Control device having buttons with automatically adjustable backlighting

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11240886-B2
Application number	US-201916271463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2019
Priority date	May 26, 2015
Publication date	Feb 1, 2022
Grant date	Feb 1, 2022

Abstract

A control device may comprise a plurality of buttons, a plurality of light sources located behind the respective buttons and configured to illuminate the buttons, a light detector circuit configured to measure an ambient light level around the control device, and/or a control circuit configured to control the light sources to adjust surface illumination intensities of the respective buttons in response to the measured ambient light level. Each button may comprise indicia indicating a function of the button. The control circuit set the first button as active and the second button as inactive in response to an actuation of the first button. The control circuit may, based on the measured ambient light level, control the light sources to illuminate the first button to an active surface illumination intensity, and to illuminate the second button to an inactive surface illumination intensity that is less than the active surface illumination intensity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A keypad for use in a load control system for controlling power delivered to one or more electrical loads, the keypad comprising:
a first button and a second button separate from the first button;
a first light source to backlight the first button, and a second light source to backlight the second button;
a light detector circuit configured to measure an ambient light level in a vicinity of the keypad;
a memory for storing an active button adjustment curve and an inactive button adjustment curve, wherein the active button and the inactive button adjustment curves are non-linearly related;
a communication circuit configured to communicate messages to the one or more electrical loads; and
a control circuit configured to, in response to an actuation of the first button:
associate the first button as the active button and associate the second button as the inactive button;
transmit a message for causing the power to the one or more electrical loads to be controlled according to a preset;
simultaneously cause the first light source to backlight the first button at a first intensity and the second light source to backlight the second button at a second intensity, the first intensity greater than the second intensity; and
adjust the first intensity in response to the ambient light level measured by the light detector circuit using the active button adjustment curve, and adjust the second intensity in response to the ambient light level measured by the light detector circuit using the inactive button adjustment curve.

2. The keypad of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a message from an external device via the communication circuit, the message comprising information relating to at least one of the active button adjustment curve or the inactive button adjustment curve, the control circuit configured to adjust at least one of the active button adjustment curve or the inactive button adjustment curve stored in the memory in response to the information received via the message.

3. The keypad of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the active button adjustment curve and maintain the inactive button adjustment curve the same in response to the information received via the message to control a contrast between the first and the second intensities associated with the active button adjustment curve and inactive button adjustment curves.

4. The keypad of claim 2 , wherein the information relating to the at least one of the active button adjustment curve or the inactive button adjustment curve comprises at least one of a scaling factor or an offset, and the control circuit is configured to generate the active button adjustment curve and inactive button adjustment curves based on the at least one of the scaling factor or the offset.

5. The keypad of claim 1 , wherein the first light source and the second light source comprise respective first and second light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and the control circuit is configured to pulse-width modulate a first LED current conducted through the first LEDs to adjust the first intensity, and to pulse-width modulate second LED current conducted through the second LEDs to adjust the second intensity.

6. The keypad of claim 5 , wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a first LED duty cycle for the first LED current based on the active button adjustment curve, and to determine a second LED duty cycle for the second LED current based on the inactive button adjustment curve.

7. The keypad of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to transmit a message to an external load control device via a communication link for controlling at least one of the one or more electrical loads.

8. The keypad of claim 7 , wherein the communication link comprises a wired communication link or a wireless communication link.

9. The keypad of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to set the first button as active and the second button as inactive in response to the actuation of the first button.

10. The keypad of claim 1 , wherein the first light source additionally includes a light source located to the side of the first button and the second light source additionally includes a light source located to the side of the second button.

11. The keypad of claim 1 , wherein the first button comprises first indicia indicating the preset that is selected in response to the actuation of the first button.

12. A keypad for use in a load control system for controlling power delivered to one or more electrical loads, the keypad comprising:
a first button and a second button separate from the first button;
a first light source configured to illuminate a first portion of the keypad that includes the first button, and a second light source configured to illuminate a second portion of the keypad that includes the second button;
a light detector circuit configured to measure an ambient light level in a vicinity around the keypad;
a memory for storing an active button adjustment curve and an inactive adjustment curve, wherein the active button and the inactive button adjustment curves are non-linearly related;
a communication circuit configured to communicate messages; and
a control circuit configured to, in response to an actuation of the first button:
transmit a message for causing the power to the one or more electrical loads;
simultaneously cause the first light source to illuminate the first portion to a first illumination intensity and the second light source to illuminate the second portion to a second illumination intensity, the second illumination intensity less than the first illumination intensity; and
adjust the first illumination intensity in response to the ambient light level measured by the light detector circuit using the active button adjustment curve, and adjust the second illumination intensity in response to the ambient light level measured by the light detector circuit using the inactive button adjustment curve.

13. The keypad of claim 12 , wherein the first portion of the keypad comprises a first indicia indicating a function of the first button, and the second portion of the keypad includes a second indicia indicating a function of the second button.

14. The keypad of claim 12 , further comprising:
a faceplate comprising indicia, the indicia defining the first location;
wherein the second button defines the second location.

15. The keypad of claim 12 , further comprising:
a faceplate comprising a first indicia and a second indicia, the first indicia defining the first portion and the second indicia defining the second portion.

16. The keypad of claim 12 , wherein the first light source and the second light source comprise respective first and second light-emitting diodes (LEDs);
wherein the control circuit is configured to pulse-width modulate a first LED current conducted through the first LEDs to adjust the first illumination intensity, and to pulse-width modulate a second LED current conducted through the second LEDs to adjust the second illumination intensity, and wherein the control circuit is configured to determine a first LED duty cycle for the first LED current based on the active button adjustment curve, and to determine a second LED duty cycle for the second LED current based on the inactive button adjustment curve.

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Twaddell Daniel L
• Mcdonald Matthew Philip
• Killo Jason C
• Quayle Jonathan Robert

Classifications

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/175

  by remote control · CPC title

• H01H13/83 Primary

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

• H05B45/12

  using optical feedback · CPC title

• Y02B20/40

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