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Load control device having Internet connectivity

  • US 10,271,407 B2
  • Filed: 06/29/2012
  • Issued: 04/23/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A wall-mountable dimmer switch for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to a lighting load, the wall-mountable dimmer switch comprising:

  • a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the lighting load;

    a controller operatively coupled to the controllably conductive device for controlling the controllably conductive device; and

    an Internet Protocol communications module operatively coupled to the controller and operable to receive Internet Protocol packets via a wireless network, wherein the wireless network has an associated identifier and an associated password;

    wherein the controller is configured to;

    receive the identifier and the password of the wireless network from a control device that is connected to the wireless network,wherein the controller receives the identifier and the password of the wireless network from the control device via a point-to-point connection between the dimmer switch and the control-device,wherein the point-to-point connection does not comprise the wireless network, andwherein the control device comprises at least one of a smart phone, a tablet, and a laptop;

    use the identifier and the password of the wireless network received from the control device to connect the dimmer switch to the wireless network;

    receive from a wireless access point, that is communicatively connected to the wireless network, an Internet Protocol address for the dimmer switch to communicate on the wireless network, wherein the wireless access point assigns the Internet Protocol address to the dimmer switch based in part on the dimmer switch connecting to the wireless network;

    program the dimmer switch with the Internet Protocol address received from the wireless access point, wherein the programming enables the dimmer switch to communicate Internet Protocol packets on the wireless network;

    receive from the control device, via the wireless network and the Internet Protocol communications module, one or more Internet Protocol packets, wherein the one or more received Internet Protocol packets comprise the Internet Protocol address and one or more lighting control instructions; and

    control the controllably conductive device to control the AC power delivered to the lighting load in response to the received one or more lighting control instructions.

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