Motion detectors are security system components that can trigger an alarm in the event of a burglary, fire or other critical conditions. Motion detectors are also energy conservation components, which can shut-off lights or disable other power consuming devices when there is no perceivable activity. Motion detectors utilize a variety of technologies, such as video cameras, ultrasonic emitter and detector combinations and infrared sensors in order determine if movement is occurring within a target area.
One drawback to conventional motion detectors is the necessity of custom installation. A motion detector typically requires physical and electrical connection to an existing or newly installed junction box. Although motion detectors are available that plug into conventional outlets, the choice of location and function is limited, and protrusion from the outlet is undesirable.
A modular motion detector is configured to be removably mounted to a wiring module. The wiring module can be either wired for a single throw or a three-way switch. As such, any of a switch function, a dimmer switch function or a motion detector function can be advantageously implemented without rewiring and without requiring professional installation. Wiring modules and functional modules that implement switch or dimmer switch functions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,111 entitled Safety Module Electrical Distribution System, assigned to ProtectConnect, Irvine, Calif. and incorporated by reference herein.
One aspect of a motion detector is a housing having a front side and a back side. Conductors are disposed on the back side so as to electrically connect to a wiring module installed within an electrical box. An infrared (IR) sensor is mounted within the housing and configured to receive IR radiation focused from a lens disposed on the front side. The IR sensor generates a sensor signal in response to motion across the field-of-view of the lens. A controller is responsive to the sensor signal so as to generate a switch signal. A relay is responsive to the switch signal so as to switch an electrical power source connecting to an electrical power load via the conductors and the wiring module.
Another aspect of a motion detector is an electrical box configured to accept electrical conductors in communications with a power source and a power load. A wiring module having a wiring side and a functional side is mounted within the electrical box. A motion detector module having a front side and a back side is removably plugged into the wiring module. The wiring module wiring side terminates the electrical conductors, and the functional side has wiring module contacts electrically connected to the terminations. The motion detector module front side has a lens for receiving IR radiation, and the back side has motion detector module contacts that are removably and electrically connected to the wiring module contacts. The motion detector module is responsive to motion within the field-of-view of the lens so as to connect the power source with the power load via the motion detector module contacts. In one embodiment, the motion detector may further include a relay disposed within the motion detector module. The relay has a switch movable between a closed position connecting the power source to the power load and an open position disconnecting the power source from the power load. The switch moves between open and closed positions only upon the zero-crossing of the AC power source, i.e. when the power source voltage or current changes polarity.
A further aspect of a motion detector routes an electrical power source and an electrical power load to an electrical box. A wiring module is mounted within the electrical box, and the power source and load are terminated at the wiring module. A motion detector module is plugged into the wiring module so as to allow the motion detector module to communicate with the power source and load via the wiring module. The power source is switched to the load in response to motion in the field-of-view of the motion detector module. In one embodiment, a switch module for manually switching the power source to the load is unplugged from the wiring module and interchanged with the motion detector module.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
Also shown in
As shown in
Also shown in
A motion detector module has been disclosed in detail in connection with various embodiments. These embodiments are disclosed by way of examples only and are not to limit the scope of the claims that follow. One of ordinary skill in art will appreciate many variations and modifications.
This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/287,884, entitled Motion Detector Module, filed Nov. 26, 2005, which claims priority to the following provisional patent applications: U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/631,100 entitled Modular Motion Detector, filed Nov. 26, 2004; U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/654,321 entitled Modular Motion Detector, filed Feb. 19, 2005; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/715,456 entitled Motion Detector Module, filed Sep. 10, 2005. All of the aforementioned prior applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2908743 | Premoshis | Oct 1959 | A |
2969518 | Slater | Jan 1961 | A |
3189077 | Willis, Jr. et al. | Jun 1965 | A |
3467941 | Martin | Sep 1969 | A |
3489985 | Martin | Jan 1970 | A |
3510822 | Patterson | May 1970 | A |
3609647 | Castellano | Sep 1971 | A |
3710287 | Eckert | Jan 1973 | A |
3732524 | Reed et al. | May 1973 | A |
3868161 | Frantz | Feb 1975 | A |
3879101 | McKissic | Apr 1975 | A |
3972498 | Paskert | Aug 1976 | A |
4103125 | Marrero | Jul 1978 | A |
4117258 | Shanker | Sep 1978 | A |
4165443 | Figart et al. | Aug 1979 | A |
4166934 | Marrero | Sep 1979 | A |
4196521 | Hutchinson et al. | Apr 1980 | A |
4263472 | Maheu | Apr 1981 | A |
4372634 | Ritchie et al. | Feb 1983 | A |
4403824 | Scott | Sep 1983 | A |
4485282 | Lee | Nov 1984 | A |
4599485 | Smolik | Jul 1986 | A |
4607906 | Munroe | Aug 1986 | A |
4612412 | Johnston | Sep 1986 | A |
4627675 | Taylor et al. | Dec 1986 | A |
4634015 | Taylor | Jan 1987 | A |
4645089 | Horsley | Feb 1987 | A |
4747506 | Stuchlik, III | May 1988 | A |
4780088 | Means | Oct 1988 | A |
4784614 | Sadigh-Behzadi | Nov 1988 | A |
4842551 | Heimann | Jun 1989 | A |
4873469 | Young et al. | Oct 1989 | A |
4952164 | Weber et al. | Aug 1990 | A |
4967990 | Rinderer | Nov 1990 | A |
5012043 | Seymour | Apr 1991 | A |
5042673 | McShane | Aug 1991 | A |
5092787 | Wise et al. | Mar 1992 | A |
5098046 | Webb | Mar 1992 | A |
5178555 | Kilpatrick et al. | Jan 1993 | A |
5209444 | Rinderer | May 1993 | A |
5288041 | Webb | Feb 1994 | A |
5289934 | Smith et al. | Mar 1994 | A |
5293097 | Elwell | Mar 1994 | A |
5330137 | Olivia | Jul 1994 | A |
5386959 | Laughlin et al. | Feb 1995 | A |
5399806 | Olson | Mar 1995 | A |
5415564 | Winter et al. | May 1995 | A |
5448011 | Laughlin | Sep 1995 | A |
5486121 | Miller | Jan 1996 | A |
5500487 | Leon | Mar 1996 | A |
5516068 | Rice | May 1996 | A |
5613874 | Orlando et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
5730617 | Araki et al. | Mar 1998 | A |
5741153 | Schwer | Apr 1998 | A |
5775935 | Barna | Jul 1998 | A |
5785551 | Libby | Jul 1998 | A |
5807139 | Volansky et al. | Sep 1998 | A |
5885088 | Brennan et al. | Mar 1999 | A |
5906497 | Pham et al. | May 1999 | A |
5925850 | Park | Jul 1999 | A |
5931325 | Filipov | Aug 1999 | A |
5967354 | Whitehead et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
6036516 | Byrne | Mar 2000 | A |
6098939 | He | Aug 2000 | A |
6209836 | Swanson | Apr 2001 | B1 |
6309248 | King | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6311229 | Burchard et al. | Oct 2001 | B1 |
6341981 | Gorman | Jan 2002 | B1 |
6371790 | Huang | Apr 2002 | B1 |
6461189 | Koh | Oct 2002 | B1 |
6465735 | May | Oct 2002 | B2 |
6484979 | Medlin, Jr. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6485336 | Zebermann et al. | Nov 2002 | B1 |
6530806 | Nelson | Mar 2003 | B2 |
6590155 | Vrame et al. | Jul 2003 | B2 |
6617511 | Schultz | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6623296 | Okamoto | Sep 2003 | B2 |
6653566 | Petak et al. | Nov 2003 | B2 |
6718674 | Caveney et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
6765146 | Gerardo | Jul 2004 | B1 |
6767245 | King | Jul 2004 | B2 |
6770814 | Shotey et al. | Aug 2004 | B2 |
6803521 | Vrame | Oct 2004 | B2 |
6805567 | Chapman et al. | Oct 2004 | B2 |
6820760 | Wagner et al. | Nov 2004 | B2 |
6830477 | Vander Vorste et al. | Dec 2004 | B2 |
6843680 | Gorman | Jan 2005 | B2 |
6850159 | Mudge | Feb 2005 | B1 |
6863561 | Gorman | Mar 2005 | B2 |
6870099 | Schultz et al. | Mar 2005 | B1 |
6884111 | Gorman | Apr 2005 | B2 |
6908334 | Huang | Jun 2005 | B2 |
6956169 | Shotey et al. | Oct 2005 | B1 |
6967284 | Gretz | Nov 2005 | B1 |
7273392 | Fields | Sep 2007 | B2 |
7312396 | Gorman | Dec 2007 | B1 |
7323638 | Radosavljevic | Jan 2008 | B1 |
7357652 | Arenas et al. | Apr 2008 | B1 |
20020185296 | Schultz et al. | Dec 2002 | A1 |
20030178218 | Shotey et al. | Sep 2003 | A1 |
20030189043 | Wegner et al. | Oct 2003 | A1 |
20030205654 | Petak et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
20040048507 | Hage | Mar 2004 | A1 |
20050001123 | Cheatham et al. | Jan 2005 | A1 |
20050067180 | Dinh | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050067546 | Dinh | Mar 2005 | A1 |
20050176278 | Cheatham et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
20050224249 | Wegner et al. | Oct 2005 | A2 |
20060021780 | Hill | Feb 2006 | A1 |
20060065510 | Kiko et al. | Mar 2006 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20080093552 A1 | Apr 2008 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60631100 | Nov 2004 | US | |
60715456 | Sep 2005 | US | |
60654321 | Feb 2005 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 11287884 | Nov 2005 | US |
Child | 11961965 | US |