Communicating with and controlling load control systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11460992-B2
Application number	US-201816010171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2018
Priority date	Jun 15, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating via a communications network with a load control system of a respective user environment, receiving information on the load control system via the communications network, displaying graphical user interfaces based on the received information, and controlling and configuring the load control system via graphical user interfaces by communicating via the communications network messages with the load control system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a display screen;
a communications circuit;
at least one processor; and
at least one memory device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and having instructions stored thereon that when executed by the at least one processor, direct the at least one processor to:
receive via the communications circuit from a communications network information associated with lighting control devices, and wherein each lighting control device is configured to control a respective lighting load located within an environment;
determine from the received information a number of lighting control devices with their respective lighting loads in an on state;
display to a user on the display screen a first graphical user interface that comprises a lighting devices icon that represents lighting control devices, wherein the lighting devices icon is selectable by the user;
display with the lighting devices icon a numerical value corresponding to the determined number of lighting control devices with their respective lighting loads in the on state;
detect a selection of the lighting devices icon by the user; and
responsive to detecting the selection of the lighting devices icon, display to the user a second graphical user interface on the display screen, and further display within the second graphical user interface a respective icon corresponding to each of the lighting control devices that has its respective lighting load in the on state, wherein the second graphical user interface does not include a respective icon for any of the lighting control devices that has its respective lighting load in the off state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
receive information indicating that another of the lighting control devices has its respective lighting load in the on state; and
responsive to the information indicating that the another of the lighting control devices has its respective lighting load in the on state, display with the lighting devices icon an incremented numerical value corresponding to a number of lighting control devices with their respective lighting loads in the on state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
receive information indicating that one of the lighting control devices that had its respective lighting load in the on state now has its lighting load in an off state; and
responsive to the information indicating that one of the lighting control devices that had its respective lighting load in the on state now has its lighting load in the off state, display with the lighting devices icon a decremented numerical value corresponding to a number of lighting control devices with their respective lighting loads in the on state.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the environment includes fan devices, wherein each fan device is configured to control a respective fan located within the environment; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
receive information related to one or more fans;
determine from the received information related to one or more fans a number of fan devices with their respective fans in an on state;
display on the display screen in the first graphical user interface a fan devices icon that represents fan devices; and
display with the fan devices icon a numerical value corresponding to the determined number of fan devices with their respective fans in the on state.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 ,
wherein the fan devices icon is selectable by the user; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
detect a selection of the fan devices icon by the user;
responsive to detecting the selection of the fan devices icon, display to the user a third graphical user interface on the display screen, and further display within the third graphical user interface:
the fan devices icon and the numerical value corresponding to the determined number of fan devices with their respective fans in the on state; and
an icon corresponding to a first one of the fan devices that has its respective fan in the on state, wherein the icon corresponding to the first fan device is selectable by the user.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
detect a selection of the icon corresponding to the first fan device;
responsive to detecting the selection of the icon corresponding to the first fan device, display to the user a fourth graphical user interface on the display screen, wherein the fourth graphical use interface enables the user to control the first fan device; and
responsive to detecting an interaction by the user with the fourth graphical user interface, communicate a message to control the first fan device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the environment includes a thermostat device, wherein the thermostat device is configured to control a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
receive information related to the HVAC system;
determine from the received information related to the HVAC system a current temperature in the environment;
display on the display screen in the first graphical user interface a thermostat devices icon; and
display the current temperature with the thermostat devices icon.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 ,
wherein the thermostat devices icon is selectable by the user; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
detect a selection of the thermostat devices icon by the user;
responsive to detecting the selection of the thermostat devices icon, display to the user a third graphical user interface on the display screen, and further display within the third graphical user interface:
the thermostat devices icon and the current temperature; and
a pane corresponding to the thermostat device, wherein the pane includes settings of the thermostat device including a current setpoint temperature.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 ,
wherein the pane further includes controls to change the current setpoint temperature; and
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
detect a selection of the controls by the user to change the current setpoint temperature to a new temperature; and
responsive to detecting selection of the controls by the user to change the current setpoint temperature to the new temperature, communicate a message to the controller to control the thermostat device to the new temperature.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 ,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further direct the at least one processor to:
display within the second graphical user interface the lighting devices icon and the numerical value corresponding to the determined number of lighting control devices with their respective lighting loads in the on state; and

wherein to display the respective icon corresponding to each lighting control device that has its respective lighting load in the on state comprises to display a first icon corresponding to a first of the lighting control devices that has its respective lighting load in the on st

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Clymer Erica L
• Jones Christopher M
• Bard Benjamin F
• Agarwal Rhythm
• Tian Shenchi
• Barco Kyle T
• Olson Thomas L
• Orchowski Neil R

Classifications

• Y02B20/40

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

• H05B47/196

  characterised by user interface arrangements · CPC title

• H05B47/1965

  using handheld communication devices · CPC title

• H05B47/1985

  Creation of lighting zones or scenes · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title