User interface for a control device

• US 10,524,333 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Inventors: Bard, Benjamin F., Dimberg, Chris, Harte, Matthew V., Killo, Jason C., McDonald, Matthew Philip, Twaddell, Daniel L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US15/613,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20170354012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2614 HVAC, heating, ventillation, climate control
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/08 Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/105 comprising arrangements for illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/025 Light-emitting indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/14 Operating parts, e.g. turn knob
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 19/54 the operating part having at least five or an unspecified number of operative positions
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 23/14 Tumblers
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/03 Application domotique, e.g. for house automation, bus connected switches, sensors, loads or intelligent wiring
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/962 Capacitive touch switches
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/20 Controlling the colour of the light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/24 using electrical feedback from LEDs or from LED modules
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• 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 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

A battery-powered control device may be configured to control an amount of power delivered to one or more electrical loads and provide various feedback associated with the control device and/or the electrical loads. The feedback may indicate a low battery condition and/or the amount of power delivered to the one or more electrical loads. The control device may include a light bar and/or one or more indicator lights for providing the feedback. The control device may operate in different modes including a normal mode and a low battery mode.

Claims

1. A battery-powered control device for controlling an electrical load in a load control system, the control device comprising:

a base portion configured to be mounted over an actuator of a mechanical switch that controls power delivered to the electrical load;

a control unit configured to control an amount of power delivered to the electrical load;

a battery compartment configured to store a battery for powering the control unit;

a control unit removal device operable to release the control unit from the base portion to provide access to the battery compartment; and

a low battery indicator configured to be illuminated by one or more light sources to indicate a low battery condition and a location of the control unit removal device;

wherein the control unit is further configured to detect the low battery condition and control the one or more light sources to illuminate the low battery indicator in response to detecting the low battery condition.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit removal device comprises a release tab configured to provide access to the battery compartment when the release tab is pulled or pushed.

3. The control device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to detect the low battery condition and control the one or more light sources to illuminate the low battery indicator in further response to determining that the control device has been activated.

4. The control device of claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to determine that the control device has been activated based on detection of a user within close proximity of the control device.

5. The control device of claim 4, further comprising a capacitive touch element configured to detect that a user of the control device is within close proximity of the control device.

6. The control device of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources comprise a source of colored light, and the control unit is configured to control the colored light to illuminate the low battery indicator in response to detecting the low battery condition.

7. The control device of claim 1, wherein the low battery indicator is located on the control unit removal device.

8. The control device of claim 1, further comprising a light bar, wherein the control unit is further configured to illuminate the light bar to indicate the amount of power delivered to the electrical load when the low battery indicator is not detected.

9. The control device of claim 8, wherein the light bar is configured to be illuminated by the one or more light sources and the low battery indicator is provided on the light bar.

10. The control device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to illuminate the one or more light sources to display an animation on the light bar, the animation indicating the low battery condition and the location of the control unit removal device.

11. A battery-powered control device for controlling an electrical load in a load control system, the control device comprising:

a base portion configured to be mounted over an actuator of a mechanical switch that controls power delivered to the electrical load;

a battery compartment configured to store a battery for powering the control device;

one or more light sources configured to be illuminated to indicate an amount of power delivered to the electrical load;

a low battery indicator configured to be illuminated to indicate a first low battery condition; and

a control circuit configured to generate control data for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load, the control circuit further configured to operate in a normal mode and a low battery mode;

wherein, during the normal mode, the control circuit is configured to illuminate the one or more light sources to indicate the amount of power delivered to the electrical load; and

wherein, during the low battery mode, the control circuit is configured to stop indicating the amount of power delivered to the electrical load via the one or more light sources, and illuminate the low battery indicator to indicate the low battery condition.

12. The control device of claim 11, wherein, during the low battery mode, the control circuit is configured to illuminate the low battery indicator in response to determining that the control device has been actuated.

13. The control device of claim 12, further comprising a rotating portion for adjusting the amount of power delivered to the electrical load, wherein, during the low battery mode, the control circuit is configured to illuminate the low battery indicator in response to a rotational movement of the rotating portion.

14. The control device of claim 13, wherein the low battery indicator comprises a source of colored light, and the control circuit is configured to cause the colored light to be illuminated during the low battery mode.

15. The control device of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is comprised in a control unit configured to be mounted over the base portion, and wherein the control device further comprises a control unit removal device operable to release the control unit from the base portion to provide access to the battery compartment.

16. The control device of claim 15, wherein the low battery indicator is provided on the control unit removal device.

17. The control device of claim 11, further comprising a wireless communication circuit, wherein, during the low battery mode, the control circuit is configured to cause the wireless communication circuit to transmit the control data to the electrical load when remaining power of the battery is above a threshold level, and stop causing the wireless communication circuit to transmit the control data to the electrical load when remaining power of the battery is below the threshold level.

18. A battery-powered control device for controlling an electrical load in a load control system, the control device comprising:

a base portion configured to be mounted over an actuator of a mechanical switch that controls power delivered to the electrical load;

a battery compartment configured to store a battery for powering the control device;

a low battery indicator configured to be illuminated to indicate a low battery condition; and

a control unit configured to be mounted over the base portion and control an amount of power delivered to the electrical load, the control unit operable to determine whether a user of the control device is within close proximity of the control device and detect the low battery condition, wherein the control unit is further configured to, after determining that a user of the control device is within close proximity of the control device, illuminate the low battery indicator in response to detecting the low battery condition.

19. The control device of claim 18, further comprising a capacitive touch element configured to detect that a user of the control device is within close proximity of the control device.

20. The control device of claim 18, further comprising a control unit removal device configured to release the control unit from the base portion to provide access to the battery compartment.

21. The control device of claim 20, wherein the low battery indicator is further configured to indicate a location of the control unit removal device.

22. The control device of claim 21, wherein the low battery indicator is provided on the control unit removal device.

23. The control device of claim 20, further comprising a light bar configured to be illuminated by a plurality of light sources, wherein the control unit is configured to, after determining that a user of the control device is within close proximity of the control device and in response to detecting the low battery condition, illuminate the light bar to provide the low battery indicator on the light bar, the control unit further configured to, after determining that a user of the control device is within close proximity of the control device and that the low battery condition has not occurred, illuminate the light bar to indicate the amount of power delivered to the electrical load.

24. The control device of claim 23, wherein the control unit is configured to provide the low battery indicator on the light bar by illuminating the light bar to display an animation, the animation indicating the low battery condition and a location of the control unit removal device.