Remote control system for individual control of spaced lighting fixtures

A light dimming system comprising, in combination:

• a fixture housing adapted for mounting in a ceiling and a dimmer control circuit mounted to said fixture housing;
• at least one lamp mounted on said fixture housing and connected to said dimmer control circuit;
• a radiation receiver circuit fixed within said fixture housing and having a radiation sensor;
• an opening in said fixture housing in communication with said radiation sensor;
• said radiation receiver circuit being connected directly to said dimmer control circuit and being operable to adjust the output of said at least one lamp in response to the reception of a coded radiation signal by said radiation sensor;
• and a portable hand operated radiation transmitter for transmitting radiation toward said radiation sensor from a position below said fixture housing, to adjust the dimming of said at least one lamp by adjusting the output of said radiation receiver and of said dimmer control circuit.

A light dimming system comprising, in combination:

• a fixture housing adapted for mounting in a ceiling and a dimmer control circuit mounted to said fixture housing;
• at least one lamp mounted on said fixture housing and connected to said dimmer control circuit;
• a radiation receiver circuit fixed within said fixture housing and having a radiation sensor;
• an opening in said fixture housing in communication with said radiation sensor;
• said radiation receiver circuit being connected to said dimmer control circuit and being operable to adjust the output of said at least one lamp in response to the reception of a coded radiation signal by said radiation sensor;
• a portable hand operated radiation transmitter for transmitting radiation toward said radiation sensor from a position below said fixture housing, to adjust the dimming of said at least one lamp by adjusting the output of said radiation receiver and of said dimmer control circuit;
• and an external switch means mounted remotely of said fixture housing and connected to said dimmer control circuit and operable to modify the output of said dimmer control circuit;
• said external switch means being operable to override the operation of said radiation transmitter.

A light dimming system comprising, in combination:

• a fixture housing adapted for mounting in a ceiling and a dimmer control circuit mounted to said fixture housing;
• at least one lamp mounted on said fixture housing and connected to said dimmer control circuit;
• a radiation receiver circuit fixed within said fixture housing and having a radiation sensor;
• an opening in said fixture housing in communication with said radiation sensor;
• said radiation receiver circuit being connected to said dimmer control circuit and being operable to adjust the output of said at least one lamp in response to the reception of a coded radiation signal by said radiation sensor;
• a portable hand operated radiation transmitter for transmitting radiation toward said radiation sensor from a position below said fixture housing, to adjust the dimming of said at least one lamp by adjusting the output of said radiation receiver and of said dimmer control circuit;
• and an external dimmer means mounted remotely of said fixture housing and connected to said dimmer control circuit and operable to adjust the dimming of said at least one lamp.

A light dimming system comprising in combination:

• a fixture housing adapted for mounting in a ceiling;
• a dimming ballast fixed within the interior of said fixture housing;
• at least one lamp mounted on said fixture housing and connected to said ballast;
• a radiation receiver circuit fixed within said fixture housing and having a radiation sensor;
• an opening in said fixture housing in communication with said radiation sensor;
• said radiation receiver being connected directly to said dimming ballast interiorly of said fixture housing, and containing a dimmer control circuit therein and being operable to adjust the output of said dimming ballast to said at least one lamp in response to the reception of a coded radiation signal by said radiation sensor;
• a portable hand-operated radiation transmitter for transmitting radiation toward said radiation sensor from a position below said fixture housing, to adjust the dimming level of said at least one lamp by adjusting the output of said radiation receiver;
• said fixture housing having a wire-way cover;
• said opening being formed in said wire-way cover;
• said radiation receiver being fixed to an interior surface of said wire-way cover;
• said opening being located to minimize the direct reception of radiation by said radiation sensor from said lamp.

A lighting system comprising at least first and second lighting fixtures mounted in the ceiling of a room having a height of approximately 8 feet;

• each of said lighting fixtures having respective dimmer circuits and radiation sensors whereby the output light of each of said first and second lighting fixtures can be adjusted by illuminating said radiation sensors with infrared radiation;
• said first and second lighting fixtures being spaced by greater than two feet;
• and a portable radiation transmitter having an output infrared beam with a beam angle of about 8.degree.;
• each of said radiation sensors having an angle of reception which is greater than about 30.degree., whereby the radiation sensor of either of said first or second lighting fixtures can be illuminated by the beam of said radiation transmitter without illuminating the other.

A control system for selectively controlling only one of a plurality of controllable devices and comprising, in combination:

• respective housings for mounting and containing respective ones of said plurality of controllable devices in spaced apart relationship;
• a respective radiation receiver circuit fixed within each of said housings and having respective radiation sensors;
• an opening in each of said housings which is in communication with each of said respective radiation sensors;
• each of said radiation receiver circuits being connected directly to its respective controllable device and being operable to adjust the operation of said controllable device in response to the reception of a coded radiation signal by said radiation sensor;
• and a portable hand-operated radiation transmitter for transmitting radiation toward a selective one of said radiation sensors to adjust the operation of said one of said controllable devices independently of the others of said controllable devices.

A light dimming system comprising, in combination:

• a fixture housing adapted for mounting in a ceiling and a dimmer control circuit mounted to said fixture housing;
• at least one lamp mounted on said fixture housing and connected to said dimmer control circuit;
• a radiation receiver circuit fixed within said fixture housing and having a radiation sensor;
• an opening in said fixture housing in communication with said radiation sensor;
• said radiation receiver circuit being connected directly to said dimmer control circuit and being operable to adjust the output of said at least one lamp in response to the reception of a coded radiation signal by said radiation sensor;
• and a portable hand operated radiation transmitter for transmitting encoded radiation toward said radiation sensor from a position below said fixture housing, to adjust the dimming of said at least one lamp by adjusting the output of said radiation receiver and of said dimmer control circuit;
• said radiation transmitter transmitting alternately encoded radiation to adjust the low end trim of said dimmer control circuit.