Wireless remote with control code learning

• US 9,201,412 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: John G. Posa, Lawrence J. Karr
• Original Assignee: John G. Posa, Lawrence J. Karr
• Inventors: Posa, John G., Karr, Lawrence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY III, EDWIN C
• Application Number:
  US13/461,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20130293361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 340/12.28, 340/5.71
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A wireless remote control system provides very low power operation and automatic addressing. In one disclosed example, the remote-control transmitter is battery operated, the receiver is powered from the AC line, and the system functions as a remotely operated switch to control lights or other devices or appliances. Battery life is extremely long, limited only by corrosion and other shelf-life issues. The transmitter is automatically programmed by a receiver using a very short range auxiliary signaling system when the transmitter is brought into close proximity to a receiver. The auxiliary signaling system transfers operational parameters from the receiver to the transmitter, enabling the transmitter to operate with the correct codes and on the correct frequency. Multiple switch transmitters may control a single operating device, and so that remotes can be added arbitrarily. Once programmed, the transmitter sends out a repetitive, unitized message in a continuous sequence to control the receiver.

Claims

1. An electrical power control system, comprising:

a transmitter unit and a receiver unit, the receiver unit including;

a power control device operative to route electrical power from a source to a load in response to an encoded command message received from the transmitter unit,

a device for storing one or more operational parameters enabling the command from the transmitter unit to be recognized, decoded and executed by the receiver unit, the operational parameters including the frequency to be used by the transmitter unit in communicating with the receiver unit;

a wireless, short-range transmitter operative to program the transmitter unit by communicating the parameters to the transmitter unit when the transmitter unit is positioned is in close physical proximity to the receiver unit,

a radio-frequency (RF) receiver for receiving the encoded command message in modulated form from the transmitter unit;

circuitry for demodulating and decoding the command from the encoded message for execution by power control device, and wherein the transmitter unit includes;

a short-range receiver for receiving the parameters from the short-range transmitter of the receiver unit,

a memory for storing the parameters received,

a manually operated user control operative the generate a command,

circuitry for encoding the command into an encoded command message,

a modulator for modulating the encoded command message, and

an RF transmitter operative to transmit the modulated, encoded command message to the receiver unit using the parameters received and stored by the transmitter unit during programming.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the parameters include the address of the receiver unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the short-range transmitter uses wireless magnetic induction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF frequency is in the 433 MHz band.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter unit sends out a repetitive, unitized command message in a continuous sequence to control the receiver unit.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the message is encoded as a complex pattern; and

the receiver unit includes circular correlation circuitry to correlation detect the encoded message.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the command message is encoded as a complex pattern;

the encoded command message is modulated and demodulated using quadrature-phase-shift keying (QPSK); and

the receiver unit includes circular correlation circuitry to correlation detect the encoded message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the power control device is operative to route electrical power from an alternative current (AC) source to a light; and

the transmitter unit is configured as a light switch.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the power control device is operative to route electrical power from an alternative current (AC) source to a light; and

the transmitter is configured as a light dimmer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the power control device is operative to route electrical power from an alternative current (AC) source to a light;

the transmitter unit is configured as a light switch; and

the manually operated user control is operative to generate an ON command to route all power form the source to the load and an OFF command to route no power form the source to the load.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the power control device is operative to route electrical power from an alternative current (AC) source to a light;

the transmitter unit is configured as a light switch;

the manually operated user control is operative to generate a reduce dim command to route more power from the source to the load and an increase dim command to route less power from the source to the load.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter unit includes circuitry for measuring frequency error associated with the short-range receiver and using that frequency error to pre-compensate the frequency of the RF transmissions.