Remote control lighting control system

• US 7,498,952 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Newman, Robert C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): OWENS, DOUGLAS W
• Application Number:
  US11/446,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20060284734A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/815.45, 370/315, 370/226, 455/3.03, 455/3.05, 455/7, 455/9, 455/19, 455/90.1, 455/90.2, 455/90.3, 307/113, 307/115, 307/139, 307/140, 307/143, 315/129, 315/133, 315/34, 315/291, 315/DIG.4
• US Class Current: 340/815.45
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light

Abstract

A two-way radio frequency lighting control system comprises a master control including a plurality of manual actuators, and a plurality of dimmers, in which the number of dimmers does not exceed the number of manual actuators. After the lighting control system is installed in an intended end user location, and prior to the first time the lighting control system is energized in the intended end user location, each of the manual actuators is operative to affect the status of one, and only one, of the plurality of dimmers. A turn key lighting control system in which there is a one-to-one correspondence of manual actuators to dimmers is thereby provided.

Claims

1. A system for remotely controlling at least two electrical devices, the system comprising:

a master control unit operable to transmit signals containing control information for controlling the status of the electrical devices; and

at least two control devices operable to receive the signals from the master control unit, each of the control devices respectively electrically connected to at least one of the electrical devices and responsive to the control information to control the at least one of the electrical devices;

wherein the control information includes a unique identifier of at least one of the control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable;

wherein the master control unit and the control devices are pre-configured such that the master control unit is operable to transmit the signals to the control devices, and the control devices are operable to receive the signals from the master control unit and control the status of the at least one electrically connected electrical device in response to the control information containing the unique identifier of the respective control device, immediately upon installing and providing power to the system in a building structure.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two control devices are operable to transmit a signal containing status information to the master control unit, and wherein the status information represents the status of the at least one electrical device connected to the at least one control device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least two control devices further each comprise a dimmer control operable to dim the electrical device connected thereto.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the at least two control devices are operable to transmit status information to the master control unit, wherein the status information represents the status of the respective electrical device, or the setting of the respective dimmer control, or both.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least two electrical devices is a lamp.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals comprise radio frequency signals or infrared signals.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a repeater device operable to receive the signals from the master control unit and to transmit the signals to at least one of the control devices, wherein the repeater is configured to communicate with the master control unit and the control devices immediately upon installing and providing power to the system in a building structure.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the master control unit and the at least two control devices are pre-configured with a unique address for communication.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the address is a bit assignment and selected from the range of 0-2²⁴.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one portable control device operable to transmit a control signal to the master control unit to affect a status of at least one electrical device connected to the at least two control devices, wherein the at least one portable control device is configured to communicate with the master control unit immediately upon installing the master control unit in a building structure.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the portable control device is mountable in an automobile.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the master control unit is further operable to transmit a signal to each of the control devices substantially simultaneously to control each of the control devices substantially simultaneously.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the master control unit and the at least two control devices are pre-programmed, but can be reprogrammed in a customized way by a user.

14. A method for providing a remote control system operable to control at least two electrical devices, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a master control unit operable to transmit signals containing control information for controlling the electrical devices;

providing at least two control devices, each of the control devices respectively electrically connected to at least one of the electrical devices and responsive to the control information for controlling the at least one of the electrical devices, the control information including a unique identifier of at least one of the control devices, the unique identifier not being user selectable; and

pre-configuring the master control unit and the control devices such that the master control unit is operable to transmit signals to the control devices, and the control devices are operable to receive the signals from the master control unit and control the status of the at least one electrically connected electrical device in response to the control information containing the address of the respective control device, immediately upon installing and providing power to the master control unit and the control devices in a building structure.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a respective signal containing status information from the at least one control device to the master control unit;

wherein the status information represents the status of the at least one electrical device connected to the at least one control device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

providing dimmer controls in each control device operable to dim the electrical device connected thereto.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

transmitting a signal containing status information from the at least two control devices;

wherein the status information represents the status of the respective electrical device, or the setting of the respective dimmer control, or both.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

controlling the status of at least one electrical device comprising a lamp.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the signals comprise radio frequency signals or infrared signals.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

providing a repeater device operable to receive the signals from the master control unit and to transmit the signals to at least one of the control devices; and

configuring the repeater device to communicate with the master control unit and the control devices immediately upon installation in a building structure.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the master control unit and the at least two control devices are pre-configured with a unique address for communication.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the address is a bit assignment and selected from the range of 0-2²⁴.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

providing at least one portable control device operable to transmit a control signal to the master control unit to affect a status of the at least one electrical device; and

configuring the at least one portable control device to communicate with the master control unit immediately upon installing the master control unit in a building structure.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

mounting the portable control device in an automobile.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein the master control unit and the at least two control devices are preprogrammed, but can be reprogrammed in a customized way by a user.

26. A two-way radio frequency lighting control system, comprising:

a master control, including a plurality of manual actuators; and

a plurality of dimmers, the number of dimmers not exceeding the number of manual actuators;

wherein, after the lighting control system is installed in an intended end user location, and prior to the first time the lighting control system is energized in the intended end user location, each of the manual actuators is operative to affect the status of one, and only one, of the plurality of dimmers.

27. A two-way radio frequency lighting control system, comprising:

a master control, including a plurality of manual actuators; and

a plurality of dimmers, the number of dimmers not exceeding the number of manual actuators;

wherein, after the lighting control system is installed in an intended end user location, and prior to the first time the lighting control system is energized in the intended end user location, there is a one-to-one correspondence of dimmers to actuators such that each of the plurality of dimmers is adapted to have its status affected by actuation of one, and only one, of the plurality of manual actuators.

28. A lighting control system, comprising:

a master control including;

a plurality of master manual actuators;

a master controller, operatively coupled to the master manual actuators;

a plurality of master status indicators, operatively coupled to the master controller;

a master radio frequency transmitter-receiver, operative coupled to the master controller; and

a master antenna, operatively coupled to the master transmitter-receiver; and

a plurality of dimmers, the number of dimmers not exceeding the number of master manual actuators, each dimmer including;

a dimmer manual on/off actuator;

a dimmer slider actuator;

a dimmer controller, operatively coupled to the dimmer manual on/off actuator and to the dimmer slider actuator;

a dimmer controllably conductive device, operatively coupled to the dimmer controller;

a dimmer radio frequency transmitter-receiver, operatively coupled to the dimmer controller; and

a dimmer antenna, operatively coupled to the dimmer radio frequency transmitter-receiver;

the master controller and each of the plurality of dimmer controllers programmed, prior to installation in an intended end user location, such that each master manual actuator is operative to cause a change in status of one, and only one, of the plurality of dimmers.