PROCEDURE FOR ADDRESSING REMOTELY-LOCATED RADIO FREQUENCY COMPONENTS OF A CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20080068126A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Courtney, Brian Michael, Mierta, Justin, Raneri, Daniel Curtis, Johnson, Benjamin A., Carmen, Lawrence R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,755,505 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/3.5
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of assigning a unique device address to a remotely-located control device in a wireless lighting control system having a plurality of control devices. Each of the control devices is operable to couple to a source of power and to be assigned a unique device address. The method first comprises cycling power to the remotely-located control devices, i.e., interrupting and restoring power to the control devices. The control device transmits wirelessly a signal uniquely identifying the control device within a predetermined amount of time after the cycling of power. A list of unaddressed control devices that have recently been power cycled is generated. Each of the control devices on the list is then assigned and transmitted a unique device address.

Claims

1. A method for assigning a unique device address to an unaddressed remotely-located control device in a control system, the control device operable to be coupled to a source of power, the method comprising the steps of:

applying power to the control device;

the control device transmitting a signal uniquely identifying the control device within a predetermined amount of time after the step of applying power; and

the control device subsequently receiving the unique device address.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting a signal uniquely identifying the control device comprises:

transmitting a serial number of the control device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the unique device address to the control device by using the serial number.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting a signal uniquely identifying the control device further comprises:

the control device receiving a query message;

the control device transmitting an acknowledgement message in response to the query message, the acknowledgement message transmitted in a random transmission slot and containing a random data byte;

identifying the control device by the random transmission slot and the random data byte; and

requesting the serial number of the control device prior to the step of transmitting a serial number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the control device is operable to communicate on a plurality of channels, the method further comprising the step of:

establishing communication with the control device on a predetermined one of the plurality of channels.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of establishing communication with the control device further comprises the steps of:

transmitting a beacon signal on the predetermined channel;

the control device listening for the beacon signal for a predetermined amount of time on each of the plurality of channels;

the control device receiving the beacon signal on the predetermined channel; and

the control device communicating on the predetermined channel.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of transmitting a beacon signal further comprises transmitting a beacon message repeatedly on the predetermined channel

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

starting a timer immediately after the step of applying power;

wherein the timer is set to time out after the predetermined amount of time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

entering a first predetermined state immediately after the step of applying power; and

exiting the first predetermined state when the timer times out after the predetermined amount of time;

wherein the control device is operable to complete the step of transmitting a signal uniquely identifying the control device while the control device is in the first predetermined state.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a wireless control system, and the step of transmitting a signal uniquely identifying the control device further comprises the control device transmitting wirelessly a signal uniquely identifying the control device within the predetermined amount of time after the step of applying power.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the control device comprises a load control device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of cycling power causes the first remote control device to be placed in a first predetermined state.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of identifying comprises:

determining a unique identifier of the remote control device and compiling a list at the first device including the unique identifier.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the second device automatically provides an address to the first remote control device in the first predetermined state.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of identifying further comprises:

the second device transmitting a polling signal to the first remote control device;

the first remote control device transmitting an acknowledgment signal to the second device;

the second device transmitting a unique identifier signal to the first remote control device to obtain the unique identifier of the remote control device; and

the remote control device transmitting the unique identifier to the first device.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

initiating an addressing mode at the second device.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of cycling power from off to on comprises operating a switch or a circuit breaker providing power to the remote control device.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

interrupting power to the subset of the plurality of control devices prior to the step of applying power.

24. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

assigning a unique device address to the first control device after the step of selecting the first control device.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the control system comprises a wireless control system.

12. A method for providing an address to a first remote control device in an RF control system, wherein RF control signals are sent from a second device to the first remote control device, the RF control signals including the address to enable the first remote control device to respond to the RF control signals, the method comprising the steps of:

cycling power from off to on to the first remote control device to designate the first remote control device as requiring the address;

identifying at the second device the remote control device designated as requiring the address; and

providing the address to the first remote control device by sending an RF addressing signal from the second device to the first remote control device to enable the first remote control device to respond to RF control signals sent from the second device that include the address.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of identifying further comprises:

receiving a signal at the second device a signal uniquely identifying the first control device within a predetermined amount of time after the step of cycling power.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of identifying further comprises:

selecting the first remote control device from the list of the unique identifiers of the remote control devices.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

exiting the addressing mode.

22. A method for selecting a first remotely-located control device from a plurality of control devices in a control system, each of the plurality of control devices operable to be coupled to a source of power and having a unique serial number, the method comprising the steps of:

applying power to a subset of the plurality of control devices, the subset containing the first control device;

receiving a signal requesting the serial number at each of the control devices of the subset within a predetermined amount of time after the step of interrupting and restoring power;

transmitting the serial number of at least one of the control devices of the subset;

generating a list of the serial numbers; and

selecting the first control device from the list of serial numbers.