Detection of downstream smart devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12512699-B2
Application number	US-202418664485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2024
Priority date	Sep 30, 2021
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed herein are system, apparatus, article of manufacture, method and/or computer program product embodiments, and/or combinations and sub-combinations thereof, for detecting downstream devices connected to an electrical load controlling device. An example embodiment operates by detecting an association signal from a downstream smart device responsive to a downstream smart device detection signal. The example embodiment further operates by determining whether the downstream smart device is coupled to an electrical terminal of an electrical switching device and configured to receive electricity in response to an actuation of the electrical switching device. If so, the example embodiment further operates by generating a control signal configured to instruct the electrical switching device to prevent a deactuation of the electrical switching device and transmitting the control signal to the electrical switching device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
determining that a downstream smart device is coupled to an electrical terminal of an electrical switching device and is configured to receive electricity based on an actuation of the electrical switching device; in response to said determining, generating, by at least one computer processor, a control signal configured to instruct the electrical switching device to prevent deactuating the electrical switching device; and transmitting the control signal to the electrical switching device.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said determining is based on detecting a predetermined sequence of power pulses from the downstream smart device.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said determining is based on detecting a communications signal from the downstream smart device when the electrical switching device is actuated.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said determining is based on detecting no communications signal from the downstream smart device when the electrical switching device is de-actuated.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the downstream smart device is a dimmable smart light bulb, and wherein said determining is based on detecting a dimming of the dimmable smart light bulb according to a predetermined dimming sequence.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said determining comprises:
instructing the downstream smart device to transmit a wireless packet; and detecting a current increase via the electrical terminal subsequent to instructing the downstream smart device to transmit the wireless packet; and determining that the downstream smart device is coupled to the electrical terminal and is configured to receive electricity based on the actuation of the electrical switching device based on detecting the current increase.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical terminal is coupled to an ungrounded conductor.

8 . A system, comprising:
one or more memories; and at least one processor each coupled to at least one of the one or more memories and configured to perform operations comprising:
determining that a downstream smart device is coupled to an electrical terminal of an electrical switching device and is configured to receive electricity based on an actuation of the electrical switching device;
in response to said determining, generating a control signal configured to instruct the electrical switching device to prevent deactuating the electrical switching device; and
transmitting the control signal to the electrical switching device.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein said determining comprises:
detecting a predetermined sequence of power pulses from the downstream smart device; and determining that the downstream smart device is coupled to the electrical terminal and is configured to receive electricity based on the actuation of the electrical switching device based on detection of the predetermined sequence.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein said determining comprises:
detecting a communications signal from the downstream smart device when the electrical switching device is actuated; and determining that the downstream smart device is coupled to the electrical terminal and is configured to receive electricity based on detection of the communications signal.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein said determining comprises:
detecting no communications signal from the downstream smart device when the electrical switching device is de-actuated; and determining that the downstream smart device is coupled to the electrical terminal and is configured to receive electricity based on detection of no communications signal.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the downstream smart device is a dimmable smart light bulb, and wherein said determining comprises:
detecting a dimming of the dimmable smart light bulb according to a predetermined dimming sequence; and determining that the downstream smart device is coupled to the electrical terminal and is configured to receive electricity based on detection of the dimming of the dimmable smart light bulb.

13 . The system of claim 8 , wherein said determining comprises:
instructing the downstream smart device to transmit a wireless packet; detecting a current increase via the electrical terminal subsequent to instructing the downstream smart device to transmit the wireless packet; and determining that the downstream smart device is coupled to the electrical terminal and is configured to receive electricity based on the actuation of the electrical switching device based on detecting the current increase.

14 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the electrical terminal is coupled to an ungrounded conductor.

15 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining that a second electrical terminal is not coupled to a grounded conductor; in response to determining that the second electrical terminal is not coupled to the grounded conductor, generating a second control signal configured to instruct a media device to perform a function; and transmitting the second control signal to the media device.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the function comprises at least one of:
a capacitive sensing function; a temperature sensing function; a radiation sensing function; an audio sensing function; a wireless communications function; a dimmer switch modification function; or a lighting control function.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
determining that a downstream smart device is coupled to an electrical terminal of an electrical switching device and is configured to receive electricity based on an actuation of the electrical switching device; in response to said determining, generating a control signal configured to instruct the electrical switching device to prevent deactuating the electrical switching device; and transmitting the control signal to the electrical switching device.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein said determining is based on detecting a predetermined sequence of power pulses from the downstream smart device.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein said determining is based on detecting a communications signal from the downstream smart device when the electrical switching device is actuated.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein said determining is based on detecting no communications signal from the downstream smart device when the electrical switching device is de-actuated.

Assignees

• Roku Inc

Inventors

• Garner Gregory Mack
• Stern David
• Westerhoff David
• Verhoeve Dustin

Classifications

• H02J13/34 Primary

  the equipment being switches, relays or circuit breakers · CPC title

• H02J2105/42

  Home appliances · CPC title

• H02J13/10

  characterised by displaying of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition [SCADA] systems · CPC title

• H01H9/54

  Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere · CPC title

• H05B47/10

  Controlling the light source · CPC title