Method and apparatus for switching on-off a group or all lights or appliances of premises
First Claim
1. A method for switching a plurality of loads in steps, each load is operated by an electric circuit including one of SPDT and DPDT relay of an AC device and at least one SPDT and DPDT switch, each said AC device further comprising at least one of a current sensor and a status sensor, a CPU, at least one of a memory and a setting selector and at least one transceiver for propagating two way signals;
- said two way signals selected from a group comprising optical via an optical cable, IR, RF and combinations thereof for exchanging commands between each AC device associated with said plurality of loads via at least one of a controller network and directly, at least one load selected from said plurality is assigned to be a first load operated by a first switch, said method comprising the steps of;
a. connecting a pair of traveler wires between said relay and said switch, an AC power to said AC device and to a pole of said relay and said load to a pole of said switch;
b. installing said AC device and said at least one switch into one of a single electric box together and individually into separated electric boxes;
c. setting particulars of said each load via at least one of said setting selector and download into said memory of each said AC device including particulars of a selected cluster of said plurality of loads;
d. keying said first switch for switching said first load on or off;
e. detecting by one of said current sensor and said status sensor said first load post keying status;
f. triggering a timer by said detecting with a time limit for rekeying;
g. rekeying said first switch within said time limit for recalling said cluster switching;
h. propagating a cluster switching command commensurate with said post keying status to each AC device associated with said cluster of loads via said at least one of controller network and directly; and
i. applying said cluster switching command to said each AC device associated with said cluster.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for switching AC appliances and lights of residences and other automation systems through SPDT or DPDT relays connected in electrical circuit with SPDT or DPDT switch including a current sensor and/or a status sensor. The operating key of the relay and the key lever of the electric switch can each be used for operating a dedicated appliance or light, a group of appliance and lights and all appliance and/or lights including scenarios setup via the many well known two way, three way or four way light switches, by operating the switch lever or key in multi steps. The SPDT or DPDT relays are operated via RF, IR and fiber optic communicating two way signal for operating the lights and reporting statuses.
229 Citations
60 Claims
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1. A method for switching a plurality of loads in steps, each load is operated by an electric circuit including one of SPDT and DPDT relay of an AC device and at least one SPDT and DPDT switch, each said AC device further comprising at least one of a current sensor and a status sensor, a CPU, at least one of a memory and a setting selector and at least one transceiver for propagating two way signals;
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said two way signals selected from a group comprising optical via an optical cable, IR, RF and combinations thereof for exchanging commands between each AC device associated with said plurality of loads via at least one of a controller network and directly, at least one load selected from said plurality is assigned to be a first load operated by a first switch, said method comprising the steps of; a. connecting a pair of traveler wires between said relay and said switch, an AC power to said AC device and to a pole of said relay and said load to a pole of said switch; b. installing said AC device and said at least one switch into one of a single electric box together and individually into separated electric boxes; c. setting particulars of said each load via at least one of said setting selector and download into said memory of each said AC device including particulars of a selected cluster of said plurality of loads; d. keying said first switch for switching said first load on or off; e. detecting by one of said current sensor and said status sensor said first load post keying status; f. triggering a timer by said detecting with a time limit for rekeying; g. rekeying said first switch within said time limit for recalling said cluster switching; h. propagating a cluster switching command commensurate with said post keying status to each AC device associated with said cluster of loads via said at least one of controller network and directly; and i. applying said cluster switching command to said each AC device associated with said cluster. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for switching a numerable loads in steps, each load is operated by an individual electric circuit including one of SPDT and DPDT relay of a numerable device and at least one SPDT and DPDT switch, each said numerable device comprising a given number of said relays, said given number of said status sensors one for each said electric circuit, a CPU, at least one of a memory and a plurality of setting selectors, at least one load selected from said numerable loads is assigned to be a first load operated by a first switch, said method comprising the steps of:
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a. connecting a pair of traveler wires between each of said relays and one said switch, an AC power to said AC device and to each pole of said relays and each said load to a pole of one said switch; b. installing said AC device and said given number of said at least one switch for each said electric circuit; c. setting particulars of said each load via at least one of said setting selector and download into said memory including particulars of a selected cluster from said numerable loads; d. keying said first switch for switching said first load on or off; e. detecting by one of said status sensors said first load post keying status; f. triggering a timer by said detecting with a time limit for rekeying; g. rekeying said first switch within said time limit; and h. operating by said CPU the relays associated with said cluster to switch their respective loads commensurate with said post keying status. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for switching a plurality of loads in steps, each load is operated by an electric circuit including one of SPDT and DPDT relay of an AC device and at least one SPDT and DPDT switch, said electric circuit connects a pair of traveler wires between said relay and said switch, an AC power to said AC device and to a pole of said relay and said load to a pole of said switch, each said AC device further comprising at least one of a current sensor and a status sensor for detecting the status of its load, a CPU, at least one of a setting selector and a memory and at least one transceiver for propagating two way signals;
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said two way signals selected from a group comprising optical via an optical cable, IR, RF and combinations thereof for exchanging commands between each AC device associated with said plurality of loads via at least one of a controller network and directly, at least one load selected from said plurality is assigned to be a first load operated by a first switch; said commands comprising particulars of said first loads including particulars of said first load and a cluster selected from said plurality of loads set via at least one of said setting selector and download into said memory, said detecting comprising the detection of a change in said status and a post keying status, wherein said detection of a post keying status resulting from keying said first switch triggers a timer with a time limit for a multi step keying; and the rekeying of said first switch within said time limit recalls said cluster switching by transmitting a cluster switching command commensurate with said first load post keying status to each AC device associated with said cluster via said one of controller network and directly for applying said cluster switching command. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An apparatus for switching a numerable loads in steps, each load is operated by an individual electric circuit including one of SPDT and DPDT relay of an AC numerable device and at least one SPDT and DPDT switch, said numerable device is connected to an AC power and each said individual electric circuit connects a pair of traveler wires between said relay and said switch, said AC to a pole of one said relay and said load to a pole of one said switch;
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said numerable device comprising a given number of said relays, said given number of status sensor for detecting the status of each said individual electric circuit, a CPU, at least one of a memory and a plurality of setting selectors for at least one of download and setting particulars of each said load including particulars of a cluster selected from said numerable loads, at least one load selected from said numerable loads is assigned to be a first load operated by a first switch; and said detecting by includes a detection of a change in status and a post keying status and said post keying status resulting from keying said first switch triggers a timer with a time limit for a multi step keying, wherein the rekeying said first switch within said time limit triggers said CPU to operate the relays associated with said cluster to switch their respective loads commensurate with said post keying status. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification