Load control device user interface and database management using near field communication (NFC)

• US 10,135,629 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Browne, Jr., John C., Henley, Sean, Rego, Ratan Dominic, Fricke, William Bryce, Stevens, Jr., Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Norton, Jennifer L
• Application Number:
  US13/837,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20140277805A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,076 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23161 Hand held terminal PDA displays machine control program when user is near that machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25192 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• 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 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

An energy control network may include a number of load control devices, such as dimmer switches, multi-button selector switch, occupancy sensors, and remote controllers, among others. These load control devices may be configured for wireless communication. Other wireless devices, such as laptops, tablets, and “smart” cellular phones may be configured to communicate with the load control devices of the energy control network. The load control devices and the other wireless communication devices may also be configured for Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC may be used to provide a load control device with its initial default configuration and/or an application specific configuration. Also, NFC may be used to transfer a configuration from one load control device that may have become faulty, to a replacement load control device. And NFC may be used to provide and trigger commands that may cause a load control load device to operate in a predetermined manner.

Claims

1. A wireless control device operable for wireless communication, the wireless control device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a signal from a load control device via a near-field communication protocol, the load control device having one or more physical buttons, the load control device configured to effectuate a first user-commanded function for controlling an electrical load in response to an actuation of one of the physical buttons; and

a processor configured to;

identify the load control device based on information contained in the signal;

determine an access level for the load control device based on the identified load control device;

display a user interface corresponding to the determined access level;

effectuate a second user-commanded function for controlling the electrical load by transmitting to the load control device via the near-field communication protocol a second signal comprising the second user-commanded function;

wherein in response to the second signal, the load control device is configured to;

receive an identification from the wireless control device;

based on the identification determine whether the wireless control device is authorized for the second user-commanded function; and

perform the second user-commanded function when determining that the wireless control device is authorized for the second user-commanded function;

wherein the electrical load comprises one or more lighting loads;

wherein the first user-commanded function comprises a scene for controlling the one or more lighting loads to preconfigured intensity levels;

wherein the second user-commanded function comprises a second scene for controlling the one or more lighting loads to preconfigured intensity levels; and

wherein the processor is further configured to;

based on the access level, send a command via the receiver to reconfigure the first user-commanded function of the load control device; and

wherein in response to the reconfiguration command, the load control device is configured to change the first user-commanded function to the second user-commanded function such that the load control device is configured to effectuate the second user-commanded function in response to an actuation of the one of the physical buttons.

2. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the information contained in the signal includes at least one of a custom integration string or an identification number of the load control device.

3. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the identification number is a serial number of the load control device.

4. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the load control device is a dimmer switch or a remote control device.

5. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

effectuate a third user-commanded function for controlling the electrical load by transmitting to the load control device via the near-field communication protocol a third signal comprising the third user-commanded function, wherein the load control device performs the third user-commanded function.

6. The wireless control device of claim 5,

wherein the third user-commanded function comprises a third scene for controlling the one or more lighting loads to preconfigured intensity levels.

7. A method for controlling an electrical load, the method comprising:

receiving by a wireless control device a first signal from a load control device via a near field communication protocol, the load control device having one or more physical buttons, the load control device configured to effectuate a first user-commanded function for controlling an electrical load in response to an actuation of one of the physical buttons;

identifying by the wireless control device the load control device based on information contained in the first signal;

determining an access level for the load control device based on the identified load control device;

displaying a user interface corresponding to the determined access level;

effectuating by the wireless control device a second user-commanded function for controlling the electrical load by transmitting by the wireless control device to the load control device via the near-field communication protocol a second signal comprising the second user-commanded function;

receiving by the load control device an identification from the wireless control device;

based on the identification determining by the load control device whether the wireless control device is authorized for the second user-commanded function; and

performing by the load control device the second user-commanded function when determining that the wireless control device is authorized for the second user-commanded function;

where the electrical load comprises one or more lighting loads;

wherein the first user-commanded function comprises a scene for controlling the one or more lighting loads to preconfigured intensity levels;

wherein the second user-commanded function comprises a second scene for controlling the one or more lighting loads to preconfigured intensity levels;

based on the access level, sending a command via the wireless control device to reconfigure the first user-commanded function of the load control device;

in response the reconfiguration command, changing, via the load control device, the first user-commanded function to the second user-commanded function; and

effectuating by the load control device the second user-commanded function in response to an actuation of the one of the physical buttons.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information contained in the first signal includes at least one of a custom integration string or an identification number of the load control device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identification number is a serial number of the load control device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the load control device is a dimmer switch or a remote control device.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a wireless control device causes the first wireless control device to:

receive a signal from a load control device via a near field communication protocol, the load control device having one or more physical buttons, the load control device configured to effectuate a first user-commanded function for controlling an electrical load in response to an actuation of one of the physical buttons;

identify the load control device based on information contained in the signal;

determine an access level for the load control device based on the identified load control device;

display a user interface corresponding to the determined access level;

effectuate a second user-commanded function for controlling the electrical load by transmitting to the load control device via the near-field communication protocol a second signal comprising the second user-commanded function;

wherein in response to the second signal, the load control device is configured to;

receive an identification from the wireless control device;

based on the identification determine whether the wireless control device is authorized for the second user-commanded function; and

perform the second user-commanded function when determining that the wireless control device is authorized for the second user-commanded function;

wherein the electrical load comprises one or more lighting loads;

wherein the first user-commanded function comprises a scene for controlling one or more lighting loads to preconfigured intensity levels;

wherein the second user-commanded function comprises a second scene for controlling the one or more lighting loads to preconfigured intensity levels; and

wherein the instructions, when executed by the wireless control device, further cause the wireless control device to;

based on the access level, cause a command to be transmitted via a receiver to the load control device to reconfigure the first user-commanded function of the load control device;

wherein in response to the reconfiguration command, the load control device is configured to change the first user-commanded function to the second user-commanded function such that the load control device is configured to effectuate the second user-commanded function in response to an actuation of the one of the physical buttons.