Light switch controlling light source via wireless transmission

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10076014-B2
Application number	US-201615019538-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 27, 2014
Publication date	Sep 11, 2018
Grant date	Sep 11, 2018

Abstract

This disclosure relates in general to a networked light switch. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a light switch that, in response to detecting a local input or motion, transmits a communication that causes another light switch to change a state of a light. This disclosure further relates to techniques for detecting an abnormal current draw state of an electrical device such as a lighting device are described; systems including in-wall network devices having a user-facing restore button for restoring some or all of the customizable settings to a factory default state; and techniques for controlling device operations in accordance with scenes or modes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A light switch comprising:
a stimulus detector configured to:
detect a first stimulus received at a user interface and being of a first stimulus type, wherein the first stimulus includes a user input or motion stimulus; and
detect a second stimulus received at the user interface and being of a second stimulus type, wherein the second stimulus includes another user input or another motion stimulus, the second stimulus type being different than first stimulus type;

a light controller configured to, in response to detecting the first stimulus, cause a first action type, the first action type including an output of a first light source to change, wherein the first light source is electrically connected to the light controller; and
a wireless transmitter configured to, in response to detecting the second stimulus, cause a second action type, the second action type including wirelessly transmitting a communication indicative of the detection of the second stimulus, wherein the transmission is sent to each of one or more other devices, wherein the one or more other devices includes a master light switch, and wherein the communication is transmitted to a remote gateway or cloud server in wireless communication with the light switch and with the master light switch, wherein the transmission of the communication facilitates a change to an output of a second light source electrically connected to another device of the one or more other devices.

2. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a battery.

3. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first stimulus is a user input stimulus of a first input type, and wherein the second stimulus is a user input stimulus of a second input type.

4. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stimulus detector includes a mechanical button or a switch, wherein at least one of the first stimulus and the second stimulus includes a push of the mechanical button or a toggle of the switch.

5. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stimulus detector includes a mechanical button, wherein each of the first stimulus and the second stimulus includes one or more presses of the button, and wherein the first stimulus differs from the second stimulus with regard to a quantity, a temporal pattern or duration of the one or more presses.

6. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the stimulus detector is further configured to detect a third stimulus of a third stimulus type;
the wireless transmitter is further configured to, in response to detecting the third stimulus, wirelessly transmit a second communication to a different device, the different device being different than each of the one or more other devices, and the second communication being indicative of the detection of the third stimulus, wherein the transmission of the second communication facilitates a change to an output of a third light source electrically connected to the different device; and
the light switch is not electrically connected to the third light source.

7. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein a maximum depth of the light switch is less than 1 cm.

8. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light switch includes an aperture to receive a switch or button electrically connected to the first light source, the stimulus detector including the switch or button.

9. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light switch does not include an electronic display.

10. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
an electronic display configured present an identification of each of a set of selectable lighting options, wherein each lighting option corresponds to one or more light sources,
wherein detection of the first stimulus or detection of the second stimulus includes detecting a selection of a lighting option, and wherein the selected lighting option corresponds to the first light source or the second light source.

11. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light switch is configured to be attached to a wall.

12. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the light switch is configured to be attached to a wall via an adhesive or suction connection.

13. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the change to the output of the first or second light source includes turning the first or second light source on or off.

14. The light switch as recited in claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the communication causes a device of the one or more other devices to change the output of the second light source when a present output of the second light source does not match an output corresponding to the second stimulus.

15. A computer-implemented method comprising:
detecting, at a user interface at a light switch, a first stimulus of a first stimulus type, wherein the first stimulus includes a user input or motion stimulus;
detecting, at the user interface at the light switch, a second stimulus of a second stimulus type, wherein the second stimulus includes another user input or another motion stimulus, the second stimulus type being different than the first stimulus type;
in response to detecting the first stimulus, causing a first action type, the first action type including an output of a first light source to change, wherein the first light source is electrically connected to the light switch; and
in response to detecting the second stimulus, causing a second action type, the second action type including wirelessly transmitting a communication indicative of the detection of the second stimulus, wherein the transmission is sent to each of one or more other devices, wherein the one or more other devices includes a master light switch, and wherein the communication is transmitted to a remote gateway or cloud server in wireless communication with the light switch and with the master light switch, wherein the transmission of the communication facilitates a change to an output of a second light source electrically connected to another device of the one or more other devices.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the user interface at the light switch includes a mechanical button or a switch, and wherein detecting the first stimulus or detecting the second stimulus includes detecting a push of a mechanical button or a toggle of the switch.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
using a rule at least partly defined based on other user input to determine that stimuli of the second stimulus type are to trigger wireless transmission of a communication to each of the one or more other devices.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the one or more other devices includes another light switch.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 , further comprising:
detecting a third stimulus of a third stimulus type; and
in response to detecting the third stimulus, wirelessly transmitting a second communication to a different device, the different device being different than each of the one or more other devices, and the second communication being indicative of the detection of the third stimulus, wherein the transmission of the second communication facilitates a change to an output of a third light source electrically connected to the different device, wherein the light switch is not electrically connected to the third light source.

20. The method as recited in claim 15 , wherein the first stimulus is a user input stimulus of a first input type, and wherein the s

Assignees

• Belkin International Inc
• Belkin International Inc

Inventors

• Kelly Francis Michael
• Plummer Jon
• Kim Ryan Yong
• Chen Li-Ter

Classifications

• G08C2201/93

  Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop · CPC title

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• G08C2201/40

  Remote control systems using repeaters, converters, gateways · CPC title

• H05B37/0227

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B37/0272 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic