Relay device with automatic grouping function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10342105-B2
Application number	US-201815928315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Jul 1, 2012
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a device including relay circuitry and light sensor circuitry. The relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver alternating current (AC) power to a load. The light sensor circuitry is configured to detect one or more modulated light signals, wherein the device is configured to join a group including a plurality of devices based at least in part on the one or more modulated light signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
relay circuitry configured to selectively deliver alternating current (AC) power to a load; and
light sensor circuitry configured to detect one or more modulated light signals, wherein the device is configured to join a group including a plurality of devices based at least in part on the one or more modulated light signals.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising wireless communications circuitry configured to enable the device to communicate with other devices including the plurality of devices in the group.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver AC power to the load based at least in part on data received from the plurality of devices in the group via the wireless communications circuitry.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising occupancy sensor circuitry configured to detect a presence of humans in an environment surrounding the device, wherein the relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver AC power to the load based at least in part on an occupancy state detected by the occupancy sensor.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the device is further configured to share sensor data from the light sensor circuitry and the occupancy sensor circuitry with the plurality of devices in the group.

6. The device of claim 3 wherein the data received from the plurality of devices in the group includes sensor data from sensors associated with the plurality of devices in the group.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein the data received from the plurality of devices in the group includes one or more commands.

8. The device of claim 3 wherein the device is configured to share sensor data from the light sensor circuitry with the plurality of devices in the group.

9. The device of claim 2 wherein:
at least one of the plurality of devices in the group is a switch, which is configured to receive user input and provide one or more commands via a wireless communications network in response to the user input;
the device is configured to receive the one or more commands via the wireless communications circuitry; and
the relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver AC power to the load based on the one or more commands.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein:
the group includes at least one lighting fixture, which is configured to provide a modulated light signal; and
the device is configured to form the group including the at least one lighting fixture based on the light sensor circuitry detecting the modulated light signal from the at least one lighting fixture.

11. The device of claim 10 further comprising wireless communications circuitry configured to enable the device to communicate with other devices including the plurality of devices in the group.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver AC power to the load based at least in part on data received from the plurality of devices in the group via the wireless communications circuitry.

13. The device of claim 12 further comprising occupancy sensor circuitry configured to detect a presence of humans in an environment surrounding the device, wherein the relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver AC power to the load based at least in part on an output of the occupancy sensor.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the device is further configured to share sensor data from the light sensor circuitry and the occupancy sensor circuitry with the plurality of devices in the group.

15. The device of claim 12 wherein the data received from the plurality of devices in the group includes sensor data from sensors associated with the plurality of devices in the group.

16. The device of claim 12 wherein the data received from the plurality of devices in the group includes one or more commands.

17. The device of claim 12 wherein the device is configured to share sensor data from the light sensor circuitry with the plurality of devices in the group.

18. The device of claim 11 wherein the device is configured to join the group including the at least one lighting fixture based on the light sensor circuitry detecting the modulated light signal from the at least one lighting fixture and corresponding communications with the at least one lighting fixture via the wireless communications circuitry.

19. The device of claim 10 wherein the relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver AC power to the load such that the delivery of AC power to the load is synchronized with the delivery of light from the at least one lighting fixture.

20. The device of claim 1 further comprising occupancy sensor circuitry configured to detect a presence of humans in an environment surrounding the device, wherein the relay circuitry is configured to selectively deliver AC power to the load based at least in part on an output of the occupancy sensor.

Assignees

• Cree Inc

Inventors

• Harris Michael James

Classifications

• F21V5/04 Primary

  of lens shape · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• F21V7/00

  Reflectors for light sources (characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/505) · CPC title

• H05B47/175

  by remote control · CPC title

• H05B47/11

  by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light · CPC title