Low current consumption electrical control switch

• US 9,343,990 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gallen Ka Leung Tsui, Philip Yu Wing Tsui
• Original Assignee: Philip Yu Wing Tsui
• Inventors: Tsui, Philip Yu Wing, Tsui, Gallen Ka Leung
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE III, HENRY E
• Application Number:
  US13/233,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20120063186A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 307139-140, 307/116, 307/125, 307/131, 307/104, 363126-128
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0006 Arrangements for supplying an adequate voltage to the control circuit of converters
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 5/2576 with digital control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/08 by shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes also in controlled semiconductor devices in converters H02M5/00; with regulation G05F1/44
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/20 Smart grids as enabling technology in buildings sector smart grids supporting the management or operation of end-user stationary applications in general, or like technologies with no associated climate change mitigation effect Y04S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a low current consumption control switch device and method related thereto. The control switch device includes a switch control component, a microprocessor, a wireless signal receiver for receiving control signal and a DC power supply. The DC power supply draws an AC current from the AC power supply to power the wireless signal receiver, the microprocessor and the switch control component. The switch control component has a control input for receiving control instructions to control current supply from the AC power supply. The microprocessor is operatively connected to the switch control component for providing control instructions to alter its switching state. The control signal comprises a preamble and a message portion. The wireless signal receiver is configured to alternate between at least two current consumption modes and to remain in a higher current consumption mode upon detection of the preamble.

Claims

1. A control switch device for connection between an alternating current (AC) power supply and a load to be controlled by said control switch device, said control switch device comprising:

a switch control component, said switch control component having a control input for receiving control instructions to alter switching state of said switch control component to control current supply from said AC power supply to the load,

a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operatively connected to said control input of said switch control component for providing said control instructions,

a wireless signal receiver for receiving a control signal, said control signal consisting of a preamble portion and a message portion, said preamble consisting of a data pattern, free of said control instructions, said message portion consisting of pre-arranged data bits encoded with one or more said control instructions, said wireless signal receiver being configured to alternate between at least two current consumption modes and to remain in a higher current consumption mode of said at least two current consumption modes for receiving remainder of said control signal upon detection of said data pattern of said preamble in said higher current consumption mode, and

a direct current (DC) power supply connected between the AC power supply and the load, said DC power supply drawing from said AC power supply an AC current that passes through the load and converting said AC current to a DC output to power said wireless signal receiver, said microprocessor and said switch control component, said AC current being below a pre-configured threshold value when said switch control component is in an off switching state.

2. The control switch device of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is configured to operate in at least two current consumption modes and is configured to be placed in a higher current consumption mode for processing the remainder of said control signal upon said wireless signal receiver detecting said preamble.

3. The control switch device of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor is configured to place said wireless signal receiver in a lower current consumption mode and periodically switch said wireless signal receiver to a higher current consumption mode for a duration sufficiently long to detect presence of said preamble.

4. The control switch device of claim 1, wherein said DC power supply is a switching mode power supply.

5. The control switch device of claim 1, wherein said control component comprises a triac switch component and said control instruction is a state altering voltage.

6. The control switch device of claim 1, wherein said wireless signal receiver is a radio frequency receiver.

15. The control switch device of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal receiver is configured not to receive the control signal when in the lower current consumption mode, and to detect said preamble in the higher current consumption mode and to remain in said higher current consumption mode for receiving the remainder of the control signal upon detection of said preamble to receive the control signal.

7. A control switch device for connection between an alternating current (AC) power supply and a load to be controlled by said control switch device, said control switch device comprising:

a switch control component, said switch control component having a control input for receiving control instructions to alter switching state of said switch control component to control current supply from said AC power supply to the load,

a user interface having user input elements for receiving user activation instructions that include said control instructions and output elements for indicating operation status of the control switch device,

a microprocessor, said microprocessor being operatively connected to said control input of said switch control component for providing said control instructions to alter the switching state of said switch control component, said microprocessor being connected to and responsive to instructions received from the user interface, said microprocessor being configured to operate in at least two current consumption modes and being configured to operate in a higher current consumption mode upon receiving any control instructions from said user interface, a wireless signal receiver for receiving a control signal, said control signal consisting of a preamble portion consisting of a data pattern, free of said control instructions, and a message portion consisting of pre-arranged data bits encoded with one or more said control instructions, said wireless signal receiver being configured to alternate between at least two current consumption modes, not to receive the control signal when in a lower current consumption mode of said at least two current consumption modes, and to detect said preamble in a higher current consumption mode of said at least two current consumption modes and to remain in the higher current consumption mode of said at least two current consumption modes upon detection of said data pattern of said preamble to receive remainder of the control signal, and said microprocessor being configured to decode said control signal and to operate in the higher current consumption mode of the microprocessor upon detecting said preamble; and

a direct current (DC) power supply connected between the AC power supply and the load, said DC power supply drawing from said AC power supply an AC current and converting said AC current to a DC output to power said switch control component, said microprocessor, and said user interface, said AC current being below a pre-configured threshold value when said switch control component is in an off switching state.

8. The control switch device of claim 7, wherein said DC power supply is a switching mode power supply.

9. The control switch device of claim 7, wherein said control component comprises a triac switch component and said control instruction is a state altering voltage.

10. The control switch device of claim 7, wherein said user interface comprises at least one user input button.

11. The control switch device of claim 7 wherein the microprocessor is configured to provide said control instructions decoded from said control signal to said switch control component.

12. The control switch device of claim 7 wherein the wireless signal receiver is a radio frequency signal receiver.

13. A method of operating a control switch device for connection between an alternating current (AC) power supply and a load to be controlled by said control switch device, said control switch device comprising a switch control component for control current supply from said AC power supply to the load, said switch control component being controlled by a microprocessor configured for decoding a control signal received by a wireless receiver from a remote control operated by a user, said control signal comprising a message portion consisting of pre-arranged data bits encoded with a control instruction to alter the switching state of the switch control component and a preamble preceding the message portion, the preamble consisting of a data pattern, free of any control instructions, the method comprising:

drawing from said AC power supply an AC current that passes through the load and that is below a pre-configured threshold value when said switch control component is in an off switching state, and converting the AC current to a DC output to power said switch control component, said microprocessor, and said user interface,

alternating operation of the wireless receiver in at least two current consumption modes,

detecting for the data pattern of the preamble of the control signal when the wireless receiver operates in a higher current consumption mode,

upon detection of the data pattern of the preamble,

placing the wireless receiver in the higher current consumption mode and continuing detection for remainder of the control signal,

forwarding detected control signal to the microprocessor for decoding the control instructions,

the microprocessor sending the control instructions to the switch control component to alter switching state of the switch control component to control the current supply from said AC power supply to the load.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the microprocessor is configured to operate in at least two current consumption modes, the method further comprising:

placing the microprocessor in a lower current consumption mode prior to detecting said preamble and placing the microprocessor in a higher current consumption mode upon said wireless signal receiver detecting said preamble.