ELECTRONIC CEILING FAN CONTROL SYSTEM AND METHOD OF USE

• US 20160047391A1
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Published: 02/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
• Original Assignee: Hunter Fan Company
• Inventors: McPherson, Matthew, Tarr, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 10,612,553 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/068 Mechanical details of the pump control unit pump control details F04D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/0693 Details or arrangements of the wiring
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 25/088 Ceiling fans

Abstract

A ceiling fan includes a fan motor housing; a motor positioned within the motor housing; a plurality of fan blades rotatable by the motor; a fan controller and a wired remote control. The fan controller includes a printed circuit board (PCB) having a wireless communication module and an electronic circuit coupled with the wireless communication module and is configured to control the motor to rotate the plurality of fan blades. The wired remote control device is coupled to the printed circuit board and is configured to send user selected signals to the electronic circuit on a first frequency. The electronic circuit is configured to be responsive to signals from the wired remote control device on the first frequency and to be responsive to signals from the wireless communication module on a second frequency.

Claims

1. A control for a ceiling fan comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) having a wireless communication module and an electronic circuit coupled with the wireless communication module and configured to operate a ceiling fan; and

a wired remote control device coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to send user selected signals to the electronic circuit on a first frequency;

wherein the electronic circuit is configured to be responsive to signals from the wired remote control device on the first frequency and to be responsive to signals from the wireless communication module on a second frequency.

2. The control of claim 1 wherein the wired remote control device includes an isolated discrete digital interface for communication to the electronic circuit of the printed circuit board.

3. The control of claim 1 wherein the isolated digital interface includes a capacitive or inductive isolation barrier.

4. The control of claim 1 wherein the wired remote control device is removably attached to the printed circuit board.

5. The control of claim 1 wherein the wired remote control further includes a jack plug connector, a user interface, and an electronic cable coupled therebetween.

6. The control of claim 5 wherein the electronic cable is an audio cable.

7. The control of claim 5 wherein the user interface includes at least two pushbuttons.

8. The control of claim 7 wherein the electronic circuit is configured to reverse a direction of rotation of a plurality of fan blades in response to activation of one of the two pushbuttons.

9. The control of claim 1 wherein the signals from the wired remote control device are pulse width modulated.

10. The control of claim 1 wherein the printed circuit board further includes a wall switch monitor configured to detect a state of an external light switch.

11. The control of claim 1 further including a capacitive, transformerless power supply.

12. The control of claim 1 wherein the wireless communication module is configured to communicate by radio frequency, infrared, Bluetooth, near-field communication (NFC) or Wi-Fi.

13. A ceiling fan comprising:

a fan motor housing;

a motor positioned within the motor housing;

a plurality of fan blades rotatable by the motor;

a fan controller comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) having a wireless communication module and an electronic circuit coupled with the wireless communication module and configured to control the motor to rotate the plurality of fan blades; and

a wired remote control device coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to send user selected signals to the electronic circuit on a first frequency;

wherein the electronic circuit is configured to be responsive to signals from the wired remote control device on the first frequency and to be responsive to signals from the wireless communication module on a second frequency.

14. The ceiling fan of claim 13 further including at least one light wherein the electronic circuit is further configured to control the at least one light in response to the signals from the wired remote control device.

15. The ceiling fan of claim 13 wherein the wired remote control device includes an isolated discrete digital interface for communication to the electronic circuit of the printed circuit board.

16. The ceiling fan of claim 13 wherein the wired remote control device is removably attached to the printed circuit board.

17. The ceiling fan of claim 13 wherein the wired remote control further includes a jack plug connector, a user interface including at least two pushbuttons, and an electronic cable coupled therebetween.

18. The ceiling fan of claim 13 wherein the printed circuit board further includes a wall switch monitor configured to detect a state of an external light switch.

19. The ceiling fan of claim 13 further including a capacitive, transformerless power supply.

20. The ceiling fan of claim 13 wherein the wireless communication module is configured to communicate by radio frequency, infrared, Bluetooth, near-field communication (NFC) or Wi-Fi.