Wireless load control system
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a communication circuit configured to transmit signals;
a control circuit communicatively coupled to the communication circuit, the control circuit configured to;
maintain a time of day;
based at least in part on the maintained time of day, transmit, to a load control device, digital messages via the communication circuit at event times of a timeclock schedule, the digital messages each including a command instructing the load control device to control at least one electrical load according to the timeclock schedule, wherein the timeclock scheduled is stored in a memory of the apparatus;
attempt to obtain a present time from a server in order to re-synchronize the maintained time of day;
determine that the present time is not obtainable from the server; and
when the present time is not obtainable from the server, disable the timeclock schedule, wherein to disable the timeclock schedule comprises to not transmit digital messages to the load control device at the event times of the timeclock schedule so that the at least one electrical load is not controlled according to the timeclock schedule; and
wherein the at least one electrical load is controlled according to the timeclock schedule when the present time is obtainable from the server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless load control system for controlling one or more electrical loads comprises a wireless control device (e.g., a gateway device) able to obtain a present time from a server via a network (e.g., the Internet), control the electrical loads according to a timeclock schedule, and disable the timeclock schedule if the present time is not able to be obtained from the server via the network. The wireless control device may also be able to obtain the present time from a digital message received from an external device (e.g., a smart phone or a tablet device) via the network. The wireless control device may be configured to receive a control signal indicating a power outage (e.g., from a battery backup device), and to operate in a low-power mode in response to receiving the control signal indicating the power outage.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a communication circuit configured to transmit signals; a control circuit communicatively coupled to the communication circuit, the control circuit configured to; maintain a time of day; based at least in part on the maintained time of day, transmit, to a load control device, digital messages via the communication circuit at event times of a timeclock schedule, the digital messages each including a command instructing the load control device to control at least one electrical load according to the timeclock schedule, wherein the timeclock scheduled is stored in a memory of the apparatus; attempt to obtain a present time from a server in order to re-synchronize the maintained time of day; determine that the present time is not obtainable from the server; and when the present time is not obtainable from the server, disable the timeclock schedule, wherein to disable the timeclock schedule comprises to not transmit digital messages to the load control device at the event times of the timeclock schedule so that the at least one electrical load is not controlled according to the timeclock schedule; and wherein the at least one electrical load is controlled according to the timeclock schedule when the present time is obtainable from the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A control device comprising:
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a first communication circuit configured to transmit signals; a second communication circuit configured to be communicatively coupled to a network; a control circuit communicatively coupled to the first and second communication circuits, the control circuit configured to obtain a present time from a server via the second communication circuit, the control circuit configured to transmit digital messages via the first communication circuit at event times of a timeclock schedule, the digital messages each including a command for controlling at least one electrical load according to the timeclock schedule, wherein the control circuit is configured to cease transmitting the digital messages at the event times of the timeclock schedule if the present time is not able to be obtained from the server via the network; wherein the control circuit is configured to obtain the present time from a first digital message received from an external device via the second communication circuit; wherein the control circuit is configured to obtain a location of the external device from a second digital message received from the external device via the second communication circuit, and to store the location in a memory; and wherein the control circuit is configured to subsequently confirm that a location of the external device is the same as the location stored in the memory, and to obtain the present time from a third digital message received from the external device via the second communication circuit if the location of the external device is the same as the location stored in the memory.
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13. An apparatus comprising a control circuit configured to:
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maintain a time of day; obtain a time from a server via a network; re-synchronize the maintained time of day based on the obtained time; based at least in part on the re-synchronized time of day, control one or more electrical loads according to a timeclock schedule, wherein the timeclock scheduled is stored in a memory of the apparatus; attempt to obtain a present time from the server via the network; determine that the present time is not obtainable from the server; and disable the timeclock schedule when the present time is not obtainable from the server; wherein to disable the timeclock schedule comprises to not control the one or more electrical loads according to the timeclock schedule; and wherein the one or more electrical loads are controlled according to the timeclock schedule when the present time is obtainable from the server. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An apparatus for controlling one or more electrical loads, the apparatus comprising a control circuit configured to:
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obtain a present time from a server via a network; control the electrical loads according to a timeclock schedule; disable the timeclock schedule if the present time is not able to be obtained from the server via the network; obtain the present time from a first digital message received from an external device via the network; obtain a location of the external device from a second digital message received from the external device via the network; store the location in a memory; subsequently confirm that a location of the external device is the same as the location stored in the memory; and obtain the present time from a third digital message received from the external device via the network if the location of the external device is the same as the location stored in the memory.
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Specification