Systems and methods for rules based, automated lighting control

• US 8,299,721 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Telsa Controls Corporation
• Inventors: Smith, Derek Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David Hung
• Application Number:
  US12/481,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20090302782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 315/291, 315/292, 315/293, 315/312, 315/294, 315/295, 315/297, 315/307, 315/308, 315/313, 315/314, 315/315, 315316-322
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/155 Coordinated control of two or more light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A lighting control system comprising a plurality of intelligent switches designed to replace a conventional light switch, each of the intelligent switches including a receiver configured to receive communication signals that include rules based instructions for controlling one or more lighting circuits; a circuit interrupter configured to control the amount of current flowing to a lighting circuit; a memory configured to store the rules based instructions; and a processor coupled with the receiver, memory, and circuit interrupter, the processor configured to control the operation of the circuit interrupter based on the rules based instructions stored in memory.

Claims

1. A lighting control system comprising a plurality of intelligent switches, each of the intelligent switches including:

a receiver configured to receive communication signals that include rules based instructions for controlling one or more lighting circuits;

a circuit interrupter configured to control the amount of energy flowing to a lighting circuit;

a current sensor for detecting the presence of one or more burnt-out electrical components contained within the lighting circuit by measuring the amount of current flowing through the lighting circuit;

a memory configured to store the rules based instructions; and

a processor coupled with the receiver, memory, current sensor, and circuit interrupter, the processor configured to control the operation of the circuit interrupter based on the rules based instructions stored in memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of intelligent switches further comprises a transmitter coupled with processor, the transmitter configured to transmit data related to the operation of the intelligent switch and the lighting circuit under control of the processor.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the transmitted data includes data related to how much current is flowing through the lighting circuit.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the receiver and transmitter are configured to send and receive signals via a wireless network.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the receiver and transmitter are configured to send and receive signals via a main power circuit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of switches includes a receiver configured to receive the rules based instructions from a remote server, and wherein each of the plurality of switches is a node on a wireless network and is configured to communicate with each other via the wireless network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of switches is a node on a wireless network and is configured to communicate with each other and with a gateway via the wireless network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless network is a wireless mesh network.

9. A lighting control system, comprising:

a plurality of intelligent switches, each of the intelligent switches including;

a receiver configured to receive communication signals that include rules based instructions for controlling one or more lighting circuits,

a circuit interrupter configured to control the amount of energy flowing to a lighting circuit,

a current sensor for detecting the presence of one or more burnt-out electrical components contained within the lighting circuit by measuring the amount of current flowing through the lighting circuit;

a memory configured to store the rules based instructions, and

a processor coupled with the receiver, memory, current sensor, and circuit interrupter, the processor configured to control the operation of the circuit interrupter based on the rules based instructions stored in memory; and

a gateway, the gateway including;

a first transceiver configured to communicate with a remote server in order to receive rules based instructions for control of a plurality of intelligent switches, and

a transmitter configured to transmit the rules based instructions to the plurality of intelligent switches.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of intelligent switches further comprises a switch transceiver comprising the receiver and a transmitter coupled with the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit data related to the operation of the intelligent switch and the lighting circuit under control of the processor, and wherein the gateway further comprises a second transceiver comprising the transmitter and a receiver configured to receive the data, the gateway configured to forward the data to the server via the first transceiver.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the transmitted data includes data related to how much current is flowing through the lighting circuit.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the switch transceiver and the second transceiver are wireless transceivers configured to send and receive data over a wireless network.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the switch transceiver and the second transceiver are configured to send and receive signals via a main power circuit.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a server comprising a user interface program configured to allow a user to configured a set of rules based instructions for download to the plurality of intelligent switches, and a third transceiver configured to transmit the rules based instructions configured by the user to the gateway.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of switches and the gateway are nodes on a wireless network and are configured to communicate with each other and with a gateway via the wireless network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the wireless network is a wireless mesh network.