System controller for controlling electrical loads

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11360502-B2
Application number	US-201615282557-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

A load control system may include control-target devices, control-source devices, and a system controller. The control-target devices may enter an association mode to associate with control-source devices. The control-target device may receive an identifier from the control-source device and store the identifier in memory when the control-target device to associate the control-target device and the control-source device. The system controller may retrieve the association information from the control-target device after integration into the load control system. The system controller may receive association information that is defined using other association procedures, such as an association procedure performed on a network device and uploaded to the system controller. The system controller may maintain the association information defined using the different association procedures after the system controller is integrated into the load control system. The system controller may also maintain control configuration information configured prior to integration of the system controller.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A load control system, comprising:
a control-target device configured to control an electrical load;
at least two control-source devices for sending control instructions to the control-target device, wherein each control-source device has been associated with the control-target device; and
a system controller configured to:
determine that a message has been sent by at least one of the control-source devices directly to the control-target device, wherein the message is an association message or a message comprising control instructions; and
determine to update information stored at the system controller without querying the control-target device based on the message.

2. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical load is associated with one or more of a lighting system, a heating and air conditioning (HVAC) system, or a motorized window shade system.

3. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the message is an association message from a first control-source device of the at least two of the control-source devices to the control-target device, wherein the association message comprises updated association information.

4. The load control system of claim 3 , wherein the system controller is further configured to independently associate the control-target device with the first control-source device and store the updated association information locally.

5. The load control system of claim 4 , wherein the system controller is configured to associate the first control-source device and the control-target device without requesting association information from the control-target device.

6. The load control system of claim 3 , wherein the system controller is further configured to send the updated association information to the control target device.

7. The load control system of claim 3 , wherein the updated association information is for a button group of the first control-source devices, wherein the button group represents a command to the control-target device to control the electrical load.

8. The load control system of claim 3 , wherein the system controller is further configured to:
determine that an association message comprising updated association information has been sent by a second control-source device of the at least two of the control-source devices to the control-target device;
store the updated association information locally; and
send the updated association information to the control target device.

9. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the message is a digital message comprising control instructions from a first control-source device of the at least two of the control-source devices to the control-target device.

10. The load control system of claim 9 , wherein the system controller is further configured to determine how the control-target device will control the electrical load by using stored control configuration information about the control-target device.

11. The load control system of claim 9 , wherein the system controller is further configured to track the status of the electrical load using the control instructions.

12. The load control system of claim 11 , wherein the system controller is further configured to update the status of the electrical load by storing one or more of a dimming level of a lighting load, a level of a covering material controlled by a motorized window treatment, or a temperature at a temperature control device.

13. The load control system of claim 12 , wherein the system controller is configured to update the status of the electrical load without requesting information from the control-target device.

14. The load control system of claim 12 , wherein the status of the electrical load is updated from a previous status of the electrical load received from the control-target device.

15. The load control system of claim 14 , wherein the previous status of the electrical load was received as one or more of a periodic status message from the control-target device or a response by the control-target device to a status request from the system controller.

16. The load control system of claim 1 , further comprising a network device for editing one or more of association information and/or control configuration information stored at the system controller.

17. The load control system of claim 16 , wherein the system controller is further configured to send the one or more of edited association information or edited control configuration information to the control-target device.

18. The load control system of claim 16 , wherein the system controller is further configured to receive a digital message from the network device that causes the system controller to delete association information associated with one of the at least two control-source devices.

19. The load control system of claim 1 , wherein the system controller is further configured to receive a digital message from a first control-source device of the at least two control-source devices and to send a digital message to the control-target device in response.

20. The load control system of claim 19 , wherein the received digital message comprises control instructions for the control-target device for controlling the electrical load, and wherein the system controller is further configured to perform a lookup of control-target devices associated with the first control-source device before sending the digital message to the control-target device.

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Dolan David J

Classifications

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• G05B2219/2642

  Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house · CPC title

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05F1/66 Primary

  Regulating electric power · CPC title