System bridge and timeclock for RF controlled lighting systems

• US 20050248300A1
• Filed: 06/27/2005
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Walko, Robert Francis Jr., Kruse, Glen Andrew, Keagy, Jon Michael, Craze, Jason Douglass
• Application Number:
  US11/167,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248300A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A method for operatively interconnecting a first and second lighting control subnet is disclosed. In the method, a link claim is transmitted to the first and second lighting control subnets from a bridge. The link claim directs the first and second lighting control subnets to wait for a lighting control command, which is transmitted to the lighting control command to the first lighting control subnet. A random wait time is assigned to the first lighting control subnet and a maximum random wait time is assigned to the second lighting control subnet. Finally, an acknowledgement is received from the first lighting control subnet.

Claims

1. A wireless lighting control system, comprising:

a first lighting control subnet operatively connected to a first lighting device;

a second lighting control subnet operatively connected to a second lighting device wherein the first and second lighting control subnets operate on the same Radio Frequency (RF); and

a bridge in wireless and operative communications with the first and second lighting control subnets and the first and second lighting devices, wherein said bridge transmits a control signal to the first and second lighting control subnets to cause the first and second lighting control subnets to wait for a lighting control command.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control signal is a link claim.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said bridge transmits the control signal in response to detecting an RF signal.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said bridge further waits for a backoff time and transmits a command to the first lighting control subnet with respect to the first lighting device.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the RF signal comprises a lighting scene identifier associated with a lighting scene stored in the bridge.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the RF signal comprises a lighting command associated with a lighting scene, and wherein the bridge determines the lighting scene associated with the lighting command.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the detected RF signal is transmitted by the first lighting control subnet in response to a button press on a master control in said first lighting control subnet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said first lighting control subnet comprises a master control.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said master control comprises an indicator, wherein said indicator displays a status of the first lighting device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said first lighting control subnet comprises a lighting control device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the lighting control device is a dimmer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge is operatively connected to an external device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the bridge is operatively connected to the external device by way of an RS-232 connection.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the bridge receives time information from the external device and transmits the control signal in response to received time information.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the bridge transmits the control signal in response to an alarm received from the external device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge receives time information and determines when a sunrise and sunset time will occur based on a location of the bridge, and transmits the control signal relative to the sunrise and sunset times.

8. The system of claim 8, wherein said bridge further comprises a display, wherein said display indicates a status of the first and second lighting devices.

18. A method, comprising:

transmitting a control signal to a first and second lighting control subnet that are operating at the same RF, wherein the control signal directs the first and second lighting control subnets to wait to receive a lighting control command.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the lighting control command to the first lighting control subnet.

20. The method of claim, 19 further comprising assigning a first wait time to the first lighting control subnet and a second wait time to the second lighting control subnet.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmitting step is in response to a button press on a lighting control bridge.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein said transmitting step is in response to detecting an RF signal transmitted by a master control of the first lighting control subnet.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the RF signal comprises a lighting scene identifier associated with a phantom button stored on the bridge.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the RF signal comprises a second lighting control command associated with a lighting scene.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the RF signal is transmitted by the master control in response to a button press.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising determining a phantom button associated with the lighting scene according to the lighting control command.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising displaying, on the bridge, a status of each subnet according to the acknowledgement.

28. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving time information;

determining, based on stored information and the received time information, a sunset and sunrise time; and

transmitting the control signal according to said determination.

29. The system of claim 18, further comprising receiving time information and transmitting the control signal in response to the time information.

30. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving an alarm signal; and

transmitting the control signal according to the alarm signal.

31. A bridge, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting messages to a first and second lighting control subnet, wherein the first and second subnets operate on a predetermined RF; and

a receiver for receiving messages from the first and second subnets on the predetermined RF.

32. The bridge of claim 31, further comprising:

a display device for presenting information to a user;

a memory for storing information;

an Input/Output device for receiving or sending information; and

a processor, wherein said processor is operatively connected to said memory, transmitter, receiver, display device and Input/Output device, and wherein said processor transmits a control signal to the first and second subnets to direct the first and second lighting control subnets to wait for a lighting command.

33. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the processor further transmits a first command and random wait time to the first subnet, and a maximum random wait time to the second subnet by way of said transmitter.

34. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the processor further receives an acknowledgement from the first subnet by way of said receiver.

35. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the control signal is a link claim.

36. The bridge of claim 35, wherein the processor transmits the link claim in response to receiving a signal from a master control in the first subnet by way of the receiver.

37. The bridge of claim 35, wherein the processor further transmits a second link claim to the first and second subnets, a third link claim to the first subnet, a second command and second random wait time to the second subnet, and a second maximum random wait time to the first subnet by way of the transmitter, and receives a second acknowledgement from the second subnet by way of the receiver.

38. The bridge of claim 35, wherein the Input/Output is adapted to receive an alarm signal and the processor is adapted to send the link claim in response to the alarm signal.

39. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the display device presents status information regarding the first and second subnet.

40. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the display device is a LCD screen.

41. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the display device is a LED display.

42. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the RF is one of:

390 MHz, 418 MHz or 434 MHz.

43. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the Input/Output is a RS-232 connection.

44. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the processor further transmits, by way of the transmitter, a command to the first subnet on the predetermined RF.

45. The bridge of claim 32, wherein the first subnet comprises a first master control and a first lighting control device, and the second subnet comprises a second master control and a second lighting control device.