Intelligent Lighting Fixture Occupant Tracking via Image Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lighting systems lack the ability to dynamically adjust lighting based on occupancy and movement, leading to inefficient use of resources such as energy and HVAC control, as they cannot accurately track individuals within their field of view.
Innovation Solution
An intelligent lighting module equipped with a communication interface, image sensor, and control circuitry that tracks occupants by determining their presence, movement, and number within the field of view, and communicates with neighboring fixtures to facilitate handoffs when occupants move out of view, allowing for dynamic adjustment of lighting and HVAC settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional lighting systems are used without occupancy detection, then device complexity is reduced, but energy efficiency and resource allocation deteriorate due to inability to dynamically adjust lighting based on actual occupancy
Solution Approach 1:
The lighting system automatically detects occupancy and adjusts lighting levels without manual intervention. The control circuitry monitors the field of view for occupants and autonomously modulates light output based on detected occupancy levels, eliminating the need for user interaction while optimizing energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors occupancy status through image sensors and feeds this information back to the control circuitry, which then adjusts lighting output accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures lighting levels always match actual occupancy conditions, maximizing energy efficiency.
2Measurement precision
If multiple lighting fixtures are deployed to cover large areas, then measurement precision of occupancy is improved, but device complexity increases due to need for coordination and handoff mechanisms between fixtures
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple lighting fixtures are merged into a coordinated network where each fixture contributes to overall occupancy tracking. The control circuitry of each fixture communicates with neighboring fixtures to share occupancy data and coordinate tracking efforts, creating a unified system that maintains high measurement precision across large areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes communication links and coordination protocols between neighboring lighting fixtures in advance. When an occupant is detected, the system proactively prepares for potential handoffs by pre-coordinating with adjacent fixtures, ensuring seamless tracking transitions before they are needed.
3Productivity
If lighting fixtures track and communicate occupancy information, then productivity through resource optimization is improved, but loss of information increases due to communication requirements between fixtures
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential occupancy information needed for lighting control and transmits this condensed data between fixtures. By filtering out unnecessary details and communicating only critical occupancy status and location data, the system minimizes communication overhead while maintaining effective resource allocation.
Data Source
AI summary
A lighting fixture has a communication interface; a light source configured to provide light output for general illumination; an image sensor configured to capture image information associated of with a field of view; and control circuitry, which is configured to provide a drive signal to the light source to control the light output. In one embodiment, the control circuitry is further configured to, for each object in the field of view, determine if an object in the field of view is an occupant based on the image information; if the object is an occupant, track movement of the occupant within the field of view; and determine a number of occupants in the field of view. The control circuitry may also be configured to provide occupancy information bearing on the number of occupants in the field of view to a remote entity via the communication interface.