Systems for a no-neutral switch and dimmer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11839007-B2
Application number	US-202017012028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2020
Priority date	Sep 13, 2019
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

An enhanced smart lighting system (ESLS) for use in buildings without neutral wire connections for wall switches. The ESLS entails both a no-neutral wire smart lighting switch (NNWSLS) and a physically separate load adapter. The NNWSLS includes a sensing, control, or communication system (SSCCS) such as integrated WiFi. The load adapter mitigates electrical fluctuations which may be induced in a power load (for example a lightbulb) by the smart lighting switch, particularly when the smart lighting switch is nominally powered off but still has some current flow. The load adapter is an intermediary between the power load and a conventional load receptacle. The load adapter has an integrated dummy load configured in parallel with the power load. The dummy load provides an electrical pathway for low levels of electricity which run through the light socket even when the NNWSLS is set to an “off” configuration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An enhanced smart load system (ESLS) comprising: a no neutral write neutral-wire smart lighting switch (NNWSLS) configured to be operational while devoid of a neutral wire connection and comprising a smart sensing, control, or communication system (SSCCS); and a load adapter comprising: an adapter socket configured to receive a power load, an adapter base configured to provide mechanical and electrical coupling to an electrical socket for the power load; a dummy load configured to be in parallel with the power load; wherein the dummy load is configured to mitigate an electrical instability of the power load due to the NNWSLS; and an electrical switch configured to determine that the dummy load is inserted in parallel configuration with the load or is not inserted in parallel configuration with the load.

2. The ESLS of claim 1 , wherein the SSCCS comprises an integrated WiFi device.

3. The ESLS of claim 1 , wherein the SSCCS comprises an integrated Bluetooth transceiver.

4. The ESLS of claim 1 , where the adapter socket is:
configured to receive a light bulb; and
configured to provide the electrical and mechanical coupling to a socket for a light bulb.

5. The ESLS of claim 1 , where the dummy load comprises a resistor.

6. The ESLS of claim 1 , where the dummy load is configured to mitigate at least one of a ghost lighting and a flicker of light bulb installed in the load adapter.

7. The ESLS of claim 1 , dummy load is configured to mitigate at least one of a ghost lighting and a flicker of light bulb installed in the load adapter.

8. The ESLS of claim 1 , wherein the load adapter further comprises a rectifier circuit configured to mitigate the electrical instability with an alternating current input.

9. A smart lighting switch comprising: a line connection, a ground connection, and a load connection, wherein the smart switch is devoid of a neutral wire connection; and a smart sensing, control, or communication system (SSCCS), wherein: the smart lighting switch is configured to supply power to the SSCCS via the line connection and the ground connection when the smart lighting switch is not supplying electrical power to a connected lighting element; and the smart lighting switch is configured to be operated with a structurally separate dummy load wired in parallel with a power load fed by the smart lighting switch, if it is determined by an electrical switch, that the dummy load is to be inserted in parallel configuration with the power load or is not inserted in parallel configuration with the load.

10. The smart lighting switch of claim 9 , wherein the SSCCS comprises an integrated WiFi device.

11. The smart lighting switch of claim 9 , wherein the SSCCS comprises an integrated Bluetooth transceiver.

12. A load adapter comprising: an adapter socket configured to receive a power load, an adapter base configured to provide mechanical and electrical coupling to an electrical socket for the power load; a dummy load configured to be in parallel with the power load; wherein the dummy load is configured to mitigate an electrical instability of the power load due to a residual current supplied to the power load; and an electrical switch configured to determine that the dummy load is inserted in parallel configuration with the load or is not inserted in parallel configuration with the load.

13. The load adapter of claim 12 , wherein the adapter socket is:
configured to receive a light bulb; and
configured to provide the electrical and mechanical coupling to a socket for a light bulb.

14. The load adapter of claim 12 , where the dummy load comprises a resistor.

15. The load adapter of claim 12 , where the dummy load is configured to mitigate at least one of a ghost lighting and a flicker of a light bulb installed in the load adapter due to the residual current.

16. The load adapter of claim 12 , further comprises a rectifier circuit configured to mitigate the electrical instability with an alternating residual current input.

Assignees

• Consumer Lighting Us Llc
• Savant Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hall Mason
• Stimac Tomislav J
• Wang Aijun

Classifications

• H05B47/197

  Sound control or voice control · CPC title

• H05B47/199

  Commissioning of light sources · CPC title

• H05B47/19

  via wireless transmission · CPC title

• H05B47/10 Primary

  Controlling the light source · CPC title

• H05B47/25 Primary

  Circuit arrangements for protecting against overcurrent · CPC title