Load control system and method

• US 20050264242A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 12/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Colorado vNet, LLC
• Inventors: Hesse, Scott, Nicolay, William, Adamson, Hugh P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,417,384 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/312
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]

Abstract

A load control systems and methods. One embodiment of a load control system comprises at least two triac devices connected in parallel to a load, the at least two triac devices operable to deliver current to the load. At least one driver circuit is linked to the at least two triac devices. A controller is linked to the at least one driver circuit, the controller signaling the at least one driver circuit to actuate the at least two triac devices at about the same time.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A system for controlling at least one load with a plurality of triac devices, comprising:

means for logically connecting the plurality of triac devices in parallel; and

means for actuating the plurality of semiconductor switching devices connected in parallel at about the same time to balance the total current delivered to the at least one load substantially equally through each of the plurality of triac devices connected in parallel.

22. A method for controlling at least one load, comprising:

reconfigurably connecting at least one triac device in parallel with at least one other triac device for providing current to the at least one load; and

actuating each of said plurality of triac devices connected in parallel at about the same time to balance the total current delivered to the at least one load substantially the same portions through each of said plurality of triac devices connected in parallel.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein reconfigurably connecting at least one triac device in parallel with at least one other triac device at least logically connects the triac devices in parallel.

25. The load control system of claim 22, further comprising logically connecting a backup triac only if one of the parallel-connected triac devices fails.

26. The load control system of claim 22, further comprising logically rewiring another triac device in parallel with the at least one other triac device if a triac device is failing.

27. The load control system of claim 22, further comprising automatically identifying a physical operating arrangement to a controller.

28. The load control system of claim 22, further comprising manually identifying the parallel-connected triac devices to a controller.

24. (canceled)

29. A load control system, comprising:

at least two of a plurality of triac devices electrically coupled to a single load;

a separate driver circuit electrically coupled to each of the at least two triac devices; and

a controller linked to each of the separate driver circuits, the controller signaling each of the separate driver circuits to logically connect the at least two triac devices in parallel to the load at about the same time only during operation to power the load.

30. The load control system of claim 29, wherein one of the plurality of triac devices electrically coupled to the single load is a backup triac.

31. The load control system of claim 30, wherein the controller only logically connects the backup triac if one of the at least two triac devices is inoperable.

32. The load control system of claim 29, further comprising a sensor circuit operatively associated with the plurality of triac devices, the sensor circuit automatically determining a physical operating arrangement of the plurality of triac devices.

33. The load control system of claim 32, wherein the physical operating arrangement of the plurality of triac devices indicates to the controller which of the plurality of triac devices are electrically coupled to the single load.

34. The load control system of claim 32, further comprising program code operatively associated with the controller, the program code defining logical connections for the at least two triac devices based on the physical operating arrangement of the plurality of triac devices.

35. The load control system of claim 34, wherein the controller generates an alert if the operating arrangement defined in the program code is different from the physical operating arrangement.

36. The load control system of claim 34, wherein the program code causes the controller to signal the separate driver circuits to actuate each of the at least two triac devices.

37. The load control system of claim 29, further comprising a status system operatively associated with the controller, the status system indicating a state of the load control system to the controller.

38. The load control system of claim 37, wherein the status system further comprises at least one temperature sensor operatively associated with the plurality of triac devices to detect a current imbalance through the parallel-connected triacs.

39. The load control system of claim 37, wherein the controller shuts at least a portion of the load control system is at least one of the triac devices exceeds a predetermined threshold.

40. The load control system of claim 37, wherein the status system further comprises at least one current sensor operatively associated with the plurality of triac devices.