Method and apparatus for connecting AC powered switches, current sensors and control devices via two way IR, fiber optic and light guide cables

• US 8,331,794 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Elbex Video Limited (Elbex Japan Ltd.)
• Inventors: Elberbaum, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Bello, Agustin
• Application Number:
  US13/434,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: 398/110, 398/113, 398/167.5
• US Class Current: 398/141
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/06 through light guides, e.g. optical fibres

Abstract

A method for connecting an AC powered device, which has an optical receiver, with a control circuit, which has an optical transmitter, using at least on optical medium cable includes the steps of terminating the cable at both of its ends, introducing the processed cable between the receiver and transmitter, attaching and securing one end of the processed cable to the transmitter and the other end of the processed cable to the receiver, and propagating a one way optical signal including control commands from the control circuit to the powered device.

Claims

1. A method for linking an AC current detecting device with an automation controller network device via an adjustable IR link in open space, said network device comprising a first CPU, a communicating circuit and a first IR receiver, said AC current detecting device comprising a second CPU, a communicating circuit, a current sensing circuit and a second IR transmitter enclosed in a rotatable holder accessed from a front plate of said AC current detecting device, said front plate is structured to support and grip said rotatable holder, said method comprising the steps of:

a. installing said network device on surfaces with its cover projecting outwards facing an open space and at an angle enabling adjustment into a line of sight;

b. installing said AC current detecting device into an electrical box with its front plate projected outwards and facing an open space and in an angle enabling said adjustment of said rotatable holder into said line of sight with said network device;

c. connecting said load to an AC power through said AC current detecting device;

d. adjusting said rotatable holder until said second IR transmitter is gripped by said front plate into said line of sight with said first IR receiver;

e. introducing to said second CPU an identification pertaining to at least one of said load and said AC current detecting device;

f. operating said load;

g. detecting by said AC current sensing circuit the current drained by said load and said load status; and

h. propagating one way IR signal including said identification and reporting at least one of said load current drain and said load status via said IR link.

2. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said automation controller is selected from a group comprising, a dedicated controller, a video interphone, a shopping terminal and a combination thereof and said network device is selected from a group comprising an home automation control distributor, an IR driver, an IR repeater, a command converter, a current drain data receiver, a keypad and combinations thereof.

3. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said introducing of an identification includes at least one of a location and particulars of said load.

4. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 1, wherein said AC current detecting device is selected from a group comprising an AC current sensor, an AC outlet, an AC switch, an AC relay and combinations thereof.

5. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 4, wherein each of said relay and said switch further comprising an operating key for switching said load on and off.

6. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 4, wherein one of said relay and said switch is one of a semiconductor and electromechanical device.

7. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 4, wherein said AC current detecting device further comprising a second IR receiver enclosed in a second rotatable holder, said front plate is structured to support and grip two said rotatable holders and said network device further comprising a first IR transmitter for propagating two way IR signals via dual IR links, said method comprising the further steps of:

i. adjusting said second rotatable holder until said second IR receiver is gripped into a line of sight with said first IR transmitter; and

j. exchanging said two way IR signal by augmenting said reporting to include commands inquiring said load current drain and said load status from said network device to said AC current detecting device.

8. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 7, wherein said commands are augmented to include commands for controlling said load and the power consumed by said load.

9. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 6, wherein said AC current detecting device further comprising a second IR receiver enclosed in said rotatable holder, said front plate is structured to support and grip two said rotatable holders and said network device further comprising a first IR transmitter, said method comprising the further steps of:

i. adjusting said rotatable holder until said second IR receiver is gripped into a line of sight with said first IR transmitter; and

j. exchanging two way IR signals selected from a group comprising control commands, confirmations, statuses, current drain, data and combinations thereof between said network device and said AC current detecting device for at least one of operating and controlling said load including at least one of monitoring said load current drain and said load status.

10. A method for linking an AC current detecting device including one of an SPDT and DPDT relay with an automation controller network device via an adjustable dual IR links in open spaces for operating a load via at least one of SPDT and DPDT switch by the connection of two traveler wires extended between two traveler terminals of said relay and two traveler terminals of said switch, said network device comprising a first CPU, a communicating circuit, a first IR transmitter and a first IR receiver, said AC current detecting device comprising a second CPU, a communicating circuit, a current sensing circuit, a second IR receiver and a second IR transmitter;

each said second IR receiver and said second IR transmitter is enclosed in a rotatable holder accessed from a front plate of said AC current detecting device, said front plate is structured to support and grip the two rotatable holders, said method comprising the steps of;

a. installing said network device on surfaces with its cover projecting outwards facing an open space and angle enabling adjustments into lines of sight;

b. installing said AC current detecting device into an electrical box with its front plate projected outwards and facing an open space and in an angle enabling said adjustments of said rotatable holders into said line of sight with said network device;

c. connecting said two traveler wires;

d. connecting said AC current detecting device including a pole of said relay to an AC power and said load to a pole terminal of said switch;

e. adjusting one said rotatable holder until said second IR transmitter is gripped by said front plate into said line of sight with said first IR receiver;

f. adjusting the other said rotatable holder until said second IR receiver is gripped by said front plate into said line of sight with said first IR transmitter;

g. introducing to said second CPU an identification pertaining to at least one of said load and said AC current detecting device; and

h. exchanging two way IR signals selected from a group comprising control commands, confirmations, statuses, current drain, data, said identification and combinations thereof between said network device and said AC current detecting device for at least one of operating and controlling said load including at least one of monitoring said load current drain and said load status.

11. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 10, wherein said automation controller is selected from a group comprising, a dedicated controller, a video interphone, a shopping terminal and a combination thereof and said network device is selected from a group comprising an home automation control distributor, an IR driver, an IR repeater, a command converter, a current drain data receiver, a keypad and combinations thereof.

12. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 10, wherein said introducing of an identification includes at least one of a location and particulars of said load.

13. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 10, wherein said AC current detecting device further comprising an operating key for switching said load on and off.

14. The method for linking an AC current detecting device according to claim 10, wherein said relay is one of a semiconductor and electromechanical device.

15. An AC current detecting device for one of intersecting a power line for connecting a load to an AC power and passing said power line through an inductor for detecting the current drained by said load, structured for installation into an electrical box with its front plate projected outwards and facing an open space, said AC current detecting device is linking with a network device of an automation controller via an adjustable IR link through said open space, said network device comprising a first CPU, a communication circuit and a first IR receiver for installation onto surfaces with its cover and said first IR receiver projecting outwards facing said open space and at an angle enabling the adjustment of said IR link;

said AC current detecting device comprising a second CPU including at least one of a memory and a setting selector for introducing an identification pertaining to at least one of said load and said AC current detecting device, a communication circuit, a current sensing circuit and a second IR transmitter enclosed in a rotatable holder accessed from said front plate structured to support and grip said rotatable holder for adjusting and gripping said second IR transmitter into a line of sight with said first IR receiver; and

said AC current detecting device propagates one way IR signal including said identification for reporting at least one of the load current drain and the load status via said IR link to said network device.

16. The AC current detecting device according to claim 15, wherein said automation controller is selected from a group comprising, a dedicated controller, a video interphone, a shopping terminal and a combination thereof and said network device is selected from a group comprising an home automation control distributor, an IR driver, an IR repeater, a command converter, a current drain data receiver, a keypad and combinations thereof.

17. The AC current detecting device according to claim 15, wherein said introducing of an identification includes at least one of a location and particulars of said load.

18. The AC current detecting device according to claim 15, wherein said AC current detecting device is selected from a group comprising an AC current sensor, an AC outlet, an AC switch, an AC relay and combinations thereof.

19. The AC current detecting device according to claim 18, wherein each of said relay and said switch further comprising an operating key for switching said load on and off.

20. The AC current detecting device according to claim 18, wherein at least one of said relay and said switch is one of a semiconductor and electromechanical device.

21. The AC current detecting device according to claim 20, wherein said network device further comprising a first IR transmitter and said AC current detecting device further comprising a second IR receiver enclosed in a second rotatable holder, said front plate is structured to support and grip two said rotatable holders for adjusting said second IR receiver into a line of sight with said first IR transmitter for propagating two way IR signals via dual IR links and augmenting said reporting to include commands inquiring said load current drain and said load status from said network device to said AC current detecting device.

22. The AC current detecting device according to claim 21, wherein said commands augmented by said two way IR signal propagation further include commands for controlling the power consumed by said load.

23. The AC current detecting device according to claim 18, wherein said AC current detecting device further comprising a second IR receiver enclosed in said rotatable holder, said front plate is structured to support and grip two said rotatable holders, and said network device further comprising a first IR transmitter for propagating two way IR signals via dual IR links by adjusting said second rotatable holder until said second IR receiver is gripped into said line of sight with said first IR transmitter for exchanging said two way IR signals selected from a group comprising control commands, confirmations, statuses, current drain, data and combinations thereof for at least one of operating and controlling said load including at least one of monitoring said load current drain and said load status.

24. An AC current detecting device including one of an SPDT and DPDT relay for linking with a network device of an automation controller via an adjustable dual IR links in open space for operating a load via at least one of SPDT and DPDT switch by the connection of a pole of said relay to live AC, a pole of said switch to said load and two traveler wires between two traveler terminals of said relay and two traveler terminals of said switch;

said network device for installation onto surfaces with its cover projecting outwards, comprising a first CPU, a communication circuit, a first IR transmitter and a first IR receiver facing an open space and at an angle enabling adjustment of said IR links for a two way IR communication;

said AC current detecting device for installation into an electrical box with its front plate projected outwards and facing said open space comprising a second CPU including at least one of a memory and a setting selector for introducing an identification pertaining to at least one of said load and said AC current detecting device, a communicating circuit, a current sensing circuit, a second IR receiver and a second IR transmitter each enclosed in a rotatable holder, said front plate is structured to support and grip two said rotatable holders for adjusting said second IR receiver and second IR transmitter into lines of sight with said first IR transmitter and first IR receiver respectively; and

said network device and said AC current detecting device exchanging said two way IR signals selected from a group comprising control commands, confirmations, statuses, current drain, data, said identification and combinations thereof for at least one of operating and controlling said load including at least one of monitoring said load current drain and said load status.

25. The AC current detecting device according to claim 24, wherein said automation controller is selected from a group comprising, a dedicated controller, a video interphone, a shopping terminal and a combination thereof and said network device is selected from a group comprising an home automation control distributor, an IR driver, an IR repeater, a command converter, a current drain data receiver, a keypad and combinations thereof.

26. The AC current detecting device according to claim 24, wherein said introducing of an identification includes at least one of a location a particulars of said load.

27. The AC current detecting device according to claim 24, wherein said AC current detecting device further comprising an operating key for switching said load on and off.

28. The AC current detecting device according to claim 24, wherein said relay is one of a semiconductor and electromechanical device.