Load control system having a broadcast controller with a diverse wireless communication system

• US 9,847,638 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Mosebrook, Donald R., Majewski, Timothy S., Altonen, Gregory, Bard, Benjamin F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Danny
• Application Number:
  US15/093,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20160226248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 307 34, 307 38- 39
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00004 characterised by the power network being locally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00024 by means of mobile telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00026 involving a local wireless network, e.g. Wi-Fi, ZigBee or Bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/12 The local stationary network supplying a household or a building
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/14 The load or loads being home appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/60 Limiting power consumption in the network or in one section of the network, e.g. load shedding or peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/00 Circuit arrangements for ac mains or ac distribution networks
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/14 by switching loads on to, or off from, network, e.g. progressively balanced loading
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 4/00 Circuit arrangements for mains or distribution networks not specified as ac or dc
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0608 Antenna selection according to transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/00 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast
• 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: H05B 47/10 Controlling the light source
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/165 following a pre-assigned programmed sequence; Logic control [LC]
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/17 Operational modes, e.g. switching from manual to automatic mode or prohibiting specific operations
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• 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 70/3225 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• 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: Y02D 30/70 : in wireless communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/20 : End-user application control systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 : Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 : the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/246 : the system involving the remote operation of lamps or lighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/00 : Systems for electrical power generation, transmission, distribution or end-user application management characterised by the use of communication or information technologies, or communication or information technology specific aspects supporting them
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/126 : using wireless data transmission

Abstract

A load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to a plurality of electrical load includes a plurality of energy controllers. Each energy controller is operable to control at least one of the electrical loads. The load control system also includes a first broadcast controller that has a first antenna and a second antenna. The first antenna is arranged in a first position and the second antenna is arranged in a second position that is orthogonal to the first position. The broadcast controller is operable to transmit a first wireless signal via the first antenna and a second wireless signal via the second antenna. Each of the energy controllers is operable to receive at least one of the first and second wireless signals, and to control the respective load in response to the received wireless signal.

Claims

1. A load control system for controlling a plurality of electrical loads, the load control system comprising:

a plurality of load control devices, each load control device configured to control at least one of the electrical loads; and

a wireless controller having first and second antennas, the first and second antennas orthogonally oriented with respect to each other, the wireless controller configured to transmit a first wireless signal via the first antenna and a second wireless signal via the second antenna;

wherein each of the load control devices is configured to receive at least one of the first and second wireless signals, and to control the respective load in response to the received wireless signal.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the wireless controller is configured to transmit the first and second wireless signals at the same transmission frequency.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the wireless controller is configured to transmit the first wireless signal in a first time slot and to transmit the second wireless signal in a second time slot.

4. The load control system of claim 3, wherein the first and second time slots do not overlap.

5. The load control system of claim 4, wherein the first time slot occurs immediately before the second time slot.

6. The load control system of claim 3, wherein the first and second time slots are randomly selected from a number of non-overlapping time slots.

7. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless signals both comprise a same digital message.

8. A wireless controller for use in a load control system for controlling one or more electrical loads, the wireless controller comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna orthogonally oriented with respect to the first antenna;

an RF communication circuit configured to transmit a first wireless signal via the first antenna at a transmission frequency and a second wireless signal via the second antenna at the transmission frequency; and

a control circuit configured to cause the RF communication circuit to transmit the first wireless signal in a first time slot and the second wireless signal in a second time slot.

9. The wireless controller of claim 8, wherein the RF communication circuit comprises a first RF transmitter coupled to the first antenna for transmitting the first wireless signal, and a second RF transmitter coupled to the second antenna for transmitting the second wireless signal, the control circuit coupled to the first and second RF transmitters to cause the first RF transmitter to transmit the first wireless signal via the first antenna and the second RF transmitter to transmit the second wireless signal via the second antenna.

10. The wireless controller of claim 9, wherein the first and second RF transmitters comprise RF transceivers configured to transmit and receive wireless signals.

11. The wireless controller of claim 10, wherein the control circuit is configured to receive a third wireless signal via the first and second antennas at the same time.

12. The wireless controller of claim 11, wherein the first RF transceiver is configured to receive the third wireless signal via the first antenna and generate a first received signal, and the second RF transceiver is configured to receive the third wireless signal via the second antenna and generate a second received signal.

13. The wireless controller of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to decode both of the first and second received signals and to respond to the signal that is decoded first.

14. The wireless controller of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine which of the first and second received signals has a greater signal strength and to respond to the signal having the greater signal strength.

15. The wireless controller of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to combine the first and second received signals and to respond to the combined signal.

16. The wireless controller of claim 8, wherein the RF communication circuit comprises an RF transmitter coupled to the first and second antennas via an RF switch, the control circuit coupled to the RF switch and configured to control the RF switch to a first position in which the RF transmitter is coupled to the first antenna and a second position in which the RF transmitter is coupled to the second antenna, the control circuit further configured to cause the RF transmitter to transmit the first wireless signal via the first antenna when the RF switch is in the first position and to transmit the second wireless signal via the second antenna when the RF switch is in the second position.

17. The wireless controller of claim 16, wherein the RF transmitter comprises an RF transceiver configured to transmit and receive wireless signals.

18. The wireless controller of claim 17, wherein the control circuit is configured to maintain the RF switch in the first position to allow the RF transceiver to receive a third wireless signal on the first antenna.

19. The wireless controller of claim 8, wherein the first and second time slots do not overlap.

20. The wireless controller of claim 19, wherein the first time slot occurs immediately before the second time slot.

21. The wireless controller of claim 20, wherein the first and second time slots are randomly selected from a number of non-overlapping time slots.

22. The wireless controller of claim 8, wherein the first and second wireless signals both comprise a same digital message.

23. A wireless controller for use in a load control system for controlling one or more electrical loads, the wireless controller comprising:

a first antenna operable to receive a wireless signal;

a second antenna orthogonally oriented with respect to the first antenna, the second antenna operable to receive the wireless signal at the same time as the first antenna;

an RF communication circuit coupled to the first and second antennas for receiving the wireless signal, the RF communication circuit configured to generate a first received signal in response to the reception of the wireless signal by the first antenna and to generate a second received signal in response to the reception of the wireless signal by the second antenna; and

a control circuit coupled to the RF communication circuit for receiving the first and second received signals, the control circuit configured to respond to the wireless signal received by the first and second antennas by processing the first and second received signals.

24. The wireless controller of claim 23, wherein the RF communication circuit comprises a first RF receiver coupled to the first antenna for receiving the wireless signal and generating the first received signal, and a second RF receiver coupled to the second antenna for receiving the wireless signal and generating the second received signal.

25. The wireless controller of claim 24, wherein the control circuit is configured to decode the first and second received signals and to respond to one of the first and second received signals that is first decoded.

26. The wireless controller of claim 24, wherein the control circuit is configured to determine which of the first and second received signals has a greater signal strength and to respond to one of the first and second received signals that has the greater signal strength.

27. The wireless controller of claim 24, wherein the control circuit is configured to combine the first and second received signals and to respond to the combined signal.

28. The wireless controller of claim 24, wherein the first and second RF receivers comprise RF transceivers configured to both transmit and receive wireless signals.