Automatic timing adjustment system for occupancy sensors

A lighting control system for a space equipped with lamps for illuminating the space, comprising

• a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps,
• a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off,
• an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion,
• a timer for measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,
• an input device for manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval, and
• a processor receiving said control signals from said occupancy sensor and said timer and programmed to
• produce a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,
• modify said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events occurring within a predetermined time period after said time-out control signal is produced by said timer, and
• limit modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.

A method of controlling artificial illumination of a space equipped with electrically powered lamps for illuminating the space, a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps, a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off, and an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, said method comprising

• measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,
• modifying said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events,
• counting the number of times said switch-off control signal is produced without the receipt of said motion-detected control signal within a predetermined time following the end of said time-out interval, and
• decrementing said time-out interval by said offset value in response to said count reaching a predetermined value.

A method of controlling artificial illumination of a space equipped with electrically powered lamps for illuminating the space, a power circuit for supplying power to said lamps, a controllable switch in said power circuit for turning said lamps on and off, and an occupancy sensor for detecting motion within said space and generating a motion-detected control signal in response to the detection of such motion, said method comprising:

• measuring a time-out interval following the generation of said motion-detected control signal by said occupancy sensor and producing a time-out control signal in response to completion of the measurement of said time-out interval,
• manually selecting a minimum value for said time-out interval,
• producing a switch-off control signal for said controllable switch to turn said lamps off in response to said time-out control signal,
• modifying said time-out interval by a time-out offset value in response to preselected events occurring within a predetermined time period after said time-out control signal is produced, and
• limiting modification of said time-out interval to values above said manually selected minimum value.