# US 10,502,617 B2 · Multi-channel light sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,502,617 B2 - Document ID: US10502617B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/595,293 - Filed: 2017-05-15 - Published: 2017-11-16 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-16 - Assignees: Zumtobel Lighting GmbH - Applicants: Zumtobel Lighting Inc. - Inventors: Karl Jonsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10502617B2 ## CPC - G01J 1/029: {Multi-channel photometry} - G01J 1/0411: {using focussing or collimating elements, i.e. lenses or mirrors; Aberration correction} - G01J 1/32: adapted for automatic variation of the measured or reference value (regulation of light intensity G05D25/00) - G01J 1/4228: {arrangements with two or more detectors, e.g. for sensitivity compensation} - H05B 47/10: Controlling the light source - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract The present invention provides a multi-channel light sensor comprising a fragmented lens and a camera sensor; wherein the fragmented lens comprises lens elements; and wherein each lens element comprises an own optical axis and is adapted to direct light from a spatial area onto the camera sensor such that the light intensities of different spatial areas are spatially resolved on the camera sensor. Furthermore, a system is provided, which comprises at least one such multi-channel light sensor, at least one lighting device, and a light management device; wherein the light management device is adapted to receive the light intensities of the different spatial areas from the multi-channel light sensor; and wherein the light management device is adapted to control the at least one lighting device on the basis of the light intensities of the different spatial areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Multi-channel light sensor (2) adapted to detect a plurality of different light intensities comprising a) a fragmented lens (3), and b) a camera sensor (5) adapted to detect visible light; c) wherein the fragmented lens (3) comprises lens elements (4); and d) wherein each lens element (4) is adapted to direct visible light from a spatial area onto the camera sensor (5) such that the light intensities of different spatial areas are spatially resolved on the camera sensor (5), wherein the lens elements each have a different optical axis, so that they direct the light from different spatial areas to different corresponding areas of the camera sensor, wherein the fragmented lens (3) is a Fresnel lens, and wherein the lens elements (4) correspond to different sections of the Fresnel lens. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Multi-channel light sensor (2) according to claim 1, wherein the camera sensor (5) comprises an array of photodiodes and/or an array of photoresistors. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Multi-channel light sensor (2) according to claim 1, wherein the camera sensor (5) corresponds to a black and white camera sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Multi-channel light sensor (2) according to claim 1, wherein the camera sensor (5) corresponds to a color image sensor, such that the camera sensor (5) is adapted to detect spectral information of the light of the different spatial areas. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Multi-channel light sensor (2) according to claim 1, wherein the multi-channel light sensor (2) comprises a controller (6) that is adapted to store the light intensities of the different spatial areas and/or to communicate the light intensities of the different spatial areas to a networked system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) System (1) comprising a) at least one multi-channel light sensor (2) according to claim 1, b) at least one lighting device (8), and c) a light management device (7); d) wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to receive the light intensities of the different spatial areas from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2); and e) wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to control the at least one lighting device (8) on the basis of the light intensities of the different spatial areas. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) System (1) according to claim 6, wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to use an algorithm to interpret the light intensities received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) System (1) according to claim 6, wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to control the at least one lighting device (8) by comparing the light intensities of the different spatial areas received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) System (1) according to claim 6, wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to control the at least one lighting device (8) on the basis of spectral information of the light of the different spatial areas received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) System (1) according to claim 6, wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to determine the environment around the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2) by comparing the light intensities of the different spatial areas received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) System (1) according to claim 6, wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to determine the environment around the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2) by comparing the light intensities of neighboring spatial areas received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) System (1) according to claim 6, wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to determine contextual information about the environment around the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2) on the basis of spectral information of the light of the different spatial areas received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) System (1) according to claim 6, a) wherein the system comprises a plurality of lighting devices (8); and b) wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to identify one of the plurality of lighting devices (8) and/or to determine the correlation between at least two lighting devices (8) of the plurality of lighting devices (8) on the basis of the light intensities of the different spatial areas received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) System (1) according to claim 13, wherein the light management device (7) is adapted to identify one of the plurality of lighting devices (8) and/or to determine the correlation between at least two lighting devices (8) of the plurality of lighting devices (8) by controlling the lighting devices (8) to flash and sampling the light intensities of the different spatial areas received from the at least one multi-channel light sensor (2). ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) System (1) according to claim 7, wherein the algorithm is a Visual Light Communication (VLC) algorithm.