Associating wireless control devices

• US 10,070,504 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Mann, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Blouin, Mark
• Application Number:
  US15/167,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 340 12, 340 29
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/283 Processing of data at an internetworking point of a home automation network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/199 Commissioning of light sources
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A load control system may include one or more wireless control devices that may be associated via a programming device. An identifier for a first wireless control device may be determined in response to an actuation of a button on the first wireless control device. An association between the first wireless control device and a second wireless control device may be defined at the programming device. The identifier for the first wireless control device may be transmitted to the second wireless control device, which may cause the first wireless control device to enter a sleep mode. The first wireless control device may enter the sleep mode after an actuation of a button on the first wireless control device. The identifier may be determined in response to the actuation of the button on the first wireless control device and/or prior to the first wireless control device entering the sleep mode.

Claims

1. A method for associating a first wireless control device with a second wireless control device using a programming device, the method comprising:

determining an identifier for the first wireless control device in response to an actuation of a button on the first wireless control device;

defining an association between the first wireless control device and the second wireless control device at the programming device;

transmitting the identifier for the first wireless control device to the second wireless control device; and

causing the first wireless control device to enter an initial sleep mode after the actuation of the button on the first wireless control device;

wherein the identifier is determined in response to the actuation of the button on the first wireless control device and prior to the first wireless control device entering the initial sleep mode.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

storing the identifier for the first wireless control device in a memory of a gateway device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the identifier comprises:

choosing a random number by the first wireless control device; and

transmitting from the first wireless control device a query message to the gateway device to determine if the random number is presently being used as an identifier of at least one other wireless control device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the random number comprises a first random number, and wherein determining the identifier comprises the first wireless control device choosing a second random number if the first random number is presently being used as the identifier of the at least one other wireless control device.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the identifier comprises the first wireless control device storing the random number in memory as the identifier if the random number is presently being unused as the identifier of the at least one other wireless control device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the identifier comprises:

waiting by the first wireless control device for a predetermined amount of time to receive the identifier from the gateway device prior to choosing the random number;

wherein the random number is chosen by the first wireless control device if the first wireless control device fails to receive the identifier from the gateway device within the predetermined amount of time.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein defining the association comprises:

generating association information indicating an association between the first wireless control device and the second wireless control device at the programming device; and

transmitting the association information from the programming device to the gateway device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the identifier is transmitted from the gateway device to the second wireless control device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the identifier comprises:

choosing, by the gateway device, the identifier based on the identifier presently being unused by at least one other wireless control device;

transmitting the identifier from the gateway device to the first wireless control device; and

storing the identifier in memory at the first wireless control device.

10. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

prior to determining the identifier, transmitting from the programming device a command to cause the gateway device to enter an association mode.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the association between the first wireless control device and the second wireless control device is defined at the programming device prior to determining the identifier.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting the identifier from a gateway device to the first wireless control device in response to the actuation of the button on the first wireless control device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the button is actuated to identify the first wireless control device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the button is actuated to control the second wireless control device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a group number randomly generated to correspond to one or more remote control devices of a group of control devices in a load control system.

16. A method for associating a first wireless control device with a second wireless control device using a programming device, the method comprising:

causing a gateway device to enter an association mode;

associating the first wireless control device with the gateway device;

associating the second wireless control device with the gateway device;

determining a group number for the first wireless control device; and

transmitting the group number to the programming device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first wireless control device is a remote control device and the second wireless control device is a load control device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the group number is an unused group number for another control device in a load control system.

19. A system for associating wireless devices, the system comprising:

a first wireless control device comprising a button, wherein the first wireless control device is configured to determine an identifier in response to an actuation of the button;

a second wireless control device; and

a programming device configured to;

define an association between the first wireless control device and the second wireless control device; and

transmit the identifier for the first wireless control device to the second wireless control device; and

wherein the first wireless control device is configured to enter an initial sleep mode after the actuation of the button on the first wireless control device; and

wherein the first wireless control device is configured to determine the identifier in response to the actuation of the button prior to the first wireless control device entering the initial sleep mode.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a gateway device having a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store the identifier for the first wireless control device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein to determine the identifier, the first wireless control device is configured to:

choose a random number; and

transmit a query message to the gateway device to determine if the random number is presently being used as an identifier of at least one other wireless control device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the random number comprises a first random number, and wherein the first wireless control device is configured to determine the identifier by choosing a second random number if the first random number is presently being used as the identifier of the at least one other wireless control device.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first wireless control device is configured to determine the identifier by storing the random number in memory as the identifier if the random number is presently being unused as the identifier of the at least one other wireless control device.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein to determine the identifier, the first wireless control device is configured to:

wait for a predetermined amount of time to receive the identifier from the gateway device prior to choosing the random number; and

wherein the random number is chosen by the first wireless control device if the first wireless control device fails to receive the identifier from the gateway device within the predetermined amount of time.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein to define the association, the programming device is configured to:

generate association information indicating an association between the first wireless control device and the second wireless control device; and

transmit the association information to the gateway device.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the gateway device is configured to transmit the identifier to the second wireless control device.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein to determine the identifier, the first wireless control device is configured to:

receive the identifier from the gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to choose the identifier based on the identifier presently being unused by at least one other wireless control device; and

store the identifier in memory at the first wireless control device.

28. The system of claim 20, wherein the programming device is further configured to transmit a command to cause the gateway device to enter an association mode prior to the first wireless control device determining the identifier.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the programming device is configured to define the association between the first wireless control device and the second wireless control device prior to the first wireless control device determining the identifier.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising a gateway device, wherein the gateway device is configured to transmit the identifier to the first wireless control device in response to the actuation of the button on the first wireless control device.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the first wireless control device is configured to identify itself in response to actuation of the button.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the first wireless control device is configured to control the second wireless control device in response to actuation of the button.

33. The system of claim 19, wherein the identifier comprises a group number randomly generated to correspond to one or more remote control devices of a group of control devices in the system, and wherein the system is a load control system.

34. A system for associating wireless control devices, the system comprising:

a gateway device configured to enter an association mode;

a programming device;

a first wireless control device and a second wireless control device configured to be associated with the gateway device via the programming device; and

wherein the gateway device is further configured to;

determine a group number for the first wireless control device; and

transmit the group number to the programming device.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the first wireless control device is a remote control device and the second wireless control device is a load control device.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the group number is an unused group number for another control device in the system, and wherein the system is a load control system.