Image Sensor in Every Lightbulb

Cree, one of the world's largest illumination LED manufacturers, files a patent application US20170127492 "Lighting fixture with image sensor module" by Robert D. Underwood, John Roberts proposing an integration of image sensor into a LED lightbulb:

"the derived image data is used to determine an ambient light level in an area surrounding the lighting fixture. In particular, a mean light intensity for a number of zones (i.e., a zoned mean light intensity) within a frame (or a number of frames) of the image data may be obtained from the image sensor module and used to determine the ambient light level. In one embodiment, zones within the frame of image data for which the mean light intensity is a predetermined threshold above the mean light intensity for one or more other zones may be ignored (not included in the average) to increase the accuracy of the determined ambient light level.

In one embodiment, the derived image data is used to determine an occupancy event within the area surrounding the lighting fixture. In particular, a mean light intensity for a number of zones within the image data may be obtained from the image sensor module and used to determine whether an occupancy event has occurred."