Multiple location load control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11558939-B2
Application number	US-202117402809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2021
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

A load control device may include a semiconductor switch, a control circuit, and first and second terminals adapted to be coupled to a remote device. The load control device may include a first switching circuit coupled to the second terminal, and a second switching circuit coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal. The control circuit may be configured to render the first switching circuit conductive to conduct a charging current from an AC power source to a power supply of the remote device during a first time period of a half-cycle of the AC power source, and further configured to render the first and second switching circuits conductive and non-conductive to communicate with the remote device via the second terminal during a second time period of the half-cycle of the AC power source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A load control system, comprising:
a load control device operatively coupled to an electrical load device, the load control device including:
an actuation member having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion to adjust electrical power provided to an electrical load device and a second portion to transition the electrical load device between an ON operating state and an OFF operating state;
a communication circuit communicatively coupled to a communication circuit in a remote load control device that includes a remote actuation member having a first portion and second portion;
a backlight disposed behind the actuation member; and
a control circuit operatively coupled to the actuation member, the communication circuit, and the backlight, the control circuit to:
responsive to receipt of a message that includes data indicative of a touch on the first portion of the actuation member disposed in the remote load control device;
proportionally adjust the electrical power provided to the operatively coupled electrical load device based on a location of the touch on the first portion of the actuation member of the remote load control device;
proportionally illuminate the first portion of the actuation member from a first end of the actuation member to the to the location of the touch on the first portion of the actuation member of the remote load control device; and

responsive to receipt of the message that includes data indicative of a touch on the second portion of the actuation member in the remote load control device;
reversibly transition the electrical load device between the ON operating state and the OFF operating state.

2. The load control device of claim 1 further comprising an electrical energy storage device;
wherein, during a first portion of an AC half-cycle, the control circuit in the load control device and a control circuit in the remote load control device cause a switching circuit in the load control device and a switching circuit in the remote load control device to operatively couple the electrical energy storage device in the load control device to an AC power supply operably coupled to the remote load control device.

3. The load control device of claim 2 wherein, during a second portion of the AC half-cycle, the control circuit in the load control device and the control circuit in the remote load control device cause a switching circuit in the load control device and a switching circuit in the remote load control device to bidirectionally communicatively couple the communication circuit disposed in the load control device with the communication circuit disposed in the remote load control device.

4. The load control device of claim 3 wherein the message comprises a first frame that includes an event data field that includes information representative of an event sensed by the actuation member disposed in the remote load control device.

5. The load control device of claim 4 wherein the first frame comprises a 16-bit frame.

6. The load control device of claim 4 wherein the message comprises a second frame that includes data representative of an event type field sensed, a device address field, and an error detection field.

7. The load control device of claim 6 wherein the second frame comprises a 16-bit frame.

8. A load control method, comprising:
receiving, by a control circuit disposed in a load control device, a message that includes data indicative of a touch on a first portion of an actuation member disposed in the remote load control device; and
responsive to receipt of the message, by the control circuit disposed in the load control device, that includes the data indicative of the touch on the first portion of the actuation member disposed in the remote load control device;
proportionally adjusting, by the control circuit disposed in a load control device, the electrical power provided to an electrical load device operatively coupled to the control circuit disposed in a load control device based on a location of the touch on the first portion of the actuation member disposed in the remote load control device;
proportionally illuminating, by the control circuit disposed in a load control device, a first portion of an actuation member disposed in the load control device from a first end of the actuation member to the to the location of the touch on the first portion of the actuation member of the remote load control device.

9. The load control method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, by the control circuit disposed in a load control device, the message that includes data indicative of a touch on a second portion of the actuation member disposed in the remote load control device; and
responsive to receipt of the message, by the control circuit disposed in the load control device, that includes data indicative of the touch on the second portion of the actuation member disposed in the remote load control device;
reversibly transitioning, by the control circuit disposed in a load control device, the electrical load device operatively coupled to the control circuit disposed in a load control device between the ON operating state and the OFF operating state.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
causing, by the control circuit in the load control device and the control circuit in the remote load control device during a first portion of an AC half-cycle, a switching circuit in the load control device and a switching circuit in the remote load control device to operatively couple an electrical energy storage device in the load control device to an AC power supply operably coupled to the remote load control device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
causing, by the control circuit in the load control device and the control circuit in the remote load control device during a first portion of an AC half-cycle, the switching circuit in the load control device and the switching circuit in the remote load control device to bidirectionally communicatively couple a communication circuit disposed in the load control device with a communication circuit disposed in the remote load control device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein receiving the message further comprises:
receiving, by the control circuit in the load control device, a first frame that includes an event data field that includes information representative of an event sensed by the actuation member disposed in the remote load control device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving the first frame further comprises:
receiving, by the control circuit in the load control device, a 16-bit frame.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving the message further comprises:
receiving, by the control circuit in the load control device, a second frame that includes data representative of an event type field sensed, a device address field, and an error detection field.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein receiving the second frame further comprises:
receiving, by the control circuit in the load control device, a 16-bit frame.

16. A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that, when executed by control circuitry disposed in a load control device, causes the load control device control circuitry to:
receive a first message that includes data indicative of a touch on a first portion of an actuation member disposed in the remote load control device; and
responsive to receipt of the first message:
proportionally adjust the electrical power provided to an electrical load device operatively coupled to the control circuit dispos

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Weightman Russell
• Lenz Jonathan T
• Shukla Jaykrishna A
• Raneri Daniel Curtis

Classifications

• G11C7/04

  with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects · CPC title

• G11C5/025

  Geometric lay-out considerations of storage- and peripheral-blocks in a semiconductor storage device (geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits, geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits H10D89/10) · CPC title

• H05B47/17

  Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations · CPC title

• G11C5/005

  Circuit means for protection against loss of information of semiconductor storage devices · CPC title

• G11C29/12

  Built-in arrangements for testing, e.g. built-in self testing [BIST] {or interconnection details} · CPC title