Wireless control device

• US 10,147,311 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Camden, Richard S., Mosebrook, Donald R., Shivell, William Taylor, Miller, Amy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nam V
• Application Number:
  US15/498,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20170229010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 340 125, 343702
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/44 using equipment having another main function to serve additionally as an antenna , e.g. means for giving an antenna an aesthetic aspectH01Q1/27 - H01Q1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• 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: H05B 45/10 Controlling the intensity of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• 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

A wireless control device may include a housing, a yoke, an antenna, a communication circuit, and a control circuit. The yoke may be electrically conductive and be configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox. The antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals. The antenna may be a slot antenna. The communication circuit may be configured to transmit and receive the radio-frequency signals via the antenna, and the control circuit may be responsive to the communication circuit (e.g., the signals received via the communication circuit). The control device may also include a conductive component that is attached to a front surface of the housing. For example, the conductive component may be electrically connected to the yoke via a single electrical connection (e.g., a screw). Further, the conductive component may be parallel with the antenna and configured to be capacitively coupled to the antenna.

Claims

1. A wireless control device comprising:

a housing;

a yoke configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox, wherein the yoke is electrically conductive;

a drive antenna within the housing, the drive antenna configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals;

a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to transmit and receive the radio-frequency signals via the drive antenna;

a control circuit responsive to the radio-frequency communication circuit; and

a conductive component attached to a front surface of the housing, the conductive component electrically connected to the yoke via a single electrical connection, wherein the conductive component is parallel with the drive antenna and configured to be capacitively coupled to the drive antenna.

2. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the drive antenna is a slot antenna comprising a slot.

3. The wireless control device of claim 2, further containing a user interface that extends through the slot of the slot antenna.

4. The wireless control device of claim 3, wherein the user interface further extends through a second slot of the conductive component, the slot of the slot antenna being substantially the same size as the second slot of the conductive component.

5. The wireless control device of claim 3, wherein the conductive component is connected to the yoke via a screw.

6. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the radio-frequency communication circuit is electrically coupled to the slot antenna via two drive points located on opposite sides of the slot of the slot antenna and at approximately the middle of the slot.

7. A wall-mountable wireless device comprising:

a yoke configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox;

a user interface configured to receive a user input;

a bezel, the user interface provided through the bezel;

an antenna configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals, the antenna comprising a driven element and a conductive component;

a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to transmit and receive the radio-frequency signals via the antenna; and

a control circuit responsive to the user input and the radio-frequency communication circuit;

wherein the conductive component is located on a front surface of the bezel and is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke and capacitively coupled to the driven element, and wherein the driven element is configured to be located between the bezel and the yoke, and the bezel is configured to be located between the conductive component and the driven element.

8. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the driven element defines an elongated slot through which the user interface extends, the conductive component defines an elongated slot through which the user interface extends, and the elongated slot of the driven element is substantially the same size as and configured to be substantially aligned with the elongated slot of the conductive component when the driven element and the conductive component are installed in the wireless device.

9. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the conductive component is configured to be attached to the front surface of the bezel.

10. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the conductive component is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection.

11. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the conductive component is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via a screw.

12. The wireless device of claim 7, wherein the user interface comprises one or more actuation members configured to receive the user input, and the control circuit is configured to transmit radio frequency signals in response to actuations of the one or more actuation members.

13. The wireless device of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to control one or more electrical loads in response to actuations of the one or more actuation members.

14. A wall-mountable wireless control device comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input;

an antenna configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals, the antenna comprising;

a driven element defining an elongated slot and a plurality of openings extending from the elongated slot; and

a conductive component configured to be attached to a front surface of the control device, the conductive component defining an elongated slot and comprising a conductive strip next to the elongated slot, wherein the plurality of openings in the driven element are configured to be substantially aligned with the conductive strip of the conductive component;

a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to transmit and receive the radio-frequency signals via the antenna; and

a control circuit responsive to the user input and the radio-frequency communication circuit.

15. The wireless control device of claim 14, wherein the user interface is configured to extend through the elongated slot of the driven element and the elongated slot of the conductive component, the elongated slot of the driven element substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the elongated slot of the conductive component when the driven element and the conductive component are installed in the wireless control device.

16. The wireless control device of claim 14, further comprising:

a bezel, the user interface provided through the bezel; and

a yoke configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox;

wherein the bezel is configured to be attached to the yoke, the driven element is configured to be located between the bezel and the yoke, and the bezel is configured to be located between the conductive component and the driven element.

17. The wireless control device of claim 16, wherein the conductive component is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection.

18. The wireless control device of claim 16, wherein the conductive component is located on a front surface of the bezel and is configured to be electrically coupled to the yoke and capacitively coupled to the driven element.

19. The wireless control device of claim 14, wherein the user interface comprises one or more actuation members configured to receive the user input and the control circuit is configured to transmit radio frequency signals in response to actuations of the one or more actuation members.

20. The wireless control device of claim 19, wherein the one or more actuation members are configured to actuate different operational settings of one or more electrical loads controlled by the wireless control device.