Cordset based appliance controller
First Claim
1. An apparatus for distributed control of an electrical appliance having a plug and a load and two power carrying conductors connecting said plug to said load, comprising:
- power control elements that are completely contained within said plug;
interface elements that are connected to said two power carrying conductors and that are not contained within said plug; and
means for transmitting status information from said interface elements to said power control elements by imposition of electrical signals onto said two power carrying conductors, wherein said electrical signals comprise an adjustable duration deadzone at a zero crossing of a sinusoidal excitation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method for distributed control of an electrical appliance having a plug and a load and two power carrying conductors connecting the plug to the load, comprising locating power control elements completely within the plug, connecting interface elements to the two power carrying conductors, which interface elements are not within the plug, and transmitting status information from the interface elements to the power control elements by imposition of electrical signals onto the two power carrying conductors, wherein the electrical signals comprise an adjustable duration deadzone at a zero crossing of a sinusoidal excitation.
97 Citations
26 Claims
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1. An apparatus for distributed control of an electrical appliance having a plug and a load and two power carrying conductors connecting said plug to said load, comprising:
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power control elements that are completely contained within said plug; interface elements that are connected to said two power carrying conductors and that are not contained within said plug; and means for transmitting status information from said interface elements to said power control elements by imposition of electrical signals onto said two power carrying conductors, wherein said electrical signals comprise an adjustable duration deadzone at a zero crossing of a sinusoidal excitation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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- 11. An appliance control apparatus that is resident in a module insertable into a receptacle outlet and into which an appliance is plugged, said apparatus comprising means for controlling the appliance and means for transmitting status information to and/or from said appliance by imposition of electrical signals onto two power carrying conductors, wherein said electrical signals comprise an adjustable duration deadzone at a zero crossing of a sinusoidal excitation.
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14. A method for distributed control of an electrical appliance having a plug and a load and two power carrying conductors connecting the plug to the load, the method comprising the steps of:
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locating power control elements completely within the plug; connecting interface elements to the two power carrying conductors, which interface elements are not within the plug; and transmitting status information from the interface elements to the power control elements by imposition of electrical signals onto the two power carrying conductors, wherein the electrical signals comprise an adjustable duration deadzone at a zero crossing of a sinusoidal excitation. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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- 24. An appliance control method employing a module insertable into a receptacle outlet and into which an appliance is plugged, the method comprising the steps of controlling the appliance and transmitting status information to and/or from the appliance by imposition of electrical signals onto two power carrying conductors, wherein the electrical signals comprise an adjustable duration deadzone at a zero crossing of a sinusoidal excitation.
Specification