Programmable wallbox dimmer

• US 20060012315A1
• Filed: 07/15/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Zaharchuk, Walter S., Blair, Edward J., McDonough, Bridget
• Granted Patent: US 7,190,125 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 315/291
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/044 continuously H05B39/042 takes precedence
• 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 47/175 by remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/185 via power line carrier transmission

Abstract

A programmable wallbox dimmer is disclosed. Upon entering a programming mode, the dimmer presents a main menu from which the user may select one or more features to program. The user may scroll through a list of programmable features by actuating the dimmer'"'"'s raise/lower intensity actuator. The user may select a highlighted feature by actuating the dimmer'"'"'s control switch. The dimmer may enter a value selection mode that is associated with the selected feature. In the value selection mode, the user may scroll through a list of features that define the selected feature by actuating the dimmer'"'"'s raise/lower intensity actuator. The user may select a value for the selected feature. The selected value may be stored in the dimmer'"'"'s memory.

Claims

1. A lighting control device for controlling a light intensity level of a lamp, said lighting control device comprising:

an intensity level switch;

a control switch;

an air gap switch; and

a microcontroller operatively coupled to the intensity level switch, the control switch, and the air gap switch,

wherein, in a normal operational mode, the intensity level switch enables a user to select a desired light intensity level between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level, the control switch enables the user to toggle the lamp between an on state and an off state, and the air gap switch enables the user to interrupt power supplied to the microcontroller and to the lamp, and

wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause the lighting control device to enter a programming mode after detecting that the control switch had been actuated when the microcontroller was being powered up and that the control switch has remained actuated for at least a prescribed period of time after the microcontroller was powered up.

2. The lighting control device of claim 1, wherein the programming mode includes a feature selection mode wherein the user may select a programmable feature of the lighting control device.

3. The lighting control device of claim 2, wherein the user may select the programmable feature from among a plurality of programmable features.

4. The lighting control device of claim 2, further comprising a programmable feature indicator associated with the programmable feature.

5. The lighting control device of claim 3, further comprising a respective programmable feature indicator associated with each of the plurality of programmable features.

6. The lighting control device of claim 2, wherein the programming mode comprises a value selection mode wherein the user may select a programmable feature value associated with a selected programmable feature.

7. The lighting control device of claim 6, wherein the user may select the programmable feature value from among a plurality of programmable feature values.

8. The lighting control device of claim 6, further comprising a programmable feature value indicator associated with the programmable feature value.

9. The lighting control device of claim 7, further comprising a respective programmable feature value indicator associated with each of the plurality of programmable feature values.

10. The lighting control device of claim 8, further comprising a programmable feature indicator associated with the programmable feature.

11. The lighting control device of claim 10, wherein the programmable feature indicator blinks at a first blink rate.

12. The lighting control device of claim 11, wherein the programmable feature value indicator blinks at a second blink rate that is different from the first blink rate.

13. The lighting control device of claim 12, wherein the first blink rate is slower than the second blink rate.

14. The lighting control device of claim 5, wherein each of the programmable feature indicators includes a respective light source, said light sources are disposed in a sequence, and each of said light sources represents a respective one of the plurality of programmable features.

15. The lighting control device of claim 9, wherein each of the programmable feature value indicators includes a respective light source, said light sources are disposed in a sequence, and each of said light sources represents a respective one of the plurality of programmable feature values.

16. The lighting control device of claim 5, wherein, in the feature selection mode, the microcontroller causes a light source associated with a feature to be selected upon actuation of the control switch to blink at a first rate.

17. The lighting control device of claim 9, wherein, in the feature selection mode, the microcontroller causes a light source associated with a feature to be selected upon actuation of the control switch to blink at a first rate.

18. The lighting control device of claim 17, wherein, in the value selection mode, the microcontroller causes a light source associated with a value to be selected upon actuation of the control switch to blink at a second rate that is different from the first rate.

19. The lighting control device of claim 6, wherein the microcontroller causes a selected programmable feature value to be stored in memory.

20. The lighting control device of claim 7, wherein the microcontroller causes a selected programmable feature value to be stored in memory.

21. The lighting control device of claim 3, wherein actuation of the light intensity level switch enables for subsequent selection a desired one of the plurality of programmable features.

22. The lighting control device of claim 7, wherein actuation of the light intensity level switch enables for subsequent selection a desired one of the plurality of programmable feature values.

23. The lighting control device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause the lighting control device to return to the normal operational mode from the programming mode if none of the intensity level switch, the control switch, and the air gap switch has been actuated for at least a prescribed timeout period.

24. The lighting control device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is adapted to cause the lighting control device to return to the normal operational mode from the programming mode if, while in the programming mode, the microcontroller detects that the control switch has been actuated for at least a prescribed period of time.

25. A wallbox dimmer for controlling a light intensity level of a lamp, the wallbox dimmer having a normal operational mode and a programming mode, the wallbox dimmer comprising:

an intensity level switch; and

a microcontroller operatively coupled to the intensity level switch,

wherein, in the normal operational mode, the microcontroller causes the light intensity level of the lamp to vary in response to an actuation of the intensity level switch, and, in the programming mode, the microcontroller enables a user to program any of a plurality of programmable features provided by the wallbox dimmer.

26. The wallbox dimmer of claim 25, wherein, in the programming mode, the microcontroller causes the wallbox dimmer to vary between a feature selection mode and a value selection mode in response to an actuation of the control switch.

27. The wallbox dimmer of claim 26, wherein the feature selection mode enables user-selection of a desired one of said plurality of programmable features.

28. The wallbox dimmer of claim 26, wherein the value selection mode enables user-selection of a desired one of a plurality of programmable feature values associated with a desired one of said plurality of programmable features.

29. A wallbox dimmer for controlling a light intensity level of a lamp, the wallbox dimmer having a normal operational mode and a programming mode, the wallbox dimmer comprising:

a control switch; and

a microcontroller operatively coupled to the control switch,

wherein, in the normal operational mode, the microcontroller causes the lamp to toggle between an off state and an on state in response to an actuation of the control switch, and, in the programming mode, the microcontroller enables the user to program any of a plurality of programmable features provided by the wallbox dimmer.

30. The wallbox dimmer of claim 29, wherein, in the programming mode, the microcontroller causes the wallbox dimmer to vary between a feature selection mode and a value selection mode in response to an actuation of the control switch.

31. The wallbox dimmer of claim 30, wherein the feature selection mode enables user-selection of a desired one of said plurality of programmable features.

32. The wallbox dimmer of claim 30, wherein the value selection mode enables user-selection of a desired one of a plurality of programmable feature values associated with a desired one of said plurality of programmable features.

33. A wallbox dimmer for controlling a light intensity level of a lamp, the wallbox dimmer having a normal operational mode and a programming mode, the wallbox dimmer comprising:

an intensity level display; and

a microcontroller operatively coupled to the intensity level display,

wherein, in the normal operational mode, the microcontroller causes the intensity level display to provide a user-perceptible indication representative of a current intensity level of the lamp, and, in the programming mode, the microcontroller enables a user to program any of a plurality of programmable features provided by the wallbox dimmer.

34. The wallbox dimmer of claim 33, wherein, in the programming mode, the microcontroller causes the intensity level display to provide a user-perceptible indication representative of one of said plurality of programmable features.

35. The wallbox dimmer of claim 34, wherein the intensity level display comprises a light source associated with said one of said plurality of programmable features and the microcontroller causes the light source to blink.

36. The wallbox dimmer of claim 33, wherein, in the programming mode, the microcontroller causes the intensity level display to provide a user-perceptible indication representative of a programmable feature value associated with one of said plurality of programmable features.

37. The wallbox dimmer of claim 36, wherein the intensity level display comprises a light source associated with the programmable feature value and the microcontroller causes the light source to blink.

38. A lighting control device for controlling a light intensity level of a lamp, said lighting control device having a normal operational mode and a programming mode, said lighting control device comprising:

an intensity level switch;

a control switch; and

a microcontroller operatively coupled to the intensity level switch and the control switch, wherein,

in the normal operational mode, the microcontroller causes the light intensity level of the lamp to vary in response to an actuation of the intensity level switch, and the lamp to toggle between an off state and an on state in response to an actuation of the control switch, and,

in the programming mode, the microcontroller is adapted to cause the wallbox dimmer to enter a feature selection mode wherein a user is enabled to select a programmable feature provided by the wallbox dimmer from among a plurality of programmable features, and to enter a value selection mode wherein the user is enabled to select a programmable feature value associated with a selected one of the plurality of programmable features.

39. A method for programming a wallbox dimmer, said wallbox dimmer having an actuator for generating control signals in response to an input from a user and a microcontroller responsive to the control signals, the method comprising:

detecting that the actuator is being actuated as the microcontroller is being powered-up, and

in response to detecting that the actuator is being actuated as the microcontroller is being powered-up, entering a programming mode wherein the user is enabled to program any of a plurality of features provided by the wallbox dimmer.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the wallbox dimmer further comprises an air gap switch, the method further comprising:

initiating power-up of the microcontroller by opening and then closing the air gap switch.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein detecting that the actuator is being actuated further comprises:

detecting that the actuator has been actuated for a predetermined period of time after power-up of the microcontroller.