Configuring a load control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10826697-B2
Application number	US-201815922796-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2018
Priority date	Mar 15, 2017
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

A load control system may be configured using a graphical user interface (GUI) software. The GUI software may be implemented to collect control devices and add the control devices to the load control system for configuration. Programming data may be automatically determined for the added control devices based on the type of control device, the location of the control device, and/or the load type controlled by the control device. The programming data may include control settings for a scene, a schedule, or an automated control feature. The programming data may be displayed for being viewed and/or adjusted by a user. The programming data may be transmitted to the control devices and/or a system controller for being implemented in performing load control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of configuring a load control system, the method comprising:
collecting, via at least one processor, control devices for configuration, wherein each of the control devices are associated with a light type information and location information that indicates a respective location name for each of the control devices in the load control system;
automatically determining, via the at least one processor, programming data for controlling electrical loads in the load control system based on the light type information and location information for each of the respective collected control devices; and
transmitting, via at least one communications circuit, the determined programming data to the control devices to enable control of the electrical loads.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, via a display, the determined programming data on a network device;
receiving, via the at least one processor, a user selection to edit a control feature of the programming data; and
transmitting, via the at least one communications circuit, the edited programming data to the control devices for controlling the electrical loads.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the control feature corresponds to an identified type of the control devices, and wherein the edited programming data is transmitted to the identified type of the control devices for enabling control.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
in response to the user selection to edit the control feature, storing an indication that the control feature has been edited, and wherein the indication is configured to prevent the user selection from being overwritten by later automatic updates to the programming data.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user selection to edit the programming data is received in response to a prompt providing a recommendation to edit the programming data to alternative programming data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein collecting the control devices further comprises:
choosing, via a display, a type of control device to add to the load control system;
actuating a button at a control device of the collected control devices, wherein actuating the button is configured to transmit an identifier of the control device to a system controller;
selecting, via the display, a room in which the control device is located; and
storing an identifier and the selected room in a database.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the control device is a lighting control device, and wherein collecting the lighting control devices further comprises:
selecting, via the display, a light type for a lighting load controlled by the control device;
displaying, via a display, a tile to identify the light type; and
storing the light type with the identifier and the selected room in the database.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control devices comprise lighting control devices and the programming data comprises control settings for at least one of a scene, a schedule, or an automated control feature, and wherein the automatically determined programming data for each lighting control device is further based on a light type of a lighting load controlled by the lighting control device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the control settings comprise a dimming level that is automatically determined for each lighting control device for the scene, the schedule, or the automated control feature.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the programming data is automatically determined based on information stored in a lookup table, wherein the lookup table includes the location information for each of the collected control devices, the light type information, and scene levels.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrical loads comprise lighting loads, and wherein the lookup table includes a rule for each location in the location information that defines a minimum dimming level for at least one of the lighting loads.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
accessing design software;
creating a user account via the design software after automatically determining the programming data for controlling the electrical loads in the load control system, wherein the programming data for controlling the electrical loads is based on light type information and location information for each of the collected control devices;
connecting a network device to a system controller of the load control system;
obtaining a system identifier (ID) from the system controller, wherein the system ID is associated with the user account;
transmitting, via the at least one communication circuit, the system ID to an external cloud server; and
accessing the system controller via the network device to control the electrical loads.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
sending, via the at least one communication circuit, an email that includes instruction for how to create the user account that will allow the user to access the programming data to configure, control, and monitor operation of the electrical loads;
wherein accessing design software comprises accessing the design software via a link in the email.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after a control device is collected, determining, via the at least one processor, a control feature for the programming data that is associated with the collected control device;
adding the control feature for the collected control device to a list of control features for the load control system when the control feature is not already in the list of control features for the load control system; and
wherein other programming data is automatically determined for the control feature associated with the collected control device after the control feature is added to the list of control features.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the other programming data is automatically determined for the control feature after the control feature has been determined to be unedited by a user selection.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the other programming data is automatically determined for control devices added since a last update, while the programming data is unedited for control devices added prior to the last update.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the list of control features corresponds to a list of control devices identified in a transfer queue for being transferred the programming data; and
wherein the list of control devices are prioritized in the transfer queue according to at least one of a device type or a location, wherein the control devices having the prioritized device type or location are given a higher priority for receiving the programming data.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the list of control features corresponds to a list of control devices identified in a transfer queue for being transferred the programming data; and
wherein the control features that have been transferred are available for controlling the electrical loads in the load control system while the other control features are in the transfer queue or are being transferred.

19. A method of configuring a load control system, the method comprising:
accessing, via a network device, design software;
automatically determining programming data for controlling electrical loads in the load control system, wherein the programming data is automatically determined for the electrical loads based on light type information and location information that are associated with each of the respective electrical loads

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Bard Benjamin F
• Casey Craig Alan
• Clymer Erica L
• Evans Christina
• Jones Christopher Matthew
• Kumar Sanjeev
• Nill John
• Orchowski Neil R
• Protzman Brent

Classifications

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/135

  by determining the type of light source being controlled (electrical parameters of light source being controlled H05B47/14) · CPC title

• H05B47/115 Primary

  by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings · CPC title

• H04L9/321 Primary

  involving a third party or a trusted authority · CPC title