Abstract:
Provided is a detection system for a luminaire fixture including a sensor and a laser meter to allow positioning of a sensor for precise positioning toward a viewing area. The sensor includes a sensor mount to attach the detection system to an existing luminaire, a sensor lens to perceive a viewing area, and a sensor housing to protect the sensor lens. The laser meter includes a laser to project a focused light path for positioning, and a laser housing to protect the laser. The sensor lens is positioned with respect to the laser, causing the sensor lens to move with respect to the laser. Also provided is a method for configuring an adjustable detection system for a luminaire.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to attaching and positioning sensors on luminaire fixtures. More specifically, the present invention relates to attaching a sensor to a pre-existing luminaire fixture and precisely positioning the sensor. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Many conventional lighting fixtures (luminaires) include high efficiency fixtures and automated controls that make adjustments based on occupancy, e.g., sensors allow for operation whenever someone is within a scanned area, or daylight sensing, e.g., sensors allow for operation based on the amount of sunlight within a scanned area. These passive infrared (PIR) motion detectors are widely used on both indoor and outdoor lighting of commercial, industrial, and residential spaces to provide the proper lighting given factors such as time of day and position of lighting, among others. 
         [0003]    When an infrared emitting object, such as a person, enters the viewing zone of the sensor, the lamps connected to the sensor are automatically activated to illuminate the desired area at which the lamps are aimed. One problem with such controls is that the viewing zone of the sensor is limited causing the lamps not to automatically activate if the infrared emitting object approaches the light fixture from an angle outside the viewing zone. 
         [0004]    Previous attempts to broaden the viewing zone of automatic lighting fixtures have been attempted. One solution includes use of wide-angle motion detectors designed to extend the viewing zone of the sensor to an angle greater than 180 degrees by using a plurality of inclined infrared mirror faces, designed to direct sufficient intensity of radiation to the sensor from outlying angles. However, non-precision measuring instruments such as mirrors retain dirt or fog over time, thus reducing the operation of the sensor. Additionally, with only one measuring device, the system is susceptible if the sensor fails. 
         [0005]    Another solution includes a motion detector assembly with a primary motion sensor and a secondary motion sensor. However, both the primary and secondary motion sensors use infrared sensors rather than more precise detection systems. Additionally, slight adjustments to either of the sensors could lead to an unintended viewing zone. 
         [0006]    Additionally, mounting PIR sensors onto existing luminaires can be complicated and cumbersome. Furthermore, positioning installed PIR sensors can be time consuming to ensure proper direction an accuracy. 
       SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Given the aforementioned deficiencies, a need exists for systems and methods that can easily set a detection area to sense motion (e.g., from a vehicle) in any direction. The system would additionally be configured to mount to existing luminaires. 
         [0008]    It is an objective of the present technology to allow precise positioning of a motion sensor to cover a range of angles for lighting applications. One aspect of the present technology mounts a sensor holder unit and a laser distance meter to an intelligent lighting system (e.g., smart luminaire) for accurate positioning. 
         [0009]    In the embodiments, a detection system unit includes a sensor and a laser meter to allow positioning of a sensor for precise positioning toward a viewing area. The sensor includes, among others, (i) a sensor mount, to attach the detection system to an existing luminaire, (ii) a sensor lens, to perceive the viewing area, and (iii) a sensor housing, to protect the sensor lens. The sensor is configured to have a sensor housing that rotates to allow positioning at a range of angles for specific lighting applications. The laser meter includes, among others, (i) a laser, to project a focused light path for positioning, and (ii) a laser housing, to protect the laser. The sensor lens is positioned with respect to the laser, causing the sensor lens to move with respect to the laser. 
         [0010]    In some embodiments, the sensor lens is configured to at least partially perceive motion generated by an infrared emitting object. 
         [0011]    In some embodiments, the sensor and the laser meter are of a size and shape to not obstruct a luminous flux emitted from the luminaire. 
         [0012]    It is another object of the present technology to optimize sensing motion on traveled surfaces (e.g., roads and walkways). Motion on the road surface can trigger luminaires to return maximum light output from a dimmed value which can result in energy saving. 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the laser housing is configured to attach to the sensor housing. Alternately, the laser housing is attached to the sensor housing using an adapter with a beginning perimeter configured to receive the sensor housing and an ending perimeter configured to receive the laser housing. 
         [0014]    In some embodiments, the laser is positioned at a sensor centerline located between the first sensor boundary and the second sensor boundary. In these embodiments, the sensor is positioned to move along a path parallel to the laser meter. In alternate embodiments, the laser is positioned at the first sensor boundary or the second sensor boundary. 
         [0015]    Another aspect of the present technology is a method for configuring an adjustable detection system for a luminaire. The method includes positioning the sensor housing to the laser housing, attaching the sensor housing to the laser housing, and positioning the sensor lens with respect to the laser such that the laser path is approximately parallel to the sensor path. 
         [0016]    Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate the present invention and together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the invention and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art(s) to make and use the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is a bottom perspective view of a luminaire, including a callout showing details of a mounted sensor. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a luminaire assembly, including a callout showing an under-mounted detection system. 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the luminaire assembly of  FIG. 2 , including a callout showing the under-mounted detection system, operating in an exemplary environment showing the scan area of the luminaire assembly. 
           [0021]      FIG. 4A  is a side view of the under-mounted detection system of  FIG. 2  including an optional adapter. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4B  illustrates an alternate embodiment of an adapter in the detection system of  FIG. 4A . 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart of an exemplary method for configuring an adjustable detection system for a luminaire according to the present teachings. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0024]    While the present invention is described herein with illustrative embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art with access to the teachings provided herein will recognize additional modifications, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the invention would be of significant utility. 
         [0025]    Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. The terms “first,” “second,” and the like, as used herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. Also, the terms “a” and “an” do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items. The term “or” is meant to be inclusive and mean either, any, several, or all of the listed items. 
         [0026]    The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein are meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, and can include electrical connections or couplings, whether direct or indirect. The terms “circuit,” “circuitry,” and “controller” may include either a single component or a plurality of components, which are either active and/or passive components and may be optionally connected or otherwise coupled together to provide the described function. 
         [0027]      FIG. 1  illustrates a luminaire  10  including at least one sensor  200  under-mounted to a lighting housing  12 . 
         [0028]    The luminaire  10  provides an illumination (luminous flux) for specific lighting applications through use of a lighting assembly  11 , housed within and protected by a lighting housing  12 . The lighting assembly  11  may include light emitting components (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs)), to produce the illumination, and/or optical components (e.g., lenses, reflectors, mirrors) to refract, bend, or otherwise modify the illumination. 
         [0029]    Depending on the application, the luminaire  10  can include additional components. For example, in an elevated application, the luminaire  10  may include a pole  13  (seen in  FIG. 2 ) to hold the luminaire  10  above ground level. The pole  13  may also include an arm  14  to support the luminaire  10 . As another example, the lighting assembly  11  may include a driver (not shown), to facilitate programming of the luminaire  10  to produce illumination. The driver may be controlled by any known programmable logic known in the art (e.g., programmable logic controller (PLC) or field-programmable gate array (FPGA)) used to set conditional events (e.g., intensity, wavelength, and direction of the light) on which the light assembly  11  functions. 
         [0030]    One or more sensor(s)  200  can be attached to the lighting housing  12  to detect motion within one or more viewing area(s). When an object enters the viewing area(s), the sensor(s)  200  perceives the object and communicates with the light assembly  11  to illuminate the luminaire  10 . When the object leaves the viewing area, the light assembly  11  can automatically dim and/or turn off after a pre-determined amount of time. 
         [0031]    Each sensor  200  is of a size and shape that it can be attached to the lighting housing  12  without obstructing the lighting assembly  11 . Each sensor  200  is also configured to rotate to allow positioning at a range of angles for specific lighting applications. The sensor(s)  200  can be standard PIR sensors or other types of motion detectors, such as but not limited to ultrasonic sensors, pyroelectric sensors, and the like. 
         [0032]    Further details associated with the components of sensor  200  are described below. In embodiments described hereafter, the sensor  200  may be mounted with additional components to facilitate accurate positioning. 
         [0033]      FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of the luminaire  10  including an under-mounted detection system  100 . The detection system  100  includes the sensor  200 , a laser meter  300 , and in some embodiments, an adapter  400  to join the sensor  200  and the laser meter  300 . 
         [0034]    The sensor  200  (best seen in  FIG. 1 ), includes a sensor mount  210 , a sensor housing  220 , a sensor lens  230 , and a sensing mechanism (not shown). 
         [0035]    The sensor mount  210  is configured to attach the sensor  200  to the lighting housing  12 . The sensor mount  210  can be any traditional mounting mechanism (e.g., fastener, or the like). For example, the sensor mount  210  may include a nut and bolt fastener that attaches the sensor mount  210  to a planar surface of the lighting assembly  11 . The nut and bolt fastener may be mounted (e.g., threaded) through a standard hole sized to accept the nut and bolt fastener. 
         [0036]    The sensor housing  220  houses and protects the sensor lens  230  and the sensing mechanism from environmental elements (e.g., dust and water), making the sensor  200  suitable for outdoor usage. The sensor housing  220  is of a size and shape that adequately protects the sensor lens  230  while remaining attached to the sensor mount  210 . 
         [0037]    Additionally, the sensor housing  220  can be pivotally adjusted to capture a viewing area  260  (represented as a shaded area in  FIG. 3 ) of the sensor lens  230 . The viewing area  260 , described in greater detail below, is predetermined based on technical limits of the sensor lens  210 . In the case of multiple sensors  200 , each sensor housing  220  can be adjusted independently to create a customizable viewing area (e.g., viewing area  260 ). For example, the viewing area  260  for each of the sensors  200  can overlap thereby enabling the lamps to be automatically activated by objects approaching the sensors  200  from the side or behind. 
         [0038]    The sensor lens  230  works in conjunction with the sensing mechanism to perceive a physical quantity. The physical quantity is then quantified and transmitted, for example, to an external memory and/or the driver that facilitates programming of the luminaire  10 . 
         [0039]    The sensor  200  creates a sensor path  240 , which projects downward towards the ground. The range of the sensor path  240  is predetermined based on technical limits of the sensor  200 , and may be approximately between 10 and 200 meters. 
         [0040]    Additionally, the sensor  200  is positioned at a sensor angle (α)  250 , taken with respect to the pole  13 . To create the sensor angle  250 , the sensor housing  220  can be elevated upward or downward from the arm  14  and/or the pole  13  thereby adjusting the sensor lens  230  and thus the viewing area  260 . The sensor angle  250  may be between approximately 0 and 90 degrees. 
         [0041]    In operation, the sensing mechanism perceives an object and/or activity, via the sensor lens  230 , within the viewing area  260 . The viewing area(s)  260  is defined by a viewing angle (δ)  270 , seen in  FIG. 3 . The viewing angle  270  may be approximately between 0 to 180 degrees of coverage or more. The viewing angle  270  creates a first sensor boundary  280  and a second sensor boundary  290 . The viewing area  260  can then be bifurcated by a sensor centerline  285 . Specifically, an angle formed by the sensor centerline  285  and the first sensor boundary  280  is δ/2, and the angle formed by the sensor centerline  285  and the second sensor boundary  290  is δ/2. The sensor centerline  285  can be used to position the laser meter  300 , as discussed below. 
         [0042]    The detection system  100  further comprises a distant laser meter  300  (best seen in  FIG. 2 ). The laser meter  300  can be a commercially available product that includes a laser  310  and a laser housing  320 . 
         [0043]    The laser  310  is a directional light with a concentrated beam, reflected by mirrors. In operation, the laser  310  creates a laser path  340 , which projects to ground. Although, the characteristics of the laser path  340  is predetermined based on technical limits of the laser meter  300 , the range of the laser path  340  may be approximately between 20 and 200 meters. 
         [0044]    The laser path  340  creates a laser angle (β)  330  with the pole  13 . The laser angle  330  can be approximately between approximately 0 and 90 degrees. For example, the laser angle  330  can be approximately 45 degrees. 
         [0045]    Similar to the sensor housing  220 , the laser housing  320  houses and protects the laser  310  from environmental elements and is of a size and shape that that can adequately protect the laser  310 . The laser housing  320  can be pivotally adjusted to allow positioning similar to that of the sensor housing  220 . The laser housing  320  can be attached directly to the sensor housing  220 , or attached to the adapter  400 , as described below. 
         [0046]    The laser meter  300  may include additional components to contribute functionality. For example, the laser meter  300  may include one or more photocells to create an electrical connection. As another example, the laser meter  300  may include timers to determine a period of time (e.g., 1 minute to 5 minutes) to dim/turn off the lighting assembly  11 , when no objects and/or activity is perceived in the viewing area  260 . 
         [0047]    As seen in  FIG. 2 , the laser  310  is approximately parallel to the direction of movement detection as perceived through the sensor lens  230 . Stated another way, the sensor lens  230  and the laser  310  are positioned in the same direction, making the laser path  340  and the sensor path  240  approximately parallel. 
         [0048]    Paralleling the sensor path  240  and the laser path  340  makes it is possible to determine whether a detected object is outside the range of the sensor path  240 . Specifically, whether the detected object is within the viewing area  260 . Paralleling the sensor path  240  and the laser path  340  also allows an optimal direction to be assigned to the sensor  200  by the laser meter  300 . 
         [0049]    To create the optimal direction, the sensor  200  and the laser meter  300  may be affixed to each other, such that movement of one causes movement of the other. For example, the laser meter  300  may be positioned at the center of the viewing area  260  (e.g., at the sensor centerline  285 ), causing the sensor  200  to move along a path parallel to the laser meter  300 . Thus, as the position of the laser  310  changes, so does the center position of the viewing area  260 . Using the sensor centerline  285  as a point of reference for positioning the laser  310  may be beneficial when the viewing area  260  is a general application area (e.g., a flat road). 
         [0050]    Alternately, the sensor lens  230  and the laser  310  can be positioned in different directions. For example, the laser  310  may be positioned at either the first sensor boundary  280  or the second sensor boundary  290 . Using one of the sensor boundaries  280 ,  290  as a point of reference may be beneficial when the viewing area  260  needs to begin at a particular location (e.g., intersection of two roads). 
         [0051]    After the optimal direction of the sensor  200  is set, the laser meter  300  can be optionally detached from the sensor  200 . 
         [0052]    In some embodiments, the sensor  200  and the laser meter  300  are joined through the presence of an adapter  400 . The adapter  400  may be attached to the sensor  200  and/or the laser meter  300  by any number of conventional techniques including, but not limited to mechanical fasteners (e.g., nuts, bolts, rivets), fabrication (e.g., soldering, welding), or the like. 
         [0053]    To connect the sensor  200  and the laser meter  300 , in one embodiment, seen in  FIG. 4A , the adapter  400  may have a beginning perimeter configured to attach to the sensor housing  220  and an ending perimeter configured to attach to the laser housing  320 . 
         [0054]    The beginning perimeter  410  and the ending perimeter  420  of the adapter  400  may be of the same size and/or shape. Consistency in the beginning perimeter  410  and the ending perimeter  420  may be desirable when mass production of the adapter  400  is required. 
         [0055]    Alternately, the beginning perimeter and the ending perimeter of the adapter  400  may differ in size and/or shape. Altering the size and/or shape may be desirable for unique applications containing for example, fragile components. 
         [0056]    In another embodiment, seen in  FIG. 4B , the adapter  400  may have a first extension  430 , configured to attach, either directly or indirectly, to the sensor housing  220 , and a second extension  440 , configured to attach, directly or indirectly, to the laser housing  320 . The first extension  430  and the second extension  440  can be of different characteristics (e.g., size and shape). 
         [0057]      FIG. 5  illustrates a method  500  for configuring the detection system  100  for use with the luminaire  10 . 
         [0058]    It should be understood that the steps of the methods are not necessarily presented in any particular order and that performance of some or all the steps in an alternative order, including across these figures, is possible and is contemplated. 
         [0059]    The steps have been presented in the demonstrated order for ease of description and illustration. Steps can be added, omitted, and/or performed simultaneously without departing from the scope of the appended claims. It should also be understood that the illustrated method or sub-methods can be ended at any time. 
         [0060]    First, at step  510 , the sensor  200  is attached to the lighting housing  12 . As described above, the sensor  200  includes the sensor mount  210 , which attaches to the lighting housing  12  through any number of mounting mechanisms (e.g., nut and threaded bolt fastener). 
         [0061]    Once the sensor  200  is attached to the lighting housing  12 , at step  520 , it must be determined whether an adapter (e.g., adapter  400 ) is required to attach the laser meter  300  to the sensor  200 . For example, the adapter  400  may be required if the sensor  200  and the laser meter  300  do not include compatible mounting components (e.g., male and female threading connectors). 
         [0062]    If the adapter  400  is not required (e.g., path  525 ), the laser meter  300  may be attached directly to the sensor  200 , at step  530 . 
         [0063]    Alternately, if the adapter  400  is required (e.g., path  535 ), the adapter  400  is attached to the sensor  200  at step  540 . As stated above, the adapter  400  has multiple embodiments, and can include the beginning perimeter  410  or a first extension  430 , configured to attach to the sensor housing  220 . 
         [0064]    Additionally, the adapter  400  has the ending perimeter  420  or a second extension  440  configured to attach to the laser housing  320 , as seen at step  550 . 
         [0065]    Once the sensor  200  and the laser meter  300  are attached, either to one another or to the adapter  400 , the laser  310  within the laser meter  300  is aligned with the viewing area  260  of the sensor as seen in step  560 . Aligning the laser  310  with the viewing area  260  create the optimal direction. As noted above, the laser meter  300  may be positioned, for example, at the sensor centerline  285 , the first sensor boundary  280 , or the second sensor boundary  290 . 
         [0066]    It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and not the Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or more but not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention as contemplated by the inventor(s), and thus, are not intended to limit the present invention and the appended claims in any way.