Basic automatic and security lighting systems are well known in prior art. Generally, these devices turn on a light source automatically when the presence of one or more persons is detected within its range. The light source continues to illuminate for a predetermined period of time after the detection ceases. A light sensitive component is usually incorporated to inhibit the activation of the light source when the ambient light level is high. There are two broad categories, namely indoor and outdoor automatic lights. The latter have two inherent limitations. Firstly, they require installation. They have to be installed at a considerable height and wired permanently to the building's electrical system, usually by technical personnel. Secondly, they cannot be designed with many user programmable functions (modes) as it would be inconvenient to control them because of the height. For example, an outdoor motion detector as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,712 by Richard L. Wilder, has an override mode which could be activated by disrupting the power switch in a predetermined sequence within a short period of time. This can be confusing to non-technical users and impractical when there are more than two modes to control. Indoor automatic and security lights such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,994 by Kenneth Hoberman and Kim Kirwan solve the installation problem as they can be plugged into a standard wall power outlet by a prolonged plug built into the self-contained lighting devices. However, their application is limited because existing wall outlets may not be situated in a favourable location for detection, illumination and/or ambient light sensing. This constraint may render it impossible to use such devices under certain circumstances. In addition, the self-contained construction of such indoor devices limits the type, size and wattage of the bulbs used.
While all preceding systems of the art have brought about a certain degree of convenience and protection providing automatic lighting and security, there remains the need for a versatile, easily installed, user friendly and full feature device to provide programmable illumination and security at the same time.