LOAD CONTROL DEVICE WITH AN ADJUSTABLE CONTROL CURVE
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
56 Claims
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, said method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, said method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for controlling an amount of power delivered from an alternating current (AC) power source to an electrical load, said method comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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Specification