Load control device having a compact antenna

• US 20060273970A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Altonen, Gregory, Mosebrook, Donald, Bollinger, Robert Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,592,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 343/718
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna

Abstract

A compact antenna for use in a load control device for controlling the power delivered to an electric load and operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency is presented. The antenna comprises a first main radiating loop of conductive material having an inductance and a capacitor forming a circuit being resonant at the specified frequency, and a second feed loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit. The second feed loop is substantially only magnetically coupled to the first main radiating loop. The antenna is disposed in an actuator button, which is provided in an opening of a traditional-style faceplate. The antenna extends beyond the faceplate of the load control device.

Claims

1. An antenna operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency, the antenna comprising:

a first loop of conductive material having an inductance, and a capacitor, the capacitor and the inductance forming a circuit resonant at the specified frequency; and

a second loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, the second loop being substantially only magnetically coupled to the first loop and electrically insulated from the first loop;

the antenna for use with an electrical control device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load, the first loop of conductive material is adapted to extend beyond a faceplate of the device.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first loop is formed on a first side of a printed circuit board, and wherein the printed circuit board is adapted to be disposed in a plane perpendicular to a mounting yoke of the electrical control device, the yoke adapted to mount the electrical control device in an electrical wallbox.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the second loop is formed on a second side of the printed circuit board.

4. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first and second loops each have a loop axis, and the loop axis of the first loop is adapted to be substantially parallel to the plane in which the yoke is disposed.

5. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the first loop of conductive material is adapted to be enclosed by a button of the electrical control device.

6. An antenna for an electrical load control device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load, the antenna operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency, the antenna comprising:

a printed circuit board having first and second sides;

a first loop of conductive material having an inductance, and a capacitor, the capacitor and the inductance forming a circuit resonant at the specified frequency, the first loop formed on the first side of the printed circuit board; and

a second loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, the second loop formed on a side of the printed circuit board and substantially only magnetically coupled to the first loop;

wherein the first loop extends beyond a faceplate of the electrical control device.

7. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the second loop is only magnetically coupled to the first loop and electrically insulated from the first loop.

8. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the first loop is provided on both sides of the printed circuit board and electrically coupled to the second loop.

9. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the first loop is enclosed by a button of the electrical control device.

10. The antenna of claim 6, wherein the first and second printed circuit board sides are disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the faceplate.

11. A load control device for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load, the load control device comprising:

a controllably conductive device for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load, the controllably conductive device having a control input;

a controller coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for control of the controllably conductive device;

an actuator button for providing an input to the controller;

a faceplate having an opening, the actuator button provided in the opening;

a transmitter and/or a receiver in communication with the controller; and

an antenna coupled to the transmitter and/or receiver;

the antenna adapted to receive a first signal at a specified frequency from a remote control device and/or transmit a second signal at a specified frequency to a remote control device, the receiver operable to couple the first signal from the antenna to the controller for remotely controlling the controllably conductive device, and/or the transmitter operable to couple the second signal from the controller to the antenna for providing a status of the electrical load, the antenna extending through the opening of the faceplate beyond the front surface of the faceplate.

12. The load control device of claim 11, wherein the antenna comprises:

a first loop of conductive material having an inductance, and a capacitor, the capacitor and the inductance forming a circuit being resonant at the specified frequency; and

a second loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit, the second loop being substantially only magnetically coupled to the first loop and electrically insulated from the first loop;

wherein the first loop extends beyond the faceplate of the load control device.