CONTROL CIRCUIT, SYSTEM FOR OPERATING A DEVICE AND DEVICE FOR PROGRAMMING SUCH A CONTROL CIRCUIT

• US 20100085164A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Signify Holding B.V. (Signify N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Beij, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 8,922,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.500
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A control circuit for controlling operation of a device is provided. The control circuit is configured to be comprised in a group of control circuits. The group is identified by a group identifier which is stored in the control circuit. An identifier communication interface is configured to receive a group identifier. A control communication interface circuit is provided for communicating with at least one other control circuit comprised in said group. Thus, the control circuit may easily be programmed to be comprised in a group. Further, a system for controlling operation of a device is provided. The system comprises a master control circuit for transmitting a control command; and a slave control circuit for receiving the control command. The slave control circuit is coupled to the device for controlling the device in accordance with the control command. At least one of the master control circuit and the slave control circuit comprises an identifier communication interface circuit for receiving a group identifier, the identifier communication interface circuit being coupled to a storage means for storing the group identifier and wherein the group identifier corresponds to a group of control circuits.

Claims

1. Control circuit (30) for controlling operation of a device (40), the control circuit comprising:

an identifier communication interface circuit (32) for receiving a group identifier, the identifier communication interface circuit being coupled to a storage means (34) for storing the group identifier and the group identifier corresponding to a group of control circuits (10, 20);

a control communication interface circuit (31) for communicating with at least one other control circuit comprised in said group.

2. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the identifier communication interface circuit comprises a radio-frequency identification, RF-ID, module.

3. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control communication interface circuit comprises a receiver circuit for receiving a control command and wherein the control circuit is coupled to the device for operating the device in accordance with the control command.

4. The control circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control communication interface circuit comprises a transmitter circuit for transmitting a control command and wherein the control circuit is coupled to a command input circuit for generating the control command.

5. The control circuit according to claim 4, wherein the control communication interface circuit comprises a sensor circuit (26) for controlling the device in response to an output of the sensor circuit.

6. The control circuit according to claim 4, wherein the control communication interface circuit comprises a remote control device (15) for controlling the device in response to a user input.

7. Assembly comprising a device and a control circuit according to claim 1 for controlling the device.

8. Assembly according to claim 7, wherein the device is a lamp and the assembly comprises a driving circuit for operating the lamp.

13. Programming device (50) for programming a first control circuit (30) according to claim 1, wherein the programming device comprises:

a receiving means (54, 56) for receiving a group identifier; and

a supply means (52) for supplying the group identifier to the identifier communication interface circuit of the first control circuit.

14. Programming device according to claim 13, wherein an identifier communication interface circuit (32) of a second control circuit (30) comprises a radio-frequency identification, RF-ID, module and the means for receiving a group identifier comprises a RF-ID reader module for receiving a group identifier from the RF-ID module of the second control circuit.

15. Method for providing a group identifier to a first control circuit (30) according to claim 1, the group identifier being the same as a group identifier of a second control circuit (30) according to claim 1, the method comprising:

receiving the group identifier from the identifier communication interface circuit (32) of the second control circuit; and

supplying the received group identifier to the identifier communication interface circuit (32) of the first control circuit.

9. System (1) for controlling operation of a device (13, 23, 40), the system comprising:

a master control circuit (11, 21) for transmitting a control command;

a slave control circuit (12, 22) for receiving the control command, the slave control circuit being coupled to the device (13, 23) for controlling the device in accordance with the control command;

wherein at least one of the master control circuit and the slave control circuit comprises

an identifier communication interface circuit (32) for receiving a group identifier, the identifier communication interface circuit being coupled to a storage means (34) for storing the group identifier and wherein the group identifier corresponds to a group of control circuits.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the identifier communication interface circuit comprises a radio-frequency identification, RF-ID, module.

11. System according to claim 9, wherein the master control circuit is coupled to a sensor circuit (26) for controlling the device in response to an output of the sensor circuit.

12. System according to claim 9, wherein the master control circuit is coupled to a remote control device (15) for controlling the device in response to a user input.