Abstract: A simple, low-cost method and apparatus for supporting a lighting fixture, motion detector or the like while it is being electrically connected and mounted on a junction box in a side wall or ceiling. A disposable support link is provided for supporting the weight of the fixture during installation. The support link is easily attachable to the junction box and to the fixture without the need for tools, and can even be attached with only one hand. When the electrical connections are completed and the fixture is ready to be mounted on the junction box, the support link may simply be left in place in the junction box or in one embodiment may be removed with one hand as easily as it was attached. The support link is secured to the back side of the fixture in a position that will face the junction box when the fixture is in its installed configuration on the junction box.

Abstract: A lighting fixture with infra-red responsive motion detector unit incorporated into the fixture design. The lighting fixture includes a motion detector housing forming an integral part of the lighting fixture body and having a generally convexo-convex shape fitting in with the decorative styling of the fixture body. The bottom portion of the housing has a bottom wall containing an azimuthally extending lens aperture. A plastic lens member is positioned in the lens aperture and is formed to conform to the convex bottom wall so that the lens member appears to form a continuous portion of the wall. The lens member defines a plurality of Fresnel lenses which are disposed to direct infra-red radiation from an object in their aggregate field of view to an infra-red sensor mounted within the housing.

Abstract: A passive infra-red motion detector with wide field of view extending to greater than 180 degrees that can be achieved in a cost-effective manner using a single sensor. The motion detector includes a planar infra-red sensor and two or more infrared-reflecting faces which are positioned close to and overlying at least a portion of the sensor. The reflecting faces are configured so that their ends proximal to the sensor overlie the sensor at its midportion and the faces extend from the midportion in different directions away from one another to reflect radiation to the sensor from different sides of the sensor. In one embodiment the reflecting faces form a generally prismoidal shape. In another embodiment the proximal ends of a pair of faces are displaced laterally from one another over the sensor so that the overlying faces obstruct a portion of the sensor and leave a portion unobstructed to form a checkerboard pattern of obstructed and unobstructed regions.

Abstract: A passive infrared motion detector with a 360.degree. field of view. The motion detector includes an integrated-circuit infrared sensor package containing an infra-red sensor having one or more sensing elements. The integrated-circuit sensor package is provided with viewing windows on both sides and the sensing elements are mounted within the integrated-circuit package so that both sides of the sensing elements are able to receive infrared radiation through the viewing windows from the areas in front of and behind the integrated-circuit package. The motion detector includes infrared-reflecting means that are disposed with respect to the front and rear surfaces of the sensing elements so as to reflect radiation to the surfaces from lateral areas on both sides of the integrated-circuit package.

Abstract: A sensing apparatus and method for use in an illumination control monitoring of a particular area. The sensing apparatus includes selectable and independent triggering and retriggering modes for activating and deactivating a lamp. Three sensors, a PIR, a sound and a light sensor cooperatively interact to cause triggering upon detecting motion in a low ambient light room. Thereafter, retriggering results upon either motion or sound being periodically detected in the room. An absence of motion or sound within a predetermined duration results in deactivation of the light and a return to a pre-triggering configuration.

Abstract: A passive infrared motion detector with a 360.degree. field of view. The motion detector includes an integrated-circuit infrared sensor package containing an infra-red sensor having one or more sensing elements. The integrated-circuit sensor package is provided with viewing windows on both sides and the sensing elements are mounted within the integrated-circuit package so that both sides of the sensing elements are able to receive infrared radiation through the viewing windows from the areas in front of and behind the integrated-circuit package. The motion detector includes infrared-refracting means that are disposed with respect to the front and rear surfaces of the sensing elements so as to direct radiation to the surfaces from lateral areas on both sides of the integrated-circuit package.

Abstract: An infrared radiation detector using a reflector comprising a mirrored conic section or faceted reflector to increase the field of view of a sensor. The reflector is mounted in the normal field of view of the sensor, and is truncated so as prevent the reflector from blocking radiation directly in front of the detector. The detector is mounted either on a wall with a nearly 180 degree field of view, or on a post with a nearly 360 degree horizontal field of view and a nearly 180 degree vertical field of view.

Abstract: An infrared motion detection device for detecting the presence of a target object including special circuitry for reducing false alarms. In particular, coupling circuitry is interposed between signal processing circuitry and comparator circuitry, which serves to match the baseline level of the signal from the signal processing circuitry with the baseline level of a threshold or thresholds defined by the comparator circuitry. The coupling circuitry may be implemented in a particularly simple manner, which reduces the manufacturing cost of the circuitry and the device.

Abstract: A dual pyroelectric-effect sensor having the sensing elements aligned in a motion plane permits direction determinations to be made for moving IR sources. Dual sensing-element PIR sensors provide different voltage outputs depending upon a relative direction of movement of an object and the sensing elements. By alternating the effective polarizations of the sensing elements in the PIR sensor, clear direction information is available from the PIR sensor. A direction detecting circuit working in cooperation with a switch controller employing a counter and a timer, permits independent tallying of entrances and exits. Upon the counter indicating that the number of objects that exited the area equals the number of objects that entered, the lights are immediately extinguished. The timer ensures that the lights turn off should incorrect values become recorded in the counter.

Abstract: A lighting fixture with infra-red responsive motion detector unit incorporated into the fixture design. The lighting fixture includes a motion detector housing forming an integral part of the lighting fixture body and having a generally convexo-convex shape fitting in with the decorative styling of the fixture body. The bottom portion of the housing has an upwardly curving bottom wall containing an azimuthally extending lens aperture. A plastic lens member is positioned in the lens aperture and is formed to conform to the curvature of the convex bottom wall so that the lens member appears to form a continuous portion of the wall. The lens member defines a plurality of Fresnel lenses which are disposed to direct infra-red radiation from an object in their aggregate field of view to an infra-red sensor mounted within the housing.