Control device having an integral reflecting structure for a sensing circuit

• US 9,717,130 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Issued: 07/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Shivell, William Taylor, McDonald, Matthew Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYET THI
• Application Number:
  US15/165,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20160353547A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• Field of Search: 362600, 362602, 362605, 362606, 362608, 362611-613, 362615, 362630, 362631, 362632, 362551, 362559
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/3406 Control of illumination source illumination devices structurally associated with liquid crystal cells G02F1/1336
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/83 characterised by legends, e.g. Braille, liquid crystal displays, light emitting or optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/038 ambient light dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/039 Selective or different modes of illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/06 Reflector
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2219/062 Light conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/032 using RFID technology in switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/181 using a programmable display, e.g. LED or LCD
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/11 by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light
• 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 20/14 Protecting elements, switches, relays or circuit breakers

Abstract

A wall-mounted keypad may include a light detector circuit located inside the keypad that is configured to measure an ambient light level in a space. The light detector circuit may receive ambient light through an aperture that is hidden from view by the keypad. The keypad may include a reflector for directing ambient light onto the light detector circuit. The keypad may include an enclosure that houses the light detector circuit. The enclosure may define a recess that exposes at least a portion of the light detector circuit. The enclosure may include a reflector that may focus ambient light received through the aperture onto the light detector circuit. The keypad may include a control circuit that may be configured to illuminate the indicia of respective buttons of the control device in response to actuations of the one or more buttons, in accordance with the measured ambient light level.

Claims

1. A control device comprising:

a button having an indicia that is able to be illuminated;

a light source that is configured to illuminate the indicia of the button;

a light detector circuit that is configured to measure a light level of ambient light that is external relative to the control device;

a control circuit that is configured to, responsive to an actuation of the button, cause the light source to illuminate the indicia of the button in accordance with the measured light level;

a faceplate that defines an opening that extends therethrough and that is configured to at least partially receive the button;

an adapter that is configured to be mounted to a structure, the adapter including an outer wall that defines an aperture through which the light detector circuit receives the ambient light; and

an enclosure that houses the light detector circuit, the enclosure including an integral reflector that is configured to direct the ambient light that is received through the aperture to the light detector circuit,

wherein the adapter and the faceplate are configured such that the faceplate is removably attachable to the adapter.

2. The control device of claim 1, wherein the light detector circuit comprises a photodiode.

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

a printed circuit board on which the control circuit and the photodiode are mounted,

wherein the enclosure defines a recess that exposes the photodiode.

4. The control device of claim 3, wherein the reflector comprises a reflective surface that is configured to direct the ambient light received through the aperture onto a light-receiving surface of the photodiode.

5. The control device of claim 4, wherein the reflective surface comprises as a parabolic reflector that focuses the ambient light onto the light-receiving surface of the photodiode.

6. The control device of claim 4, wherein the reflective surface is concave.

7. The control device of claim 4, wherein the reflective surface defines an upper edge that is spaced from a surface of the printed circuit board on which the photodiode is mounted, such that the upper edge extends over a portion of the photodiode.

8. The control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a pair of mounting tabs that are configured for removable attachment to the adapter.

9. The control device of claim 8, wherein a first mounting tab of the pair comprises a light guide that is configured to guide the ambient light from the aperture to the light detector circuit.

10. The control device of claim 9, wherein the light guide defines a lower surface, and wherein a portion of the lower surface is configured to align substantially flush with an outer surface of the outer wall when the first mounting tab is attached to the adapter.

11. The control device of claim 9, wherein the light guide defines a lower surface, and wherein a portion of the lower surface is configured to extend beyond an outer surface of the outer wall when the first mounting tab is attached to the adapter.

12. The control device of claim 9, wherein the enclosure defines a recess that exposes a portion of the light detector circuit, and wherein the light guide defines a tab that is configured to be received in the recess.

13. The control device of claim 1, wherein an outer perimeter of the faceplate extends beyond the outer wall of the adapter so as to hide the aperture from view.

14. The control device of claim 13, wherein the outer wall is a lower wall of the adapter.

15. The control device of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to emit light onto a side of the button to illuminate the indicia.

16. The control device of claim 1, wherein the light source is configured to emit light onto a rear surface of the button to illuminate the indicia.

17. The control device of claim 1, wherein the enclosure is configured to be attached to an inner surface of the faceplate.

18. A wall-mounted control device comprising:

a light source that is configured to illuminate a portion of an interior of the control device;

a light detector circuit that is located in the interior of the control device and that is configured to measure a light level of ambient light that is external relative to the control device;

a control circuit that is configured to cause the light source to illuminate the interior in accordance with the measured light level;

an adapter that is configured to be mounted to a structure, the adapter including an outer wall that defines an aperture through which the light detector circuit receives the ambient light;

a faceplate assembly that houses the light source and the light detector circuit, and that is configured to be removably attached to the adapter; and

a light guide that is configured to guide the ambient light from the aperture to the light detector circuit.

19. The control device of claim 18, wherein the light guide defines a lower surface that is configured to be disposed in the aperture.

20. The control device of claim 19, wherein the outer wall is a lower wall of the adapter that faces downward when the adapter is mounted to the structure, and wherein the lower surface of the light guide protrudes beyond the lower wall of the adapter.

21. The control device of claim 20, wherein the faceplate assembly includes a faceplate having an outer perimeter that extends beyond the outer wall of the adapter, and wherein the lower surface of the light guide further protrudes beyond a wall of the faceplate when the faceplate assembly is attached to the adapter.

22. The control device of claim 19, wherein a portion of the lower surface is configured to align substantially flush with an outer surface of the outer wall.

23. The control device of claim 19, wherein a portion of the lower surface is configured to extend beyond an outer surface of the outer wall.