The present disclosure disclosures a sensor and a control method of the sensor. The sensor may include a protective housing, an optical component, a control component, an interface component, and a circuit board mounted within the protective housing. The circuit board may include a plurality of detection components, including a photosensitive detection component and a tilt angle detection component. The control method of the sensor may include determining whether the photovoltaic module operates in an angle detection range of the photosensitive detection component, and determining whether an actuation condition of the photosensitive detection component is satisfied. In response to a determination that the actuation condition of the photosensitive detection component is satisfied, the photosensitive detection component may be actuated. In response to a determination that the actuation condition of the photosensitive detection component is not satisfied, the tilt angle detection component may be actuated.

A detecting device for indicating the intensity of a predetermined type of radiation present in electromagnetic radiation incident on the detecting device can include: a filter element for filtering the incident electromagnetic radiation, wherein the filter element is configured to filter off electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of above 590 nm from the incident electromagnetic radiation; a converging element configured to increase the density of photons of the predetermined type of radiation present in the incident electromagnetic radiation; and a sensor element of material arranged to receive the incident electromagnetic radiation that has passed through the filter element and the converging element for indicating the intensity of the predetermined type of radiation present in the incident electromagnetic radiation by change of the color of the sensor element of material, wherein the material is represented by the following formula: (M′)8(M″M′″)6O24(X,S)2:M″″ (formula (I)).

Various implementations relate generally to a multi-sensor device. Some implementations more particularly relate to a multi-sensor device including a ring of radially-oriented photosensors. Some implementations more particularly relate to a multi-sensor device that is orientation-independent with respect to a central axis of the ring. Some implementations of the multi-sensor devices described herein also include one or more additional sensors. For example, some implementations include an axially-directed photosensor. Some implementations also can include one or more temperature sensors configured to sense an exterior temperature, for example, an ambient temperature of an outdoors environment around the multi-sensor. Additionally or alternatively, some implementations can include a temperature sensor configured to sense an interior temperature within the multi-sensor device. Particular implementations provide, characterize, or enable a compact form factor. Particular implementations provide, characterize, or enable a multi-sensor device requiring little or no wiring, and in some such instances, little or no invasion, perforation or reconstruction of a building or other structure on which the multi-sensor device is mounted.

A wearable UV sensor includes a UV pass filter; a UV phosphor material; and a visible light sensing device, wherein the UV sensor is configured to receive light including visible light and UV light, wherein the UV pass filter directs the UV light to the UV phosphor material and the UV phosphor material fluoresces visible light in proportion to the UV light from the UV pass filter, and the visible light sensing device measures the visible light fluorescing from the UV phosphor material to determine the amount of the UV light entering the sensor, which correlates to the UV exposure of a subject wearing the UV sensor.

Methods and systems for controlling tintable windows based on cloud detection.

Systems and methods are provided to determine glare information. An optical filter is configured to attenuate visible light and pass near-infrared light and an image sensor is configured to detect light reflected by a surface after the reflected light passes through the optical filter. The image sensor is further configured to generate image data comprising a detected near-infrared portion of the light reflected by the surface. Processing circuitry is configured to receive the image data from the image sensor and determine near-infrared glare information based on the received image. The near-infrared glare information can be used to adjust display parameter associated with the surface or characterize near-infrared glare properties of the surface.

An optical sensor device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged on an arrangement surface to be apart from each other in an x direction perpendicular to a z direction that is a direction connecting an area corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting elements and an area corresponding to a light-receiving element. A light-guide lens portion includes a plurality of incident portions respectively corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting elements and respectively receiving light from the plurality of light-emitting elements. The plurality of incident portions is provided with an equalizing portion configured to equalize intensity of the light incident on the light-guide lens portion along the x direction by reducing the intensity of the light along the z direction out of the light that is emitted from the light-emitting element, while allowing an incident of part of the light emitted from the light-emitting element adjacent to the corresponding light-emitting element.

Described herein is a deterrence system for deterring animals from a vicinity of an environment monitoring apparatus, the system includes: a detector system having at least one sensor configured to generate a presence signal indicative of the presence of an object within a predefined vicinity of the environment monitoring apparatus; a deterrence processing system; and a repulsion system, wherein the deterrence processing system is configured to: monitor the presence signal; determine, from the presence signal, the presence of an object within the predefined vicinity of the environment monitoring apparatus; and communicate a command for the repulsion system to perform a sequence of one or more repulsion events actions in response to determining that an object is present, and wherein the repulsion system is configured to: perform one or more repulsion events responsive to receipt of the command from the deterrence processing system.

One embodiment provides a pyranometer, including: a dome enclosing a cavity; at least one light emitting source arranged such that light exterior to the dome does not directly impinge on the at least one light emitting source; a diffusor; wherein the at least one light emitting source is configured to emit light substantially directed to a portion of the diffusor, and wherein the diffusor is configured to diffuse the light emitted from the at least one light emitting source on an inner surface of the dome; and one or more first light detecting sensors arranged in the cavity and configured to measure an intensity of the light reflected from the dome and impinging on the one or more first light detecting sensors. Other aspects are described and claimed.

In a sky monitoring system, comprising an image sensor, a wide-angle lens, a microprocessor, and a memory unit, wherein the sky monitoring system is configured to take pictures of a sky scene, wherein the sky monitoring system is configured to subdivide each picture of the sky scene into a group of patches and to determine one luminance value for each patch, wherein the sky monitoring system is configured to calculate an output based on the luminance values of the patches, the image sensor, the wide-angle lens, the microprocessor and the memory unit are integrated into one single sky monitoring device thus making the sky monitoring system an embedded system.