Wireless control device

• US 9,699,864 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Camden, Richard S., Mosebrook, Donald R., Shivell, William Taylor, Miller, Amy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Brian
• Application Number:
  US14/724,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20150349402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 343702, 343700 MS
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/048 Monitoring; Safety
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/15117 Radio link, wireless
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/30 User interface
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1221 onto a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/24 with receiving set
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/10 Resonant slot antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2816 Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission

Abstract

A wall-mountable wireless control device may comprise a yoke, a faceplate assembly, an antenna, a radio-frequency communication circuit, and/or a control circuit. The radio-frequency communication circuit may be configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals via the antenna. The faceplate assembly may comprise a conductive element that is configured to operate as a radiating element of the antenna when the faceplate assembly is attached to the yoke. The conductive element may comprise a conductive material on the front surface of the faceplate. The conductive element may be attached to a rear surface of the faceplate (e.g., as a conductive backer). The conductive element may be located inside of the faceplate. The conductive element may comprise metallization applied to a plastic carrier of the faceplate. The faceplate assembly may comprise an adapter plate comprising a surface on which the conductive element is located.

Claims

1. A wall-mountable wireless control device comprising:

a yoke configured to mount the control device to an electrical wallbox;

a faceplate assembly configured to be attached to the yoke for covering an opening of the wallbox;

a slot antenna configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals;

a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to transmit or receive the radio-frequency signals via the slot antenna; and

a control circuit responsive to the radio-frequency communication circuit;

wherein the faceplate assembly comprises a conductive element that is configured to operate as a radiating element of the slot antenna when the faceplate assembly is attached to the yoke.

2. The wireless control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input, the control circuit further responsive to the user input;

wherein the faceplate assembly comprises a faceplate defining an elongated opening for receiving the user interface, and the conductive element defines a first slot that is substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the opening of the faceplate.

3. The wireless control device of claim 2, further comprising:

a bezel attached to the yoke, the bezel configured to provide the user interface through the opening of the faceplate when the faceplate assembly is attached to the yoke;

wherein the slot antenna comprises a driven element located between the bezel and the yoke, the driven element capacitively coupled to the conductive element when the faceplate assembly is attached to the yoke, the driven element defining a second slot that is substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the opening of the faceplate.

4. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the conductive element comprises a conductive material on a front surface of the faceplate.

5. The wireless control device of claim 4, wherein the faceplate comprises a plastic carrier and the conductive material is arranged over the plastic carrier, the faceplate comprising a conductive backer attached to a rear surface of the plastic carrier, the conductive backer electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection when the faceplate assembly is attached to the yoke.

6. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the conductive element is attached to a rear surface of the faceplate.

7. The wireless control device of claim 6, wherein the conductive element is electrically coupled to the yoke via one of a plurality of screws that attach a bezel to the yoke when the faceplate assembly is attached to the yoke.

8. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the conductive element is located inside of the faceplate.

9. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the conductive element comprises metallization applied to a plastic carrier.

10. The wireless control device of claim 2, wherein the faceplate assembly comprises an adapter plate comprising a surface on which the conductive element is located.

11. The wireless control device of claim 1, wherein the conductive element is electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection when the faceplate assembly is attached to the yoke.

12. A faceplate for a wall-mountable wireless control device, the wireless control device comprising an actuator and a wireless communication circuit for receiving or transmitting RF signals at a communication frequency, the faceplate comprising:

a body portion comprising a front surface and defining an opening in the front surface for receiving the actuator of the wireless control device when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device; and

a conductive element oriented parallel to the front surface of the body portion;

wherein the conductive element provides a capacitive loading on an antenna of the wireless control device that is approximately equal to a capacitive loading provided on the antenna by an equivalently sized and shaped metal faceplate.

13. The faceplate of claim 12, wherein the opening of the faceplate defines an elongated opening, and the conductive element defines a slot that is substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the opening of the faceplate.

14. The faceplate of claim 13, wherein the conductive element comprises wrap-around portions extending from ends of the slot and oriented substantially parallel to the slot.

15. The faceplate of claim 14, wherein the capacitive loading provided by the conductive element on the antenna of the load control device is dependent on the lengths of the wrap-around portions.

16. The faceplate of claim 14, wherein the lengths of the wrap-around portions are dependent upon the communication frequency of the wireless communication circuit of the wireless control device.

17. The faceplate of claim 13, wherein the length of the slot is dependent upon the communication frequency of the wireless communication circuit of the wireless control device.

18. The faceplate of claim 12, wherein the conductive element is attached to a rear surface of the body portion of the faceplate.

19. The faceplate of claim 18, further comprising:

a conductive material arranged over a front surface of a body portion.

20. The faceplate of claim 12, wherein the conductive element is located inside of the body portion of the faceplate.

21. A wall-mountable wireless control device comprising:

a slot antenna configured to transmit or receive radio-frequency signals;

a radio-frequency communication circuit configured to transmit or receive the radio-frequency signals via the slot antenna; and

a control circuit responsive to the radio-frequency communication circuit;

wherein the wireless control device is characterized by a first communication range when no faceplate installed on the wireless control device and by a second communication range greater than the first communication range when a faceplate is installed on the wireless control device, the first communication range being greater than or equal to approximate 30 feet.

22. The wireless control device of claim 21, further comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a user input and configured to be received in an opening of the faceplate when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device;

wherein the control circuit is responsive to the user input.

23. The wireless control device of claim 22, further comprising:

a yoke configured to mount the control device to an electrical wallbox; and

a bezel attached to the yoke, the user interface provided on the bezel when the faceplate is installed on the wireless control device;

wherein the slot antenna comprises a driven element located between the bezel and the yoke, the driven element defining a first slot that is substantially the same size as and substantially aligned with the opening of the faceplate when the faceplate is installed on the control device.

24. The wireless control device of claim 23, wherein the faceplate comprises a conductive element that operates as a radiating element of the slot antenna when the faceplate is installed on the control device.

25. The wireless control device of claim 24, wherein the conductive element comprises a conductive material on a front surface of the faceplate.

26. The wireless control device of claim 25, wherein the faceplate comprises a plastic carrier and the conductive material is arranged over the plastic carrier, the faceplate comprising a conductive backer attached to a rear surface of the plastic carrier, the conductive backer electrically coupled to the yoke via a single electrical connection when the faceplate is installed on the control device.

27. The wireless control device of claim 24, wherein the conductive element is attached to a rear surface of the faceplate.

28. The wireless control device of claim 27, wherein the conductive element is electrically coupled to the yoke via one of a plurality of screws that attach the bezel to the yoke when the faceplate is installed on the control device.

29. The wireless control device of claim 23, further comprising:

a temporary radiating element that operates as a radiating element of the slot antenna when no faceplate is installed on the wireless control device.

30. The wireless control device of claim 29, wherein the temporary radiating element is removably attached to a front surface of the bezel.

31. The wireless control device of claim 23, wherein the driven element is configured to operate as a radiating element of the slot antenna when no faceplate is installed on the control device.