Methods and Systems for Controlling Devices via Power Lines

• US 20110248835A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Remigius Shatas, William Howard Speegle
• Original Assignee: Remigius Shatas, William Howard Speegle
• Inventors: Shatas, Remigius, Speegle, William Howard
• Granted Patent: US 8,570,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/12.32
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/02 in which the signal transmitted is magnitude of current or voltage G08C19/36, G08C19/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5408 using protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/08 by shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes also in controlled semiconductor devices in converters H02M5/00; with regulation G05F1/44
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided that control devices using signals transmitted over power lines in many different applications and configurations. They provide a lower cost approach for controlling devices via signals transmitted over power lines. The methods and systems may control intensity, spectral, and other characteristics of lighting devices, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or assemblies thereof, via power lines. They may also control other types of loads, such as motors, relays, valves or the like. Additionally, techniques for independently controlling intensity and spectral content of selected high efficiency lighting devices are also described. For example, the brightness and color of an LED may be controlled via the power lines that supply power to the LED.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a device, comprising:

varying a power voltage level on a power line coupled to the device; and

controlling the device coupled to the power line based on the varying power voltage level.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more control signals; and

wherein the varying the power voltage level further comprises varying the power voltage level on the power line coupled to the device based on the one or more control signals.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the one or more control signals responsive to a user input.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

varying power voltage levels on power lines coupled to a plurality of devices; and

controlling the devices coupled to the power lines by the varying power voltage levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a light bulb.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a solid state device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the solid state device is a light emitting device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the solid state device is a light emitting diode (LED).

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising controlling at least one of (1) light intensity and (2) spectrum of light provided by the light emitting device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

controlling the light intensity independently from the spectrum of light; and

controlling the spectrum of light independently from the light intensity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the power voltage level is an AC power voltage level.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the power voltage level is a DC power voltage level.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising varying the DC power voltage level based on a predetermined code.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising varying the DC power voltage level based on an ASCII code.

15. The method of claim 2, detecting the varying power voltage level.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting the control signals based on the varying power voltage level using a decoder.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising detecting the control signals by a microcontroller configured as a decoder.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

detecting, by the microcontroller, the varying power voltage level; and

decoding, by the microcontroller, the varying power voltage level to recover the generated one or more control signals.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising controlling, by a second microcontroller, the device coupled to the power line responsive to the generated one or more control signals.

20. The method of claim 1, varying the power voltage level by a voltage regulator.

21. A method for sending information over a power line, comprising:

modulating a power voltage on the power line based on the information; and

recovering the information from the modulation of the power voltage.

22. A system for sending information over a power line, comprising:

means for modulating a power voltage on the power line based on the information; and

means for recovering the information from the modulation of the power voltage.

23. A system for controlling a device via a power line, comprising:

a first microcontroller configured to receive a control signal and encode the control signal to a varying power voltage level;

the power line configured to transmit the varying power voltage level from the first microcontroller to a second microcontroller; and

the second microcontroller configured to;

decode the varying power voltage level to interpret the control signal; and

control the device based on the decoded varying power voltage level.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second microcontroller controls the device by outputting a second control signal based on the decoded varying power voltage level to the device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the device is configured to receive the second control signal from the second microcontroller and to operate based on the received second control signal.

26. The system of claim 23, further comprising an input configured to receive indication a user input and convert the user input into the control signal to be sent to the first microcontroller.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the first microcontroller generates the varying power voltage level based on a user input.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the system comprises a plurality of devices configured to be controlled via varying power voltage levels on a plurality of power lines.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the device is a light bulb.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the device is a solid state device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the solid state device is a light emitting device.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the solid state device is a light emitting diode (LED).

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the second microcontroller is further configured to control at least one of (1) light intensity and (2) spectrum of light provided by the light emitting device.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the second microcontroller is further configured to:

control the light intensity independently from the spectrum of light; and

control the spectrum of light independently from the light intensity.

35. The system of claim 23, wherein the power voltage level is an AC power voltage level.

36. The system of claim 23, wherein the power voltage level is a DC power voltage level.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the first microcontroller is further configured to vary the DC power voltage level based on a predetermined code.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the first microcontroller is further configured to vary the DC power voltage level based on an ASCII code.

39. The system of claim 23, wherein the second microcontroller is further configured to detect the varying power voltage level.