Control device having an integral reflecting structure for a sensing circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10820392-B2
Application number	US-201916598286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2019
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Oct 27, 2020
Grant date	Oct 27, 2020

Abstract

A wall-mounted keypad may include a light detector circuit located inside the keypad that is configured to measure an ambient light level in a space. The light detector circuit may receive ambient light through an aperture that is hidden from view by the keypad. The keypad may include a reflector for directing ambient light onto the light detector circuit. The keypad may include an enclosure that houses the light detector circuit. The enclosure may define a recess that exposes at least a portion of the light detector circuit. The enclosure may include a reflector that may focus ambient light received through the aperture onto the light detector circuit. The keypad may include a control circuit that may be configured to illuminate the indicia of respective buttons of the control device in response to actuations of the one or more buttons, in accordance with the measured ambient light level.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A control device comprising:
a button comprising a translucent body and an opaque material, the opaque material having an indicia cut therethrough, wherein the opaque material comprises a veneer that has the indicia cut therethrough and is attached to a front surface of the button;
a light source that is configured to backlight the indicia of the button;
a light detector circuit that is configured to measure a light level of ambient light that is external relative to the control device;
a control circuit that is configured to, responsive to an actuation of the button, cause the light source to backlight the indicia of the button in accordance with the measured light level;
an enclosure that houses the light detector circuit, the enclosure configured to direct the ambient light to the light detector circuit; and
an upper wall, sidewalls, and a lower wall connected together and defining a periphery around the enclosure, the lower wall having an aperture through which the light detector circuit receives the ambient light.

2. The control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
an adapter configured to be mounted to a structure, the adapter comprising the upper wall, the sidewalls, and the lower wall.

3. The control device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a faceplate configured to be attached to the adapter, the faceplate defining an opening that extends therethrough and that is configured to at least partially receive the button.

4. The control device of claim 3 , wherein the adapter and the faceplate are configured such that the faceplate is removably attachable to the adapter.

5. The control device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a pair of mounting tabs that are configured for removable attachment to the adapter, wherein a first mounting tab of the pair comprises a light guide that is configured to guide the ambient light from the aperture to the light detector circuit.

6. The control device of claim 3 , wherein an outer perimeter of the faceplate extends beyond the lower wall of the adapter so as to hide the aperture from view.

7. The control device of claim 3 , wherein the enclosure is configured to be attached to an inner surface of the faceplate.

8. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the light source in response to a change in the measured light level.

9. The control device of claim 8 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the light source to backlight the indicia at a first illumination intensity when the button has been selected, and wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the light source to backlight the indicia at a second illumination intensity when the button has not been selected.

10. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the button is a first button, the veneer is a first veneer, the indicia is a first indicia, and the light source is a first light source, the control device further comprising:
a second button comprising a second veneer that is attached to a front surface of the second button, the second veneer having a second indicia; and
a second light source that is configured to backlight the second indicia of the second veneer, wherein the control circuit is configured to, responsive to an actuation of the second button, cause the second light source to backlight the second indicia of the second veneer in accordance with the measured light level.

11. The control device of claim 10 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control the first light source at a first illumination intensity and the second light source at a second illumination intensity.

12. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the light detector circuit comprises a photodiode, the control device further comprising:
a printed circuit board on which the control circuit and the photodiode are mounted,
wherein the enclosure defines a recess that exposes the photodiode.

13. The control device of claim 12 , wherein the enclosure comprises a surface configured to direct the ambient light to the photodiode.

14. The control device of claim 13 , wherein the surface configured to direct the ambient light to the light detector circuit is concave.

15. The control device of claim 13 , wherein the surface defines an upper edge that is spaced from a surface of the printed circuit board on which the photodiode is mounted, such that the upper edge extends over a portion of the photodiode.

16. The control device of claim 12 , wherein the enclosure comprises an integral reflector configured to direct the ambient light to the photodiode.

17. The control device of claim 16 , wherein the integral reflector comprises a parabolic reflector that focuses the ambient light onto a light-receiving surface of the photodiode.

18. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the veneer is adhered to the front surface of the button.

19. The control device of claim 1 , wherein the veneer is metallic.

20. A control device comprising:
a button comprising a translucent body and an opaque material, the opaque material having an indicia cut therethrough;
a light source that is configured to backlight the indicia of the button;
a light detector circuit that is configured to measure a light level of ambient light that is external relative to the control device;
a control circuit that is configured to, responsive to an actuation of the button, cause the light source to backlight the indicia of the button in accordance with the measured light level;
an enclosure that houses the light detector circuit, the enclosure configured to direct the ambient light to the light detector circuit; and
an adapter configured to be mounted to a structure, the adapter comprising an upper wall, sidewalls, and a lower wall connected together and defining a periphery around the enclosure, the lower wall having an aperture through which the light detector circuit receives the ambient light.

21. The control device of claim 20 , further comprising:
a faceplate configured to be attached to the adapter, the faceplate defining an opening that extends therethrough and that is configured to at least partially receive the button.

22. The control device of claim 21 , wherein the adapter and the faceplate are configured such that the faceplate is removably attachable to the adapter.

23. The control device of claim 21 , further comprising:
a pair of mounting tabs that are configured for removable attachment to the adapter, wherein a first mounting tab of the pair comprises a light guide that is configured to guide the ambient light from the aperture to the light detector circuit.

24. The control device of claim 21 , wherein an outer perimeter of the faceplate extends beyond the lower wall of the adapter so as to hide the aperture from view.

25. The control device of claim 21 , wherein the enclosure is configured to be attached to an inner surface of the faceplate.

26. The control device of claim 20 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the light source in response to a change in the measured light level.

27. The control device of claim 26 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the light source to backlight the indicia at a first illumination intensity when the button has been selected, and wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the light source to backlight the indicia at a second illumination in

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Shivell William Taylor
• Mcdonald Matthew Philip

Classifications

• H01H13/83 Primary

  characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements · CPC title

• Y02B90/20

  Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector (smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00) · CPC title

• H01H2219/039

  Selective or different modes of illumination · CPC title

• Y04S20/14

  Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers · CPC title

• H01H9/181

  using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD · CPC title