GB2519445A - A control system for controlling a street light - Google Patents

A control system for controlling a street light Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2519445A
GB2519445A GB1418502.9A GB201418502A GB2519445A GB 2519445 A GB2519445 A GB 2519445A GB 201418502 A GB201418502 A GB 201418502A GB 2519445 A GB2519445 A GB 2519445A
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GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
light
control system
power source
photovoltaic power
ambient light
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB1418502.9A
Other versions
GB2519445A8 (en
GB2519445B8 (en
GB201418502D0 (en
GB2519445B (en
Inventor
Philip Mitchell
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
TICKNALL SOLAR SOLUTIONS Ltd
Original Assignee
TICKNALL SOLAR SOLUTIONS Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB1318479.1A external-priority patent/GB2519352A/en
Priority claimed from GB1318481.7A external-priority patent/GB2519354A/en
Priority claimed from GB1318484.1A external-priority patent/GB2519355A/en
Application filed by TICKNALL SOLAR SOLUTIONS Ltd filed Critical TICKNALL SOLAR SOLUTIONS Ltd
Publication of GB201418502D0 publication Critical patent/GB201418502D0/en
Publication of GB2519445A publication Critical patent/GB2519445A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2519445B publication Critical patent/GB2519445B/en
Publication of GB2519445A8 publication Critical patent/GB2519445A8/en
Publication of GB2519445B8 publication Critical patent/GB2519445B8/en
Active legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21S—NON-PORTABLE LIGHTING DEVICES; SYSTEMS THEREOF; VEHICLE LIGHTING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLE EXTERIORS
    • F21S9/00—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply
    • F21S9/02—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply the power supply being a battery or accumulator
    • F21S9/03—Lighting devices with a built-in power supply; Systems employing lighting devices with a built-in power supply the power supply being a battery or accumulator rechargeable by exposure to light
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F21—LIGHTING
    • F21V—FUNCTIONAL FEATURES OR DETAILS OF LIGHTING DEVICES OR SYSTEMS THEREOF; STRUCTURAL COMBINATIONS OF LIGHTING DEVICES WITH OTHER ARTICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • F21V23/00—Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices
    • F21V23/04—Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices the elements being switches
    • F21V23/0442—Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices the elements being switches activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors
    • F21V23/0464—Arrangement of electric circuit elements in or on lighting devices the elements being switches activated by means of a sensor, e.g. motion or photodetectors the sensor sensing the level of ambient illumination, e.g. dawn or dusk sensors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
    • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
    • H05B47/105—Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters
    • H05B47/11—Controlling the light source in response to determined parameters by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
    • H05B47/00—Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant
    • H05B47/10—Controlling the light source
    • H05B47/175—Controlling the light source by remote control
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B20/00—Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
    • Y02B20/40—Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
    • Y02B20/00—Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps
    • Y02B20/72—Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps in street lighting

Abstract

A control system 1 for controlling a street light or belisha beacon includes at least one photovoltaic power source 5; storage means 7 for storing energy from the photovoltaic power source; a light 9 configured to receive power from the photovoltaic power source and the storage means, wherein the light has an off mode and a plurality of on modes having different brightness levels; an ambient light detector 11 configured to monitor changes in the ambient light over a time interval and match the ambient light level to a light level which would be perceived by a human eye and at least one controller 3 configured to receive an input from the ambient light detector and in response to the received input control the brightness level of the light by controlling the mode of operation of the light.

Description

Intellectual Property Office Application No. GB1418502.9 RTN4 Date:6 February 2015 The following term is a registered trade mark and should be read as such wherever it occurs in this document:
BLUETOOTFI
Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office www.ipo.govuk
TITLE
A Control System for Controlling a Street Light
TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a control system for controlling a street light such as a belisha beacon. In particular, they relate to a control system for controlling a street light such as a belisha beacon where the street light is powered by a photovoltaic power source.
BACKGROUND
Lights which are powered by photovoltaic power sources are known. Such lights may be connected to photovoltaic power sources which can convert incident solar power into electrical energy.
Such lights might not be suitable to provide lighting such as street lights or belisha beacons as these may require minimum light levels to be provided.
The lights may be required to operate continuously. The lights need to be operating all day for every day of the year if they are to be used on public roads. For example, UK traffic sign manufacturing standards such as BS8442 2006 require minimum light levels to be provided. This may be problematic if insufficient power is provided by the photovoltaic power source. For example at night time and during overcast or foggy weather conditions the photovoltaic power source might not be able to generate enough power to keep the light on at the required level of brightness.
BRIEF SUMMARY
According to various, but not necessarily all, examples of the disclosure there may be provided a control system for controlling a street light, the control system comprising; at least one photovoltaic power source; storage means for storing energy from the photovoltaic power source; a light configured to receive power from the at least one photovoltaic power source and the storage means, wherein the light has an off mode and a plurality of on modes where the plurality of on modes have different brightness levels; at least one ambient light detector configured to monitor changes in the ambient light over a time interval; at least one controller configured to receive an input from the ambient light detector, and in response to the received input control the brightness level of the light by controlling the mode of the light.
In some examples the control system may be configured to control a belisha beacon.
In some examples the control system may be configured such that if the photovoltaic power source is generating more power than is needed by the light to maintain the brightness level power is provided from the photovoltaic power source to the storage means.
In some examples the control system may be configured such that if the photovoltaic power source is not generating enough power for the light to maintain the brightness level power is provided from the storage means to the light.
In some examples the light may comprise a light emitting diode. The light may comprise a plurality of light emitting diodes.
In some examples the light may be configured to flash on and off. In some examples the light detector may be configured to detect the ambient light during time intervals when the light has flashed off.
In some examples the control system may be configured to be connected to street furniture.
In some examples the control system may be configured to be operable without any other power source.
According to various, but not necessarily all, examples of the disclosure there may be provided a method of controlling a street light, the method comprising; configuring a light to receive power from a photovoltaic power source and a storage means wherein the light has an off mode and a plurality of on modes where the plurality of on modes have different brightness levels; monitoring the ambient light over a time interval; controlling the brightness of the light by controlling the mode of the light in response to the monitoring of the ambient light.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
For a better understanding of the invention, reference will now be made by way of example only to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 illustrates an example control system Fig. 2 illustrates an example method; Fig.3 illustrates spectral sensitivity for light detectors; and Fig.4 illustrates a look up table.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The Figures illustrate a control system 1 for controlling a street light, the control system 1 comprising; at least one photovoltaic power source 5; storage means 7 for storing energy from the photovoltaic power source 5; a light 9 configured to receive power from the photovoltaic power source 5 and the storage means 7, wherein the light 9 has an off mode and a plurality of on modes where the plurality of on modes have different brightness levels; at least one ambient light detector 11 configured to monitor changes in the ambient light over a time interval and match the ambient light level to a light level which would be perceived by a human eye; at least one controller 3 configured to receive an input from the ambient light detector 11, and in response to the received input control the brightness level of the light 9 by controlling the mode of the light.
Fig. 1 schematically illustrates an example control system 1 which may be used to control a light 9 such as a street light. In some examples the light 9 could be used on public streets and roads. In such cases the light 9 may be required to be operable constantly. That is, the light 9 may be required to be illuminated all day for every day of the year. In other examples the light 9 may be provided on a privately owned road or area. In such cases the light 9 need not be operable constantly. For example, if the light 9 is provided outside a shop or on a retail or commercial park the light 9 need only be operable during the hours of business. In such examples the control system 1 may be configured to determine the date and/or time. In some examples the light 9 may comprise a warning light. In some examples such as a belisha beacon or warning light the brightness of the light 9 may need to be varied according to the brightness of the ambient light. For instance the light 9 may need to be made brighter during bright daylight. In such examples the light may be on and/or flashing all of the time but the brightness of the light may be varied as the ambient light levels vary. The brightness of the light may be varied at any time of the day and night.
In some examples the light 9 may be operable all day. In some examples the light may require power at all times. This may be problematic if using a power source such as a photovoltaic power source 5.
The example control system 1 comprises a controller 3, a photovoltaic power source 5, storage means 7, a light 9, an ambient light detector 11 and one or more transceivers 13, 14. The components of the system 1 may be provided as a single unit. The single unit may be connected to, or otherwise mounted on, street furniture such as a lamp post.
The controller 3 may comprise means for controlling the system 1. The controller 3 may be configured to send inputs to and receive inputs from the photovoltaic power source 5, the storage means 7, the light 9 and the ambient light detector 11. The controller 3 may be configured to control each of the components of the system 1.
In some examples the controller 3 may comprise one or more processors and one or more memories. The memories may be configured to store computer program instructions which may be accessed by the one or more processors to enable the one or more processors to control the system 1 or to control components of the system.
In some examples more than one controller 3 may be provided. For example, a first controller may be provided, as described above, and a second controller may also be provided. The second controller may be configured to detect the output of the photovoltaic power source 5. The second controller may be configured to detect whether it is day or night and provide an appropriate control signal to the first controller 3. In some examples the second controller could also control the level of charging of the photovoltaic power source 5.
The photovoltaic power source 5 may comprise any means which may be configured to convert solar energy into electrical power. In some examples the photovoltaic power source 5 may comprise one or more panels comprising photovoltaic semiconductors. The photovoltaic semiconductors may be configured to create an electric current from incident solar energy.
The storage means 7 may be configured to store electrical energy. The electrical energy which is stored by the storage means 7 may comprise energy obtained from the photovoltaic power source 5. In some examples the storage means 7 may comprise a battery which may be charged by the photovoltaic power source 5.
The storage means 7 may be connected to the photovoltaic power source 5 so that the electrical energy can be transferred from the photovoltaic power source 5 to the storage means 7. In some examples the storage means 7 may be connected to the photovoltaic power source 5 via the controller 3.
The storage means 7 and the photovoltaic power source 5 may be controlled by the controller 3 so that the controller can control when power is transferred from the photovoltaic power source 5 to the storage means 7. The storage means 7 may be controlled by the controller 3 to control the transfer of energy in the most efficient way.
The light 9 may comprise any means which may be configured to convert electrical energy into light. In some examples the light 9 may comprise a light emitting diode (LED). In some examples the light 9 may comprise a plurality of LEDs. The LEDs may have low power consumption. The size and number of LEDs may be selected to meet the light levels required. In some examples the LEDs may be selected to meet official light safety standards.
The light 9 may have a plurality of different operational modes. The light 9 may have an off mode in which it is turned off so that no light is generated.
Such lights may be used in privately owned locations. When the light 9 is in the off mode the power generated by the photovoltaic power source 5 is not needed by the light 9 and so it may be provided to the storage means 7. The controller 3 may control the system 1 so that when the light 9 is in the off mode the power is provided to the storage means 7.
The operational modes of the light 9 may also comprise a plurality of on modes. Each of the on modes may have a different brightness level. This may enable the same light 9 to provide different brightness of light as is required. The controller 3 may control the brightness of light which is provided by controlling which of the operational modes of the light is selected.
The plurality of on modes may comprise different flashing sequences which may vary the duration for which the light 9 is flashed on and off.
The different on modes of the light 9 may require different amounts of power to generate the required brightness level. For example the brightest on mode may require more power than a duller on mode or the off mode. In such examples if the photovoltaic power source 5 is not generating enough power then the light 9 may obtain additional power from the storage means 7. This may be the case if it is night time, or during cloudy or foggy weather conditions which have low levels of solar power but still require a light to be provided.
If the photovoltaic power source 5 is generating more power than is required then the excess power may be provided to the storage means 7. This may be the case if it is day time, or during sunny weather conditions which have high levels of solar power.
In some examples the light 9 may be configured to flash on and off. For example the system 1 may be configured to provide a warning light such as a belisha beacon which may be required to flash on and off The warning light may be configured to flash on and off all of the time. In some examples the warning light may be configured to flash on and off at predefined times. For example, if the light 9 is on a privately owned location the times at which the light 9 is flashing may be controlled by the controller 3.
The ambient light detector 11 may comprise any means which may be configured to detect the ambient light levels around the system 1 and provide the controller 3 with an input signal indicative of the detected ambient light levels. The ambient light detector 11 may comprise one or more photosensors or other suitable means which may be configured to convert incident light to an electrical signal. The ambient light detector 11 may comprise one or more electronic components which may be encapsulated in transparent resin.
In examples where the light 9 may be configured to flash on and off the ambient light detector 11 may be synchronised with the flashing of the light 9 so that the ambient light is detected when the light 9 has flashed off. This may avoid the light generated by the light 9 from affecting the measurements obtained by the light detector 11.
The one or more transceivers 13 may comprise any means that enables the control system 1 to send data to and receive data from a remote device. In the example of Fig. 1 two transceivers 13, 14 are provided. It is to be appreciated that other numbers may be used in other examples.
The remote device may be located a long distance away from the control light system 1. For example the remote device may comprise a time reference source. For instance the transceivers 13, 14 may be configured to receive the time signal from NFL (National Physics Laboratory) signal. This may enable an accurate internal clock 17 to be provided within the control system 1. In the example of Fig. 1 the transceiver 14 enables communication with a time reference source.
The internal clock 17 may enable the control system 1 to control when thelight 9 is turned on and off. This may be useful where the light is provided in privately owned locations. This may also allow for resetting the system to take into account daylight saving time changes.
The transceivers 13, 14 may be configured to enable wireless communication.
In some examples the transceivers 13, 14 may be configured to enable long range wireless communication. The transceivers 13, 14 may enable the control system 1 to operate in a radio network cellular communications network or to establish a connection to the internet or any other suitable connection.
In some examples the transceivers 13, 14 may also be configured to enable short range wireless communication. The short range wireless communication could comprise a Bluetooth connection, or a wireless local area network (WLAN) or any other suitable type of connection or RF connection. This may enable the control system 1 to be controlled by a device located close to the control system 1. For example where the control system 1 is located close to other control systems 1 information may be exchanged between the control systems 1.
In the example of Fig. 1 the transceiver 13 may enable the light sequence of the light unit 9 to be controlled by communicating with nearby systems 1. For instance where a plurality of belisha beacons or other flashing lights are provided they may exchange information using the transceiver 13 to synchronize the flashing of the belisha beacons. This may be beneficial for instance if there are a large number of belisha beacons in a car park flashing independently this could be distracting to motorists and potentially harmful to people sensitive to flashing lights such as people with epilepsy.
Information relating to the flashing sequence may be stored in one or memories 15.
Fig. 2 schematically illustrates an example method which may be implemented using the control system of Fig. 1 and as described above.
The method comprises, at block 21, configuring the light 9 to receive power from the photovoltaic power source 5 and the storage means 7. The controller 3 may control the system so that the light 9 can receive power from just the photovoltaic power source 5 or from just the storage means 7 or from a combination of the photovoltaic power source 5 and the storage means 7 as may be required.
At block 23 the ambient light detector 11 monitors the ambient light around the system 1. The ambient light detector 11 may be configured to monitor the ambient light continuously. In some examples the ambient light detector 11 may monitor the ambient light all day for every day of the year. The ambient light detector 11 may monitor the ambient light for an extended time interval.
For example the ambient light detector 11 may monitor the ambient light for a period of ten minutes. This may avoid the system responding to a temporary change in the light level such as a passing cloud or other object temporarily obstructing the incident sunlight.
At block 25 the controller 3 controls the brightness of the light 9. The controller 3 may control the brightness of the light 9 by controlling which of the plurality of on states is selected. For example if it is determined that the ambient light is very bright then the light 9 may be turned on or configured in the highest brightness setting. The different modes may vary the brightness levels from 5% to 100% of the power output of the light 9. If it is determined that the ambient light level is low then the light 9 may be configured in a lower brightness setting. Such a system may be used to control a warning light such as a belisha beacon. This ensures that the warning light is visible even during bright sunlight. A light level may be high if it is above a predetermined threshold and a light level may be low if it is below a predetermined threshold.
The one or more controllers 3 may also control the power which is provided to the light 9 by the photovoltaic power source 5 and the storage means 7. The one or more controllers 3 may be configured to determine how much power is being generated by the photovoltaic power source 5. If this energy is sufficient then all the power supplied to the light 9 may be provided directly from the photovoltaic power source 5. If this energy is not sufficient then additional power may be provided to the light 9 from the storage means 7.
In some instances the photovoltaic power source 5 may be generating more power than is needed by the light 9. In such instances the controller 3 may control the photovoltaic power source 5 to provide the surplus power to the storage means 7. This may be used to save the power so that it can be used at a time when the photovoltaic power source 5 is not generating sufficient power for the light 9. When the system is fully charged it may provide 100 hours of power which may enable the light 9 to be operable for 100 hours without further power input from the photovoltaic power source 5.
In some examples the light detector 11 and one or more controllers 3 may be configured to determine the ambient light level as it would be perceived by a human eye. Fig. 3 shows example traces of relative spectral sensitivity of various sensors. Trace 31 shows the spectral sensitivity of a standard silicon photo sensor. Trace 33 shows the spectral sensitivity of a human eye and trace 35 shows the spectral sensitivity of a light detector 11 which may be used in some embodiments of the invention.
It can be seen, from Fig. 3, that the standard silicon photo sensor has a high sensitivity in the infra red range of light. This section of the spectrum is invisible to the human eye, however many light sources, such as light bulbs emit high proportions of infra red light. This would lead a silicon photo sensor to detect the light emitted by a light bulb as brighter than a human eye would perceive it. Other light sources such as fluorescent lamps emit very low amounts of infra red light. This causes a standard silicon photo sensor to detect low levels of light where the human eye might perceive bright levels.
This leads to a discrepancy in the light levels detected by a standard silicon photo sensor and the light levels detected by the human eye.
The light detector 11 may be configured to match the detected ambient light level to a light level which would be perceived by a human eye. This ensures that the light detector 11 detects high levels of ambient light under the same conditions that the human eye would. In some examples this may be achieved by using a logarithmic look up table to convert the amount of light detected by the light detector to the amount of visible light which would be perceived by the human eye. Fig. 4 illustrates an example of a look up table which may be used. This ensures that the response of the control system 1 is matched to the brightness of the light as it would be perceived by a person.
The response of the system 1 would take into account artificial light such as street light and ambient light from nearby buildings.
The examples of the invention described above provide for a street light or a warning light such as a belisha beacon which may be used to provided the required light levels even when a photovoltaic power source 5 is not generating sufficient power. This may be achieved by storing the excess power generated by the photovoltaic power source 5 in the energy storage means 7 and then accessing the stored energy when required. This may also be achieved by controlling the brightness of the light 9 in response to the ambient light detected so that the minimum possible brightness level is provided at all time. This makes the system 1 more efficient as it reduces the amount of power used by the system.
The system 1 may be provided as a single unit. This may enable the system 1 to be added to current street furniture.
The system 1 may be configured to operate without any additional power source. This may mean that there is no requirement to connect the system 1 to a mains power supply. This may make the system 1 easier to install as it removes the need to dig up the ground to connect a street light to a power supply. This may also enable a street light to be operable with zero carbon emissions.
The blocks illustrated in the Fig. 2 may represent steps in a method and/or sections of code in a computer program. The illustration of a particular order to the blocks does not necessarily imply that there is a required or preferred order for the blocks and the order and arrangement of the blocks may be varied.
Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in the preceding paragraphs with reference to various examples, it should be appreciated that modifications to the examples given can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.
Features described in the preceding description may be used in combinations other than the combinations explicitly described.
Although functions have been described with reference to certain features, those functions may be performable by other features whether described or not Although features have been described with reference to certain embodiments, those features may also be present in other embodiments whether described or not.
Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.
I/we claim:

Claims (15)

  1. CLAIMS1. A control system for controlling a street light, the control system comprising; at least one photovoltaic power source; storage means for storing energy from the photovoltaic power source; a light configured to receive power from the at least one photovoltaic power source and the storage means, wherein the light has an off mode and a plurality of on modes where the plurality of on modes have different brightness levels; at least one ambient light detector configured to monitor changes in the ambient light over a time interval and match the ambient light level to a light level which would be perceived by a human eye; at least one controller configured to receive an input from the ambient light detector, and in response to the received input control the brightness level of the light by controlling the mode of the light.
  2. 2. A control system as claimed in claim lwherein the control system is configured to control a belisha beacon.
  3. 3. A control system as claimed in claim 2 wherein if it is determined that the ambient light is high then the light is configured in the highest brightness setting.
  4. 4. A control system as claimed in claim 3 wherein if it is determined that the ambient light level is low then the light is configured in a lower brightness setting.
  5. 5. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein if the photovoltaic power source is generating more power than is needed by the light to maintain the brightness level power is provided from the photovoltaic power source to the storage means.
  6. 6. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein if the photovoltaic power source is not generating enough power for the light to maintain the brightness level power is provided from the storage means to the light.
  7. 7. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the light comprises a light emitting diode.
  8. 8. A control system as claimed in claim 7 wherein the light comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes.
  9. 9. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the light is configured to flash on and off.
  10. 10. A control system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the light detector is configured to detect the ambient light during time intervals when the light has flashed off.
  11. 11. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the control system is configured to be connected to street furniture.
  12. 12. A control system as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the control system is configured to be operable without any other power source.
  13. 13. A method of controlling a street light, the method comprising; configuring a light to receive power from a photovoltaic power source and a storage means wherein the light has an off mode and a plurality of on modes where the plurality of on modes have different brightness levels; monitoring the ambient light over a time interval and matching the ambient light level to a light level which would be perceived by a human eye; controlling the brightness of the light by controlling the mode of the light in response to the monitoring of the ambient light.
  14. 14. A system as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
  15. 15. A method as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
GB1418502.9A 2013-10-18 2014-10-17 A control system for controlling a street light Active GB2519445B8 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB1318479.1A GB2519352A (en) 2013-10-18 2013-10-18 A control system for controlling a street light
GB1318481.7A GB2519354A (en) 2013-10-18 2013-10-18 A luminaire configured to illuminate a road sign
GB1318484.1A GB2519355A (en) 2013-10-18 2013-10-18 A flashing light system configured to provide a warning indication

Publications (5)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB201418502D0 GB201418502D0 (en) 2014-12-03
GB2519445A true GB2519445A (en) 2015-04-22
GB2519445B GB2519445B (en) 2016-09-21
GB2519445A8 GB2519445A8 (en) 2017-03-22
GB2519445B8 GB2519445B8 (en) 2017-03-22

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