Appliance control system and method

• US 5,365,154 A
• Filed: 01/10/1992
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: North Coast Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: North Coast Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Weppner, Benjamin H., Schneider, John K., Keeney, Frank W., Leszczynski, Nicholas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Application Number:
  US07/819,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.57, 340/825.62, 340/825.63, 340/825.64, 340/825.65, 340/825.69, 340/825.72, 340/310 R, 340/310 A, 340/310 CP, 307/38, 307/39, 307/40, 307/41, 307/112, 307/115, 318/16, 318/34, 318/53, 318/54, 318/55, 318/59, 318/66, 318/102, 318/103, 318/268
• US Class Current: 318/103
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/21034 Address I-O
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2231 Master slave
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23039 Remote programmer
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/086 with possibility of remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier 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 20/20 End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

A system and method for controlling an appliance, such as an indoor ceiling fan, including a controller operatively connected to the appliance motor for controlling its speed and direction of rotation in response to command signals, a control switch adapted to be located remote from the appliance such as a on a wall to provide command signals in response to manual inputs, and a communication link such as the existing a.c. power line, for transmitting command signals from the control switch to the appliance controller. The control switch is characterized by a plurality of operator members such as a keypad each providing no more than one distinct primary function command when manually operated and a processor for converting function commands provided by the operator members into speed and direction command signals for use by the appliance controller. The appliance controller comprises a processor for converting command signals received by the controller into signals for controlling the supply of motor current. The command signals transmitted from the control switch to the appliance controller over the a.c. power lines are digital signals generated by a pulse code modulation method. The appliance can have a lamp associated therewith and means for controlling the brightness thereof in response to commands from the control switch. The system can include a plurality of appliances and associated controllers whereupon the control switch provides address information for selecting particular ones or groups of the appliance controllers.

Claims

1. A ceiling fan control system comprising:

a) a fan controller operatively connected to the motor of a ceiling fan for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of said fan in response to command signals received by said controller;

b) control switch means adapted to be located remote from said fan at a manually accessible location, said switch means including a plurality of operator members each providing a function command when manually operated, said switch means including programmed processor means for converting said function commands provided by said operator members into speed and direction command signals for use by said fan controller and said switch means including circuit means connected to an existing a.c. power line for providing d.c. power for operating said processor means, said circuit means comprising means for controlling the half cycle of the a.c. waveform from said a.c. power line in a manner preventing transmission of a.c. power during a portion of said half cycle, energy storage means operatively connected to said controlling means for storing energy during said portion of said half cycle and means operatively connected to said energy storage means for utilizing the stored energy to provide d.c. power for operating said processor means; and

c) means for providing a communication link between said control switch means and said fan controller for transmitting said command signals from said control switch means to said fan controller.

2. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said means for providing a communication link comprises the existing a.c. power line.

3. The control system according to claim 1, wherein said means for providing a communication link requires only 2-wire cabling and has no-neutral capability.

4. The control system according to claim 1, further including a plurality of fan controllers and wherein said control switch means includes manually operated means for providing input address information for selecting particular groups of said fan controllers, each of said groups including at least one fan controller.

5. The fan control system according to claims 4, wherein said control switch means includes means for addressing all of said groups simultaneously.

6. The control system according to claim 1, further including a lamp associated with said fan and means operatively associated with said lamp for controlling the brightness thereof in response to command signals received thereby, and wherein said control switch means includes additional ones of said operator members and means for converting commands from said operator members into brightness command signals for use by said brightness control means.

7. The control system according to claim 1, further including a lamp associated with said fan and means operatively associated with said lamp for controlling the brightness thereof and wherein said control switch means includes additional operator members for providing distinct brightness commands and said programmed processor means of said control switch means converts said commands into brightness command signals for use by said fan controller and wherein said fan controller includes processor means for converting said brightness command signals received by said fan controller into signals for controlling the brightness of said lamp.

8. A ceiling fan control system comprising:

a) a plurality of fan controllers operatively connected to corresponding motors of a corresponding plurality of ceiling fans for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of said fans in response to command signals received by said controllers;

b) control switch means adapted to be located remote from said fans at a manually accessible location, said switch means including a plurality of operator members each providing no more than one distinct primary function command when manually operated, said switch means including means for converting said function commands provided by said operator members into speed and direction command signals for use by said fan controller, said switch means including manually operated means for providing input address information for selecting particular groups of said fan controllers, each of said groups including at least one fan controller, said control switch means including means for issuing predetermined operational settings for said groups; and

c) means for providing a communicati link between said control switch means and said fan controllers for transmitting said command signals from said control switch means to said fan controllers.

9. A ceiling fan control system comprising:

a) a fan controller operatively connected to the motor of a ceiling fan for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of said fan, said controller comprising means for controlling the supply of current to said motor and processor means for converting command signals received by said fan controller into signals for controlling said current supply control means;

b) manually operated control switch means adapted to be located remote from said fan at a manually accessible location, said switch means including means for converting manual input commands into speed and direction command signals for use by said fan controller;

c) means for providing a communication link between said control switch means and said fan controller for transmitting said command signals from said control switch means to said fan controller;

d) blade rotation sensor means operatively associated with said fan; and

e) means operatively coupled to said blade rotation sensor means and connected to said processor means so that power to said fan is shut off if the fan blades are not rotating.

10. A ceiling fan control system comprising:

a) a fan controller operatively connected to the motor of a ceiling fan for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of said fan, said controller comprising means for controlling the supply of current to said motor and processor means for converting command signals received by said fan controller into signals for controlling said current supply control means;

b) manually operated control switch means adapted to be located remote from said fan at a manually accessible location, said switch means including means for converting manual input commands into speed and direction command signals for use by said fan controller;

c) means for providing a communication link between said control switch means and said fan controller for transmitting said command signals from said control switch means to said fan controller;

d) a lamp associated with said fan and means operatively associated with said lamp for controlling the brightness thereof, said processor means converting said command signals received by said fan controller into signals for controlling the brightness of said lamp; and

e) lamp circuit integrity checking means operatively connected to said lamp and to said processor means so that if the lamp circuit is open due to bulb burnout, breakage or other damage or electrical failure, power to the lamp is shut off.

11. A ceiling fan control system comprising:

a) a plurality of fan controllers operatively connected to corresponding motors of a corresponding plurality of ceiling fans for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of said fans, each of said controllers comprising means for controlling the supply of current to said motor and processor means for converting command signals received by said fan controller into signals for controlling said current supply control means;

b) control switch means adapted to be located remote from said fans at a manually accessible location, said switch means including a plurality of operator members each providing no more than one distinct primary function command when manually operated, said switch means including processor means for converting said function commands provided by said operator members into speed and direction command signals for use by said fan controller, said control switch means including manually operated means for providing input address information to said processor means for providing address signals for selecting particular ones of said fan controllers and said processor means of each of said fan controllers including means responsive to a particular address signal for selecting that particular fan controller, said control switch means including means for issuing predetermined operational settings for said fan controllers; and

c) means for providing a communication link between said control switch means and said fan controllers for transmitting said command signals from said control switch means to said fan controllers.

12. A ceiling fan control system comprising:

a) a plurality of fan controllers operatively connected to corresponding motors of a corresponding plurality of ceiling fans for controlling the speed and direction of rotation of said fans, each of said controllers comprising means for controlling the supply of current to said motor and processor means for converting command signals received by said fan controller into signals for controlling said current supply control means, each of said controllers including memory means operatively connected to said processor means;

b) control switch means adapted to be located remote from said fans at a manually accessible location, said switch means including a plurality of operator members each providing no more than one distinct primary function command when manually operated, said switch means including processor means for converting said function commands provided by said operator members into speed and direction command signals for use by said fan controllers, said control switch means including manually operated means for providing input address information to said processor means for providing address signals for selecting particular ones of said fan controllers and said processor means of each of said fan controllers including means responsive to a particular address signal for selecting that particular fan controller, said control switch means including means for providing commands including memory recall of user pre-defined configurations, storing of new configurations, fan controller identification and an off condition for all fans which commands are processed by said processor means in conjunction with said memory means of said controllers; and

c) means for providing a communication link between said control switch means and said fan controller for transmitting said command signal from said control switch means to said fan controller.