AC powered wireless control 3-way light switch transmitter

• US 7,656,308 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2004
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Heathco LLC (Transom Capital Group)
• Original Assignee: Heathco LLC (Transom Capital Group)
• Inventors: Atkins, Barry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman; Brian A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nam V
• Application Number:
  US10/975,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,923 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.72, 340/825.69, 340/310.11, 340/539, 340/825.22, 340/310.01, 348/143, 307/125, 307/31, 324/663, 310/314, 310/311, 200330-331, 323/320, 323/322, 323/270, 315/312, 315/295
• US Class Current: 340/12.3
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

An AC line powered RF transmitter light switch is described. The RF transmitter light switch is installed within a 3-way wall switch circuit thereby allowing direct and constant electrical connection of the RF transmitter light switch and the RF receiving light switch. The RF transmitter light switch is in RF communication with the receiving light switch to control the circuit load or light fixture. The RF receiving light switch is in direct electrical connection to the load and acts as a master controller regarding of the position of the RF transmitter light switch even though the RF transmitter light switch is installed within the 3-way wall switch circuit.

Claims

1. A wireless light switch transmitter for use in a 3-way light switch circuit, comprising:

a transmitter electrically connected to a receiver, both said transmitter and said receiver in said 3-way light switch circuit, said receiver controlling a load, said transmitter in continual and direct electrical connection with said receiver via a first traveler wire and a second traveler wire and further in direct connection with a controlled side of the load, the transmitter and receiver being directly connected to one of a hot side of an AC voltage source or a neutral side of the AC voltage source, the connection to the neutral side being made through the load and not through the receiver such that at least some voltage is maintained at all times between the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire, the at least some voltage being effective to provide a sufficient amount of power to operate an electronic component at the transmitter;

said transmitter having an RF transmitter for transmitting RF signals including an address and data signal to said receiver and controlling the status of the load by the RF signals;

a first on/off switch on said transmitter and a second on/off switch on said receiver and a first dim selection switch on said transmitter and a second dim selection switch on said receiver, said first on/off switch and said first dim selection switch electrically on said transmitter connected to said RF transmitter in order to electronically transmit the RF signals to said receiver.

2. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said first on/off switch is a momentary switch.

3. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said first dim selection switch is a push button.

4. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said transmitter has an RF oscillator circuit.

5. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 4 further having at least two address dip switches for said address signal and further wherein said data signal is selected from the group:

on;

off or dim.

6. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 4 wherein said oscillator circuit generates an RF carrier frequency at about 315 MHz and further includes a 12 bit encoder.

7. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said receiver is address settable.

8. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said receiver further has at least two address dip switches.

9. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said receiver and said transmitter utilize RF signal communication.

10. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said receiver electrically controls said load.

11. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 10 wherein said load is a light fixture.

12. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 1 wherein said transmitter outputs an RF signal representing an eight bit address and a four bit data signal.

13. The wireless light switch transmitter of claim 12 wherein said data signal represents an on, off or dim instruction.

14. A wireless 3-way light switch system comprising:

a light fixture connected to an RF transmitter light switch and an RF receiver light switch, wherein said RF transmitter light switch is continually electrically connected to said RF receiver light switch via a first traveler wire and a second traveler wire and directly connected to a controlled side of the light fixture, wherein the RF receiver light switch is in controllable connection to the light fixture and wherein the RF transmitter light switch and the RF receiver light switch are directly connected to a hot side of an AC voltage source, a connection of the RF transmitter light switch to a neutral side of the AC voltage source being made through the light fixture and not through the RF receiver light switch, wiring in the 3-way light switch system maintaining AC voltage between the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire, the AC voltage being effective to provide a sufficient amount of power to operate an electronic component at the transmitter.

15. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 14 wherein said RF transmitter light switch and said RF receiver light switch both have an on/off switch, a dim switch and a user definable address code and further wherein said RF transmitter light switch has an RE transmitter.

16. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 14 wherein said RF receiver is in controllable electrical connection with said light fixture and operable to control said fixture in response to RF signals from said RF transmitter.

17. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 14 wherein said RF receiver light switch is continually connected to line voltage in parallel with said RF transmitter light switch.

18. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 17 wherein said line voltage is 120 VAC at 60 Hz.

19. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 14 wherein said user definable address code on said RF transmitter light switch is a plurality of dip switches.

20. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 19 wherein said plurality of dip switches is a four position dip switch.

21. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 14 wherein said RF transmitter is electrically operable to transmit RF data signals representing on, off or dim.

22. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 21 wherein said RF transmitter emits a 12 bit RF output signal.

23. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 22 wherein said 12 bit output signal represents at least a four bit address and a four bit data signal.

24. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 23 wherein said output signal is sent on an RF carrier frequency of about 315 MHz.

25. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 14 wherein said RF transmitter has a 315 MHz RF oscillator.

26. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 25 wherein said RF oscillator transmits when said on/off switch or said dim switch is actuated.

27. The wireless 3-way light switch system of claim 26 wherein said RF oscillator is electronically connected to a CMOS 12 bit encoder, said encoder actuated upon the actuation of said on/off switch or said dim switch to output a 12 bit signal to said RF oscillator.

28. A 3-way wireless light switch system, comprising:

an RF transmitter light switch and an RF receiver light switch;

a first electrical wire in electrical connection to a hot side of a line voltage source and not to a neutral side of the line voltage source, said first electrical wire also in connection with said RF transmitter light switch and said RF receiver light switch;

a second electrical wire in direct electrical connection with a light fixture, said RF transmitter light switch and said RF receiver light switch;

a third electrical wire in connection with the neutral side of the line voltage source and the light fixture and not connected to the RF transmitter light switch and the RF receiver light switch,

the RF transmitter light switch in constant electrical connection with the RF receiver light switch and the RF receiver light switch is in controllable electrical connection to the light fixture to maintain AC voltage between the first electrical wire and the second electrical wire, the AC voltage being effective to provide a sufficient amount of power to operate an electronic component at the transmitter.

29. The 3-way wireless light switch system of claim 28 wherein said RF transmitter light switch has an RF transmitter.

30. The 3-way wireless light switch system of claim 29 wherein said RF transmitter has an RF oscillator circuit.

31. The 3-way wireless light switch system of claim 30 further having an encoder in electronic connectivity with said RF oscillator circuit.

32. The 3-way wireless light switch system of claim 28 wherein said RF transmitter light switch and said RF receiver light switch both have an on/off actuation switch and a dim switch to actuate said fixture.

33. The 3-way wireless light switch system of claim 28 wherein said RF transmitter light switch and said RF receiver light switch both have at least a four position dip switch.

34. A method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system, comprising:

electrically connecting a hot line to an RF transmitter switch and an RF receiver switch;

electrically connecting a travel wire directly to said RF transmitter switch, said RF receiver switch and to a light fixture;

electrically connecting a neutral line to the light fixture, wherein the RF transmitter and RF receiver are not connected to the neutral line;

electronically controlling said light fixture operation through said RF receiver switch;

wirelessly communicating through an RF carrier frequency instructions from said RF transmitter switch to said RF receiver switch upon actuation of said RF transmitter switch; and

maintaining AC voltage between the traveler wire and the hot wire, the AC voltage being effective to provide a sufficient amount of power to operate an electronic component at the wireless transmitter.

35. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 34 wherein said RF carrier frequency instructions are on, off or dim.

36. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 34 further comprising defining a unique four bit address for both said RF receiver switch and said RF transmitter switch.

37. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 34 wherein said communication step further includes providing a multi-bit data transmission from an encoder to an RF oscillator.

38. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 37 wherein said multi-bit data transmission is a 3 kHz 12 bit transmission.

39. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 38 wherein said RF oscillator operates at a frequency of about 315 MHz.

40. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 34 wherein both said RF transmitter switch and said RF receiver switch actuate said light fixture.

41. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 40 wherein said RF transmitter switch actuates said light fixture through said instructions.

42. The method of implementing a wireless command 3-way light switch system of claim 40 wherein said RF receiver switch may actuate said light fixture after interpreting said commands from said RF transmitter switch.