Wireless control device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9578720-B2
Application number	US-201514724542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2015
Priority date	May 30, 2014
Publication date	Feb 21, 2017
Grant date	Feb 21, 2017

Abstract

A wall-mountable wireless control device may include an antenna (e.g., a slot antenna or a hybrid slot-patch antenna) for transmitting and/or receiving radio-frequency signals. The wireless control device may comprise a user interface, an antenna, a radio-frequency communication circuit, a control circuit, and/or a conductive faceplate. The radio-frequency communication circuit may be configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals via the antenna. The user interface may be configured to receive a user input. The conductive faceplate may be configured to operate as a radiating element of the antenna when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device and the user interface is received in the opening of the conductive faceplate. The conductive faceplate may comprise a conductive material arranged over a plastic carrier, for example, the conductive material may be provided adjacent to greater than or equal to approximately 85% of the front surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wall-mountable wireless control device comprising:
a user interface configured to receive a user input;
an antenna configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals;
a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to transmit or receive the radio-frequency signals via the antenna;
a control circuit responsive to the user input and the radio-frequency communication circuit; and
a conductive faceplate defining an opening for receiving the user interface;
wherein the conductive faceplate is configured to operate as a radiating element of the antenna when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device and the user interface is received in the opening of the conductive faceplate.

2. The wireless control device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a yoke configured to mount the control device to an electrical wallbox; and
a bezel attached to the yoke, the bezel configured to provide the user interface through the opening of the conductive faceplate;
wherein the antenna comprises a driven element located between the bezel and the yoke and capacitively coupled to the conductive faceplate.

3. The wireless control device of claim 2 , wherein the conductive faceplate comprises a conductive material arranged over a plastic carrier.

4. The wireless control device of claim 3 , wherein the conductive faceplate comprises a conductive backer attached to a rear surface of the plastic carrier.

5. The wireless control device of claim 4 , wherein the conductive backer is electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

6. The wireless control device of claim 2 , wherein the conductive faceplate is electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

7. The wireless control device of claim 6 , wherein the conductive faceplate is configured to operate as a patch antenna when the conductive faceplate is electrically coupled to the yoke via the single electrical connection.

8. The wireless control device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a slot antenna.

9. The wireless control device of claim 8 , wherein the conductive faceplate defines an elongated opening for receiving the user interface.

10. The wireless control device of claim 9 , wherein the slot antenna comprises a driven element capacitively coupled to the conductive faceplate, the driven element defining a slot that is substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the opening of the conductive faceplate when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device and the user interface is received in the opening of the conductive faceplate.

11. The wireless control device of claim 8 , wherein the user interface comprises a thin touch sensitive actuator.

12. The wireless control device of claim 9 , wherein the radio-frequency communication circuit is directly electrically coupled to the conductive faceplate via two drive points located on opposite sides of the elongated opening at approximately the middle of the elongated opening when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

13. The wireless control device of claim 1 , wherein the radio-frequency communication circuit is configured to be directly electrically connected to the conductive faceplate when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

14. The wireless control device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive faceplate is made entirely of metal.

15. A wall-mountable wireless control device comprising:
a front surface comprising a user interface configured to receive a user input;
a drive antenna configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals;
a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to transmit or receive the radio-frequency signals via the drive antenna;
a control circuit responsive to the user input and the radio-frequency communication circuit; and
a conductive material provided adjacent to greater than or equal to approximately 85% of the front surface, the conductive material capacitively coupled to the drive antenna.

16. The wireless control device of claim 15 , wherein the front surface comprises a faceplate defining an opening for receiving the user interface.

17. The wireless control device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a yoke configured to mount the control device to an electrical wallbox; and
a bezel attached to the yoke, the bezel configured to provide the user interface through the opening of the faceplate when the faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

18. The wireless control device of claim 17 , wherein the conductive material is provided on an outside surface of the faceplate.

19. The wireless control device of claim 18 , wherein the faceplate comprises a plastic carrier and the conductive material is arranged over the plastic carrier, the faceplate comprising a conductive backer attached to a rear surface of the plastic carrier, the conductive backer electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection when the faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

20. The wireless control device of claim 17 , wherein the conductive material is provided on an inside surface of the faceplate.

21. The wireless control device of claim 20 , wherein the conductive material is electrically coupled to the yoke via one of a plurality of screws that attach the bezel to the yoke when the faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

22. The wireless control device of claim 16 , wherein the conductive material is provided inside of the faceplate.

23. The wireless control device of claim 15 , wherein the user interface comprises at least one actuator comprising a surface, and the conductive material is provided on the surface of the actuator.

24. The wireless control device of claim 15 , wherein the conductive material is configured to operate as a radiating element of the drive antenna when a faceplate is mounted to the wireless control device.

25. A wall-mountable multi-gang wireless control system comprising:
a plurality of wireless control devices adapted to be mounted in a multi-gang electrical wallbox, each wireless control device comprising a yoke configured to mount the control device to the multi-gang electrical wallbox, a user interface configured to receive a user input, an antenna configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals, and a control circuit responsive to the user input and the radio-frequency signals received by the antenna; and
a conductive faceplate defining a plurality of openings configured to receive the respective user interfaces of the wireless control devices, the conductive faceplate comprising a single conductive material that is configured to operate as a radiating element for the antennas of the wireless control devices when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the plurality of wireless control devices and the user interfaces are received through the respective openings of the conductive faceplate;
wherein the yoke of at least one of the control devices is electrically coupled to the conductive material via a single electrical connection when the conductive faceplate is mounted to the plurality of wireless control devices.

26. The wireless control device of claim 25 , where

Assignees

• Lutron Electronics Co

Inventors

• Camden Richard S
• Mosebrook Donald R
• Shivell William Taylor
• Miller Amy E

Classifications

• G08C17/02 Primary

  using a radio link · CPC title

• H01Q13/10

  Resonant slot antennas · CPC title

• H01Q1/1221

  onto a wall · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G08C2201/30

  User interface · CPC title