Method of optically transmitting digital information from a smart phone to a control device

• US 9,386,666 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Economy, Theodore F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eustaquio, Cal
• Application Number:
  US13/538,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20130010018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,467 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/1143 Bidirectional transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/116 Visible light communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/808 Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A load control device is able to receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a smart phone, via a wireless local area network. The load control device comprises a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series between an AC power source and an electrical load, a controller for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive, and a wireless communication module operable to receive Wi-Fi communications on a local area network. The controller controls the controllably conductive device to adjust the power delivered to the load in response to the wireless signals received from the wireless network. The load control device may further comprise an optical module operable to receive an optical signal, such that the controller may obtain programming instructions from the received optical signal to enable the wireless communication module to receive digital messages via the Wi-Fi communications on the local area network.

Claims

1. A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, the load control device comprising:

a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the electrical load;

a wireless communication module configured to receive Wi-Fi communications;

a controller operatively coupled to a control input of the controllably conductive device for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive; and

an optical module operatively coupled to the controller and operable to receive an optical signal comprising programming instructions from at least one of a visual display or a camera flash light source of a wireless control device, wherein the programming instructions are configured to enable the wireless communication module to receive digital messages via the Wi-Fi communications on a local area network, and

wherein the controller is configured, in response to the programming instructions in the optical signal received from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device, to connect to the local area network and receive the digital messages on the local area network via the wireless communication module.

2. The load control device of claim 1, wherein the optical module comprises an optical signal receiving circuit operable to receive the optical signal, and wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise an IP address, and wherein the controller is configured to control the power delivered to the electrical load in response to the digital messages that include the IP address.

3. The load control device of claim 1, wherein the optical module comprises a photodiode for receiving the optical signal.

4. The load control device of claim 3, wherein the photodiode is also operable to transmit an optical signal.

5. The load control device of claim 1, wherein the electrical load comprises a lighting load and the load control device comprises a dimmer switch.

6. The load control device of claim 5, further comprising:

a plurality of status indicators located on a front surface of the dimmer switch;

a plurality of light-emitting diodes located inside the dimmer switch for illuminating the status indicators on the front surface; and

a light pipe structure for optically coupling illumination from the light-emitting diodes to the status indicators on the front surface;

wherein the light pipe structure is further operable to optically couple the optical signal received at the status indicators to the optical module.

7. The load control device of claim 5, further comprising:

an optical receiver located on a front surface of the dimmer switch; and

a light pipe for optically coupling the optical signal from the optical receiver to the optical module.

30. The load control device of claim 1, wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise at least one of a unique identifier for communicating on the local area network, an SSID for the local area network, or an SSID password for the local area network, and wherein the controller is configured to use the at least one of the unique identifier for communicating on the local area network, the SSID for the local area network, or the SSID password for the local area network to connect to the local area network.

8. A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, the load control device comprising:

a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the electrical load;

a wireless communication module configured to receive Wi-Fi communications;

a controller operatively coupled to a control input of the controllably conductive device for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive; and

an optical module operatively coupled to the controller and operable to receive an optical signal comprising programming instructions from at least one of a visual display or a camera flash light source of a wireless control device, wherein the programming instructions are configured to enable the wireless communication module to receive digital messages via the Wi-Fi communications on a local area network;

wherein the controller is configured, in response to the programming instructions in the optical signal received from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device, to connect to the local area network and control the controllably conductive device to control the power delivered to the electrical load in response to the digital messages received on the local area network via the wireless communication module.

9. The load control device of claim 8, wherein the optical module comprises an optical signal receiving circuit operable to receive the optical signal, and wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise an IP address, and wherein the controller is configured to control the power delivered to the electrical load in response to the digital messages that include the IP address.

10. The load control device of claim 8, wherein the optical module comprises a photodiode for receiving the optical signal.

11. The load control device of claim 10, wherein the photodiode is also operable to transmit an optical signal.

12. The load control device of claim 8, wherein the electrical load comprises a lighting load and the load control device comprises a dimmer switch.

13. The load control device of claim 12, further comprising:

a plurality of status indicators located on a front surface of the dimmer switch;

a plurality of light-emitting diodes located inside the dimmer switch for illuminating the status indicators on the front surface; and

a light pipe structure for optically coupling illumination from the light-emitting diodes to the status indicators on the front surface;

wherein the light pipe structure is further operable to optically couple the optical signal received at the status indicators to the optical module.

14. The load control device of claim 12, further comprising:

an optical receiver located on a front surface of the dimmer switch; and

a light pipe for optically coupling the optical signal from the optical receiver to the optical module.

31. The load control device of claim 8, wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise at least one of a unique identifier for communicating on the local area network, an SSID for the local area network, or an SSID password for the local area network, and wherein the controller is configured to use the at least one of the unique identifier for communicating on the local area network, the SSID for the local area network, or the SSID password for the local area network to connect to the local area network.

15. A device, comprising:

a wireless communication module configured to receive Wi-Fi communications;

a programmable controller; and

an optical module operable to receive a free-space, visible-light optical signal comprising programming instructions from at least one of a visual display or a camera flash light source of a wireless control device, wherein the programming instructions are configured to enable the wireless communication module to receive digital messages configured to control an electrical load via the Wi-Fi communications on a local area network, and

wherein the programmable controller is configured, in response to the programming instructions in the optical signal received from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device, to connect to the local area network and receive the digital messages configured to control the electrical load on the local area network via the wireless communication module.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the optical module comprises an optical signal receiving circuit operable to receive the optical signal, and wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise an IP address, and wherein the programmable controller is configured to control power delivered to the electrical load in response to the digital messages that include the IP address.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the optical module comprises a photodiode for receiving the optical signal.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the photodiode is also operable to transmit an optical signal.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the programmable controller is operable to control, by way of a controllable conductive device, power delivered from an AC power source to the electrical load.

20. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

a plurality of status indicators located on a front surface of the device;

a plurality of light-emitting diodes located inside the dimmer switch for illuminating the status indicators on the front surface; and

a light pipe structure for optically coupling illumination from the light-emitting diodes to the status indicators on the front surface;

wherein the light pipe structure is further operable to optically couple the optical signal received at the status indicators to the optical module.

21. The device of claim 19, further comprising:

an optical receiver located on a front surface of the device; and

a light pipe for optically coupling the optical signal from the optical receiver to the optical module.

32. The device of claim 15, wherein the programming instructions from the at least one of the visual display or the camera flash light source of the wireless control device comprise at least one of a unique identifier for communicating on the local area network, an SSID for the local area network, or an SSID password for the local area network, and wherein the controller is configured to use the at least one of the unique identifier for communicating on the local area network, the SSID for the local area network, or the SSID password for the local area network to connect to the local area network.

22. A method to communicate programming instructions to a receiving device, the method comprising:

determining the programming instructions to be sent to the receiving device, wherein the programming instructions are configured to enable the receiving device to receive digital messages configured to control an electrical load via Wi-Fi communications on a local area network;

optically transmitting the programming instructions to the receiving device, wherein the optically transmitting is free-space, visual-light transmitting from at least one of a visual display or a camera flash light source of a wireless control device to enable the receiving device to receive the digital messages configured to control the electrical load via the Wi-Fi communications on the local area network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein optically transmitting comprises modulating the light output of the visual display.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the wireless control device is a smart phone.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein optically transmitting comprises modulating the light output of a portion of the visual display.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the wireless control device is a smart phone.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein optically transmitting comprises modulating the light output of the camera flash light source, and wherein the wireless control device is a smart phone.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising presenting a user interface adapted to receive, from a user, information about programmable features.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the user interface is presented on the visual display.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein the programming instructions optically transmitted to the receiving device comprise at least one of a unique identifier for communicating on the local area network, an SSID for the local area network, or an SSID password for the local area network that enable the receiving device to connect to the local area network.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein the programming instructions comprise an IP address configured to identify digital messages for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load.