DISPLAY AND CONTROL OF LOAD CONTROL DEVICES IN A FLOORPLAN

• US 20160322817A1
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Bull, John H., Baker, Rhodes B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,429,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6827 sensing light
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2827 Reporting to a device within the home network; wherein the reception of the information reported automatically triggers the execution of a home appliance functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A load control system may comprise an electrical load control device and/or a computing device. The electrical load control device may control, for example, motorized window treatments (e.g., shades), lighting controls, and/or sensors (e.g., occupancy, radio window, daylight, etc.). For example, a load control device comprising a motorized window treatment may control the position of a covering material in the window treatment. The computing device may comprise a processor and/or a graphical user interface (GUI). The computing device may be a server and/or a user device, such as a wireless user device (e.g., a cellular phone, tablet, or laptop computer). The computing device may be configured to provide graphical representations that may be displayed on a GUI based on load control information.

Claims

1. A load control system comprising:

an electrical load control device, wherein the electrical load control device is configured to control an electrical load in a load control environment; and

a computing device configured to;

receive load control information associated with the electrical load control device, wherein the load control information indicates a status of the electrical load;

determine, based on the load control information, an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment; and

display a graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the electrical load control device comprises a motorized window treatment for controlling a position of a covering material, and wherein the graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment indicates the position of the covering material.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the load control information includes at least one of window sensor information that indicates an amount of natural light directly received at a window, weather information, a global position system (GPS) location associated with the load control environment, or at least one of a date or time.

4. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the motorized window treatment comprises one of a plurality of motorized window treatments in the load control environment, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment for each motorized window treatment of a plurality of motorized window treatments, and wherein the graphical representation indicates the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment for each motorized window treatment.

5. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the amount of natural light includes at least one of a representative distance of the natural light in the load control environment or a representative intensity of the natural light in the load control environment.

6. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control information comprises a load control message from an input device, and wherein the load control message is configured to control the electrical load via the electrical load control device.

7. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

determine, based on the load control environment, a status of natural light outside the load control environment; and

display a graphical representation of the status of the natural light outside the load control environment.

8. The load control system of claim 7, wherein the status of the natural light comprises at least one indication of a location of the sun relative to the load control environment.

9. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device comprises a wireless user device.

10. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to display the graphical representation to a wireless user device.

11. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control system is configured to automatically control the electrical load control device, and wherein the computing device is configured to:

detect a manual override of an automatic control of the electrical load control device; and

display a graphical representation of the manual override of the electrical load control device.

12. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the load control system is configured to automatically control the electrical load control device, and wherein the computing device is configured to:

detect an override of the automatic control of the load control device caused by a digital message from a window sensor, wherein the window sensor indicates an amount of natural light directly received at a window through which the natural light is allowed; and

display a graphical representation of the override caused by the digital message from the window sensor.

13. The load control system of claim 12, wherein the override of the automatic control is based on an indication that an amount of cloud cover has caused the amount of natural light to fall below a predefined threshold or an indication that an amount of direct sunlight has caused the amount of natural light to rise above another predefined threshold.

14. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to access a historical record of the load control information, wherein the load control information includes at least one of the status of the electrical load, a status of the electrical load control device, or a status of an input device in the load control environment, and wherein the graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment is based on the historical record of the load control information.

15. The load control system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive an indication of a time or a time period in the historical record of the load control information, and wherein the graphical representation depicts the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

16. The load control system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is further configured to receive an indication of a time or a time period associated with an occupancy sensor activity in the historical record of the load control information, and wherein the graphical representation depicts a lighting load activity based on the occupancy sensor activity in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

17. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine, based on the load control information, a status of a lighting load in the load control environment, and wherein the graphical representation indicates the status of the lighting load.

18. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine, based on the load control information, an occupancy status of the load control environment, and wherein the graphical representation indicates the occupancy status.

19. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation indicates at least one level of load control of a plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

20. The load control system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of levels of load control include at least one of a load control for a plurality of buildings, load control for a building of the plurality of buildings, load control for a plurality of floors in the building, load control for a floor of the plurality of floors, load control for a plurality of rooms on the floor, or load control for a room of the plurality of rooms.

21. The load control system of claim 19, wherein the load control information includes information associated with each level of load control, and wherein the computing device is further configured to access the information associated with each level of load control and display a graphical representation of the information associated with each level of load control.

22. The load control system of claim 19, wherein the computing device is further configured to display a different graphical representation for each level of the plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

23. A method for processing and displaying load control information for a load control environment, the method comprising:

receiving the load control information associated with an electrical load control device, wherein the load control information indicates a status of an electrical load;

determining an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment; and

displaying a graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing motorized window treatment for controlling a position of a covering material; and

indicating the position of the covering material based on the graphical representation of the amount of the natural light allowed in the load control environment.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing at least one of window sensor information that indicates an amount of natural light directly received at a window, weather information, a global position system (GPS) location associated with the load control environment, or at least one of a date or time.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

providing a plurality of motorized window treatments in the load control environment;

determining an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment for each motorized window treatment of a plurality of motorized window treatments;

displaying a graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment for each motorized window treatment.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying a graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment, wherein the amount of natural light includes at least one of a representative distance of the natural light in the load control environment or a representative intensity of the natural light in the load control environment.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a load control message from an input device, and wherein the load control message is configured to control the electrical load via the electrical load control device.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining, based on the load control environment, a status of natural light outside the load control environment; and

displaying a graphical representation of the status of the natural light outside the load control environment.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the status of the natural light comprises at least one indication of a location of the sun relative to the load control environment.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying the graphical representation on a wireless user device.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

automatically controlling the electrical load control device;

detecting a manual override of an automatic control of the electrical load control device; and

displaying a graphical representation of the manual override of the electrical load control device.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

automatically controlling the electrical load control device;

detecting an override of the automatic control of the load control device caused by a digital message from a window sensor, wherein the window sensor indicates an amount of natural light directly received and allowed at a window; and

displaying a graphical representation of the override caused by the digital message from the window sensor.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the override of the automatic control is based on an indication that an amount of cloud cover has caused the amount of natural light to fall below a predefined threshold or an indication that an amount of direct sunlight has caused the amount of natural light to rise above another predefined threshold.

35. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

accessing a historical record of the load control information, wherein the load control information includes at least one of the status of the electrical load, a status of the electrical load control device, or a status of an input device in the load control environment;

determining the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment based on the historical record of the load control information; and

displaying a graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a time or a time period in the historical record of the load control information; and

displaying the graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment, wherein the graphical representation depicts the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a time or a time period associated with an occupancy sensor activity in the historical record of the load control information,

displaying the graphical representation of the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment, wherein the graphical representation depicts a lighting load activity based on the occupancy sensor activity in the load control environment at the time or over the time period.

38. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining, based on the load control information, a status of a lighting load in the load control environment; and

wherein the graphical representation indicates the status of the lighting load.

39. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

determining, based on the load control information, an occupancy status of the load control environment; and

wherein the graphical representation indicates the occupancy status.

40. The method of claim 23, wherein the graphical representation indicates at least one level of load control of a plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the plurality of levels of load control include at least one of a load control for a plurality of buildings, load control for a building of the plurality of buildings, load control for a plurality of floors in the building, load control for a floor of the plurality of floors, load control for a plurality of rooms on the floor, or load control for a room of the plurality of rooms.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving information associated with each level of load control;

accessing the information associated with each level of load control; and

displaying a graphical representation of the information associated with each level of load control.

43. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

displaying a different graphical representation for each level of the plurality of levels of load control associated with the load control environment.

44. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

displaying an alert in response to an event.

45. A method for generating and displaying a user interface of load control information for a load control environment, the method comprising:

receiving the load control information associated with an electrical load control device, wherein the load control information indicates a status of an electrical load;

determining an amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment; and

displaying a graphical user interface; and

displaying the amount of natural light allowed in the load control environment via the graphical user interface.