Load control adjustment from a wearable wireless device

• US 9,839,101 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Clymer, Erica L., Killo, Jason C., Kleinberg, Jeremy B., Bard, Benjamin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAMMOND, DEDEI KHALIEAH
• Application Number:
  US15/061,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20160262235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• 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 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/088 by wireless means, e.g. infrared transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices

Abstract

A wearable wireless device may be configured for control of a parameter of a load control device. The load control device may be responsive to a network device, for example, to provide fine tune adjustment of the parameter. The wearable wireless device may include a touch-responsive visual display for displaying feedback of the parameter of the load control device. The visual display may be configured to be actuated to receive a user input to adjust the parameter of the load control device. An actuation of the visual display of the wearable wireless device may adjust the parameter by a greater percentage than the fine tune adjustment provided by the network device.

Claims

1. A wearable wireless device configured to control a parameter of a load control device, the load control device responsive to a network device to provide fine tune adjustment of the parameter, the wearable wireless device comprising:

a touch-responsive visual display configured to display feedback of the parameter of the load control device, the visual display configured to be actuated to receive a user input to adjust the parameter of the load control device;

wherein an actuation of the visual display of the wearable wireless device adjusts the parameter by a greater percentage than the fine tune adjustment provided by the network device.

2. The wearable wireless device of claim 1, wherein the load control device is a dimmer switch for controlling a lighting load, and the parameter is an intensity of the lighting load.

3. The wearable wireless device of claim 2, wherein the parameter is adjusted to one of a plurality of preset intensities in response to actuations of the visual display.

4. The wearable wireless device of claim 3, wherein the feedback comprises an intensity meter divided into a number of segments, at least one of the segments is highlighted to indicate the intensity of the lighting load when the lighting load is on.

5. The wearable wireless device of claim 4, wherein each of the number of segments of the intensity meter represents a portion of a dimming range of the dimmer switch, each portion of the dimming range defined by a minimum intensity and a maximum intensity.

6. The wearable wireless device of claim 5, wherein each preset intensity of the plurality of preset intensities corresponds to the maximum intensity of one of the segments when the lighting load is on.

7. The wearable wireless device of claim 6, wherein, when the touch-responsive visual display is actuated to raise the intensity of the lighting load, the lighting load is adjusted to the maximum intensity of a next-highest portion of the dimming range.

8. The wearable wireless device of claim 7, wherein, when the visual display is actuated to raise the intensity of the lighting load, a next-highest segment of the intensity meter is highlighted.

9. The wearable wireless device of claim 6, wherein, when the visual display is actuated to lower the intensity of the lighting load, the lighting load is adjusted to the maximum intensity of a next-lowest portion of the dimming range.

10. The wearable wireless device of claim 9, wherein, when the visual display is actuated to lower the intensity of the lighting load, a present highest highlighted segment of the intensity meter is adjusted to be not highlighted.

11. The wearable wireless device of claim 6, wherein, when the lighting load is off, each of the segments of the intensity meter are unhighlighted.

12. The wearable wireless device of claim 5, wherein, when the network device adjusts the intensity of the dimmer switch, the intensity meter on the visual display is updated to indicate the intensity of the dimmer switch.

13. The wearable wireless device of claim 5, wherein the intensity meter comprises three of the segments, and the preset intensities are 0%, 33%, 66%, and 100%.

14. The wearable wireless device of claim 5, wherein the intensity meter comprises four of the segments, and the preset intensities are 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.

15. The wearable wireless device of claim 5, wherein the intensity meter comprises five of the segments, and the preset intensities are 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%.

16. The wearable wireless device of claim 1, further comprising:

a dial configured to be rotated to provide fine tune adjustment of the parameter.

17. The wearable wireless device of claim 1, wherein the load control device is a motorized window treatment, and the parameter is a position of the motorized window treatment.

18. The wearable wireless device of claim 1, wherein the wearable wireless device is a smart watch.

19. The wearable wireless device of claim 1, wherein the network device is a smart phone.

20. The wearable wireless device of claim 1, comprising:

a communication circuit, wherein the communication circuit is configured to communicate control instructions to the network device to control the load control device based on the parameter.

21. The wearable wireless device of claim 1, wherein the greater percentage in which the wearable wireless device adjusts the parameter is a multiple of the fine tune adjustment provided by the network device.

22. The wearable wireless device of claim 21, wherein the multiple of the percentage is at least one of a factor of 10, 25, or 33.

23. A system for controlling a load control device, comprising:

the load control device;

a wearable wireless device (WWD) configured to control a parameter of the load control device, the wearable wireless device comprising;

a first touch-responsive visual display configured to display a first feedback of the parameter of the load control device, the first visual display configured to be actuated to receive a user input to adjust the parameter of the load control device; and

a network device (ND) configured to provide fine tune adjustment of the variable parameter of the load control device, comprising;

a second touch-responsive visual display configured to display a second feedback of the parameter of the load control device, the second visual display configured to be actuated to receive a user input to provide the fine tune adjustment of the parameter of the load control device;

wherein an actuation of the second visual display of the network device adjusts the parameter of the load control device by a lesser percentage than the adjustment provided by the wearable wireless device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the load control device is a dimmer switch for controlling a lighting load, and the parameter is an intensity of the lighting load.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the parameter is adjusted to one of plurality of preset intensities in response to actuations of the WWD visual display and the ND visual display.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the WWD feedback comprises an intensity meter divided into a number of segments, at least one of the segments is highlighted to indicate the intensity of the lighting load when the lighting load is on.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein each of the number of segments of the intensity meter represents a portion of the dimming range of the dimmer switch, each portion of the dimming range defined by a minimum intensity and a maximum intensity.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the preset intensities correspond to maximum intensities of each of the number of segments when the lighting load is on.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein, when the WWD visual display is actuated to raise the intensity of the lighting load, the lighting load is adjusted to the maximum intensity of a next-highest portion of the dimming range.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein, when the WWD visual display is actuated to raise the intensity of the lighting load, the next-highest segment of the intensity meter is highlighted.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein, when the WWD visual display is actuated to lower the intensity of the lighting load, the lighting load is adjusted to the maximum intensity of a next-lowest portion of the dimming range.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein, when the WWD visual display is actuated to lower the intensity of the lighting load, the present highest highlighted segment of the intensity meter is adjusted to be not highlighted.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein, when the lighting load is off, none of the segments of the intensity meter are highlighted.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein, when the network device adjusts the intensity of the dimmer switch, the intensity meter on the WWD visual display is updated to indicate the intensity of the dimmer switch.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein the intensity meter comprises three of the segments, and the preset intensities are 0%, 33%, 66%, and 100%.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the intensity meter comprises four of the segments, and the preset intensities are 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein the intensity meter comprises five of the segments, and the preset intensities are 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%.

38. The system of claim 23, wherein the WWD comprises a dial configured to be rotated to provide fine tune adjustment of the parameter.

39. The system of claim 23, wherein the load control device is a motorized window treatment, and the parameter is a position of the motorized window treatment.

40. The system of claim 23, wherein the wearable wireless device is a smart watch.

41. The system of claim 23, wherein the network device is a smart phone.

42. The system of claim 23, comprising:

a communication circuit, wherein the communication circuit is configured to communicate with the network device to control the load control device.

43. The system of claim 23, wherein the lesser percentage in which the network device adjusts the parameter is a multiple of the percentage available on the wearable wireless device.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the multiple of the percentage is at least one of a factor of 10, 25, or 33.

45. A method for controlling a parameter of a load control device, the load control device being responsive to a network device providing fine tune adjustment of the parameter, the method comprising:

displaying, via a touch-responsive visual display of a wearable wireless device, feedback of the parameter of the load control device;

receiving, via the visual display, a user input to adjust the parameter of the load control device; and

adjusting, via the visual display, the parameter by a greater percentage than the fine tune adjustment provided by the network device.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the load control device is a dimmer switch for controlling a lighting load, and the parameter is an intensity of the lighting load.

47. The method of claim 46, comprising:

adjusting the parameter to one of a plurality of preset intensities in response to actuations of the visual display.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the feedback comprises an intensity meter divided into a number of segments, at least one of the segments is highlighted to indicate the intensity of the lighting load when the lighting load is on.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein each of the number of segments of the intensity meter represents a portion of a dimming range of the dimmer switch, each portion of the dimming range defined by a minimum intensity and a maximum intensity.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein each preset intensity of the plurality of preset intensities corresponds to the maximum intensity of one of the segments when the lighting load is on.

51. The method of claim 45, wherein the greater percentage in which the wearable wireless device adjusts the parameter is a multiple of the percentage available on the network device.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the multiple of the percentage is at least one of a factor of 10, 25, or 33.