System And Method For Determining Master/Slave Switches In A Multi-Way Switch System

• US 20200136386A1
• Filed: 10/11/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Inventors: Tetreault, Michael Dennis, Kraus, Nicholas Charles
• Granted Patent: US 11,101,654 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 23/04 the elements being switches safety devices F21V25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00036 the elements or equipment being or involving switches, relays or circuit breakers circuits for indication of single switches H01H9/167
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/66 one of the loads acting as master and the other or others acting as slaves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/007 Arrangements for selectively connecting the load or loads to one or several among a plurality of power lines or power sources for providing uninterruptable power supply H02J9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• 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 power switch configured for use in a multi-way switch system is provided. The power switch includes one or more switching elements configured to selectively couple a load to a power source. The power switch includes a power metering circuit and a communications circuit. The communications circuit can be configured to provide communications between the power switch and at least one other power switch in the switch system. The power switch can include a control device configured obtain data from the power metering circuit. The data can be indicative of power consumption of the load. The control device can be further configured to determine whether the power switch is a master power switch in the multi-way switch system based on the data.

Claims

1. A power switch configured for use in a multi-way switch system, comprising:

one or more switching elements configured to selectively couple a load to a power source;

a power metering circuit;

a communication circuit configured to provide communication between the power switch and at least one other power switch in a multi-way switch system; and

one or more control devices configured to;

obtain, via the power metering circuit, data indicative of power consumption of the load; and

determine the power switch is a master power switch in the multi-way switch system based, at least in part, on the data indicative of power consumption of the load.

2. The power switch of claim 1, wherein the one or more control devices are further configured to:

pair the power switch with the at least one other power switch such that the at least one other power switch is a slave power switch.

3. The power switch of claim 2, wherein the one or more control devices are further configured to:

obtain one or more control signals from the slave power switch; and

control operation of the one or more switching elements of the master power switch based, at least in part, on the one or more control signals.

4. The power switch of claim 3, wherein the one or more control signals comprise a command to couple the load to the power source via the one or more switching elements of the master power switch.

5. The power switch of claim 3, wherein the one or more control signals comprise a command to decouple the load from the power source via the one or more switching elements of the master power switch.

6. The power switch of claim 1, wherein the power source comprises an alternating current (AC) power source.

7. The power switch of claim 1, wherein the load comprises a lighting fixture.

8. The power switch of claim 1, wherein the load comprises a ceiling fan.

9. A method for determining a master power switch in a multi-way switch system comprising at least a first power switch and a second power switch, the method comprising:

obtaining, by one or more control devices of the first power switch, data indicative of a load coupled to a power source via the first power switch; and

determining, by the one or more control devices, the first power switch is the master power switch in the multi-way switch system based, at least in part, on the data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining data indicative of a load coupled to a power source via the first power switch comprises obtaining, by the one or more control devices, the data from a power metering circuit of the first power switch.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

pairing, by the one or more control devices, the first power switch with the second power switch such that the second power switch is a slave power switch in the multi-way switch system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein pairing the first power switch with the second power switch comprises:

providing, by the one or more control devices, a notification to the second power switch, the notification indicative of the second power switch being the slave power switch in the multi-way switch system; and

configuring, by one or more control devices of the second power switch, the second power switch as the slave power switch based, at least in part, on the notification.

13. The method of any claim 11, further comprising:

pairing the first power switch with a third power switch of the multi-way switch system such that the third power switch is a slave power switch in the multi-way switch system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein pairing the first power switch with the third power switch comprises:

providing, by the one or more control devices, a notification to the third power switch, the notification indicative of the third power switch being a slave power switch in the multi-way switch system; and

configuring, by one or more control devices of the third power switch, the third power switch as the slave power switch based, at least in part, on the notification.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein obtaining data indicative of a load coupled to a power source via the first power switch occurs in response to a trigger event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the trigger event comprises user input received via a user device that is communicatively coupled to the first power switch.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the trigger event comprises user input received via one or more input devices associated with the first power switch.

18. A multi-way switch system, comprising:

a first power switch configured to selectively couple a load to a power source; and

a second power switch in communication with the first power switch,

wherein one or more control devices of the first power switch are configured to;

receive data indicative of the load being coupled to the power source via the first power switch;

determine the first power switch is a master power switch in the multi-way switch system based, at least in part, on the data.

19. The multi-way switch system of claim 18, wherein the one or more control devices are further configured to:

pair the first power switch with the second power switch such that the second power switch is a slave power switch in the multi-way switch system.

20. The multi-way switch system of claim 18, wherein the one or more control devices receive the data from a power metering circuit of the first power switch, the power metering circuit configured to detect power consumption of the load when coupled to the power source via the first power switch.