DIGITAL MESSAGES IN A LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20150295411A1
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Courtney, Brian Michael, Gill, Timothy, Taipale, Mark S., Gopalakrishnan, Sriram, Shah, Roshni Ashwin, Sukumar, Vidya, Yorgey, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,985,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/00 Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30094 Condition code generation, e.g. Carry, Zero flag
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30189 according to execution mode, e.g. mode flag
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3867 using instruction pipelines
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment

Abstract

A load control system may comprise load control devices for controlling respective electrical loads, and a system controller operable to transmit digital messages including different commands to the load control devices in response to a selection of a preset. The different commands may include a preset command configured to identify preset data in a device database stored at the load control device and/or a multi-output command configured to define the preset data for being stored in the device database. The system controller may decide which of the commands to transmit to the load control devices in response to the selection of the preset.

Claims

1. A load control system comprising:

a plurality of load control devices configured to control respective electrical loads; and

a system controller configured to;

determine, in response to a selection of a preset, digital messages configured to be sent to at least one of the plurality of load control devices, wherein the digital messages include either a first command or a second command, wherein the first command indicates predefined operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices in response to the selection of the preset, and wherein the second command defines operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices in response to the selection of the preset; and

communicate the digital messages to the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein each load control device of the plurality of load control devices comprises a device database defining operation of the respective load control device in response to the selection of the preset.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein, in response to receiving the first command, each load control device is configured to control a respective electrical load using preset data from the device database.

4. The load control system of claim 3, wherein, in response to receiving the second command, each load control device of the plurality of load control devices is configured to control the electrical load using preset data included in the second command.

5. The load control system of claim 3, wherein the first command comprises a preset command configured to identify the preset data in the device database stored at the at least one load control device and the second command comprises a multi-output command configured to define the preset data for being stored in the device database.

6. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the device database is stored in memory in the load control device during a commissioning mode.

7. The load control system of claim 6, wherein the system controller is configured to communicate the device database to the load control device during the commissioning mode.

8. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to:

determine whether to include the first command or the second command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset based on whether the system controller has previously communicated the second command to the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices for the selected preset.

9. The load control system of claim 8, wherein each load control device of the plurality of load control devices is configured to store preset data defining the operation of the respective load control device in response to the selection of the preset.

10. The load control system of claim 9, wherein each load control device of the plurality of load control devices is configured to store the preset data defining the operation of the respective load control device if the respective load control device is indicated in the second command to operate in response to the second command.

11. The load control system of claim 10, wherein each load control device of the plurality of load control devices is configured to store the preset data defining the operation of the respective load control device if a number of digital messages used to transit the second command exceeds a predetermined maximum number.

12. The load control system of claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to set a flag in the second command if the number of digital messages used to transit the second command exceeds the predetermined maximum number, and wherein each load control device of the plurality of load control devices is configured to store the data defining the operation of the respective load control device if the flag is set in the second command.

13. The load control system of claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to:

determine whether any of the plurality of load control devices are communicating digital messages to the system controller; and

communicate, to each load control device of the plurality of load control devices, the preset data defining the operation of the respective load control device when none of the plurality of load control devices are communicating the digital messages.

14. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to:

receive a load control database comprising the predefined operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices in response to the selection of the preset, and

analyze, during a commissioning mode, the load control database to determine which of the first command and the second command to communicate to the at least one load control device in response to the selection of the preset.

15. The load control system of claim 14, wherein the system controller is configured to:

determine a number of digital messages associated with communicating preset data to the plurality of load control devices via the second command; and

include the second command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset when the number of digital messages associated with communicating the preset data to the plurality of load control devices via the second command is less than or equal to a predetermined number.

16. The load control system of claim 15, wherein the system controller is configured to:

when the number of digital messages associated with communicating the preset data to the plurality of load control devices via the second command is greater than the predetermined number;

communicate, to each load control device of the plurality of load control devices, a respective device database defining the predefined operations of the respective load control device in response to the selection of the preset; and

include the first command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset.

17. The load control system of claim 15, wherein the system controller is configured to delay communication of the digital messages that include the second command by a delay time, wherein the delay time is an amount of time to delay the communication of the digital messages that include the second command after the selection of the preset.

18. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the first command indicates at least one of a preset identification number, a preset identification name, or preset data.

19. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to communicate the first command to a single load control device.

20. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the second command defines a preset in a single message.

21. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to communicate the second command to at least two load control devices of the plurality of load control devices.

22. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is operable to store the second command as a preset.

23. A method of controlling at least one load control device of a plurality of load control devices, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a preset;

determining, in response to the selection of the preset, digital messages to be sent to the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices, wherein the digital messages include either a first command or a second command, wherein the first command indicates predefined operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices, and wherein the second command defines the operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices in response to the selection of the preset; and

communicating the digital messages to the at least one load control device of a plurality of load control devices.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a load control database comprising the predefined operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices in response to the selection of the preset; and

analyzing, during a commissioning mode, the load control database to determine which of the first command and the second command to communicate to the at least one load control device in response to the selection of the preset.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

determining a number of digital messages associated with communicating preset data to the plurality of load control devices via the second command; and

including the second command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset when the number of digital messages associated with communicating the preset data to the plurality of load control devices via the second command is less than or equal to a predetermined number.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

when the number of digital messages associated with communicating the preset data to the plurality of load control devices via the second command is greater than the predetermined number;

communicating, to each load control device of the plurality of load control devices, a respective device database defining the predefined operations of the respective load control device in response to the selection of the preset; and

including the first command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

delaying communicating the digital messages for a delay time associated with the selected preset.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing, in each load control device of the plurality of load control devices, a device database that comprises the predefined operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining whether to include the first command or the second command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset based on whether the second command has been previously communicated to the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices for the selected preset.

30. A system controller comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a selection of a preset;

determine, in response to the selection of the preset, digital messages configured to be sent to at least one load control device of a plurality of load control devices, wherein the digital messages include either a first command or a second command, and wherein the first command indicates predefined operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices in response to the selection of the preset, and wherein the second command defines the operations of the load control devices in response to the selection of the preset; and

communicate the digital messages to the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices.

31. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive a load control database comprising the predefined operations of the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices in response to the selection of the preset, and

analyze the load control database to determine which of the first command and the second command to communicate to the load control devices in response to the selection of the preset during a commissioning mode.

32. The system controller of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine a number of digital messages associated with communicating preset data to the at least one load control device of the plurality of load control devices via the second command; and

include the second command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset when the number of digital messages associated with communicating preset data to the at least one load control device is less than or equal to a predetermined number.

33. The system controller of claim 32, wherein the processor is configured to:

when the number of digital messages used communicate the preset data to the plurality of load control devices via the second command is greater than the predetermined number;

communicate, to each load control device of the plurality of load control devices, a respective device database defining the predefined operations of the respective load control device in response to the selection of the preset; and

include the first command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset.

34. The system controller of claim 31, wherein the processor is configured to delay communication of the digital messages that include the second command by a delay time, wherein the delay time is an amount of time to delay the communication of the digital messages that include the second command after the selection of the preset.

35. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether to include the first command or the second command in the digital messages in response to the selection of the preset based on whether the system controller has previously communicated the second command to the load control devices for the selected preset.

36. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to set a flag in the second command if a number of digital messages associated with communicating the second command exceeds a predetermined maximum number.

37. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine whether any of the plurality of load control devices are communicating digital messages to the system controller; and

communicate, to each load control device of the plurality of load control devices, preset data defining the operation of the respective load control device when none of the plurality of load control devices are communicating the digital messages.

38. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the first command comprises a preset command configured to identify preset data in a device database stored at the at least one load control device and the second command comprises a multi-output command configured to define the preset data for being stored in the device database.

39. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to communicate a device database to each load control device of the plurality of load control devices during a commissioning mode.

40. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the first command indicates at least one of a preset identification number, a preset identification name, or preset data.

41. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to communicate the first command to a single load control device.

42. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the second command defines a preset in a single message.

43. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to communicate the second command to at least two load control devices of the plurality of load control devices.

44. The system controller of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured to store the second command as a preset.

45. A load control system comprising:

a plurality of load control devices for controlling respective electrical loads; and

a system controller operable to communicate digital messages including a plurality of commands to the plurality of load control devices in response to a selection of a preset;

wherein the system controller is configured to determine which of the plurality of commands to communicate to the load control devices in response to the selection of the preset.

46. The load control system of claim 45, wherein the plurality of commands comprises a first command and a second command, wherein the first command indicates predefined operations of the load control devices in response to the selection of the preset, and wherein the second command defines the operations of the load control devices in response to the selection of the preset.