Abstract: An lighting energy management system and method for controlling lighting fixtures in a building, uses lighting fixtures, photo and occupancy sensors, personal lighting commands and an energy control unit. The energy control unit receives information from the photo and occupancy sensors and the personal controller and determines an optimal brightness command for each lighting fixture using a coordinated system of zone and fixture objects. Each zone object is associated with a building zone and each fixture object is associated with a light fixture. Each zone object ensures that lighting fixture lighting level is adjusted when a physical zone is unoccupied. Each fixture object uses sensors and personal inputs to determine a desired brightness level and uses a load shedding and daylight compensation to determine a daylight adjusted brightness level. The energy control unit determines an optimal brightness command based on these levels to minimize the energy required by the lighting fixtures.

Abstract: A lighting control interface consisting of a touch pad matrix, a housing, different faceplates having unique graphical designs, and a control circuit. The touch pad matrix has a plurality of conductive touch pads. The faceplate has a plurality of faceplate areas which are used to designate various lighting commands and each faceplate can represent a unique collection of lighting control functions. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the touch pad matrix and is programmed to support the functionality represented by a particular faceplate design by ascribing the appropriate lighting control functions to the individual touch pads. The control circuit includes an oscillator which is coupled to each touch pad in turn and a microcontroller which monitors the frequency of the oscillating circuit when connected to the various touch pads. When a user places a finger on a touch pad, the frequency of the associated oscillations decreases and this decrease in frequency is detected by the microcontroller.

Abstract: A lighting control interface consisting of a touch pad matrix, a housing, different faceplates having unique graphical designs, and a control circuit. The touch pad matrix has a plurality of conductive touch pads. The faceplate has a plurality of faceplate areas which are used to designate various lighting commands and each faceplate can represent a unique collection of lighting control functions. The control circuit is electrically coupled to the touch pad matrix and is programmed to support the functionality represented by a particular faceplate design by ascribing the appropriate lighting control functions to the individual touch pads. The control circuit includes an oscillator which is coupled to each touch pad in turn and a microcontroller which monitors the frequency of the oscillating circuit when connected to the various touch pads. When a user places a finger on a touch pad, the frequency of the associated oscillations decreases and this decrease in frequency is detected by the microcontroller.