Wireless control device

• US 10,149,367 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• 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): Khuu, Cindy H
• Application Number:
  US14/724,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20150346702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 700 83, 340 125
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15117 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• 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 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A wall-mountable wireless control device may include an antenna, a radio-frequency communication circuit, a control circuit, an enclosure, a conductive yoke, and/or a conductive member. The antenna may be configured to transmit and/or receive radio-frequency signals. The radio-frequency communication circuit may be configured to transmit and/or receive the radio-frequency signals via the antenna. The control circuit may be responsive to the radio-frequency communication circuit. The enclosure may be configured to house the radio-frequency communication circuit and the control circuit. The conductive yoke may be attached to the enclosure and configured to mount the control device to an electrical wallbox. The conductive member may extend around a rear side of the enclosure between opposite sides of the yoke.

Claims

1. A wall-mountable wireless control device comprising:

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 radio-frequency communication circuit;

an enclosure configured to house the radio-frequency communication circuit and the control circuit;

a conductive yoke attached to the enclosure and configured to mount the control device to an electrical wallbox; and

a conductive member extending around a rear side of the enclosure between opposite sides of the yoke.

2. The wireless control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input; and

a faceplate defining an elongated opening for receiving the user interface, the faceplate comprising a conductive element electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device and the user interface is received through the elongated opening of the faceplate, the conductive element defining a first slot that is substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the opening of the faceplate;

wherein the conductive element is configured to operate as a radiating element of the antenna when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device.

3. The wireless control device of claim 2, further comprising:

a bezel attached to the yoke, the bezel configured to provide the user interface through the opening of the faceplate when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device;

wherein the antenna comprises a driven element located between the bezel and the yoke, the driven element capacitively coupled to the conductive element when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device, the driven element defining a second slot that is substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the opening of the faceplate when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device.

4. The wireless control device of claim 3, wherein the radio-frequency communication circuit is electrically coupled to the driven element via two drive points located on opposite sides of the second slot at approximately the middle of the second slot.

5. The wireless control device of claim 4, wherein the conductive member is electrically coupled to the opposite sides of the yoke adjacent the drive points of the driven element.

6. The wireless control device of claim 3, wherein the conductive element is attached to a rear surface of the faceplate.

7. The wireless control device of claim 6, wherein the faceplate comprises a conductive material on the front surface of the faceplate.

8. The wireless control device of claim 3, wherein the conductive element comprises a conductive material on the front surface of the faceplate.

9. The wireless control device of claim 3, wherein the conductive element is located inside of the faceplate.

10. The wireless control device of claim 3, wherein the conductive element is electrically coupled to the yoke via one of a plurality of screws that attach the bezel to the yoke when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device.

11. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the conductive element is configured to operate as a patch antenna when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device.

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

13. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a hybrid slot-patch antenna.

14. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the conductive member extends horizontally around the rear surface of the enclosure at the center of the yoke.

15. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the conductive member comprises a conductive strap, a conductive label, or a conductive paint.

16. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the conductive member is a part of the enclosure.

17. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is made of a material that is conductive.

18. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the conductive member is directly electrically coupled to the opposite sides of the yoke.

19. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the conductive member is capacitively coupled to the opposite sides of the yoke.