System for control of devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of remote control of devices, comprising:
- detecting operation of at least one control by a user;
predicting whether the event commanded by said operation of said at least one control will result in a change of state of a display;
updating said display if the predicted state of said display differs from the state of said display before said operation of at least one control;
transmitting a command indicative of said operation of said at least one control;
receiving a response indicative of an event that actually occurred in response to said transmitted command;
determining a correct state of said display; and
updating said display if said correct state of said display differs from the state of said display as updated on the basis of said prediction.
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Abstract
A wireless control system for lighting or the like has a central processor that receives commands from keypads and other control devices, and sends commands to dimmers and other controlled devices. The central processor also receives status reports from the dimmers and sends updates to the keypads, in order to ensure that displays on the keypads are up to date.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of remote control of devices, comprising:
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detecting operation of at least one control by a user;
predicting whether the event commanded by said operation of said at least one control will result in a change of state of a display;
updating said display if the predicted state of said display differs from the state of said display before said operation of at least one control;
transmitting a command indicative of said operation of said at least one control;
receiving a response indicative of an event that actually occurred in response to said transmitted command;
determining a correct state of said display; and
updating said display if said correct state of said display differs from the state of said display as updated on the basis of said prediction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An event initiator that comprises:
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at least one control operable by a user;
a display; and
a transmitter and receiver for sending commands and receiving responses; and
wherein said event initiator is adapted to;
detect operation of at least one control by a user;
predict whether said operation of said at least one control will result in a change of state of said display;
update said display if the predicted state of said display differs from the state of said display before said operation of at least one control;
transmit a command indicative of said operation of said at least one control;
receive a response indicative of an event that actually occurs in response to said transmitted command; and
update said display if a state of said display correct in view of said response differs from the state of said display as updated on the basis of said prediction. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An event initiator for a wireless lighting control system, comprising:
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at least one control operable by a user;
a transmitter for sending commands to another unit within the system in response to operation of said at least one control; and
a memory storing a control model that relates operations of said control to commands sent;
wherein said control model identifies operations of the control that denote valid commands, and associates a transmissible command with each identified operation. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A lighting control system comprising at least event initiators having controls operable by a user and devices controlled by said event initiators, wherein:
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said event initiators and controlled devices comprise parts of a system database;
said database part within each event initiator maps operations of controls by a user to commands transmissible from such event initiator to said controlled devices;
said database part within each controlled device maps commands received from an event initiator to actions of such device; and
said transmissible commands contain less data than is necessary to describe completely the operations of controls or the actions of devices. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An event initiator for a wireless lighting control system that comprises a plurality of sub-nets each operating on a different radio channel, the event initiator comprising:
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a database of said channels; and
a transmitter and receiver capable of operating on any of said channels;
wherein said event initiator is arranged, upon activation, to search through channels in its database for an active sub-net of the system with which it can communicate. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method of assessing the quality of radio communications within a wireless lighting control system, the wireless lighting control system comprising a plurality of wireless transmitter/receivers, comprising the steps of:
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transmitting a signal from one wireless transmitter/receiver within the system;
causing other wireless transmitter/receivers within the system to measure the strength of the signal they receive; and
compiling a record of measured signal strengths. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of selecting an operating channel for a radio frequency system, comprising the steps of:
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tentatively selecting a first channel;
communicating on a second channel while determining whether the tentatively selected channel is suitable for communication;
if the tentatively selected channel is found to be unsuitable, tentatively selecting a different channel, and repeating said steps of communicating, and determining; and
when a tentatively selected channel is found to be suitable, starting to communicate on that channel as the operating channel.
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31. A method of selecting an operating channel for a radio frequency system, comprising the steps of:
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tentatively selecting a first channel;
communicating on said tentatively selected first channel, while determining whether said tentatively selected first channel is suitable for communication;
if said tentatively selected first channel is found to be unsuitable, tentatively selecting a different channel, and repeating said steps of communicating, and determining; and
when a tentatively selected channel is found to be suitable, starting to communicate on that channel as the operating channel.
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32. A method of selecting an operating channel for a radio frequency system, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of devices capable of communicating on a plurality of channels;
tentatively selecting a first channel;
causing the devices to communicate on a second channel;
on the second channel, announcing the tentatively selected channel to the devices;
switching the devices to the announced channel;
by the devices, detecting properties of the tentatively selected channel;
reporting back the results of such detection from the devices on the second channel;
from such results, determining whether the tentatively selected channel is suitable for communication;
if the tentatively selected channel is found to be unsuitable, tentatively selecting a different channel, and repeating said steps of announcing, switching, detecting, reporting, and determining; and
when a tentatively selected channel is found to be suitable, starting to communicate on that channel as the operating channel. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method of assessing the quality of an operating channel for a wireless lighting control system that has a plurality of transmitting and receiving devices, comprising the steps of:
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by the devices, detecting properties of the selected channel including at least one property selected from;
an ambient noise level on the selected channel at the location of each device; and
the presence or absence of a contending system using the same channel within radio range of any device; and
determining from the detected properties whether the channel is suitable for communication. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40)
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41. A method of operating a wireless lighting control system, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at an event initiator a command from a user;
transmitting over a wireless link a message corresponding to the command;
receiving the transmitted message at a plurality of lighting device controllers, each having a lighting device associated therewith; and
altering the state of all lighting devices associated with lighting device controllers adapted to be responsive to the transmitted message, by their respective controllers, within 300 ms after the command is received at the event initiator.
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42. A method of operating a wireless lighting control system, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at an event initiator a command from a user;
transmitting over a wireless link a message corresponding to the command;
receiving the transmitted message at a lighting device controller having a lighting device associated therewith;
altering the state of the lighting device, by the controller;
transmitting, by the controller, a status message including a state of the lighting device controller;
receiving, at the event initiator, the transmitted status message; and
displaying at the event initiator, within 1.5 s after the command is received at the event initiator, an indication of the state of said lighting device controller after said altering step. - View Dependent Claims (43)
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44. A method of operating a wireless lighting control system that comprises a central controller and a plurality of remote devices that are in communication over a wireless link with said central controller and are programmed with an operating system, the method comprising:
uploading one of an operating system or a database to said remote devices by wireless communication. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
Specification