Adjustable Motion Sensor Rectangular Coverage Pattern
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Solution Overview
Problem
Decorative outdoor light fixtures with motion sensing capabilities face challenges in achieving precise coverage patterns and reducing false activations, as traditional fixed sensors lack mechanical adjustment and result in undesirable fan-shaped coverage areas and sensitivity issues.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable motion sensor system with a concealed sensor head that tilts to form a rectangular coverage pattern, utilizing a C-shaped bracket and drive mechanism to adjust the sensor's position and direction, allowing precise aiming and reducing false activations by angling sensing beams to strike the ground.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed sensor is used to achieve a concealed approach, then the sensor can be hidden within the light fixture, but the coverage pattern is fixed and results in an approximate fan shape that does not match the desired rectangular coverage area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the previously fixed sensor adjustable. The sensor head is designed to be rotatable and tiltable, allowing it to dynamically change its orientation and coverage pattern from a fixed fan shape to an adjustable rectangular pattern, resolving the contradiction between concealed integration and coverage adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is segmented into adjustable components including the sensor head, bracket, and drive mechanism. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of each component to achieve the desired rectangular coverage pattern while maintaining the concealed integration within the light fixture housing.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional lens design approaches are used, then the sensor coverage pattern is an approximate fan shape, but this does not match the rectangular shape needed for most application areas such as yards
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying on fixed lens design to create the coverage pattern, the patent uses a dynamic approach where the sensor head can be physically adjusted and tilted. This allows the coverage pattern shape to be changed from the traditional fan shape to a rectangular shape by repositioning the sensor, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and coverage pattern shape.
3Reliability
If sensitivity is reduced in motion sensors to reduce false activations, then false activations from distant objects like cars are reduced, but sensitivity to human motion is also reduced which is undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by directing the sensing beams at an angle to strike the ground in the target area. This creates a localized sensing zone with high precision for human motion detection while naturally excluding distant objects like passing cars from the sensing area, thus reducing false activations without reducing overall sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension solution by angling the sensor to create a ground-striking beam pattern. This dimensional approach to beam orientation creates a sensing zone that is sensitive to human motion in the target area while being insensitive to distant objects, resolving the contradiction between false activation reduction and sensitivity maintenance.
4Area of stationary object
If the sensor coverage area extends beyond the target area to ensure complete coverage, then all areas are covered, but this causes continual false activation when cars pass by on the street
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a focused sensing zone that covers the target area completely while excluding distant objects. The angled beam pattern concentrates sensing energy in the desired rectangular area and naturally reduces sensitivity to distant objects like passing cars, resolving the contradiction between complete coverage and false activation reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices, and methods for a decorative outdoor light fixture that can include an adjustable motion sensor with a rectangular coverage pattern. An adjustable motion sensor for a light fixture can include an outer housing connected to a light fixture frame, a movable sensor assembly including a motion detector contained within the outer housing, a lens covering a portion of the outer housing in the path of the motion detector sensing beams to direct the sensing beams in a rectangular coverage pattern, and a sensor adjustment mechanism accessible from an exterior of the outer housing to allow a user to rotate the sensor adjustment mechanism to cause the motion detector to move upward and downward. The adjustable motion sensor covered with a fixed window that hides the motion sensor assembly from view.