Lighting relay panel features for improved safety and reliability

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11317499-B2
Application number	US-201916722104-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2019
Priority date	Apr 26, 2017
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A lighting relay panel may include lower-cost features or components related to improved safety and reliability. In some cases, the relay panel includes a power supply capable of protecting the panel from high-voltage and high-current transients. A microcontroller may determine a power interruption based on a zero-cross signal received from the power supply, and may also configure latching relays during the interruption. In some implementations, the relay panel includes a relay sense circuit that is capable of receiving actuation signals from multiple relays connected to different phases of a power signal, and the microcontroller may synchronize or repeat the actuations based on a signal from the relay sense circuit. The microcontroller may generate relay addresses based on the relay positions within the relay panel. In some cases, the relay panel may include isolation circuits that are capable of providing an isolated control signal having an improved voltage range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A relay control board comprising:
an arrangement of multiple relay connections, wherein each respective connection of the multiple relay connections has a respective position in the arrangement on the relay control board, and
a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is configured to:
receive an input voltage on an addressing input to the microcontroller;
determine, based on the input voltage, that the relay control board has a board position in a lighting control panel;
receive, via a first connection of the multiple relay connections, an indication that a relay is connected to the first connection;
generate an address associated with the relay, the address based on the respective position of the first connection and further based on the board position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel;
generate an adjusted voltage based on the input voltage and an adjustment value, wherein the adjustment value indicates the board position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel; and
provide the adjusted voltage to an additional relay control board included in the lighting control panel.

2. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:
determine, based on the input voltage, that the board position of the relay control board is an initial board position in the lighting control panel,
wherein the generated address is further based on the initial board position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel.

3. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment value is one of: an incremental increase, an incremental decrease, a multiplying factor, or a digital signal adjustment.

4. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:
determine, based on the input voltage, that a second additional relay control board is included in the lighting control panel; and
determine, based on the input voltage, that the second additional relay control board has an initial position in the lighting control panel, and the relay control board has a subsequent position in the lighting control panel,
wherein the generated address is further based on the subsequent position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel.

5. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:
determine that the input voltage is based on a combination of a reference voltage and an additional adjustment value,
wherein generating the adjusted voltage is further based on the reference voltage.

6. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to provide the adjusted voltage to the additional relay control board included in the lighting control panel, the additional relay control board having a subsequent board position in the lighting control panel.

7. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:
receive a loopback signal on a loopback input to the microcontroller; and
determine, based on the loopback signal, a quantity of relay control boards included in the lighting control panel.

8. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to:
receive a loopback signal on a loopback input to the microcontroller; and
determine, based on the loopback signal, a configuration of relay control boards included in the lighting control panel.

9. The relay control board of claim 1 , wherein the microcontroller is further configured to provide the generated address to a user interface device associated with the lighting control panel.

10. A method of automatically determining an address on a relay control board, the method comprising:
receiving an input voltage on an addressing input to a microcontroller included in a relay control board,
determining, based on the input voltage, that the relay control board has a board position in a lighting control panel,
receiving, via a first relay connection of the relay control board, an indication that a relay is connected to the first relay connection,
generating an address associated with the relay, the address based on a respective position, on the relay control board, of the first relay connection and further based on the board position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel;
generating an adjusted voltage based on the input voltage and an adjustment value, wherein the adjustment value indicates the board position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel; and
providing the adjusted voltage to an additional relay control board included in the lighting control panel.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, based on the input voltage, that the board position of the relay control board is an initial board position in the lighting control panel,
wherein the generated address is further based on the initial board position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the adjustment value is one of: an incremental increase, an incremental decrease, a multiplying factor, or a digital signal adjustment.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, based on the input voltage, that a second additional relay control board is included in the lighting control panel; and
determining, based on the input voltage, that the second additional relay control board has an initial position in the lighting control panel, and the relay control board has a subsequent position in the lighting control panel,
wherein the generated address is further based on the subsequent position of the relay control board in the lighting control panel.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining that the input voltage is based on a combination of a reference voltage and an additional adjustment value,
wherein generating the adjusted voltage is further based on the reference voltage.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing the adjusted voltage to the additional relay control board included in the lighting control panel, the additional relay control board having a subsequent board position in the lighting control panel.

16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a loopback signal on a loopback input to the microcontroller; and
determining, based on the loopback signal, a quantity of relay control boards included in the lighting control panel.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving a loopback signal on a loopback input to the microcontroller; and
determining, based on the loopback signal, a configuration of relay control boards included in the lighting control panel.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing the generated address to a user interface device associated with the lighting control panel.

19. A relay control board comprising:
an arrangement of multiple relay connections, wherein each respective connection of the multiple relay connections has a respective position in the arrangement on the relay control board, and
a microcontroller, wherein the microcontroller is configured to:
receive an input voltage on an addressing input to the microcontroller;
determine, based on the input voltage, that (i) the relay control board has a board position in a lighting control panel and (ii) an additional relay control board has an initial position in the lighting control panel, wherein the board position of the rel

Assignees

• Abl Ip Holding Llc

Inventors

• Norton Mark
• Zulim Dalibor
• Zaveruha Ryan
• Pelliccio Frank
• Westrick Jr Richard Lee

Classifications

• H01H47/18

  for introducing delay in the operation of the relay (short-circuited conducting sleeves, bands or discs H01H50/46) · CPC title

• H02H9/042

  comprising means to limit the absorbed power or indicate damaged over-voltage protection device · CPC title

• H01H47/002

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits · CPC title

• H02H3/22

  of short duration, e.g. lightning · CPC title

• G01R31/3278

  of relays, solenoids or reed switches (measuring contact resistance G01R27/205; high voltage magnetic switches G01R31/3271, G01R31/333; testing electric windings G01R31/72; monitoring of fail safe circuits H01H47/002) · CPC title