REMOTE CONTROL LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20080303688A1
• Filed: 08/21/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Newman, Robert C. JR.
• Application Number:
  US12/195,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20080303688A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/825.22
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A load control system for remotely controlling the amount of power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads, the system comprising two load control devices operable to receive wireless signals containing control information, each of the load control devices respectively electrically connected to at least one of the electrical loads and responsive to the control information to control the amount of power delivered to the at least one of the electrical loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the load control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable; and a master control unit operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices; wherein the master control unit and the load control devices are pre-configured, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the system, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices and the load control devices are operable to receive the wireless signals from the master control unit and to control the amount of power delivered to the connected electrical loads in response to the control information.

Claims

1. A load control system for remotely controlling the amount of power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads, the system comprising:

two load control devices operable to receive wireless signals containing control information, each of the load control devices respectively electrically connected to at least one of the electrical loads and responsive to the control information to control the amount of power delivered to the at least one of the electrical loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the load control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable; and

a master control unit operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices;

wherein the master control unit and the load control devices are pre-configured, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the system, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices and the load control devices are operable to receive the wireless signals from the master control unit and to control the amount of power delivered to the connected electrical loads in response to the control information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the master control comprises:

a first button for controlling, upon actuation, the amount of power delivered to more than one of the electrical loads.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein all of the electrical loads are turned on upon actuation of the first button of the master control.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the master control comprises:

a second button for turning off all of the electrical loads upon actuation.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the master control comprises:

a third button for toggling one of the electrical loads upon actuation.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the master control comprises:

a second button for controlling, upon actuation, the amount of power delivered to one of the electrical loads.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein one of the electrical loads is toggled upon actuation of the second button of the master control.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the master control comprises:

a plurality of device control buttons, each of the device control buttons for controlling the amount of power delivered by one of the electrical load control devices upon actuation.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical loads comprises lamps and the load control devices each comprise a dimmer control operable to dim the connected lamp.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signals comprise radio frequency signals or infrared signals.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the master control unit and the load control devices are pre-programmed, but can be reprogrammed in a customized way by a user.

12. A lighting control system for remotely controlling the intensity of a plurality of lighting loads, the system comprising:

two dimmers operable to receive wireless signals containing control information, each of the dimmers respectively electrically connected to at least one of the lighting loads and responsive to the control information to control the intensity of the at least one of the lighting loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the dimmers, the unique identifier not being user selectable; and

a master control unit operable to transmit the wireless signals to the dimmers, the master control comprising a first button for turning on more than one of the lighting loads upon actuation, and a second button for turning off more than one of the lighting loads upon actuation;

wherein the master control unit and the dimmers are pre-configured, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the lighting control system, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the dimmers, and the dimmers are operable to receive the wireless signals from the master control unit and control the amount of power delivered to the connected lighting loads in response to the control information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first button comprises an “

all-on”

button and the second button comprises an “

all-off”

button, the dimmers operable to turn on all of the connected lighting loads in response to an actuation of the “

all-on”

button and to turn off all of the connected lighting loads in response to an actuation of the “

all-off”

button.

14. A lighting control system for remotely controlling the intensity of a plurality of lighting loads, the system comprising:

two dimmers operable to receive wireless signals containing control information, each of the dimmers respectively electrically connected to at least one of the lighting loads and responsive to the control information to control the intensity of the at least one of the lighting loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the dimmers, the unique identifier not being user selectable; and

a master control unit operable to transmit the wireless signals to the dimmers, the master control comprising a first button for controlling, upon actuation, the intensities of more than one of the lighting loads, and a second button for controlling, upon actuation, the intensity of only one of the plurality of lighting loads;

wherein the master control unit and the dimmers are pre-configured, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the system, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the dimmers, and the dimmers are operable to receive the wireless signals from the master control unit and control the amount of power delivered to the connected lighting loads in response to the control information.

15. A master control unit for a wireless load control system having a plurality of load control devices for controlling the amount of power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads, the master control unit comprising:

a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless signals to the load control devices, the wireless signals containing control information for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the load control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable;

a first button for controlling, upon actuation, the amount of power delivered to more than one of the electrical loads; and

a second button for controlling, upon actuation, the amount of power delivered to one of the electrical loads;

wherein the master control unit is pre-configured, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the master control unit and the load control devices, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices and the load control devices are operable to control the amount of power delivered to the connected electrical loads in response to the control information.

16. The master control unit of claim 15, wherein all of the electrical loads are turned on upon actuation of the first button.

17. The master control unit of claim 16, further comprising:

a third button for turning off all of the electrical loads upon actuation.

18. The master control unit of claim 15, wherein one of the electrical loads is toggled upon actuation of the second button.

19. The master control unit of claim 15, further comprising:

a plurality of device control buttons, each of the device control buttons for controlling the amount of power delivered by one of the electrical load control devices upon actuation.

20. A master control unit for a wireless load control system having a plurality of load control devices for controlling the amount of power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads, the master control unit comprising:

a wireless transmitter for transmitting wireless signals to the load control devices, the wireless signals containing control information for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the load control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable;

a first button for turning on more than one of the electrical loads upon actuation; and

a second button for turning off more than one of the electrical loads upon actuation;

wherein the master control unit is pre-configured, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the master control unit and the load control devices, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices and the load control devices are operable to control the amount of power delivered to the connected electrical loads in response to the control information.

21. The master control unit of claim 20, wherein the first button comprises an “

all-on”

button for turning on all of the electrical loads upon actuation, and the second button comprises an “

all-off”

button for turning off all of the electrical loads upon actuation.

22. A method for providing a wireless load control system for remotely controlling the amount of power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads, the method comprising the steps of:

providing two load control devices operable to receive wireless signals containing control information for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical loads, each of the load control devices respectively electrically connected to at least one of the electrical loads and responsive to the control information to control the amount of power delivered to the at least one of the electrical loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the load control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable;

providing a master control unit operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices, the master control comprising first and second buttons; and

pre-configuring the master control unit and the control devices, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the master control unit and the control devices, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices and the load control devices are operable to receive the wireless signals from the master control unit and control the amount of power delivered to the connected electrical loads in response to the control information, the load control devices operable to turn on more than one of the connected electrical loads in response to an actuation of the first button and to turn off more than one of the connected electrical loads in response to an actuation of the second button.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first button comprises an “

all-on”

button for turning all of the electrical loads upon actuation, and the second button comprises an “

all-off”

button for turning off all of the electrical loads upon actuation.

24. A method for providing a wireless load control system for remotely controlling the amount of power delivered to a plurality of electrical loads, the method comprising the steps of:

providing two load control devices operable to receive wireless signals containing control information for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical loads, each of the load control devices respectively electrically connected to at least one of the electrical loads and responsive to the control information to control the amount of power delivered to the at least one of the electrical loads, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the load control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable;

providing a master control unit operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices, the master control comprising first and second buttons; and

pre-configuring the master control unit and the control devices, such that immediately upon installing and providing power to the master control unit and the control devices, the master control unit is operable to transmit the wireless signals to the load control devices and the load control devices are operable to receive the wireless signals from the master control unit and control the amount of power delivered to the connected electrical loads in response to the control information, the amount of power delivered to all of the electrical loads controlled in response to an actuation of the first button, and the amount of power delivered to one of the plurality of electrical loads controlled in response to an actuation of the second button.