Load control system providing manual override of an energy savings mode

• US 9,991,710 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Altonen, Gregory, Fricke, William Bryce, Jacoby, Elliot G., Pessina, Michael W., Zaharchuk, Walter S., Spira, Joel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Dinh T
• Application Number:
  US14/605,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150171630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 307 31- 42
• CPC Class Codes: E06B 9/68 Operating devices or mechanisms, e.g. with electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/523 for displaying temperature data
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/59 for presetting
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/10 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/10 Occupancy
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2130/20 Sunlight
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/19 characterised by the use of electric means G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 3/12 for adjusting voltage in ac networks by changing a characteristic of the network load
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• 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 12/40013 Details regarding a bus controller
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/105 in response to determined parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/115 by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/13 by using passive infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/16 : by timing means
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 : via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 : Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection
• 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: 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

Abstract

A load control system for a building having a lighting load, a window, and a heating and cooling system comprises a lighting control device, a daylight control device, and a temperature control device operable to be controlled so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system in an energy-savings mode. The energy-savings mode can be manually overridden in response to actuation of the actuator of an input control device, such that the load control system enters a manual mode for manually adjusting the loads controlled by the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the temperature control device. The load control system is operable to automatically return to the energy-savings mode at a time after the load control system entered the manual mode.

Claims

1. A load control system for a building having a lighting load located in a space of the building, a heating and cooling system, and a window located in the space of the building, the load control system comprising:

a lighting control device configured to control the amount of power delivered to the lighting load;

a daylight control device configured to control the amount of natural light to be admitted into the space through the window;

an occupancy sensor configured to detect whether the space is occupied or unoccupied; and

an input control device comprising an actuator and configured to transmit a digital message to at least one of the lighting control device and the daylight control device in response to a manual actuation of the actuator;

wherein the lighting control device and the daylight control device are configured to operate in an energy-savings mode so as to reduce a total power consumption of the lighting load and the heating and cooling system, the energy-savings mode being manually overridden in response to actuation of the actuator of the input control device to cause the load control system to enter a manual mode in which at least one of the amount of power delivered to the lighting load and the amount of natural light admitted into the space through the window may be manually adjusted; and

wherein the lighting control device and the daylight control device are configured to return to the energy-savings mode in response to the occupancy sensor detecting that the space is unoccupied.

2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the lighting control device and the daylight control device are configured to return to the energy-savings mode in response to an actuation of an actuator of the input control device.

3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the input control device comprises one of a dynamic keypad, a wall-mounted keypad, and a battery-powered remote control.

4. The load control system of claim 2, wherein a password must be entered into the input control device to enter and exit the manual mode.

5. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the daylight control device is configured to control the amount of natural light admitted into the space through the window according to a predetermined timeclock schedule in order to limit a sunlight penetration depth in the space when the load control system is in the energy-savings mode and the space is occupied;

and

wherein control of the daylight control device according to the predetermined timeclock schedule to limit the sunlight penetration depth in the space is disabled when the load control system is in the manual mode.

6. The load control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to transmit digital messages to the lighting control device and the daylight control device.

7. The load control system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to cause the lighting control device and the daylight control device to return to the energy-savings mode in response to a present time of the day.

8. The load control system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to cause the lighting control device and the daylight control device to return to the energy-savings mode in response to an event of a timeclock schedule.

9. The load control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature control device configured to control a setpoint temperature of a heating and cooling system of the building to control a present temperature in the space, the temperature control device configured to operate in the energy-savings mode so as to reduce the total power consumption of the heating and cooling system;

wherein, when the load control system is in the manual mode, the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system may be manually adjusted, the temperature control device configured to return to the energy-savings mode in response to the occupancy sensor detecting that the space is unoccupied.

10. The load control system of claim 9, wherein the temperature control device is configured, when operating in the energy-savings mode, to increase the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system when the heating and cooling system is presently cooling the building so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system, and to decrease the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system when the heating and cooling system is presently heating the building so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system.

11. The load control system of claim 1, further comprising:

a controllable switching device configured to turn an electrical load on and off, the controllable switching device configured to turn off the electrical load so as to decrease the power consumption of the electrical load when operating in the energy-savings mode;

wherein, when the load control system is in the manual mode, the electrical load may be manually turned on and off, the controllable switching device configured to return to the energy-savings mode in response to the occupancy sensor detecting that the space is unoccupied.

12. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the lighting control device and the daylight control device are configured to return to the energy-savings mode after a predetermined time since the load control system entered the manual mode.

13. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the daylight control device comprises a motorized window treatment having a window treatment fabric for covering the window, the motorized window treatment configured to move the fabric between a fully-open position in which the window is not covered and a fully-closed position in which the window is covered, the motorized window treatment configured to adjust the position of the fabric when operating in the energy-savings mode so as to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system.

14. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the lighting control device is configured to decrease the amount of power delivered to the lighting load when operating in the energy-savings mode and the daylight control device is configured to control the amount of natural light admitted into the space through the window so as to decrease the power consumption of the lighting load and the heating and cooling system when the load control system is operating in the energy-savings mode.

15. A method of controlling a load control system for a building having a lighting load located in a space of the building, a heating and cooling system, and a window located in the space of the building, the method comprising:

controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load;

controlling the amount of natural light to be admitted into the space through the window;

operating the load control system in an energy-savings mode;

decreasing the amount of power delivered to the lighting load when operating in the energy-savings mode;

controlling the amount of natural light admitted into the space through the window so as to decrease the power consumption of the lighting load and the heating and cooling system when operating in the energy-savings mode;

in response to an actuation of an actuator, entering a manual mode in which at least one of the amount of power delivered to the lighting load and the amount of natural light admitted into the space through the window may be manually adjusted;

detecting whether the space is occupied or unoccupied; and

returning to the energy-savings mode in response to a determination that the space is unoccupied.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

controlling a setpoint temperature of a heating and cooling system of the building to control a present temperature in the space; and

adjusting the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to decrease the power consumption of the heating and cooling system when operating in the energy-savings mode;

wherein, when the load control system is in the manual mode, the setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system may be manually adjusted.