Connected fan systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10975874-B2
Application number	US-201816225621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2018
Priority date	Dec 20, 2017
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

Fan systems for circulating air in a space are provided. In one example implementation, a fan system includes a canopy controller configured to be disposed within a canopy housing of a ceiling fan. The canopy controller can be configured to control operation of a motor associated with the ceiling fan. The canopy controller can have a communication interface configured to communicate using a first wireless communication protocol. The fan system can include an in-wall controller. The in-wall controller being in electrical communication with the canopy controller via one or more electrical conductors. The in-wall controller can include an interface element configured to receive a user input. The in-wall controller can be configured to communicate one or more control commands to the canopy controller using the first wireless communication protocol. The in-wall controller configured to communicate data associated with the ceiling fan via a second wireless communication protocol.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fan system comprising:
a ceiling fan mountable to a surface, the ceiling fan having a canopy housing;
a canopy controller disposed within the canopy housing, the canopy controller configured to control operation of a motor associated with the ceiling fan, the canopy controller having a communication interface configured to communicate using a first wireless communication protocol;
an in-wall controller hardwired to the canopy controller via one or more electrical conductors, the in-wall controller configured to communicate one or more control commands to the canopy controller using the electrical conductors or the first wireless communication protocol, the in-wall controller further configured to illuminate a light indicator indicative of the implementation of the control actions by the fan system and also configured to communicate data associated with the ceiling fan via a second wireless communication protocol.

2. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the in-wall controller includes:
a first communication interface configured to communicate using the first wireless communication protocol; and
a second communication interface configured to communicate using the second wireless communication protocol.

3. The fan system of claim 2 , wherein:
the first wireless communication protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol; and
the second wireless communication protocol is an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

4. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the in-wall controller includes an interface element configured to receive a user input associated with controlling operation of the ceiling fan.

5. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the canopy controller includes a reactive fan controller configured to control operation of a fan motor associated with the ceiling fan.

6. The fan system of claim 5 , wherein the canopy controller further comprises a light controller configured to control operation of one or more light sources associated with the ceiling fan.

7. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the light indicator includes a light ring.

8. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the light indicator further includes a night light disposed at a center of the light ring.

9. The fan system of claim 8 , wherein the in-wall controller is configured to illuminate a portion of the light ring based at least in part on a fan speed associated with the ceiling fan.

10. A method for operating a fan system, comprising:
obtaining, at an in-wall controller of the fan system, one or more signals indicative of a user input;
processing, at the in-wall controller, the one or more signals to generate one or more control commands;
communicating, by the in-wall controller, the one or more control commands from the in-wall controller to a canopy controller associated with a ceiling fan using a first wireless communication link;
implementing, by the canopy controller, one or more control actions based on the one or more control commands received from the in-wall controller;
receiving, by the in-wall controller, data from the canopy controller indicative of the implementation of the control actions by the fan system; and,
displaying, by the in-wall controller, one or more indicators indicative of the implementation of the control actions by the fan system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more control actions comprise controlling operation of a fan motor associated with the ceiling fan.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more control actions comprise controlling a speed of a fan motor.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more control actions comprise controlling operation of a light source associated with the fan system.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein displaying one or more indicators comprises:
illuminating, by the in-wall controller, a portion of a light ring based, at least in part, on operation of the fan system.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein illuminating a portion of the light ring comprises:
illuminating, by the in-wall controller, a first portion of the light ring when the ceiling fan operates at a first speed; and
illuminating, by the in-wall controller, a second portion of the light ring when the ceiling fan operates a second speed that is greater than the first speed.

16. An in-wall controller for a fan system, the in-wall controller comprising:
an interface element configured to receive a user input associated with controlling operation of a ceiling fan;
an electrical conductor connecting the in-wall controller to a canopy controller of the ceiling fan, the electrical conductor facilitating communication of control commands from the in-wall controller to the canopy controller;
a first communication interface configured to communicate one or more control commands determined in response to the user input to the canopy controller configured to control operation of the fan via a first communication protocol;
a second communication interface configured to communicate data associated with operation of the fan via a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol;
a light ring indicator configured to be illuminated in a manner indicative of the execution of the control commands by the fan system.

17. The in-wall controller of claim 16 , wherein the interface element comprises one or more buttons.

18. The in-wall controller of claim 16 , further comprising a power meter.

Assignees

• Hubbell Inc

Inventors

• Monteith Shawn
• Tetreault Michael

Classifications

• F04D27/004

  by varying driving speed · CPC title

• F24F7/007

  with forced flow (using ducting systems F24F7/06) · CPC title

• Y02B30/70

  Efficient control or regulation technologies, e.g. for control of refrigerant flow, motor or heating · CPC title

• F04D25/088 Primary

  Ceiling fans · CPC title

• F24F1/0047

  mounted in the ceiling or at the ceiling · CPC title