Automated system for lighting control

• US 10,455,663 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Powercast Corporation
• Original Assignee: Powercast Corporation
• Inventors: Greene, Charles E., Harrist, Daniel W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Seokjin
• Application Number:
  US14/521,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20150108901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 by timing means
• 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

In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a signal indicating that a timeout timer associated with a space has crossed a threshold. If a motion sensor is disposed within the space, the method includes sending a signal to a wireless controller operatively coupled to a light source such that the wireless controller reverts to a default state. If (1) a motion sensor is not disposed within the space and (2) a light sensor is disposed within the space, the method includes sending a signal to the wireless controller such that the wireless controller is controlled by the light sensor.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a network gateway device configured to be wirelessly coupled to (1) a wireless switch, (2) a light sensor at least a portion of which is disposed in a space, and (3) one or more wireless controllers that are separate and remote from the wireless switch, each wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers coupled to a light source that is configured to provide a lux level to the space, the network gateway device configured to send a signal to the one or more wireless controllers via a first channel and a second channel,

the network gateway device configured to receive, from the light sensor, an indication of an ambient light level of the space,

the network gateway device configured to receive, from the wireless switch, a signal indicative of a request for the light source to be turned on,

the network gateway device configured to send to the wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers, in response to receiving the indication of the ambient light level and the signal indicative of a request for the light source to be turned on, a signal configured to cause the wireless controller to cause the light source to increase in brightness an amount based on the ambient light of the space in response to receiving the signal configured to cause the wireless controller to cause the light source to increase in brightness,

the network gateway device configured to send an instruction to the wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers to cause the wireless controller to transition between a non-repeater mode and a repeater mode, the wireless controller configured in the repeater mode to retransmit a packet received from at least one of the wireless switch, the light sensor, or a remaining wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers to the network gateway device on at least one of the first channel or the second channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the network gateway device is configured to receive a signal indicating that a timeout timer has crossed a threshold time duration and is configured to determine if a motion sensor is disposed within the space,

when the motion sensor is determined to be disposed within the space, the network gateway device is configured to send a signal to the one or more wireless controllers such that the one or more wireless controllers reverts to a default state.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the default state is ON.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the packet is a first packet,

the network gateway device is configured to receive a second packet including an identification of a motion sensor disposed within the space, and

the network gateway device is configured to associate the motion sensor with the one or more wireless controllers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the network gateway device is configured to send a signal to a wireless controller of the one or more wireless controllers such that a brightness level of the light source changes to maintain the lux level of the space within a predetermined range.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the predetermined range is between 350 lux and 450 lux.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the network gateway device includes:

(1) a first antenna and a first radio configured to operate on the first channel; and

(2) a second antenna and a second radio configured to operate on the second channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the wireless switch is a first wireless switch and the light sensor is a first light sensor,

the network gateway device configured to send a first association data to the one or more wireless controllers at a first time such that the one or more wireless controllers can receive data from at least one of the first light sensor or the first wireless switch, and

the network gateway device is configured to send, at a second time different from the first time, a second association data to the one or more wireless controllers such that the one or more wireless controllers can receive data from at least one of a second light sensor or a second wireless switch.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the network gateway device is configured to transmit association data to the wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers such that the association data is stored in a memory of the wireless controller and the wireless controller can receive and act upon an instruction received from at least one of the wireless switch, the light sensor, or the remaining wireless controllers from the one or more wireless controllers, the at least one of the wireless switch, the light sensor, or the remaining wireless controllers being devices associated with the association data, and

the wireless controller configured in the non-repeater mode to ignore any received packets except packets received from the network gateway device or from the devices associated with the association data stored in a memory of the wireless controller.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

a wireless controller configured to be line-powered and to be operatively coupled to a light source that is configured to selectively provide a lux level to a space, the wireless controller configured to be separate and remote from and wirelessly coupled to (1) a network gateway device that is wirelessly coupled to a first light sensor and (2) a first wireless switch that is configured to be battery-powered,

the wireless controller configured to receive at a first time a first association data from the network gateway device and to store the first association data in a memory of the wireless controller such that the wireless controller can receive data from at least one of the first light sensor or the first wireless switch,

the wireless controller configured to receive, from the network gateway device in response to the network gateway device receiving a request to turn on from the first wireless switch, a first instruction to increase a brightness of the light source an amount based on a data from the first light sensor indicative of the lux level of the space,

the wireless controller configured to send a signal to the light source such that the brightness of the light source is increased,

the wireless controller configured to receive, at a second time different from the first time, a second association data from the network gateway device and to store the second association data in the memory of the wireless controller such that the wireless controller can receive data from at least one of a second light sensor or a second wireless switch,

the wireless controller configured to receive a second instruction to transition between a non-repeater mode and a repeater mode from the network gateway device such that the wireless controller transitions between the non-repeater mode and the repeater mode in response to receiving the second instruction, the wireless controller configured in the repeater mode to retransmit a packet received from at least one of the first wireless switch the first light sensor, the second wireless switch, or the second light sensor to the network gateway device.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless controller is configured in the repeater mode to wirelessly couple the first light sensor to the network gateway device by repeating all packets received from the first light sensor to the network gateway device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the wireless controller is configured to receive an indication of a lost connection with the network gateway device;

the wireless controller is configured to, in response to the lost connection, default to an ON state.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the wireless controller is configured to receive, from the network gateway device, a signal to revert to a default state in response to the network gateway device receiving (1) a signal indicating that a timeout timer crossed a threshold time duration and (2) an indication from a motion sensor that the space in unoccupied.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless controller is configured to receive the first association data on a first channel and the second association data on a second channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first association data can be deleted from the wireless controller such that a communication link between the wireless controller and the at least one of the first light sensor or the first wireless switch is disabled.

21. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein:

the at least one of the first light sensor or the first wireless switch are devices associated with the first association data,

the at least one of the second light sensor or the second wireless switch are devices associated with the second association data, and

the wireless controller is configured in the non-repeater mode to ignore all received packets except for received packets from the network gateway device or from the devices associated with the first association data or the second association data stored in the memory of the wireless controller.

22. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the wireless controller is configured in the repeater mode to determine if the received packet has previously been retransmitted and to retransmit the received packet only if the received packet is determined not to have been previously retransmitted.

15. A system, comprising:

a network gateway device;

a transmit-only wireless switch;

a light sensor at least a portion of which is disposed in a space; and

one or more wireless controllers separate and remote from the wireless switch, the network gateway device configured to be wirelessly coupled to (1) the wireless switch, (2) the light sensor, and (3) the one or more wireless controllers, a wireless controller of the one or more wireless controllers configured to be coupled to a light source that is configured to provide a lux level to the space, the network gateway device configured to send signals to the one or more wireless controllers via a first channel and a second channel,

the network gateway device configured to receive, from the light sensor, an indication of an ambient light level of the space,

the network gateway device configured to receive, from the wireless switch, a signal indicative of a request for the light source to be turned on,

the network gateway device configured to send to the wireless controller, in response to receiving the indication of the ambient light level and the signal indicative of a request for the light source to be turned on, a signal configured to cause the wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers to cause the light source to increase in brightness an amount based on the ambient light of the space in response to receiving the signal configured to cause the wireless controller to cause the light source to increase in brightness,

the wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers configured to transition between a non-repeater mode and a repeater mode, the wireless controller configured in the repeater mode to retransmit a packet received from at least one of the wireless switch, the light sensor, or a remaining wireless controller from the one or more wireless controllers to the network gateway device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless switch is configured to sequentially transmit signals to the network gateway device on two or more channels using a single radio.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the network gateway device includes:

(1) a first antenna and a first radio configured to operate on the first channel; and

(2) a second antenna and a second radio configured to operate on the second channel.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the wireless switch is a first wireless switch and the light sensor is a first light sensor,

the network gateway device is configured to send a first association data to the one or more wireless controllers at a first time such that the one or more wireless controllers can receive data from at least one of the first light sensor or the first wireless switch, and

the network gateway device is configured to send, at a second time different from the first time, a second association data to the one or more wireless controllers such that the one or more wireless controllers can receive data from at least one of a second light sensor or a second wireless switch.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein each of the one or more wireless controllers is configured to receive the first association data on the first channel and the second association data on the second channel.