Light sensing dimming control system for gas discharge lamps

A control system for controlling power consumption of a gas discharge lamp, said system comprising:

• a light sensing system having a remote signal receiver wherein the remote signal receiver has a plurality of light sensors that sense light, the remote signal receiver produces a control signal in response to the sensed light, and wherein the light sensors are activated using a directional pointing laser device;
• control circuit connected to the light sensing system to receive the control signal;
• and wherein
• the control circuit comprises a frequency controlled dimming ballast, the ballast controls the power consumption of the gas discharge lamp by adjusting the conduction of electrical power to the gas discharge lamp in response to the control signal.

A lamp circuit comprising:

• a gas discharge lamp;
• a frequency controlled ballast comprising a loosely coupled transformer adapted to control the conduction of power to the gas discharge lamp to adjust illumination intensity of the lamp;
• a daylight harvester connected to the ballast to produce a control signal based on sensed conditions;
• and
• a voltage controlled oscillator that receives the control signal from the daylight harvester and produces a driving signal having a frequency dependent on the received control signal;
• and wherein
• the ballast adjusts the illumination intensity of the lamp based on the driving signal.

A control system for controlling the illumination intensity of a gas discharge lamp connected to a control circuit having a frequency controlled dimming ballast, wherein the ballast further comprises a loosely coupled transformer, said system comprising:

• a light sensing system which senses ambient light conditions and produces a control signal in response to the ambient light conditions;
• and
• the control circuit receiving the control signal;
• wherein the control circuit connected to the gas discharge lamp and adapted to control the illumination intensity of the gas discharge lamp in response to the control signal, the control circuit converting the control signal into an oscillating signal having a control frequency and wherein the control frequency determines the illumination intensity of the gas discharge lamp.

A control system for controlling the illumination intensity of a gas discharge lamp, said system comprising:

• a light sensing system comprising a remote signal receiver having a plurality of light sensors, the remote signal receiver further comprising:
• a logical switch connected to the light sensors, wherein the logical switch changes states when at least one of the light sensors is turned on;
• a digital counter;
• a clock that produces digital pulses and conducts these pulses to the digital counter;
• the digital counter adapted to count digital pulses from the clock when the logical switch is in a predetermined state and produce a digital count signal;
• a digital to analog converter connected to the digital counter and adapted to produce an analog voltage control signal in response to the received digital count signal;
• a control circuit adapted to receive the analog voltage control signal, wherein the control circuit is connected to the gas discharge lamp and adapted to vary the illumination intensity of the gas discharge lamp in response to the control signal.

A method of controlling power consumption in a gas discharge lamp, the method comprising:

• sensing light and producing a control signal in response to the sensed light;
• producing an oscillating signal having a frequency related to the sensed light;
• conducting the oscillating signal to a frequency controlled dimming ballast having a loosely coupled transformer;
• and wherein the frequency controlled dimming ballast conducts a predetermined current signal to the gas discharge lamp in response to the oscillating signal, the predetermined current signal having a magnitude related to the frequency of the oscillating signal.