Digital load control system providing power and communication via existing power wiring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10292245-B2
Application number	US-201816188563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A two-way load control system comprises a power device, such as a load control device for controlling an electrical load receiving power from an AC power source, and a controller adapted to be coupled in series between the source and the power device. The load control system may be installed without requiring any additional wires to be run, and is easily configured without the need for a computer or an advanced commissioning procedure. The power device receives both power and communication over two wires. The controller generates a phase-control voltage and transmits a forward digital message to the power device by encoding digital information in timing edges of the phase-control voltage. The power device transmits a reverse digital message to the controller via the power wiring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load control system comprising:
a power device adapted to receive power from an AC power source via a power wiring; and
a controller adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection on the power wiring between the AC power source and the power device, the controller configured to produce a phase-control voltage that is adapted to be received by the power device via the power wiring, the controller configured to transmit a forward digital message to the power device by encoding digital information in timing edges of the phase-control voltage;
wherein the power device is configured to transmit a reverse digital message to the controller via the power wiring, the reverse digital message being split up into two or more packets; and
wherein the controller is configured to transmit a continuation pattern between the packets of the reverse digital message.

2. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the continuation pattern allows the power device to synchronize to a line frequency of the AC power source.

3. The load control system of claim 2 , wherein the power device uses a half-cycle period when transmitting the reverse digital message to the controller, the power device configured to update the half-cycle period in response to receiving the continuation pattern.

4. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a start pattern to begin transmitting a new forward digital message rather than transmitting the continuation pattern after one of the packets of the reverse digital message.

5. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit the continuation pattern before the power device has transmitted the entirety of the reverse digital message.

6. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the power device is configured to transmit the reverse digital message to the controller via the power wiring by adjusting a magnitude of a controller voltage generated across the controller during a predetermined time window each half-cycle.

7. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the continuation pattern has a length less than the length of the forward digital message.

8. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transmit a retry pattern if the reverse digital message has an error, and the power device is configured to retransmit the reverse digital message after receiving the retry pattern.

9. A controller for use in a load control system for controlling a power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, the controller comprising:
a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection on a power wiring between the AC power source and a power device of the load control system;
a control circuit coupled to the controllably conductive device for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive each half-cycle of the AC power source to generate a phase-control voltage on the power wiring, the control circuit being configured to transmit a forward digital message to the power device by encoding digital information in timing edges of the phase-control voltage; and
a reverse receiving circuit coupled in parallel electrical connection with the controllably conductive device and configured to receive a reverse digital message from the power device via the power wiring, the reverse digital message being split up into two or more packets;
wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a continuation pattern between the packets of the reverse digital message.

10. The controller of claim 9 ,
wherein a controller voltage is generated across the controller, and wherein the reverse receiving circuit is configured to receive a bit of the reverse digital message by adjusting a magnitude of the controller voltage prior to when the control circuit renders the controllably conductive device conductive during a half-cycle of the AC power source.

11. The controller of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is configured to render the controllably conductive device conductive to generate a first timing edge at a predetermined reference edge time during a first half cycle of each data pattern of the reverse digital message, wherein a window time period exists during a second half-cycle of the data pattern after a zero-crossing of the second half-cycle, a beginning of the window time period being approximately one half-cycle duration after the predetermined reference edge time; and
wherein the control circuit is configured to monitor the magnitude of the controller voltage during the window time period to receive the bit of the reverse digital message.

12. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the continuation pattern is configured to synchronize the power device to a line frequency of the AC power source.

13. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the reverse digital message from the power device via the power wiring by adjusting a magnitude of a controller voltage generated across the controller during a predetermined time window each half-cycle.

14. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a start pattern to begin transmitting a new forward digital message rather than transmitting the continuation pattern after one of the packets of the reverse digital message.

15. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit the continuation pattern before the power device has transmitted the entirety of the reverse digital message.

16. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a retry pattern if the reverse digital message has an error, and the retry pattern is configured to cause the power device to retransmit the reverse digital message.

17. A power device for use in a load control device for controlling a power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load in response to a controller that is coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the power device, the power device comprising:
a forward receiving circuit adapted to be coupled to the controller via a power wiring, and configured to receive a phase-control voltage from the controller via the power wiring;
a control circuit operatively coupled to the forward receiving circuit for receiving a forward digital message from the controller in response to digital information encoded in timing edges of the phase-control voltage; and
a reverse transmitting circuit adapted to be coupled to the controller via the power wiring;
wherein the control circuit is operatively coupled to the reverse transmitting circuit for transmitting a reverse digital message to the controller via the power wiring, the reverse digital message being split up into two or more packets; and
wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a continuation pattern between the packets of the reverse digital message.

18. The power device of claim 17 , wherein the control circuit is configured to use the continuation pattern to synchronize to a line frequency of the AC power source.

19. The power device of claim 18 , wherein the control circuit uses a half-cycle period when transmitting the reverse digital message to the controller, and wherein the control circuit is configured to update the half-cycle period in response to receiving the continuation pattern.

20. The power device of claim 17 , wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a ret

Assignees

• Lutron Electronics Co
• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Taipale Mark S
• Gredler Timothy P
• Bhat Akshay

Classifications

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B37/0227

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B37/0272

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B37/0263 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H05B33/0845

  Electricity · mapped topic