LOAD CONTROL DEVICE WITH AN ADJUSTABLE CONTROL CURVE

• US 20140252980A1
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Salvestrini, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,307,613 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/246
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source

Abstract

A load control device, such as a dimmer switch, for example, may provide for user adjustment of the shape of a control curve, such as a dimming curve, for example. The load control device may generate a control curve that has a non-linear relationship between a minimum power level, such as a minimum phase angle of a phase-control signal, for example, and a maximum power level, such as a maximum phase angle of the phase-control signal, for example. The load control device switch may have a default control curve, which may have a linear relationship between the minimum power level and the maximum power level. The load control device may provide for the generation of a control curve that includes two or more different slopes from the minimum power level to the maximum power level.

Claims

1. A load control device for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, the load control device being characterized by a variable control curve, said load control device comprising:

a controllably conductive device operable to control the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load; and

a controller operable to render the controllably conductive device conductive for at least a portion of a half-cycle of an AC line voltage from the AC power source in accordance with a first control curve and in accordance with a second control curve;

wherein the second control curve comprises a first portion having a first slope and a second portion having a second slope, the first slope being different from the second slope.

2. The load control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a power adjustment actuator operable to set a controlled power level;

wherein the controller is operable to render the controllably conductive device conductive for at least the portion of the half-cycle of the AC line voltage from the AC power source in accordance with the controlled power level; and

wherein the controller is operable to generate the second control curve in response to user actuation of the power adjustment actuator.

3. The load control device of claim 2, wherein the controllably conductive device is operable to render the controllably conductive device conductive for at least the portion of the half-cycle of the AC line voltage from the AC power source via a phase-control signal;

and

wherein the power adjustment actuator is operable to generate the second control curve in response to adjustment of a phase angle of the phase-control signal at a first controlled power level from a first phase angle associated with the first control curve to a second phase angle associated with the second control curve.

4. The load control device of claim 2, wherein the controllably conductive device is operable to render the controllably conductive device conductive for at least the portion of the half-cycle of the AC line voltage from the AC power source via a phase-control signal;

and

wherein the power adjustment actuator is operable to generate the second control curve in response to adjustment of the controlled power level at a phase angle of the phase-control signal level from a first controlled power level associated with the first control curve to a second controlled power level associated with the second control curve.

5. The load control device of claim 1, wherein the first slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope.

6. The load control device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a non-constant slope.

7. The load control device of claim 1, wherein the controllably conductive device is a bidirectional semiconductor switch.

8. The load control device of claim 1, wherein the load control device is an electronic dimmer, the electrical load is a lighting load, the first control curve is a first dimming curve, and the second control curve is a second dimming curve.

9. A load control device for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, the load control device being characterized by a variable control curve, said load control device comprising:

a controllably conductive device operable to control the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load;

a power adjustment actuator operable to set a controlled power level; and

a controller operable to adjust the amount of power delivered to the electrical load in response to the controlled power level as defined by a first control curve; and

wherein the controller is further operable to generate a second control curve in response to user actuation of the power adjustment actuator, wherein the second control curve comprises a first portion having a first slope and a second portion having a second slope, the first slope being different from the second slope.

10. The load control device of claim 9, wherein the first slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope.

11. The load control device of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a non-constant slope.

12. The load control device of claim 9, wherein the controller is operable to adjust the amount of power delivered to the electrical load via a phase-control signal, the phase-control signal characterized by a phase angle representative of the amount of power delivered to the electrical load.

13. The load control device of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to generate the second control curve in response to adjustment of the phase angle of the phase-control signal at a first controlled power level from a first phase angle associated with the first control curve to a second phase angle associated with the second control curve.

14. The load control device of claim 12, wherein the controller is operable to generate the second control curve in response to adjustment of the controlled power level at a defined phase angle of the phase-control signal level from a first controlled power level associated with the first control curve to a second controlled power level associated with the second control curve.

15. A load control device for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, the load control device being characterized by a variable control curve, said load control device comprising:

a controllably conductive device operable to control the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load, the amount of power delivered to the electrical load determined by a phase angle of a phase-control signal;

a power adjustment actuator operable to set a controlled power level, the controlled power level configurable between a minimum controlled power level and a maximum controlled power level as defined by a first control curve, the phase angle of the phase-control signal determined by the controlled power level; and

a controller operable to provide the phase-control signal to the electrical load;

wherein the controller is further operable to generate a second control curve by adjusting the phase angle of the phase-control signal at a first controlled power level from a first phase angle associated with the first control curve to a second phase angle, the second control curve comprising a first portion having a first slope and a second portion having a second slope, the first slope being different from the second slope.

16. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the first control curve is characterized by the first phase angle at the first controlled power level and the second control curve is characterized by the second phase angle at the first controlled power level.

17. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the power adjustment actuator is operable to adjust the phase angle of the phase-control signal at the first controlled power level from the first phase angle to the second phase angle.

18. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the load control device comprises a control curve actuator that is operable to adjust the phase angle of the phase-control signal at the first controlled power level from the first phase angle to the second phase angle.

19. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the load control device is an electronic dimmer, the load is a lighting load, the first control curve is a first dimming curve, and the second control curve is a second dimming curve.

20. The load control device of claim 15, further comprising an array of visual indicators configured to provide feedback relating to the adjustment of the phase angle of the phase-control signal at a first controlled power level.

21. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the first portion of the second control curve begins at the minimum controlled power level and ends at the first controlled power level and the second portion of the second control curve begins at the first controlled power level and ends at the maximum controlled power level.

22. The load control device of claim 21, wherein the first slope is smaller than the second slope.

23. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the first slope is a substantially constant slope and the second slope is a substantially constant slope.

24. The load control device of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first slope and the second slope is a non-constant slope.

25. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the controller is further operable to generate the second control curve by adjusting the phase angle of the phase-control signal at a second controlled power level from a third phase angle associated with the first control curve to a fourth phase angle, the second control curve comprising the first portion having the first slope, the second portion having the second slope, and a third portion having a third slope, the third slope being different from the first slope and the second slope.

26. The load control device of claim 25, wherein the first portion of the second control curve begins at the minimum controlled power level and ends at the first controlled power level, the second portion of the second control curve begins at the first controlled power level and ends at the second controlled power level, and the third portion of the second control curve begins at the second controlled power level and ends at the maximum controlled power level.

27. The load control device of claim 26, wherein the first slope is smaller than the second slope, and the second slope is smaller than the third slope.

28. The load control device of claim 25, wherein the first control curve is characterized by the first phase angle at the first controlled power level and the third phase angle at the second controlled power level, and wherein the second control curve is characterized by the second phase angle at the first controlled power level and the fourth phase angle at the second controlled power level.

29. The load control device of claim 15, wherein the controllably conductive device is operable to control the amount of power delivered to the electrical load to control an actual lighting intensity of the electrical load between a minimum actual lighting intensity to a maximum actual lighting intensity, and wherein the power adjustment actuator is operable to set a controlled lighting intensity, the controlled lighting intensity configurable between a minimum controlled lighting intensity and a maximum controlled lighting intensity.

30. A method for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, said method comprising:

controlling the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load for at least a portion of a half-cycle of an AC line voltage from the AC power source in accordance with a first control curve; and

controlling the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load for at least a portion of a half-cycle of an AC line voltage from the AC power source in accordance with a second control curve;

wherein the second control curve comprises a first portion having a first slope and a second portion having a second slope, the first slope being different from the second slope.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

generating the second control curve in response to user actuation of a power adjustment actuator.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising:

setting a controlled power level with the power adjustment actuator, the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load determined according to the controlled power level.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein rendering the controllably conductive device conductive for at least the portion of the half-cycle of the AC line voltage from the AC power source is performed via a phase-control signal, the method further comprising:

generating the second control curve in response to adjustment of a phase angle of the phase-control signal at a first controlled power level from a first phase angle associated with the first control curve to a second phase angle associated with the second control curve.

34. The load control device of claim 31, wherein rendering the controllably conductive device conductive for at least the portion of the half-cycle of the AC line voltage from the AC power source is performed via a phase-control signal, the method further comprising:

generating the second control curve in response to adjustment of the controlled power level at a phase angle of the phase-control signal level from a first controlled power level associated with the first control curve to a second controlled power level associated with the second control curve.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein the first slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein at least one of the first slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a non-constant slope.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the first control curve is a first dimming curve and the second control curve is a second dimming curve.

38. A method for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, said method comprising:

setting a controlled power level via an power adjustment actuator;

adjusting the amount of power delivered to the electrical load in response to the controlled power level as defined by a first control curve; and

generating a second control curve in response to user actuation of the power adjustment actuator, wherein the second control curve comprises a first portion having a first slope and a second portion having a second slope, the first slope being different from the second slope.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the first slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a substantially constant slope.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein at least one of the first slope and the second slope of the second control curve is a non-constant slope.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

adjusting the amount of power delivered to the electrical load via a phase-control signal, the phase-control signal characterized by a phase angle representative of the amount of power delivered to the electrical load.

42. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

adjusting the phase angle of the phase-control signal at a first controlled power level from a first phase angle associated with the first control curve to a second phase angle;

defining an inflection point characterized by the second phase angle at the first controlled power level; and

generating the second control curve utilizing the inflection point.

43. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

adjusting the controlled power level at a defined phase angle of the phase-control signal level from a first controlled power level associated with the first control curve to a second controlled power level;

defining an inflection point characterized by the second controlled power level at the defined phase angle; and

generating the second control curve utilizing the inflection point.

44. A method for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, said method comprising:

setting a controlled power level, the controlled power level configurable between a minimum controlled power level and a maximum controlled power level as defined by a first control curve, a phase angle of a phase-control signal determined by the controlled power level;

providing the phase-control signal to the electrical load, the amount of power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical load determined by the phase angle of the phase-control signal; and

generating a second control curve by adjusting the phase angle of the phase-control signal at a first controlled power level from a first phase angle associated with the first control curve to a second phase angle, the second control curve comprising a first portion having a first slope and a second portion having a second slope, the first slope being different from the second slope.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the first control curve is characterized by the first phase angle at the first controlled power level and the second control curve is characterized by the second phase angle at the first controlled power level.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein setting the controlled power level is performed via a power adjustment actuator, and wherein generating the second control curve is performed via the power adjustment actuator.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the first control curve is a first dimming curve and the second control curve is a second dimming curve.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

providing feedback relating to adjusting the phase angle of the phase-control signal at the first controlled power level via an array of visual indicators.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein the first portion of the second control curve begins at the minimum controlled power level and ends at the first controlled power level and the second portion of the second control curve begins at the first controlled power level and ends at the maximum controlled power level.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the first slope is smaller than the second slope.

51. The method of claim 44, wherein the first slope is a substantially constant slope and the second slope is a substantially constant slope.

52. The method of claim 44, wherein at least one of the first slope and the second slope is a non-constant slope.

53. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

generating the second control curve by adjusting the phase angle of the phase-control signal at a second controlled power level from a third phase angle associated with the first control curve to a fourth phase angle, the second control curve comprising the first portion having the first slope, the second portion having the second slope, and a third portion having a third slope, the third slope being different from the first slope and the second slope.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the first portion of the second control curve begins at the minimum controlled power level and ends at the first controlled power level, the second portion of the second control curve begins at the first controlled power level and ends at the second controlled power level, and the third portion of the second control curve begins at the second controlled power level and ends at the maximum controlled power level.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the first slope is smaller than the second slope, and the second slope is smaller than the third slope.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the first control curve is characterized by the first phase angle at the first controlled power level and the third phase angle at the second controlled power level, and wherein the second control curve is characterized by the second phase angle at the first controlled power level and the fourth phase angle at the second controlled power level.