Controllable electrical outlet with a controlled wired output

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11658442-B2
Application number	US-202117176093-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2021
Priority date	Feb 28, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2023
Grant date	May 23, 2023

Abstract

A controllable electrical outlet may be used to control one or more standard electrical outlets. The controllable electrical outlet may include a first connection configured to be electrically coupled to a hot connection, a second connection configured to be electrically coupled to a standard electrical outlet, and a third connection configured to be electrically coupled to a neutral connection. The controllable electrical outlet may also include a load control circuit, a communication circuit, and a control circuit. The load control circuit may be electrically coupled in series between the first and second screw terminals to control power delivered to the standard electrical outlet, and the control circuit may be coupled to the load control circuit and the communication circuit. The control circuit may be configured to control power delivered to the standard electrical outlet in response to a wireless signal received via the communication circuit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical distribution apparatus, comprising:
a controllable duplex electrical outlet that includes:
a first electrical outlet to receive a continuous line voltage;
a second electrical outlet to receive a selectively interruptible line voltage;
a first terminal to electrically couple a first outlet in one or more additional duplex electrical outlets to the first electrical outlet, the first terminal to supply the continuous line voltage to the first outlet in the one or more additional duplex electrical outlets;

a second terminal to electrically couple a second outlet in the one or more additional duplex electrical outlets to the second electrical outlet, the second terminal to provide the selectively interruptible line voltage to the second outlet in the one or more additional duplex electrical outlets; and
control circuitry to:
cause dimmer circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry to selectively reduce power delivered to the second electrical outlet and to the second outlet in each of the one or more additional duplex electrical outlets; and
reversibly transition the second electrical outlet between a POWERED state and an UNPOWERED state by selective interruption of the line voltage to each of the second electrical outlet and to each second outlet included in the one or more additional duplex electrical outlets responsive to receipt of one or more input signals.

2. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising RF transceiver circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry;
wherein the one or more input signals include one or more RF input signals to reversibly transition the second electrical outlet between a POWERED state and an UNPOWERED state.

3. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
current sense circuitry to measure current flow through the second electrical outlet.

4. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:
memory circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry, the memory circuitry to store data representative of the measured current flow through the second electrical outlet.

5. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 4 :
wherein the memory circuitry includes information representative of a minimum current threshold;
wherein the one or more input signals include one or more input signals representative of the measured current flow through the second electrical outlet; and
wherein the control circuitry to further:
compare the measured current flow through the second electrical outlet to the minimum current threshold; and
responsive to the measured current flow through the second electrical outlet being less than the minimum current threshold, selectively transition the second electrical outlet from a POWERED state to an UNPOWERED state.

6. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 3 , the control circuitry to further:
store data representative of an historical electrical current signature associated with an electrical load device coupled to the second electrical outlet in memory circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry;
collect data representative of a current electrical current signature associated with the electrical load device coupled to the second electrical outlet;
compare the current electrical current signature with the historical electrical current signature; and
responsive to a deviation between the current electrical current signature and the historical electrical current signature associated with the electrical load device, selectively transition the second electrical outlet from a POWERED state to an UNPOWERED state.

7. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 3 , the control circuitry to further:
determine, based on the measured current flow, whether the duplex outlet is located in an occupied space; and
responsive to a determination that the duplex outlet is in an occupied space, prevent the transition of the second electrical outlet from a POWERED state to an UNPOWERED state.

8. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 7 , the control circuitry to further:
the second electrical outlet from a POWERED state to an UNPOWERED state responsive to a determination that the duplex outlet is in an unoccupied space.

9. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 3 , the control circuitry to further:
store data representative of an historical electrical current signature associated with an electrical load device coupled to the second outlet included in at least one of the at least one additional duplex electrical outlets in memory circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry;
collect data representative of a current electrical current signature associated with the electrical load device coupled to the second outlet included in at least one of the at least one additional duplex electrical outlets;
compare the current electrical current signature with the historical electrical current signature; and
responsive to a deviation between the current electrical current signature and the historical electrical current signature associated with the electrical load device, selectively transition the second electrical outlet from a POWERED state to an UNPOWERED state.

10. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 3 , the control circuitry to further:
determine, based on the measured current flow, whether at least one of the second electrical outlets is included in the one or more additional duplex electrical outlets is located in an occupied space; and
responsive to a determination that the one or more additional duplex electrical outlets is in an occupied space, prevent the transition of the second electrical outlet from a POWERED state to an UNPOWERED state.

11. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
current sense circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry, the current sense circuitry to measure a first current supplied to the first electrical outlet and a second current supplied to the second electrical outlet.

12. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 11 , the control circuitry to further:
compare the measured first current supplied to the first electrical outlet with the second current supplied to the second electrical outlet; and
responsive to a deviation between the first current and the second current exceeding a defined threshold value, selectively transition the second electrical outlet from a POWERED state to an UNPOWERED state.

13. The electrical distribution apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
current sense circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry, the current sense circuitry to measure a first current supplied to the first outlet included on at least one of the one or more additional first electrical outlets and a second current supplied to the second outlet included on at least one of the one or more additional second electrical outlets.

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Raneri Daniel C
• Guellnitz Joseph C
• Spira Joel S

Classifications

• H01R25/006

  the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle · CPC title

• H01R13/6683 Primary

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• H02J3/007

  Arrangements for selectively connecting one or more loads to one or more power sources or power lines · CPC title

• H01R24/78

  with additional earth or shield contacts · CPC title

• H02J3/00

  Circuit arrangements for AC mains or AC distribution networks · CPC title