Wireless control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10902718-B2
Application number	US-201815959615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 26, 2021
Grant date	Jan 26, 2021

Abstract

A wireless control device may include a housing, a yoke, an antenna, a communication circuit, and a control circuit. The yoke may be electrically conductive and be configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox. The antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals. The antenna may be a slot antenna. The communication circuit may be configured to transmit and receive the radio-frequency signals via the antenna, and the control circuit may be responsive to the communication circuit (e.g., the signals received via the communication circuit). The control device may also include a conductive component that is attached to a front surface of the housing. For example, the conductive component may be electrically connected to the yoke via a single electrical connection (e.g., a screw). Further, the conductive component may be parallel with the antenna and configured to be capacitively coupled to the antenna.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wireless control device for controlling an electrical load, the wireless control device comprising:
a housing;
a user interface accessible via a front surface of the housing and configured to receive a user input;
a yoke connected to the housing and configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox, wherein the yoke is electrically conductive;
a drive antenna within the housing, the drive antenna defining an elongated slot configured to communicate radio frequency signals;
a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to communicate the radio-frequency signals via the elongated slot of the drive antenna;
a control circuit responsive to the radio-frequency communication circuit; and

a conductive component attached to the front surface of the housing, the conductive component electrically connected to the yoke via a single electrical connection, wherein the conductive component is parallel with the drive antenna and configured to be capacitively coupled to the drive antenna; and
wherein the user interface is configured to extend through the elongated slot of the drive antenna.

2. The wireless control device of claim 1 , wherein the user interface further extends through a slot of the conductive component, the slot of the slot antenna being substantially the same size as the slot of the conductive component.

3. The wireless control device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive component is connected to the yoke via a screw.

4. The wireless control device of claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency communication circuit is electrically coupled to the drive antenna via two drive points located on opposite sides of the slot of the drive antenna and at approximately the middle of the slot.

5. The wireless control device of claim 1 , further comprising a second conductive component configured to be attached to a rear surface of the housing, the second conductive component in electrical connection with the yoke via at least two electrical connections.

6. The wireless control device of claim 5 , wherein the at least two electrical connections are capacitive connections.

7. A wall-mountable wireless device comprising:
a housing having a front surface and a rear surface;
a yoke connected to the housing and configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox, wherein the yoke is electrically conductive;
an antenna configured to communicate radio frequency signals, the antenna comprising a driven element and a first conductive component, the first conductive component capacitively coupled to the driven element;
wherein the first conductive component is located on the front surface of the housing and is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection;

a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to communicate the radio-frequency signals via the antenna;
a control circuit responsive to the user input and the radio-frequency communication circuit; and
a second conductive component located on the rear surface of the housing and configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via at least two electrical connections.

8. The wireless device of claim 7 , further comprising a user interface configured to receive a user input, the user interface provided through the front surface of the housing.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the user interface comprises one or more actuation members configured to receive the user input, and the control circuit is configured to transmit radio frequency signals in response to actuations of the one or more actuation members.

10. The wireless device of claim 9 , wherein the control circuit is configured to control one or more electrical loads in response to actuations of the one or more actuation members.

11. The wireless device of claim 7 , wherein the driven element defines an elongated slot through which the user interface extends, the first conductive component defines an elongated slot through which the user interface extends, and the elongated slot of the driven element is substantially the same size as and configured to be substantially aligned with the elongated slot of the first conductive component when the driven element and the first conductive component are installed in the wireless device.

12. The wireless device of claim 7 , wherein the first conductive component is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via a screw.

13. The wireless device of claim 7 , wherein the second conductive component is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke on a left side and a right side of the yoke.

14. A wall-mountable wireless control device comprising:
an antenna configured to communicate radio frequency signals, the antenna comprising:
a driven element defining an elongated slot and a plurality of openings extending from the elongated slot; and
a conductive component configured to be attached to a front surface of the control device, the conductive component defining an elongated slot and comprising a conductive strip next to the elongated slot, wherein the plurality of openings in the driven element are configured to be substantially aligned with the conductive strip of the conductive component;

a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to communicate the radio-frequency signals via the antenna;
a control circuit responsive to the user input and the radio-frequency communication circuit; and
a user interface configured to receive a user input, wherein the user interface is configured to extend through the elongated slot of the driven element and the elongated slot of the conductive component, the elongated slot of the driven element substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the elongated slot of the conductive component when the driven element and the conductive component are installed in the wireless control device.

15. The wireless control device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a bezel, the user interface provided through the bezel; and
a yoke configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox;
wherein the bezel is configured to be attached to the yoke, the driven element is configured to be located between the bezel and the yoke, and the bezel is configured to be located between the conductive component and the driven element.

16. The wireless control device of claim 15 , wherein the conductive component is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection.

17. The wireless control device of claim 15 , wherein the conductive component is located on a front surface of the bezel and is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke and capacitively coupled to the driven element.

18. The wireless control device of claim 15 , further comprising a second conductive component, wherein the second conductive component is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via at least two capacitive connections.

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Camden Richard S
• Mosebrook Donald R
• Shivell William T
• Yanek Amy E

Classifications

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

  Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection · CPC title

• H05B47/10

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• H05B47/11

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