Method of optically transmitting digital information from a smart phone to a control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10367582-B2
Application number	US-201815923211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2011
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load is able to receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a smart phone, via a wireless local area network. The load control device comprises a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series between the source and the load, a controller for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive, and a Wi-Fi module operable to receive the RF signals directly from the wireless network. The controller controls the controllably conductive device to adjust the power delivered to the load in response to the wireless signals received from the wireless network. The load control device may further comprise an optical module operable to receive an optical signal, such that the controller may obtain an IP address from the received optical signal and control the power delivered to the load in response to a wireless signal received from the wireless network that includes the IP address.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A control device for controlling an electrical load comprising:
a wireless communication module configured to receive wireless communications on a wireless network;
a controller responsive to the wireless communication module; and
an optical module configured to receive an optical signal comprising programming instructions from at least one of a visual display or a camera flash light source of a wireless device, wherein the programming instructions are configured to enable the wireless communication module to receive messages via the wireless communications on the wireless network; and
wherein the controller is configured, in response to the programming instructions in the optical signal received from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device, to connect to the wireless network and receive the messages on the wireless network via the wireless communication module, the controller further configured to control the electrical load in response to the messages received via the wireless communications on the wireless network.

2. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the optical module comprises an optical signal receiving circuit configured to receive the optical signal, and wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise an IP address.

3. The control device of claim 2 , wherein the electrical load comprises a lighting load and the control device comprises a dimmer switch configured to control the lighting load, and wherein in the controller is configured to control power delivered to the lighting load in response to messages that include the IP address.

4. The control device of claim 2 , further comprising:
an optical receiver located on a front surface of the control device; and
a light pipe for optically coupling the optical signal from the optical receiver to the optical signal receiving circuit of the optical module.

5. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the optical module comprises a photodiode configured to transmit and receive optical signals.

6. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise a unique identifier for communicating on the wireless network, and wherein the controller is configured to use the unique identifier for communicating on the wireless network.

7. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi local area network, wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise at least one of an SSID or an SSID password for the Wi-Fi local area network, and wherein the controller is configured to use the at least one of the SSID or the SSID password to connect to the Wi-Fi local area network.

8. The control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between a power source and the electrical load;
wherein the controller is configured to control the controllably conductive device to control power delivered to the electrical load.

9. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to transmit messages including status information of the electrical load via the wireless communications on the wireless network.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a wireless communication module configured to receive wireless communications;
an optical module operable to receive a free-space, visible-light optical signal comprising instructions from at least one of a visual display or a camera flash light source of a wireless control device, wherein the instructions are configured to enable the wireless communication module to receive digital messages via the wireless communications on a wireless network; and
a controller configured, in response to the instructions in the optical signal received from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device, to connect to the wireless network and receive the digital messages on the wireless network via the wireless communication module, the controller further configured to transmit messages including status information of an electrical load via the wireless communications on the wireless network.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical module comprises an optical signal receiving circuit operable to receive the optical signal, and wherein the instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise an IP address, and wherein the controller is configured to control power delivered to the electrical load in response to the digital messages.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical module comprises a photodiode operable to receive the optical signal, and wherein the photodiode is operable to transmit optical signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller is operable to control, by way of a controllably conductive device, power delivered from an AC power source to the electrical load.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:
an optical receiver located on a front surface of the apparatus; and
a light pipe for optically coupling the optical signal from the optical receiver to the optical module.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise a unique identifier for communicating on the wireless network, and wherein the controller is configured to use the unique identifier for communicating on the wireless network.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi local area network, wherein the instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise at least one of an SSID or an SSID password for the Wi-Fi local area network, and wherein the controller is configured to use the at least one of the SSID or the SSID password to connect to the Wi-Fi local area network.

17. A method for establishing wireless communications for a control device on a wireless network, the method comprising:
determining an SSID and a password to be sent to the control device, wherein the SSID and the password are configured to enable the control device to receive messages via the wireless communications on the wireless network;
optically transmitting the SSID and the password to the control device via free-space, visual-light transmission from at least one of a visual display or a camera flash light source of a wireless device; and
receiving messages for controlling an electrical load via the wireless communications on the wireless network using the SSID and the password received via the free-space, visual-light transmission.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein optically transmitting comprises modulating light output of at least a portion of the visual display or the camera flash light source.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi local area network.

20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
storing, by the control device, the SSID and the password in a memory.

21. The method of

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Economy Theodore F

Classifications

• H04B10/40 Primary

  Transceivers · CPC title

• G05B19/02

  electric · CPC title

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• H04W76/10

  Connection setup · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title