Z-wave multi-way switches

• US 10,219,353 B1
• Filed: 06/20/2018
• Issued: 02/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lorenz High Definition, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lorenz High Definition, LLC
• Inventors: Lorenz, Zbigniew
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wei (Victor)
• Application Number:
  US16/013,446
• Time in Patent Office: 251 Days
• Field of Search: 315291, 315295, 315305, 315362
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/02 for modifying the operation of the relay
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 47/18 for introducing delay in the operation of the relay short-circuited conducting sleeves, bands or discs H01H50/46
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/14 by determining electrical parameters of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• 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 Z-wave controlled smart switch for multi-way switch circuits can be either an on/off switch or a dimmer switch. The Z-wave switch connects through two travelers to each of the fixed contacts of the remote switch. Depending on the position of the remote switch, the Z-wave switch alternately directs the line AC voltage, or dimmed line voltage, to either of the fixed contacts of the remote switch through either of two parallel hot terminals. The direction of AC voltage through the Z-wave switch is controlled by the Z-wave module through a relay or by bidirectional TRIACs or anti-series FETs. The Z-wave switch is operative to fully control the state of the load in any multi-way system regardless of the state of the remote switches and without replacing or rewiring the remote switches. The Z-wave module also uniquely integrates the smart switch microcontroller and RF communications functions in one unit and leverages the superior connectivity capabilities of the Z-wave technology.

Claims

1. A smart switch adapted to be electrically connected to a circuit comprising an AC power source, an AC hot line, an AC neutral line, an electrical load, and a three-way remote switch, the remote switch having a first remote terminal, a second remote terminal and a common terminal that is electrically connected to the electrical load, the remote switch further having a first position, in which the common terminal is electrically connected to the first remote terminal, and a second position, in which the common terminal is electrically connected to the second remote terminal, the smart switch comprising

a line terminal adapted to be electrically connected to the AC hot line;

a neutral terminal adapted to be electrically connected to the AC neutral line;

a load terminal adapted to be electrically connected to the first remote terminal of the remote switch;

a traveler terminal adapted to be electrically connected to the second remote terminal of the remote switch;

a conductive control system, comprising a relay switching circuit, wherein the conductive control system has two control states, consisting of a first control state, in which the line terminal is electrically connected to the load terminal, and a second control state, in which the line terminal is electrically connected to the traveler terminal, and wherein the relay switching circuit comprises an electromagnetic relay switch electrically connected between the line terminal and the load terminal and between the line terminal and the traveler terminal, and wherein the relay switching circuit is switchable between the two control states, and wherein in the first control state, the relay switch electrically connects the line terminal to the load terminal and electrically disconnects the line terminal from the traveler terminal, and wherein in the second control state the relay switch electrically connects the line terminal to the traveler terminal and electrically disconnects the line terminal from the load terminal;

one or more current sensing elements electrically connected between the line terminal and the neutral terminal, or between the conductive control system and either or both of the load terminal and the traveler terminal, wherein the current sensing elements are operable to detect a status of a load current flowing through the remote switch to the electrical load and to transmit a load current detection signal;

a radio frequency (RF) Z-wave transceiver operable to receive remote RF control commands, and to electrically transmit the control commands, and to transmit RF status messages that report the status of the load current and the control state of the conductive control system;

a switch controller electrically connected to the Z-wave transceiver and to the current sensing elements and to the conductive control system, wherein the switch controller is operable, in response to the control commands from the Z-wave transceiver and to the load current detection signal from the current sensing elements, to switch, through a control driver circuit, the control states of the conductive control system from the first control state to the second control state, or from the second control state to the first control state; and

a power supply, having an AC input side and a DC output side, wherein the AC input side is electrically connected between the line terminal and the neutral terminal, and wherein the DC output side is electrically connected to the switch controller and the Z-wave transceiver, and wherein the power supply converts and AC input from the AC input side to a DC output on the DC output side, and wherein the DC output side of the power supply is operable to supply the DC output to power the switch controller and the Z-wave transceiver.

2. The smart switch according to claim 1, wherein the conductive control system comprises the semiconductor switching circuit comprising two semiconductor control elements, each having two semiconductor states consisting of a conductive state and a non-conductive state, the conductive control elements comprising a first semiconductor control element, having as the semiconductor states a first conductive state and a first non-conductive state, wherein the first semiconductor control element is electrically connected between the line terminal and the load terminal, and further comprising a second semiconductor control element, having as the semiconductor states a second conductive state and a second non-conductive state, wherein the second semiconductor control element is electrically connected between the line terminal and the traveler terminal, and wherein the semiconductor switching circuit is switchable between the two control states, and wherein in the first control state, the first semiconductor control element is in the first conductive state and the second semiconductor control element is in the second non-conductive state, and wherein in the second control state, the first semiconductor control element is in the first non-conductive state and the second semiconductor control element is in the second conductive state, and wherein the switch controller is operable to switch the first semiconductor control element from the first non-conductive state to the first conductive state, so that a first line current flows from the line terminal to the load terminal, or from the first conductive state to the first non-conductive state, so that no current flows from the line terminal to the load terminal, and wherein the switch controller is operable to switch the second semiconductor control element from the second non-conductive state to the second conductive state, so that a second line current flows from the line terminal to the traveler terminal, or from the second conductive state to the second non-conductive state, so that no current flows from the line terminal to the traveler terminal.

3. The smart switch according to claim 1, further comprising a dimmer circuit, comprising a zero-crossing detector and a MOSFET, wherein the zero-crossing detector is electrically connected between the line terminal and the relay switching circuit and is operable to detect zero-crossings of an AC waveform from the AC power source and to simultaneously transmit zero-crossing signals to the switch controller, and wherein the switch controller, in response to the control commands from the Z-wave transceiver and the zero-crossing signals from the zero-crossing detector, transmits, through a MOSFET driver circuit, phase control signals to the MOSFET, which is electrically connected between the zero-crossing detector and the relay switching circuit, and wherein the phase control signals cause the MOSFET to conduct AC power from the line terminal to the relay switching circuit only during specified phase intervals, relative to the zero-crossings of the AC waveform, thereby enabling a controlled dimming of lighting comprising the electrical load.

4. The smart switch switch according to claim 2, further comprising a zero-crossing detector, which is electrically connected between the line terminal and the semiconductor switching circuit and in operable to detect zero-crossings of an AC waveform from the AC power source and to simultaneously transmit zero-crossing signals to the switch controller, wherein the switch controller is operable, in response to the RF control commands and the zero-crossing signals, to cause one of the semiconductor control elements which is in the conductive state to switch to the non-conductive state during a portion of an AC cycle, thereby producing a diminished AC current flowing to the load terminal or the traveler terminal, and thereby enabling a controlled dimming of lighting comprising the electrical load.

5. The smart switch according to either one of claim 1 or 3, wherein the Z-wave transceiver and the switch controller are combined within a single Z-wave module.

6. The smart switch according to claim 5, wherein the load terminal is adapted to be connected to the first remote terminal of the remote switch through one or more four-way intermediate switches, and wherein the traveler terminal is adapted to be connected to the second remote terminal of the remote switch through the one or more four-way intermediate switches.