Communications in multiple-switch electrical circuits
First Claim
1. A channel selection system for an electrical circuit controlling voltage applied from a mains line to a load, the electrical circuit comprising a plurality of switches comprising at least a first three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to a hot conductor of the mains line and a last three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to the load, in which each switch in the electrical circuit is connected to a next switch in the electrical circuit by a first traveler wire and a second traveler wire, the system comprising:
- a) a signal generator having an input and an output,such that the signal generator generates a signal on the output in response to a condition on the input;
b) a signal generator channel selector comprising;
i) a voltage detector having inputs coupled to the first traveler wire and to the second traveler wire and an output;
ii) a signal generator channel selector switch having a control input coupled to the output of the voltage detector, a signal input coupled to the output of the signal generator, a first signal output coupled to the first traveler wire and a second signal output coupled to the second traveler wire,such that the voltage detector detects which of the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire is connected to the hot conductor of the mains line, and the voltage detector controls the output of the voltage detector coupled to the control input of the signal generator channel selector switch to cause the signal generator channel selector switch to connect the signal input of the signal generator channel selector switch to the first signal output or the second signal output, thereby coupling the signal from the signal generator to whichever of the first traveler wire or the second traveler wire is not connected to the hot conductor of the mains line;
c) a signal detecting channel selector, comprising;
i) a voltage detector having inputs coupled to the first traveler wire and to the second traveler wire and an output;
ii) a signal detecting channel selector switch having a control input coupled to the output of the voltage detector, a signal output, a first signal input coupled to the first traveler wire and a second signal input coupled to the second traveler wire,such that the voltage detector detects which of the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire is connected to the hot conductor of the mains line, and the voltage detector controls the output of the voltage detector coupled to the control input of the signal detecting channel selector switch to cause the signal detecting channel selector switch to connect the signal output of the signal detecting channel selector switch to the first signal input or the second signal input, thereby coupling whichever of the first traveler wire or the second traveler wire is not connected to the hot conductor of the mains line to the signal output of the signal detecting channel selector switch; and
d) a signal detector having an input coupled to the signal output of the signal detecting channel selector switch and an output responsive to a signal detected at the input.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system, device and method to allow communications between switches in an electrical circuit containing three-way and four-way switches. The system, device and method allow any switch in an electrical circuit using conventional wiring for three-way and four-way switches to indicate when voltage is being supplied to the electrical load device in the electrical circuit; if a dimmer is present in the electrical circuit, to indicate the dim level of the load device in the electrical circuit and to command to dim level from any switch; and if a timer is present, to allow any switch to provide a warning indication prior to the timer shutting off the load device, and to allow any switch to reset the timer, preventing the shutoff.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A channel selection system for an electrical circuit controlling voltage applied from a mains line to a load, the electrical circuit comprising a plurality of switches comprising at least a first three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to a hot conductor of the mains line and a last three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to the load, in which each switch in the electrical circuit is connected to a next switch in the electrical circuit by a first traveler wire and a second traveler wire, the system comprising:
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a) a signal generator having an input and an output, such that the signal generator generates a signal on the output in response to a condition on the input; b) a signal generator channel selector comprising; i) a voltage detector having inputs coupled to the first traveler wire and to the second traveler wire and an output; ii) a signal generator channel selector switch having a control input coupled to the output of the voltage detector, a signal input coupled to the output of the signal generator, a first signal output coupled to the first traveler wire and a second signal output coupled to the second traveler wire, such that the voltage detector detects which of the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire is connected to the hot conductor of the mains line, and the voltage detector controls the output of the voltage detector coupled to the control input of the signal generator channel selector switch to cause the signal generator channel selector switch to connect the signal input of the signal generator channel selector switch to the first signal output or the second signal output, thereby coupling the signal from the signal generator to whichever of the first traveler wire or the second traveler wire is not connected to the hot conductor of the mains line; c) a signal detecting channel selector, comprising; i) a voltage detector having inputs coupled to the first traveler wire and to the second traveler wire and an output; ii) a signal detecting channel selector switch having a control input coupled to the output of the voltage detector, a signal output, a first signal input coupled to the first traveler wire and a second signal input coupled to the second traveler wire, such that the voltage detector detects which of the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire is connected to the hot conductor of the mains line, and the voltage detector controls the output of the voltage detector coupled to the control input of the signal detecting channel selector switch to cause the signal detecting channel selector switch to connect the signal output of the signal detecting channel selector switch to the first signal input or the second signal input, thereby coupling whichever of the first traveler wire or the second traveler wire is not connected to the hot conductor of the mains line to the signal output of the signal detecting channel selector switch; and d) a signal detector having an input coupled to the signal output of the signal detecting channel selector switch and an output responsive to a signal detected at the input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A channel selection device for use with a switch in an electrical circuit controlling voltage applied from a mains line to a load, the electrical circuit comprising a plurality of switches comprising at least a first three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to a hot conductor of the mains line and a last three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to the load, in which each switch in the electrical circuit is connected to a next switch in the electrical circuit by a first traveler wire and a second traveler wire;
- the device comprising;
a) a voltage detector coupled to the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire on one of the plurality of switches and having an output, and b) a channel selector comprising a control input coupled to the output of the voltage detector, a first port coupled to the first traveler wire, a second port coupled to the second traveler wire, and a third port switchable by the control input to either the first port or the second port; such that the voltage detector detects which of the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire is not connected to the hot conductor of the mains line, and the output of the voltage detector causes the third port of the channel selector to be switched to whichever of the first port of the channel selector or the second port of the channel selector is coupled to the not connected one of the first traveler wire or the second traveler wire. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
- the device comprising;
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44. A method of signaling in an electrical circuit controlling voltage applied from a mains line to a remote load, the electrical circuit comprising a plurality of switches comprising at least a first three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to a hot conductor of the mains line and a last three-way switch having a common terminal coupled to the load, in which each switch in the electrical circuit is connected to a next switch in the electrical circuit by a first traveler wire and a second traveler wire, the method comprising:
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a) in at least one of the plurality of switches; i) detecting which of the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire is connected to the hot conductor of the mains line, ii) applying a signal to whichever of the first traveler wire or the second traveler wire is not connected to the hot conductor of the mains line; b) in at least one of the plurality of switches, detecting the signal on whichever of the first traveler wire and the second traveler wire is not connected to the hot conductor of the mains line. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification