TRACK FAN REMOTE CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20100134341A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roger R. Priest
• Original Assignee: Roger R. Priest
• Inventors: Priest, Roger R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,354,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 341/176
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/16 in which transmission is by pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators

Abstract

A system using a remote control to provide independent control of power to one or more track fans and track lights, as well as control of speed of rotation of each fan, and brightness of each light across one or more tracks of various types. The remote control also allows groups of track fans and/or track lights to be controlled together, and allows the controlled track fans and track lights to be attached to different tracks.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a plurality of devices comprising:

a remote control that individually controls multiple track fixtures comprising;

logic for configuring one or more track fixtures, wherein the logic for configuring comprises one or more dip switches;

logic for controlling one or more track fixtures;

a touch screen display;

logic for generating a list of available fixtures on the touch screen display;

logic for allowing a user to group two or more fixtures into a user-defined group using the touch screen display; and

logic for simultaneously controlling an operational characteristic of the two or more fixtures using the touch screen display;

an input control mechanism for receiving a plurality of commands to adjust one or more settings of one or more track fixtures;

a track fixture having an associated control mechanism configured to receive commands from the remote control, the track fixture further comprising;

a receiver for receiving encoded data on a wireless signal from the remote control and for decoding the encoded data;

a fan controller receiving the decoded data from the receiver and changing an operational setting of a fan;

control logic for responding to a query from the remote control with configuration data for the track fixture; and

a power module coupled to the receiver and the fan controller, the power module configured to detect an unbalanced condition in the fan and to disable operation of the fan;

wherein the fan comprises;

an opposing pair of support arms affixed to a swivel; and

a balanced motor and fan assembly that applies a net downward force to the support arms when the fan is in operation.

2. A system for controlling a plurality of devices comprising:

a remote control that individually controls multiple track fixtures comprising;

logic for configuring one or more track fixtures; and

logic for controlling one or more track fixtures.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the logic for configuring comprises one or more dip switches.

4. The system of claim 2 further comprising an input control mechanism for receiving a plurality of commands to adjust one or more settings of one or more track fixtures.

5. The system of claim 2 further comprising a track fixture having an associated control mechanism configured to receive commands from the remote control.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the track fixture further comprises a receiver for receiving encoded data on a wireless signal from the remote control and for decoding the encoded data.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the track fixture further comprises a fan controller receiving the decoded data from the receiver and changing an operational setting of a fan.

8. The system of claim 7 further comprising control logic for responding to a query from the remote control with configuration data for the track fixture.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the fan comprises:

an opposing pair of support arms affixed to a swivel; and

a balanced motor and fan assembly that applies a net downward force to the support arms when the fan is in operation.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a power module coupled to the receiver and the fan controller, the power module configured to detect an unbalanced condition in the fan and to disable operation of the fan.

11. The system of claim 2 wherein the remote control further comprises:

a touch screen display;

logic for generating a list of available fixtures;

logic for allowing a user to group two or more fixtures into a user-defined group; and

logic for simultaneously controlling an operational characteristic of the two or more fixtures.

12. A method for controlling a plurality of track-mounted fixtures comprising:

setting a control on each of the plurality of track-mounted fixtures to recognize a unique data signal for each track-mounted fixture;

setting a control on a remote controller to transmit data to two or more track-mounted fixtures, where each of the two or more track-mounted fixtures is individually identified in response to a user-selected input; and

transmitting a different control signal to each of two more different track-mounted fixtures to cause each of the two more different track-mounted fixtures to change a corresponding control setting by the same amount.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein setting the control on each of the plurality of track-mounted fixtures to recognize the unique data signal for each track-mounted fixture further comprises:

transmitting a first modulated data signal at a first frequency to each of the plurality of track-mounted fixtures; and

receiving configuration data from each of the plurality of track-mounted fixtures that identifies the type of track-mounted fixture and the operational controls of the track-mounted fixture.