory, communicatively coupled to the controller, to store at least the first dimming level and the second dimming level. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the first dimming level is different than the second dimming level. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the first dimming level is less than the full-scale illumination value. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the second dimming level is a non-zero dimming level. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 at least one communication interface, communicatively coupled to the state machine, to receive at least one control signal from an external device,   wherein the at least one control signal includes information relating to at least one of the first dimming level, the second dimming level, and the transition delay time.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein:
 at least one of the first dimming level, the second dimming level and the transition delay time are set by and/or determined at the external device; and   the state machine controls the plurality of LED-based light sources based on the at least one control signal received from the external device.   
     
     
         27 . A method for controlling a plurality of LED-based light sources to generate dimmable illumination at a plurality of different dimming levels, the method comprising:
 A) detecting a presence and an absence of a person or an object of interest;   B) detecting an ambient light level;   C) controlling the plurality of LED-based light sources to generate the illumination at a first dimming level, based on the ambient light level detected in B), if the presence of the person or the object of interest is detected in A), and a transition delay time has not expired;   D) controlling the plurality of LED-based light sources to generate the illumination at a second dimming level if the absence of the person or the object of interest is detected in A) and the transition delay time has expired; and   E) remotely controlling at least one of the first dimming level, the second dimming level, and the transition delay time.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the first dimming level is different than the second dimming level. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the plurality of different dimming levels includes a range of dimming levels between 0% of a full-scale illumination value and 100% of the full-scale illumination value. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first dimming level is less than the full-scale illumination value. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the second dimming level is a non-zero dimming level. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27  wherein:
 the plurality of different dimming levels are respectively represented by a corresponding plurality of digital values having a 16-bit digital resolution; 
 the first dimming level is represented by a first digital value of the plurality of digital values; and 
 the second dimming level is represented by a second digital value of the plurality of digital values.