Load control system for controlling electrical loads in response to state change information

• US 10,143,071 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Karc, Jeffrey, Bhutani, Ankit, Knode, Galen Edgar, Steffie, Jamie
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Dedei K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chai, Raymond R
• Application Number:
  US15/782,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035520A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A state change device may be electrically connected to a switched receptacle, or to both the switched and unswitched receptacles, of an outlet. The state change device may generate a change of state signal when power is applied to, or removed from, the switched receptacle. The state change device may wirelessly communicate the signal. The state change device may include a load control circuit that may be configured to control the amount of power delivered to an electrical load that is electrically connected to the state change device. The state change device may receive commands directed to the load control circuit. The state change device may be deployed in a load control system and may operate as a control entity, such that the state change device may issue commands to one or more load control devices, responsive to the application or removal of power at the switched receptacle.

Claims

1. A load control system for controlling an amount of power delivered to a plurality of lighting loads, the plurality of lighting loads including a first lighting load and a second lighting load, the load control system comprising:

a load control device configured to control the amount of power provided to the first lighting load; and

a master device configured to;

determine an on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads;

store the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads;

receive an indication to change the on/off state of at least one of the first or second lighting loads;

determine, from the previously stored on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads, that the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load are out of synchronization; and

transmit, to the load control device, a command that is configured to synchronize the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein, when the on/off state of the first lighting load is on when the master device receives the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads, the master device is configured to transmit a command to turn off the first lighting load.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein, when the on/off state of the first lighting load is on and the on/off state of the second lighting load is off when the master device receives the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads, the master device is configured to determine not to transmit a command to turn off the second lighting load.

4. The load control system of claim 1, wherein, when the on/off state of at least one of the first or second lighting loads is on when the master device receives the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads, the master device is configured to transmit a command to turn off the first and second lighting loads.

5. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the indication is a first indication and the command is a first command, and wherein the master device is further configured to:

receive a second indication to change the on/off state of the at least one of the plurality of lighting loads; and

transmit a second command to the load control device that is configured to maintain the synchronization of the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

6. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to receive an indication of a change in the on/off state at the first lighting load and transmit a command to change the on/off state of the second lighting load to maintain the synchronization of the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

7. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the command that is configured to synchronize the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load comprises one of an “

on”

command or an “

off”

command.

8. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control device is a first load control device, wherein the load control system comprises a second load control device configured to control an amount of power provided to the second lighting load, and wherein the master device is a central controller configured to transmit commands to the first load control device for controlling the amount of power provided to the first lighting load and the second load control device for controlling the amount of power provided to the second lighting load.

9. The load control system of claim 8, further comprising:

a state change device configured to transmit the indication to change the on/off state of at least one of the first and second lighting loads.

10. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control device is a first load control device, and wherein the master device comprises a second load control device configured to control the amount of power provided to the second lighting load.

11. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the master device comprises a state change device configured to receive indications to change on/off states of the plurality of lighting loads from a switched receptacle.

12. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to observe and store present state information pertaining to the plurality of lighting loads, wherein the present state information includes the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads.

13. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to forward commands to change the on/off state of the first lighting load to the load control device from another device.

14. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to:

receive indications to change the on/off state of the at least one of the plurality of lighting loads; and

selectively transmit commands to the load control device to change the on/off state of the first lighting load.

15. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the master device is configured to transmit and receive via radio frequency communication signals.

16. An apparatus for use in a load control system for controlling an amount of power delivered to a plurality of lighting loads, the plurality of lighting loads including a first lighting load and a second lighting load, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store information;

a communication circuit configured to transmit information; and

a control circuit that is configured to;

determine an on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads;

store, in the memory, the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads;

receive an indication to change the on/off state of at least one of the first or second lighting loads;

determine, from the previously stored on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads, that the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load are out of synchronization; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, a command that is configured to synchronize the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, when the on/off state of the first lighting load is on when the control circuit receives the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads, the control circuit is configured to transmit a command to turn off the first lighting load via the communication circuit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein, when the on/off state of the first lighting load is on and the on/off state of the second lighting load is off when the control circuit receives the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads, the control circuit is configured to determine not to transmit a command to turn off the second lighting load via the communication circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, when the on/off state of at least one of the first and second lighting loads is on when the control circuit receives the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads, the control circuit is configured to transmit a command to turn off the first and second lighting loads via the communication circuit.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the indication is a first indication and the command is a first command, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

receive a second indication to change the on/off state of the at least one of the plurality of lighting loads; and

transmit a second command that is configured to maintain the synchronization of the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive an indication of a change in the on/off state at the first lighting load and transmit a command to change the on/off state of the second lighting load to maintain the synchronization of the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a power sensing circuit configured to provide one or more signals to the control circuit that indicate a change in the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads from a switched receptacle.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to observe and store present state information pertaining to the plurality of lighting loads, wherein the present state information includes the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the control circuit is configured to:

receive indications to change the on/off state of the at least one of the plurality of lighting loads; and

selectively transmit commands to the load control device to change the on/off state of the first lighting load.

25. A method for controlling an amount of power delivered to a plurality of lighting loads, the plurality of lighting loads including a first lighting load and a second lighting load, the method comprising:

determining an on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads;

storing the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads;

receiving an indication to change the on/off state of at least one of the first or second lighting loads;

determining, from the previously stored on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads, that the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load are out of synchronization; and

transmitting, to a load control device configured to control an amount of power provided to the first lighting load, a command that is configured to synchronize the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein transmitting the command to synchronize the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load further comprises transmitting a command to turn off the first lighting load via the communication circuit when the on/off state of the first lighting load is on when the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads is received.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein transmitting the command to synchronize the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load further comprises determining not to transmit a command to turn off the second lighting load via the communication circuit when the on/off state of the first lighting load is on and the on/off state of the second lighting load is off when the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads is received.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein transmitting the command to synchronize the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load further comprises transmitting a command to turn off the first and second lighting loads via the communication circuit when the on/off state of at least one of the first or second lighting loads is on when the indication to change the on/off states of the first and second lighting loads is received.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the indication is a first indication and the command is a first command, the method further comprising:

receiving a second indication to change the on/off state of the at least one of the plurality of lighting loads; and

transmitting a second command to the load control device that is configured to maintain the synchronization of the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a change in the on/off state at the first lighting load; and

changing the on/off state of the second lighting load to maintain the synchronization of the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the load control device is a first load control device, and the method further comprising:

transmitting, from a central controller, commands to the first load control device for controlling the amount of power provided to the first lighting load;

transmitting, from the central controller, commands to a second lighting control device for controlling an amount of power provided to the second lighting load; and

wherein the central controller performs the determination that the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load are out of synchronization and the transmission of the command that is configured to synchronize the on/off state.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

observing present state information pertaining to the plurality of lighting loads, wherein the present state information includes the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads; and

storing the present state information for determining whether the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads are out of synchronization.

33. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

forwarding commands to change the on/off state of the first lighting load to the load control device from another device.

34. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving indications to change the on/off state of the at least one of the plurality of lighting loads; and

selectively transmitting commands to the load control device to change the on/off state of the first lighting load.

35. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

polling devices to determine whether there is a master device controlling the on/off state of the plurality of lighting loads; and

in response to the polling of the devices, assuming a role of the master device to enable the determination that the on/off state of the first lighting load and the second lighting load are out of synchronization.