Control module for engergy management system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for providing a variable-characteristic signal for controlling the condition of at least one associated load to a selected one of plural levels of operation, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) at least one local control means for providing load control means data signals and including at least one switching element having open and closed contact positions;
(b) controller logic means including a central processor unit (CPU), ROM means for substantially permanently storing program data defining operational parameters of the apparatus and for providing said program data under control of said CPU, RAM means for substantially temporarily storing digital data under control of said CPU, and input/output (I/O) means having ports for communicating digital data to and from the controller logic means;
(c) interface means responsive to a command from said CPU for interfacing said local control means data signal in digital form to at least one of said I/O means ports;
said interfacing means including an input bus to which said at least one local control switching element is connected;
(d) said CPU periodically requesting said local control means data signals from said I/O means in accordance with instructions contained in said ROM means program data;
(e) said RAM means receiving and storing the local control means data from said interfacing means until such data is requested by said CPU;
(f) said CPU producing digital data at least in part dependent upon the content of said local control means data signals;
(g) said RAM means receiving and storing said digital data; and
(h) means responsive to said digital data signals stored in said RAM means for producing said variable-characteristic signal with the magnitude of the variable characteristic being established responsive to said digital data obtained from said RAM means and for providing said variable-characteristic signal for controlling the condition of at least one associated load to a selected one of a plurality of at least three levels of operation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control module for controlling at least one variable-power-consuming load responsive to data input from local and/or remote locations, utilizes a controller microcomputer having an output setting the gain of a variable gain amplifier. The variable gain amplifier operates on a substantially-constant output of an oscillator to provide, on a cycle-by-cycle or long-term basis, a periodic waveform of controlled amplitude to the at least one load. The amplitude of the waveform sets the energy consumption/output of the load. Another data bus facilitates connection of local control means to a control module interface providing local control information to the controller microcomputer, while a third data bus is dedicated to communication with a remote central controller, if used. The control module includes circuitry for allowing a unique local address to be set for a particular control module, to which unique address the control module responds when a plurality of such control modules are connected in parallel to a central controller. A fourth data bus connects local sensors, such a photocells, thermistors and the like, through analog-to-digital conversion circuitry to the controller microcomputer, to facilitate control of the local loads responsive to local ambient conditions. The maximum level of the load(s) connected to a control module may be programmably established such that this maximum level can not be exceeded by local and/or remote commands, until the maximum level is altered.
84 Citations
92 Claims
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1. Apparatus for providing a variable-characteristic signal for controlling the condition of at least one associated load to a selected one of plural levels of operation, said apparatus comprising:
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(a) at least one local control means for providing load control means data signals and including at least one switching element having open and closed contact positions; (b) controller logic means including a central processor unit (CPU), ROM means for substantially permanently storing program data defining operational parameters of the apparatus and for providing said program data under control of said CPU, RAM means for substantially temporarily storing digital data under control of said CPU, and input/output (I/O) means having ports for communicating digital data to and from the controller logic means; (c) interface means responsive to a command from said CPU for interfacing said local control means data signal in digital form to at least one of said I/O means ports;
said interfacing means including an input bus to which said at least one local control switching element is connected;(d) said CPU periodically requesting said local control means data signals from said I/O means in accordance with instructions contained in said ROM means program data; (e) said RAM means receiving and storing the local control means data from said interfacing means until such data is requested by said CPU; (f) said CPU producing digital data at least in part dependent upon the content of said local control means data signals; (g) said RAM means receiving and storing said digital data; and (h) means responsive to said digital data signals stored in said RAM means for producing said variable-characteristic signal with the magnitude of the variable characteristic being established responsive to said digital data obtained from said RAM means and for providing said variable-characteristic signal for controlling the condition of at least one associated load to a selected one of a plurality of at least three levels of operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A mehod for controlling the condition of at least one load to a selected one of multiple conditions, responsive to adjusting the magnitude of a load input control signal by actuation of a local control switch having selectable first and second closed positions and a normally open position, comprising the steps of:
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(a) changing the magnitude of the load input control signal in a first direction responsive to any one of the at least one local control switch being in the first closed position; (b) changing the magnitude of the load input control signal in a second direction, opposite to said first direction, responsive to any one of the at least one local control switch being in the second closed position; (c) maintaining the magnitude of the load input control signal at a previously set magnitude responsive to all of the at least one local control switch being in the open position; (d) sensing the load consumption/output level; and (e) adjusting the magnitude of the load input control signal to maintain said load level substantially constant when said at least one local control switch is in the normally-open position. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A programmable system for controlling the energy output of plural electrically energized loads to ones of a plurality of discrete levels wherein a programmable central controller is coupled to distributed plural programmable control modules whose output means are respectively coupled to at least one subset of the loads, the combination comprising:
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(a) the subset of electrically energized loads for producing a discrete level of energy output representative of the value of a control signal; (b) the central controller for providing to the programmable control modules command digital data comprising commanded address data identifying the programmable control modules to be controlled by the central controller, and remotely commanded level data from the central controller representative of a selected one of a plurality of at least three discrete levels of load energization, including a turn-off level; (c) the programmable control modules comprising means for internally storing address data, address recognition means for comparing commanded address data from said central controller with internally stored address data and means responsive to correspondence thereof for decoding the remotely commanded level data; (d) local control switching means for connection to at least one of said programmable control modules to permit control of load energization from locations displaced from the central controller, said local control means comprising manually actuable switching means for locally commanding load energization to a selected one of a plurality of at least three discrete levels of energization, including a turn-off level; (e) said at least one of said programmable control modules comprising means responsive to actuation of said local control switching means for generating and for storing locally commanded level data representative of the selected one of the plurality of at least three discrete levels of the load energization; and (f) said at least one programmable control module comprising means for producing at its output means a load control signal of variable characteristic having a value representative of the last commanded one of remotely commanded level data and of locally commanded level data and for modifying the value of the control signal responsive to subsequent changes of either the locally commanded or the remotely commanded level data. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. A programmable lighting control system for controlling the light energy output of gaseous discharge tubes to selected ones of a plurality of discrete levels, the combination comprising:
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(a) ballast means having an input, and an output adapted to energize a subset of gaseous discharge tube means to a level of intensity representative of the value of a signal applied to the input of the ballast means; (b) programmable control means comprising; (b1) output means, (b2) input means for entering a command signal representative of a selected one of a plurality of discrete levels of light excitation; (b3) means for producing a digital command signal of a value representative of the selected level; (b4) means for converting said digital command signal to a corresponding variable characteristics signal; (b5) means for generating and supplying at the output means a carrier signal modulated with the variable characteristic signal; (c) coupling means coupled between the programmable control means and the ballast means comprising isolation means for coupling the variable characteristic output signal and for isolating d-c voltages occurring at the ballast means from the programmable control means, and (d) detecting means coupled between the isolating means and the ballast means for providing to the ballast a unipolar signal of magnitude representative of the selected level of light intensity.
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87. In a programmable lighting system wherein a plurality of ballast control modules located at dispersed locations are coupled to ballast means connected to gaseous discharge tube means, and wherein the ballast control means provides a control signal to the ballast means of a value representative of the desired one of a plurality of light excitation levels, said ballast control means comprising:
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(a) first input means adapted to be coupled to a central controller for receiving therefrom digital data comprising address data and controller level data representative of a selected one of a plurality of at least three levels of light excitation to be produced by gaseous discharge tube means coupled to the ballast control modules; (b) means for storing at least one preselected address; (c) address recognition means responsive to reception of said digital data to compare the address data from the central controller with said at least one preselected address; (d) means responsive to correspondence of address data with said at least one preselected address for storing the controller level data; (e) second input means adapted for connection to local control switching means providing for local selection of one of a plurality of at least three discrete excitation levels; (f) digital data means responsive to the local control switching means for producing local level data of a value representative of the locally selected level of light excitation; and (g) output means for generating and producing a control signal of value representative of the level of the most recently received one of said controller level data and of said local level data, and for updating the value of said control signal responsive to the next subsequent receipt of either of centrally commanded or of locally commanded level data. - View Dependent Claims (88, 89, 90)
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91. A programmable system for controlling light excitation of gaseous discharge tube means to selected ones of a plurality of discrete levels of light excitation, the combination comprising:
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(a) ballast means comprising an input adapted to receive a control signal, means for exciting gaseous discharge tube means to light excitation values inversely related to the value of the control signal and limited to a predetermined maximum excitation value in the absence of a control signal, and means for terminating excitation of the tube means during the presence of a control signal of a predetermined maximum value; (b) ballast control means comprising output means for serial transmission of the control signal to the input of the ballast means, input means to receive a level command signal representative of a commanded one of a plurality of at least three discrete levels of excitation including a turn off level representative of a command to extinguish excitation of the gaseous discharge tube means; (c) said ballast control means comprising means for providing at said output means a continuous control signal having a variable characteristic of a predetermined value that is representative of the commanded one of the plurality of levels and is inversely related to the ratio of the commanded level of excitation to the maximum excitation value producible by the ballast means.
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92. In a system for controlling the light intensity of gaseous discharge tube means to a selected one of a plurality of at least three levels of discrete excitation, the combination comprising:
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(a) ballast means comprising an input and means for energizing the discharge tube means to a level of intensity representative of the value of a control signal applied to said input; (b) digital control means responsive to an externally commanded level of intensity to produce a digital control signal of value representative of the externally commanded level of intensity; (c) modulation means for generating continuous waves modulated responsive to the value of said control signal; (d) isolation means coupled between said modulation means and the input of said ballast means for isolating electrical potentials occuring at said ballast means from said modulating means; and (e) detection means coupled in circuit between said isolation means and the input of said ballast means to provide to said input means a unipolar control signal of a magnitude representative of the commanded one of a plurality of discrete levels of light intensity.
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Specification