Load control device having internet connectivity

• US 10,588,204 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Inventors: Pessina, Michael W., Economy, Theodore F., Browne, Jr., John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, James J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carter, Christopher W
• Application Number:
  US16/113,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20190037673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 700295
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/19 via wireless transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/195 the transmission using visible or infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/1965 using handheld communication devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load is able to receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a smart phone, via a wireless local area network. The load control device comprises a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series between the source and the load, a controller for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive, and a Wi-Fi module operable to receive the RF signals directly from the wireless network. The controller controls the controllably conductive device to adjust the power delivered to the load in response to the wireless signals received from the wireless network. The load control device may further comprise an optical module operable to receive an optical signal, such that the controller may obtain an IP address from the received optical signal and control the power delivered to the load in response to a wireless signal received from the wireless network that includes the IP address.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first communications module configured to receive a first message via a wireless network, wherein the wireless network has an associated identifier and an associated password;

a second communications module configured to receive a second message from a first device via a point-to-point connection between the apparatus and the first device, wherein the point-to-point connection does not comprise the wireless network, and the first device comprises at least one of a smart phone, a tablet, and a laptop; and

a controller configured to;

receive the identifier and the password of the wireless network from the second message received from the first device via the point-to-point connection,

use the identifier and the password of the wireless network received from the first device to connect the apparatus to the wireless network via the first communications module;

receive from a second device, that is communicatively connected to the wireless network, an address for the apparatus to communicate on the wireless network, wherein the second device assigns the address to the apparatus based in part on the apparatus connecting to the wireless network;

store at the apparatus the address received from the second device, wherein storing the address enables the apparatus to communicate messages on the wireless network; and

receive from the first device, via the wireless network and the first communications module, one or more messages, wherein the one or more received messages comprise one or more control instructions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between a power source and an electrical load;

wherein the controller is configured to control the controllably conductive device to control power delivered to the electrical load in response to the received one or more control instructions.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

discover via the wireless network an other device connected to the wireless network; and

responsive to receiving the one or more control instructions, communicate a control instruction via the wireless network to the other device, wherein the other device is configured to receive the control instruction communicated by the controller and is further configured to control power delivered to another electrical load in response to the received control instruction communicated by the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determine status information of the electrical load; and

communicate, via the first communications module and the wireless network, one or more packets to the first device, wherein the one or more communicated packets comprise the status information.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus comprises a wall-mountable dimmer switch.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communications module comprises an Internet Protocol communications module, and the address comprises an Internet Protocol address.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the Internet Protocol communications module is configured to receive Internet Protocol packets by way of Wi-Fi communication.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the identifier comprises a service set identifier of the wireless network, and the password comprises a service set identifier password.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second communications module comprises an optical module operatively coupled to the controller and configured to receive one or more optical signals via the point-to-point connection between the apparatus and the first device, the controller configured to receive the identifier and the password of the wireless network from the first device by obtaining the identifier and the password of the wireless network from the received one or more optical signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second communications module comprises a near-field communications (NFC) module operatively coupled to the controller and configured to receive one or more NFC signals via the point-to-point connection between the apparatus and the first device, the controller configured to receive the identifier and the password of the wireless network from the first device by obtaining the identifier and the password of the wireless network from the received one or more NFC signals.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to provide a visual indication that the apparatus has successfully connected to the wireless network.

12. A method for configuring an apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving, by the apparatus from a first device via a point-to-point connection between the apparatus and the first device, an identifier and a password of a wireless network, wherein the point-to-point connection does not comprise the wireless network, and the first device comprises at least one of a smart phone, a tablet, and a laptop;

using, by the apparatus, the identifier and the password of the wireless network received from the first device to connect the apparatus to the wireless network;

receiving, by the apparatus, from a second device, that is communicatively connected to the wireless network, an address for the apparatus to communicate on the wireless network, wherein the second device assigns the address to the apparatus based in part on the apparatus connecting to the wireless network;

programming the apparatus with the address received from the second device, wherein the programming enables the apparatus to communicate packets on the wireless network;

receiving, by the apparatus from the first device via the wireless network, one or more packets, wherein the one or more received packets comprise one or more control instructions.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

controlling, by the apparatus, power delivered to an electrical load in response to the received one or more control instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

discovering via the wireless network an other device connected to the wireless network; and

responsive to receiving the one or more control instructions, communicating a control instruction via the wireless network to the other device, wherein the other device is configured to receive the communicated control instruction and is further configured to control power delivered to another electrical load in response to the received communicated control instruction.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

determining status information of the electrical load; and

communicating, via the first communications module and the wireless network, one or more packets to the first device, wherein the one or more communicated packets comprise the status information.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the address comprises an Internet Protocol address.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving, by the apparatus from the first device via the wireless network, one or more packets, further comprises receiving one or more Internet protocol packets by way of Wi-Fi communication.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the identifier comprises a service set identifier of the wireless network, and the password comprises a service set identifier password.