Appliance control system with programmable receivers

• US 5,352,957 A
• Filed: 06/19/1992
• Issued: 10/04/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zumtobel AG
• Original Assignee: Zumtobel AG
• Inventors: Werner, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ratliff, Reginald A.
• Application Number:
  US07/861,839
• Time in Patent Office: 837 Days
• Field of Search: 315/313, 315/314, 315/316, 315/320, 315/324, 315/362, 315/363, 315/291, 315/293, 307/38, 307/40, 307/3, 340/310 A, 340/310 CP, 340/288, 340/320
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21028 Address of module determined by position
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21053 Each unit, module has unique identification code, set during manufacturing, fMAC address
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus 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 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/00 Management or operation of end-user stationary applications or the last stages of power distribution; Controlling, monitoring or operating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, having a command generator (1), a receiver (10) associated with each appliance (40), a control line (2) which connects the command generator (1) to each receiver (10), and a first memory (20, 23) in each receiver (10) in which an operational address (A2) for the associated appliance (40) can be stored. A control part (30, 50) is provided in each receiver (10) by means of which the appliance (40) associated therewith (30, 50) can be controlled by the command generator (1) if it (30, 50) has first been activated by selection of the operational address (A2) of the appliance (40) associated therewith. The control system for appliances that are to be in distributed arrangement is intended to make a particularly simple initiation of operations possible. This is achieved by the fact that the operational address (A2) in the first memory (20) of each receiver (10) can be written-in by electrical signals, and that an electrically readable second memory (21) is provided which contains a receiver-specific original address (A1).

Claims

1. A control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

one or several command generators,

a receiver associated with each appliance,

a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,

a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals, and

a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,

characterized in that

provided in each receiver is an electrically readable second memory that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, and

a sensor part is associated with each receiver which measures a local measured value of a physical property, as brightness or temperature, and in that the detected measured value is communicated by way of the control part provided in the receiver on command of the command generator to the command generator via the control line.

2. A control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

one or several command generators,

a receiver associated with each appliance,

a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,

a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals, and

a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,

characterized in that

provided in each receiver is an electrically readable second memory that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, and

the control line comprises optically conductive material and the command generator controls the connected receivers by way of bidirectional optical control signals, or in that the connected receivers can be controlled bidirectionally or unidirectionally via infrared signals from one or more command generators, in particular portable or mobile command generators.

3. A method for putting into operation a control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

one or several command generators,

a receiver associated with each appliance,

a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,

a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals,

a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,

wherein an electrically readable second memory is provided in each receiver that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, said method comprising,

a) storing before installation of the system the receiver-specific original address in the second memory of each receiver,

b) instructing, after the system has been installed, via the control line by means of the command generator, the receivers of all appliances to transmit their receiver-specific original addresses,

c) selecting by means of the command generator one of the transmitted original addresses and instructing the appliance associated with this address to identify itself,

d) storing an operational address which, after installation of the system, takes account of a specific grouping and/or arrangement of appliances in different rooms, in the first memory of the receiver associated with the identified appliance by means of the command generator,

e) repeating the steps b) to d) until all operational addresses are written in the corresponding first memories, and

f) wherein according to step b) the receivers which send their original addresses do not yet have an operational address, and in that the receivers which have already been allocated an operational address in previous initiation of operations send this operational address instead of the original address.

4. A method for putting into operation a control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

one or several command generators,

a receiver associated with each appliance,

a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,

a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals,

a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,

wherein an electrically readable second memory is provided in each receiver that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, said method comprising,

a) storing before installation of the system the receiver-specific original address in the second memory of each receiver,

b) instructing, after the system has been installed, via the control line by means of the command generator, the receivers of all appliances to transmit their receiver-specific original addresses,

c) selecting by means of the command generator one of the transmitted original addresses and instructing the appliance associated with this address to identify itself,

d) storing an operational address which, after installation of the system, takes account of a specific grouping and/or arrangement of appliances in different rooms, in the first memory of the receiver associated with the identified appliance by means of the command generator,

e) repeating the steps b) to d) until all operational addresses are written in the corresponding first memories, and

f) wherein the operational address directly replaces the original address, while a characterizing address for denoting the type of appliance, in particular the type of lighting fitting, remains unchanged.

5. A method for putting into operation a control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

one or several command generators,

a receiver associated with each appliance,

a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,

a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals,

a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,

wherein an electrically readable second memory is provided in each receiver that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, said method comprising,

a) storing before installation of the system the receiver-specific original address in the second memory of each receiver,

b) instructing, after the system has been installed, via the control line by means of the command generator, the receivers of all appliances to transmit their receiver-specific original addresses,

c) selecting by means of the command generator one of the transmitted original addresses and instructing the appliance associated with this address to identify itself,

d) storing an operational address which, after installation of the system, takes account of a specific grouping and/or arrangement of appliances in different rooms, in the first memory of the receiver associated with the identified appliance by means of the command generator,

e) repeating the steps b) to d) until all operational addresses are written in the corresponding first memories, and

f) wherein on the basis of a command from the command generator, each control part decides which of the two addresses is to be selected.