Control systems for disinfecting light systems and methods of regulating operations of disinfecting light systems

Abstract

Control systems for disinfecting light systems and methods of regulating operations of disinfecting light systems are disclosed. The control system may include a controller operably coupled to a disinfecting light fixture illuminating a space. The controller may regulate an operation of the disinfecting light fixture by adjusting an amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture and/or adjusting an amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture. The amount of disinfecting energy may be adjusted based on data relating to the space including disinfecting energy provided to the space, a bacterial load of the space, and/or environmental characteristic(s) of the space. Additionally, the amount of illuminating light may be adjusted based on data relating to the space including environmental characteristic(s) of the space, and/or a predetermined operational schedule for the space.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control system for a disinfecting light system including a disinfecting light fixture, the control system comprising:
 a controller operably coupled to the disinfecting light fixture, the disinfecting light fixture illuminating a space,   wherein the controller regulates an operation of the disinfecting light fixture by performing processes including at least one of:
 adjusting an amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to at least one of:
 determining an amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a disinfecting energy threshold, 
 determining a sensed bacterial load of the space does not meet a bacterial load threshold, or 
 determining the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with a detected, environmental characteristic of the space; or 
 
 adjusting an amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to determining the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a preferred amount of illuminating light. 
   
     
     
         2 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the disinfecting light fixture is configured to at least one of:
 determine and transmit the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space to the controller, or   determine and transmit the amount of illuminating light provided to the space to the controller.   
     
     
         3 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is operably coupled to a component configured to detect the environmental characteristic of the space, and
 wherein the environmental characteristic includes at least one of:
 an occupancy level of the space, 
 an amount of light in the space, or 
 at least one task being carried out in the space. 
   
     
     
         4 . The control system of  claim 3 , wherein the component operably coupled to the controller includes one of a camera or at least one sensor, the at least one sensor including at least one of:
 an occupancy sensor measuring the occupancy level of the space,   a daylight sensor sensing the amount of light in the space, or   a task-identifying sensor identifying that at least one task being carried out in the space.   
     
     
         5 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture includes varying an operational intensity of the disinfecting energy between approximately 0% of a total operational intensity of the disinfecting energy and 100% of the total operational intensity of the disinfecting energy, and
 wherein adjusting the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture includes varying a lumen output of the illuminating light between approximately 0% of a total lumen output of the illuminating light and 100% of the total lumen output of the illuminating light.   
     
     
         6 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one sensor positioned within the space and operably coupled to the controller, the at least one sensor configured to one of:
 measure the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture, 
 sense a bacterial load of the space, or 
 detect an environmental characteristic of the space. 
   
     
     
         7 . The control system of  claim 6 , wherein the sensor senses the bacterial load of the space by at least one of:
 measuring the bacterial load of air within the space, or   measuring the bacterial load on a surface of an object positioned within the space.   
     
     
         8 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller adjusts the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to:
 determining the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a scheduled amount of disinfecting energy, the scheduled amount of disinfecting energy associated with schedule data including at least one of:
 a time of day, 
 a day of a week, or 
 a predefined electrical consumption period. 
   
     
     
         9 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the preferred amount of illuminating light is associated with at least one of:
 the detected, environmental characteristic of the space, or   a predetermined operational schedule for the space.   
     
     
         10 . The control system of  claim 9 , wherein the controller adjusts the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to one of:
 determining the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet the preferred amount of light associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space, or   determining the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet the preferred amount of light associated with the predetermined operational schedule for the space.   
     
     
         11 . The control system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an access control component operably coupled to the controller, the access control component including a predetermined operational schedule for the space,   wherein the operational schedule for the space includes a scheduled amount of disinfecting energy for the space.   
     
     
         12 . The control system of  claim 11 , wherein the scheduled amount of disinfecting energy for the space is based on schedule data including at least one of a time of day, a day of a week, or a predefined electrical consumption period, and.
 wherein the controller adjusts the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to determining the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet the scheduled amount of disinfecting energy.   
     
     
         13 . The control system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller regulates the operation of the disinfecting light fixture by performing processes including:
 prioritizing the disinfecting energy threshold, the bacterial load threshold, and the preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space; and   adjusting the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture based on the prioritization of the disinfecting energy threshold, the bacterial load threshold, and the preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space.   
     
     
         14 . The control system of  claim 13 , wherein the controller regulates the operation of the disinfecting light fixture by performing processes including:
 comparing the prioritized disinfecting energy threshold, the bacterial load threshold, and the preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space to determine at least one of:
 the disinfecting energy threshold does not meet the bacterial load threshold; 
 the disinfecting energy threshold does not meet the preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space; or 
 the bacterial load threshold does not meet the preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space. 
   
     
     
         15 . A method of regulating operations of a disinfecting light fixture of a disinfecting light system, the method comprising:
 obtaining data relating to a space illuminated by the disinfecting light fixture, the data including at least one of:
 an amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture, 
 a bacterial load of the space illuminated the disinfecting light fixture, or 
 an environmental characteristic of the space; and 
   adjusting at least one of:
 the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to at least one of:
 determining the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a disinfecting energy threshold, 
 determining the bacterial load of the space does not meet a bacterial load threshold, or 
 determining the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the environmental characteristic of the space; or 
 
 an amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to determining the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a preferred amount of illuminating light. 
   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the obtaining the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space includes obtaining the amount of disinfecting energy from one of the disinfecting light fixture or a sensor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the obtaining the environmental characteristic of the space includes obtaining the environmental characteristic from one of a sensor or a camera, the obtained environmental characteristic including at least one of:
 a measured occupancy level of the space,   a sensed amount of light in the space, or   at least one identified task carried out in the space.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the adjusting the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture includes:
 adjusting the amount of disinfecting energy in response to determining the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a scheduled amount of disinfecting energy,   wherein the scheduled amount of disinfecting energy associated with schedule data includes at least one of:
 a time of day, 
 a day of a week, or 
 a predefined electrical consumption period. 
   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 adjusting the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture in response to one of:
 determining the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a preferred amount of light associated with the environmental characteristic of the space, or 
 determining the amount of illuminating light provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture does not meet a preferred amount of light associated with a predetermined operational schedule for the space. 
   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 prioritizing the disinfecting energy threshold, the bacterial load threshold, and the preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space,   wherein the amount of disinfecting energy provided to the space by the disinfecting light fixture is adjusted based on the prioritization of the disinfecting energy threshold, the bacterial load threshold, and the preferred amount of disinfecting energy associated with the detected, environmental characteristic of the space.