System for control of lights and motors
First Claim
1. A system for communicating between a first control circuit portion and a remote second control circuit portion over an electrical power wiring of a building, the first control circuit portion having a user actuable control for remotely controlling an electrical load controlled by the second control circuit portion, the system comprising:
- a transmitter in the first circuit portion for transmitting control information over the power wiring to the second circuit portion;
a receiver in the second circuit portion for receiving the control information transmitted over the power wiring by the first circuit portion for controlling the load; and
further whereinthe first and second circuit portions each include a current responsive element coupled to the building power wiring for establishing a current signal loop in the building power wiring between the first and second control circuit portions for the exchange of the control information, and further wherein the electrical load comprises an electric motor.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for independent control of electric motors and electric lights includes a plurality of two-wire wallstations coupled in series via power wires between an alternating-current (AC) source and a light/motor control unit. The light/motor control unit is preferably located in the same enclosure as an electric motor and an electric light and has two outputs for independent control of the motor and the light. The light/motor control unit and the wallstations each include a controller and a communication circuit that is coupled to the power wiring via a communication transformer and communicate with each other using a loop current carrier technique. The light/motor control unit and the wallstations utilize pseudo random orthogonal codes and a median filter in the communication process.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. A system for communicating between a first control circuit portion and a remote second control circuit portion over an electrical power wiring of a building, the first control circuit portion having a user actuable control for remotely controlling an electrical load controlled by the second control circuit portion, the system comprising:
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a transmitter in the first circuit portion for transmitting control information over the power wiring to the second circuit portion; a receiver in the second circuit portion for receiving the control information transmitted over the power wiring by the first circuit portion for controlling the load; and
further whereinthe first and second circuit portions each include a current responsive element coupled to the building power wiring for establishing a current signal loop in the building power wiring between the first and second control circuit portions for the exchange of the control information, and further wherein the electrical load comprises an electric motor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for communicating between a first control circuit portion having a first current responsive element and a remote second control circuit portion having a second current responsive element over electrical power wiring of a building to control the operation of an electrical load including an electric motor, the first control circuit portion having a user actuable control for remotely controlling the electric motor controlled by the second control circuit portion, the method comprising the steps of:
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coupling the first current responsive element to the electrical power wiring; coupling the second current responsive element to the electrical power wiring; establishing a current signal loop in the electrical power wiring between the first and second current responsive elements; transmitting control information over the electrical power wiring from the first control circuit portion to the second control circuit portion; and receiving the control information at the second circuit portion for controlling the motor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A load control system for controlling the power delivered to an electrical load from an AC voltage source, the system comprising:
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a load control device coupled to the electrical load for control of the load, the load control device comprising a first current responsive element operatively coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a first communication circuit coupled to the first current responsive element for receiving message signals; and a two-wire remote control device comprising a second current responsive element operatively coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the electrical load and a second communication circuit coupled to the second current responsive element for transmitting the message signals, the second current responsive element in series electrical connection with the first current responsive element; and wherein the first current responsive element and the second current responsive element are operable to conduct a communication loop current the first communication circuit operable to transmit and the second communication circuit operable to receive the message signals via the communication loop current. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39)
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27. The system of claim 27, wherein the plurality of electrical loads comprises an electric motor and an electric light.
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37. A two-wire load control system for control of the power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads from an AC voltage source, the plurality of loads and the AC voltage source coupled together at a common neutral connection, the system comprising:
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a load control device coupled to the plurality of loads and operable to individually control each of the plurality of loads;
the load control device comprising a first current responsive element coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the plurality of loads and a first communication circuit coupled to the first current responsive element for receipt of a message signal for controlling the plurality of loads;a two-wire remote control device comprising a second current responsive element coupled in series electrical connection between the AC source and the plurality of loads and a second communication circuit coupled to the second current responsive element for transmission of the message signal for controlling the plurality of loads; a capacitor coupled in shunt electrical connection with the plurality of loads; wherein the capacitor, the AC source, the first current responsive element, and the second current responsive element are operable to conduct a communication loop current, the second communication circuit operable to transmit communication signals to the first communication circuit via the communication loop current.
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38. A method for communicating a digital message from a two-wire remote control device to a load control device for independently controlling the power delivered to a plurality of loads from an AC voltage source, the method comprising the steps of:
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coupling the two-wire remote control device in series electrical connection between the AC source and the load control device; coupling a capacitor in shunt electrical connection across the plurality of loads; conducting a communication loop current through the AC source, the two-wire remote control device, the load control device, and the capacitor, the loop current having; and transmitting the digital message from the two-wire remote control device to the load control device via the current loop.
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40. A method for assigning a system address to a first control device in a load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC voltage source, the method comprising the steps of:
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coupling the first control device in series electrical connection between the electrical load and the AC voltage source via a power wiring, such that a load current is operable to flow on the power wiring from the AC voltage source to the electrical load through the first control device; coupling a second control device in series electrical connection between the electrical load and the AC voltage source via a power wiring, the second load control device in series with the first control device such that a load current is operable to flow on the power wiring from the AC voltage source to the electrical load through the second control device; applying power to the first and second control devices; subsequently transmitting an address initiation request via the power wiring; and receiving the system address via the power wiring. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. A method of communicating a message signal from a first control device to a second control device, the message signal comprising a sequence of samples, the method comprising the steps of:
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transmitting the message signal from the first control device; receiving the message signal at the second control device; examining a set of N sequential samples of the received message signal; determining the median of the N sequential samples; providing the median as an output sample; and repeating the steps of examining a set of N sequential samples, determining the median, and providing the median. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. A method of filtering a received message signal comprising a sequence of samples, the method comprising the steps of:
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examining a set of N sequential samples of the received message signal; determining the median of the N sequential samples; providing the median as an output sample; and repeating the steps of examining a set of N sequential samples, determining the median, and providing the median. - View Dependent Claims (50)
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Specification