Lighting control with wireless remote control and programmability

• US 6,300,727 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2000
• Issued: 10/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Spira, Joel S., Wolbert, Donald J. III, Hakkarainen, Simo Pekka, Bryde, Gary W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Philogene, Haissa
• Application Number:
  US09/603,654
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291-294, 315/297, 315/307, 315/DIG. 4, 315/320, 315/322, 315/315, 315/149
• US Class Current: 315/294
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/086 with possibility of remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/088 by wireless means, e.g. infrared transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A remotely controllable and programmable power control unit for controlling and programming the state and power level, including special functions, of one or more electrical devices. The electrical device can be an electric lamp. The system includes a user-actuatable remote transmitter unit and a user-actuatable power control unit adapted to receive control signals from the remote transmitter unit. Both the remote transmitter unit and the power control unit include a power selection actuator for selecting a desired power level between a minimum power level and a maximum power level, and control switches for generating control signals representative of programmed power levels of one or more power scenes and special functions. In response to an input from a user, either directly or remotely, the one or more devices of the one or more power scenes can be controlled between an on or off state, to a desired programmed preset, or to a maximum power level.

Claims

1. Apparatus for remotely controlling power delivered to at least one electrical device comprising:

(a) a wireless transmitter having a first transmitter switch for generating and transmitting a first and a second control signal, in response to actuation of said first transmitter switch, and

(b) at least one control unit having a receiver for receiving said first transmitted control signal from said wireless transmitter, said at least one control unit having a control circuit for controlling the power delivered to said at least one electrical device in response to said first control signal,

said second control signal commanding the control unit to store in a memory a preset power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one electrical device comprises a lighting source and said control circuit for controlling the power delivered to said at least one electrical device, comprises a light intensity control circuit for controlling the light intensity of said lighting source.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a first control unit switch wherein actuation of said first control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to decrease the power supplied to said at least one electrical device from a non-zero power level to zero power level if prior to said actuation said control circuit is controlling said power to be delivered to said at least one electrical device to be said non-zero power level, and to increase the power supplied to said at least one electrical device from zero to said preset power level if prior to said actuation said control circuit is controlling said power to be delivered to said at least one electrical device to be zero.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a first control unit switch wherein two successive actuations of said first control switch in a short duration of time commands said at least one control unit to provide maximum power to said at least one electrical device.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising second and third control unit switches wherein an actuation of said second control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to increase the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device, and wherein an actuation of said third control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to decease the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said second and third control unit switches are used to set said preset power level to be stored in said memory.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an indicator which provides an indication that said preset power level has been stored in said memory.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said wireless transmitter transmits infra-red radiation and said receiver receives said infra-red radiation.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein two successive actuations of said first transmitter switch in a short duration of time commands said at least one control unit to provide maximum power to said at least one electrical device.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising second and third transmitter switches wherein an actuation of said second transmitter switch commands said at least one control unit to increase the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device, and wherein actuation of said third transmitter switch commands said at least one control unit to decrease the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said second and third transmitter switches are used to set said preset power level to be stored.

12. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one additional control unit units for controlling the power delivered to additional electrical devices, said additional control units having additional receivers, said control units being responsive to said second control signal to store additional preset power levels to be delivered to respective additional electrical devices.

13. Apparatus for controlling power delivered to at least one electrical device, comprising:

a wireless transmitter having at least one transmitter switch wherein said at least one transmitter switch includes a first and a second transmitter switch for generating and transmitting a first and a second control signal,

at least one control unit having a receiver for receiving said first and said second signals from said wireless transmitter, said at least one control unit having addressability and a control circuit for controlling the power delivered to said at least one electrical device,

said first control signal commanding said at least one control unit to be responsive to signals containing one of a plurality of addresses,

said second control signal containing an address component and said at least one control unit responding to said second control signal when said address component of said second control signal is the same as the address assigned to said at least one control unit.

14. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said electrical device comprises an electric lamp, and said control circuit for controlling the power delivered to said at least one electrical device, comprises a light intensity control circuit for controlling the light intensity of said electric lamp.

15. An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein said first transmitter switch is an address selector switch for selecting one of said plurality of addresses to be included in said address component of said second control signal.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said address selector switch is further used for selecting one of said plurality of addresses to be used in said first control signal, said wireless transmitter further comprising a third transmitter switch, wherein actuation of said third transmitter switch causes said first control signal to be transmitted.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein one of said plurality of addresses is an all address, and wherein when said all address is included in said address component of said second control signal, all of said at least one control units respond to said second control signal irrespective of the individual addresses which have been assigned to said at least one control units.

18. An apparatus according to claim 13 further comprising a first control unit switch wherein said one of said plurality of addresses is stored in a memory in said at least one control unit when said first control unit switch is actuated within a predetermined period of time after said first control signal is received by said at least one control unit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein actuation of said first control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to decrease the power supplied to said at least one electrical device from a non-zero power level to a zero power level if prior to said actuation said control circuit is controlling said power to be delivered to said at least one electrical device to be said non-zero power level, and to increase the power supplied to said at least one electrical device from zero to said non-zero power level if prior to said actuation said control circuit is controlling said power to be delivered to said at least one electrical device to be zero.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said first control unit switch further generates a third and a fourth control signal,

said third control signal commanding said at least one control unit to store a preset power level in a memory, and

said fourth control signal commanding the control unit to clear said preset power level from said memory.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20 comprising a second and a third control unit switch wherein actuation of said second control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to increase the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device and wherein actuation of said third control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to decrease the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said second and said third control unit switches are used to set said preset power level to be stored in said memory.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said at least one control unit further comprises a delay setting switch for setting a delay time, wherein actuation of said first control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to decrease the power supplied to said at least one electrical device from said non-zero power level to said zero power level after a duration of said delay time.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein said delay setting switch is said third control unit switch which is used to set said duration of said delay time when said at least one control unit is controlling said power to be delivered to said at least one electrical device to be zero.

25. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein actuation of said first control unit switch commands said at least one control unit to decrease the power supplied to said at least one electrical device from said non-zero power level to said zero power level after a delay time, wherein a duration of said delay time is proportional to a length of time said first control unit switch is actuated.

26. An apparatus according to claim 13, comprising a fourth and a fifth transmitter switch wherein actuation of said fourth transmitter switch commands said at least one control unit to increase the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device and wherein actuation of said fifth transmitter switch commands said at least one control unit to decrease the power level to be delivered to said at least one electrical device.