Commissioning and controlling load control devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020288558-A1
Application number	US-202016812167-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 8, 2019
Publication date	Sep 10, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A load control system may be commissioned using beacons. The load control system may include control devices that each include a beacon transmitting circuit configured to transmit a beacon that comprises an identifier associated with the control device. A network device, such as a mobile device, may discover a control device based on the beacon received from the control device. In response to discovery of the control device, the control device may be added to a temporary group of control devices for being collectively configured and/or controlled. Control devices may be discovered based on the signal strength at which the beacons are received. The control devices may provide feedback to a user in response to confirmation messages to indicate to a user that the lighting control device has been added to the temporary group. The control devices may stop providing the feedback after they are removed from the temporary group.

First claim

1 . A method for configuring lighting control devices of a load control system installed in a load control environment, the method comprising:
receiving beacons, each beacon having a unique identifier associated with one of the lighting control devices of the load control system; selecting one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to a configuration identifier based on received signal strengths of the respective beacons; causing the selected one or more lighting control devices to provide a first feedback type in response to being selected to be assigned to the configuration identifier; and assigning the configuration identifier to the selected one or more lighting control devices.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting a second message to cause the selected one or more lighting control devices to provide a second feedback type in response to being assigned to the configuration identifier.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining received signal strengths of the beacons that exceed a discovery threshold; and transmitting a third message to cause the lighting control devices that transmitted the beacons having received signals strengths that exceed the discovery threshold to provide a third feedback type.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the selection of the one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to the configuration identifier in response to changes in one or more of the received signal strengths of the beacons.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein selecting one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to a configuration identifier based on signal strengths of the respective beacon signals further comprises selecting a first lighting control device to be assigned the configuration identifier;
wherein updating the selection of the one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to the configuration identifier further comprises unselecting the first lighting control device and selecting a second lighting control device to be assigned the configuration identifier.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein selecting one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to a configuration identifier based on signal strengths of the respective beacons further comprises selecting a group of lighting control devices to be assigned the configuration identifier;
wherein updating the selection of the one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to the configuration identifier further comprises adding a previously unselected lighting control device to the selected group of lighting control devices to be assigned the configuration identifier.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to a configuration identifier based on signal strengths of the respective beacons further comprises:
determining the beacon that was received at the highest signal strength; and selecting the lighting control device that transmitted the beacon that was received at the highest signal strength as the lighting control device to be assigned the configuration identifier.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting one or more lighting control devices to be assigned to a configuration identifier based on signal strengths of the respective beacons further comprises:
determining received signal strengths of the beacons that exceed a discovery threshold; and selecting the lighting control device that transmitted the beacons having received signals strengths that exceed the discovery threshold the lighting control devices to be assigned the configuration identifier.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an input confirming the assignment of the configuration identifier to the selected one or more lighting control devices; wherein assigning the configuration identifier to the selected one or more lighting control devices further comprises assigning the configuration identifier to the selected one or more lighting control devices in response to receiving the input confirming the assignment.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning the configuration identifier to the selected one or more lighting control devices further comprises assigning the configuration identifier to the selected one or more lighting control devices in response to being selected to be assigned to the configuration identifier.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a project code identifier; and accessing the configuration identifier from a project associated with the project code identifier.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the configuration identifier is generated at a processing device via design software configured to generate a floorplan of a building, and wherein the configuration identifier identifies a location in the floorplan, and wherein the project identifier is received and the configuration identifier is accessed using a mobile device.

13 - 86 . (canceled)

87 . A load control system comprising:
a mobile device configured to transmit a first beacon; and a plurality of lighting control devices configured to control an amount of power provided to respective lighting loads, wherein each lighting control device of the plurality of lighting control devices is configured to transmit a respective second beacon in response to the first beacon received from the mobile device, wherein each lighting control device of the plurality of the lighting control devices is configured to:
receive the first beacon from the mobile device;
transmit the second beacon in response to receiving the first beacon from the mobile device;
provide a first feedback type in response to receiving the first beacon from the mobile device;
receive an indication that the lighting control device has been selected to be configured based on a signal strength of the second beacon as received by the mobile device.

88 . The load control system of claim 87 , wherein the mobile device is configured to select the lighting control device to be configured is the signal strength of the second beacon is the highest signal strength of a plurality of beacons received from the plurality of lighting control devices.

89 . The load control system of claim 88 , wherein each lighting control device of the plurality of the lighting control devices is configured to provide a second feedback type in response to receiving the indication that the lighting control device has been selected to be configured.

90 . The load control system of claim 87 , wherein the first beacon transmitted by the mobile device comprises a signal strength threshold, and wherein each lighting control device of the plurality of the lighting control devices is further configured to:
determine a signal strength at which the first beacon was received; and transmit the second beacon on a condition that the signal strength at which the first beacon was received is greater than or equal to the signal strength threshold.

91 . The load control system of claim 87 , wherein each lighting control device of the plurality of the lighting control devices is configured to provide the first feedback type by illuminating the respective lighting load a first predefined color.

92 . The load control system of claim 91 , wherein each lighting control device of the plurality of the lighting control devices is configured to provide the second feedback type by illuminating the respective lighting load a second predefined color.

93 .

Assignees

• Lutron Tech Co Llc

Inventors

• Anderson Todd G
• Anselm Maxwell
• Garg Vidur
• Karmani Ashok
• Kumar Sanjeev
• Raghuram Sandeep Mudabail
• Rahul Somesh
• Nemmani Ananthanag
• Shukla Jaykrishna A
• Dias Alcides
• Singh Surjith Bhagavath

Classifications

• H04W12/06

  Authentication · CPC title

• G06K7/1417

  2D bar codes · CPC title

• G06K7/1413

  1D bar codes · CPC title

• G06K7/10722

  Photodetector array or CCD scanning · CPC title

• H05B45/22

  using optical feedback · CPC title