STATE RETENTION LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20180014386A1
• Filed: 07/05/2017
• Published: 01/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Bhutani, Ankit, Mann, Timothy, Saveri, III, David T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,772,180 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 2009/6809 Control
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/322 Details of operating devices, e.g. pulleys, brakes, spring drums, drives operating devices E06B9/68 ; devices of general interest specially adapted or mounted for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of material B65H75/34
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/041 the light-intensity of the source H05B39/08 takes precedence
• 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 47/14 by determining electrical parameters of the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A load control system may include control devices for controlling power provided to an electrical load. The control devices may include an input device and a load control device. The load control system may include a hub device. The hub device may include a communication circuit and a control circuit. The communication circuit may be configured to receive a digital message from the control device. The control circuit may be configured to determine, based on content of the digital message, whether the control device has experienced a power removal event. The hub device may send, via the communication circuit, a power removal event indication to the control device of whether the control device has experienced the power removal event.

Claims

1. A load control system, comprising:

a control device for controlling an amount of power provided to an electrical load; and

a hub device, comprising;

a communication circuit, wherein the communication circuit is configured to receive a message from the control device; and

a control circuit configured to;

determine, based on content of the message, whether the control device has experienced a power removal event; and

wherein the hub device sends, via the communication circuit, a power removal event indication to the control device, indicating whether the control device has experienced the power removal event.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to, based on the power removal event indication, adjust a power state of the control device to a prior power state, wherein the prior power state of the control device is the power state of the control device prior to the control device experiencing the power removal event.

3. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the hub device comprises a hub device memory, wherein the hub device memory stores a power state of the control device.

4. The load control system of claim 1, wherein:

based on the control device experiencing the power removal event, the hub device retrieves a prior power state of the control device, wherein the prior power state of the control device is a power state of the control device prior to the control device experiencing the power removal event;

the hub device sends, to the control device, the prior power state of the control device; and

the control device adjusts the power state of the control device to the prior power state.

5. The load control system of claim 1, wherein:

based on the control device experiencing the power removal event, the control device retrieves a prior power state of the control device, wherein the prior power state of the control device is a power state of the control device prior to the control device experiencing the power removal event; and

the control device adjusts the power state of the control device to the retrieved prior power state.

6. The load control system of claim 1, wherein:

the control device comprises a control device memory, wherein the control device memory stores a power state of the control device; and

on a condition that the hub device indicates the control device experiences the power removal event and that the power removal event has concluded, the control device is configured to restore the control device to the stored power state.

7. A lighting device, wherein the lighting device is capable of controlling an amount of power provided to a lighting load based on digital messages received from a control device, the lighting device comprising:

a memory for storing a power state and an operation mode, wherein the prior power state indicates a lighting intensity level at which the amount of power has been provided to the lighting load, and wherein the operation mode is a first operation mode or a second operation mode;

a communication circuit configured to send and receive the digital messages; and

a control circuit configured to;

receive, via the communication circuit, a control message from the control device, wherein the control message provides the power state to the lighting device for controlling the amount of power provided to the lighting load;

store the power state as a prior power state in the memory;

determine the operation mode and store the operation mode in the memory;

determine that the lighting device experiences a power removal event; and

upon conclusion of the power removal event at the lighting device, set the lighting intensity level of the lighting load based on the stored operation mode, wherein the control circuit is configured to set the lighting intensity level of the lighting load to the prior power state when the stored operation mode is the first operation mode, and wherein the control circuit is configured to set the lighting intensity level to a default intensity level when the stored operation mode is the second operation mode.

8. The lighting device of claim 7, wherein the first operation mode is an unswitched mode in which the power removal event is assumed to be a system power removal event, and wherein the second operation mode is a switched mode in which the power removal event is the local power removal event or the system power removal event.

9. The lighting device of claim 8, wherein the control device is a remote control device that is configured to be mounted over a toggle actuator of a wall-mounted load control device, and wherein the control circuit is configured in the unswitched mode when the memory has stored a unique identifier or a device type of the remote control device.

10. The lighting device of claim 8, wherein the control circuit is configured to query another device upon the conclusion of the power removal event when the stored operation mode is the switched mode.

11. The lighting device of claim 7, wherein the lighting load is located in the lighting device.

12. A method for adjusting a power state of a control device, the method comprising:

determining whether the control device experiences a power removal event;

determining whether the power removal event is a local power removal event or a system power removal event;

based on the power removal event being the system power removal event, adjusting the state of the control device to a prior power state, wherein the prior power state of the control device is the power state of the control device prior to the control device experiencing the power removal event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the power state of the control device is stored in memory of at least one of a hub device or the control device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the power removal event is determined to be a system power removal event by determining that power was lost to a second control device that receives power from a second circuit, wherein the second circuit is different than a circuit that provides power to the control device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the power removal event is determined to be a system power removal event by determining that power was lost to a hub device that receives power from a second circuit, wherein the second circuit is different than a circuit that provides power to the control device.

16. A method for adjusting a power state of a control device, the method comprising:

determining whether a device other than the control device experiences a loss of power;

determining whether the loss of power to the device other than the control device is a local power removal event or a system power removal event, wherein the loss of power to the device is determined to be a system power removal event based on the control device also experiencing the loss of power; and

based on the power removal event being a system power removal event, adjusting the power state of the control device to a prior power state, wherein the prior power state of the control device is the power state of the control device prior to the power removal event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the device receives power from a first circuit and the control device receives power from a second circuit.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing, by the device, the prior power state of the control device; and

sending, from the device to the control device, the prior power state of the control device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing, by the control device, the prior power state of the control device; and

sending, from the device to the control device, the prior power state of the control device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the device is a hub device or a lighting device.