The Watt Stopper, Inc.

The Watt Watcher, Inc.

Charles C Hu

Jerome M Mix

James C Sprout

Maclyn C Cameron, Jr

James M Young

Kenneth A McCuen

A relay control circuit that includes a zero cross detector, a latch, and a delay circuit. The zero cross detector circuit detects when the voltage waveform or current waveform on an AC power line is at the zero crossing. The output of the zero cross detector clocks the latch (flip-flop), which receives a control signal at its data input. The flip-flop latches the control signal on the zero crossing point and outputs the latched signal to the delay circuit. The delay circuit delays the control signal for a predetermined time period depending on the make and break times of the relay so that the relay is switched ON and OFF substantially near the next zero crossing point of the AC voltage waveform.

Zero crossing circuit for a relay

Wall-mounted switch

A device for controlling power to an electrical load. The device has two components: a portable desktop detector unit and an electrical powerstrip. The desktop detector detects the presence of a human in a room and sends signals to the powerstrip to supply power to or withhold power from individual electrical loads connected to the strip. Since the detector is portable, it can be positioned and repositioned at different locations in a room to maximize its ability to detect the presence of a person. The system can also communicate by wireless signals to a wall-mounted control unit to control light fixtures in the room. When used with a wall-mounted control unit, a photo sensor that detects the level of ambient light in a room allows the system to adjust the brightness of lights in the room depending upon the available ambient light level. Each detector and receiver pair have matching addresses so that a receiver will operate an electrical load only in response to its mated detector, thus allowing multiple devices to be used to control multiple lights without interfering with each other. The device can also operate with a third component that acts as a master key and controls the maximum brightness, at which lights may be operated.

Moveable desktop load controller

Light level controller

A device for controlling power to an electrical load. The device has two components: a portable desktop detector unit and a wall-mounted receiver unit. The desktop detector detects the presence of a human in a room and the ambient light level and sends signals to the receiver unit to supply power to or withhold power from an electrical load such as a fluorescent light and to adjust the brightness of the light. Since the detector is portable, it can be positioned and repositioned at different locations in a room to maximize its ability to detect the presence of a human and to sense the level of ambient light in various room locations. Each detector and receiver pair have matching addresses so that a receiver will operate an electrical load only in response to its mated detector, thus allowing multiple devices to be used to control multiple lights without interfering with each other. The device can also operate with a third component that acts as a master key and controls the maximum brightness, at which lights may be operated.

Moveable desktop light controller

Motion sensor

A device for controlling the level of light in an area or room. The device includes a sensor that detects whether the room is occupied, a light meter that detects the level of ambient light entering the room, and circuitry that controls the lights in the room in response to the sensor and light meter. The controlling circuitry increases the light level in the room when the room is occupied and the light meter senses that the ambient light level is not above a particular level. When the room is unoccupied for a brief period of time, the device increases or decreases the light level of the room by controlling lights accordingly, in response to the level of light sensed by the light meter. And finally, when the room is unoccupied for an extended period of time, the device turns power off to all the lights in the room.

Apparatus and method for adjusting lights according to the level of

A dual technology sensor which uses both ultrasonic and infrared sensors is disclosed. The electronic circuit of the invention requires detection by both sensors to activate the load. Thus, false triggering will not occur unless the false triggering device both emits heat and moves. The avoid having the motion sensor inadvertently turn off while the person is still present, only one of the infrared and ultrasonic sensors is required to be detecting to maintain the activated state.

Dual technology motion sensor

A method and apparatus for refracting light into the field of view of an optical detector without the use of mirrors. The invention avoids an out-of-focus problem caused by the increase in the focal length with the use of mirrors which require the light to travel a greater distance than light directly impinging on the optical detector. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a pair of prisms which refract infrared light into the field of view of the optical detector. The prisms are mounted immediately adjacent and on either side of the optical detector so that they can refract light from outside the field of view of the optical detector and direct the light directly to the optical detector without increasing the distance traveled by the light. Each prism is preferably a thin array of prisms formed from angled grooves on a planr, transparent material.

Method and apparatus for refracting light to an optical detector

The present invention provides a shutoff circuit for a sensor controlled switching apparatus which does not require an additional high current switch. A two pole low current switch is used with one pole providing a control signal to the high current switch to open the high current switch. The other pole is connected between the AC line and a rectifier for a voltage regulator for the sensor circuitry. The second pole of the low current switch removes the power from the sensor circuitry. By piggy-backing a second pole on the switch, this switch can activate the primary power switch connected in series with the AC line without requiring a separate switch inserted in the AC line itself.

Shutoff circuit for sensor controlled switch

The present invention utilizes a latching relay having on and off inputs for controlling power to a load. The on and off inputs of the relay are controlled by pulse generators which are in turn controlled by an occupancy sensor circuit. These pulse generators provide pulses when movement is initially detected in a room and when no movement has been detected for a predetermined time, respectively. The outputs of the pulse generators are coupled to an isolation circuit which isolates the power supply for the occupancy sensor from the pulses during each pulse to prevent damage to the power supply.

Low voltage motion sensor for activating a high voltage load

Occupancy sensor

An improved apparatus for switching off power to an electric load in the absence of the detection of movement from the doppler shift of a transmission signal. An oscillator generates an ultrasonic transmission frequency which is transmitted via a transmission plate coupled to the oscillator. A plurality of receivers detect reflections of the ultrasonic sound signal and supply the detected signal to a bandpass filter which passes the transmission frequency. A low-pass demodulator will detect any doppler signal which modulates the transmission signal and will supply it to an amplifier for amplification. The amplified signal is then provided to a narrow band filter which will pass only a narrow band of doppler-shift signals which correspond to the frequencies of human movement. The signal is then supplied to a switching means which, when activated, will discharge a first node. The first node is charged via a resistor and a capacitor coupled to a voltage source. A comparator is coupled to the first node and is also coupled to a voltage reference. The comparator will produce an output signal when the first node has a higher voltage than the voltage reference, thereby enabling a control means which will supply current to the electric load. The detected doppler signal discharges the capacitor voltage thus insuring that an output signal is supplied while movement is detected in the room to keep the electric load supplied with current.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Charles C Hu