Load Control Device User Interface and Database Management Using Near Field Communication (NFC)

• US 20190089551A1
• Filed: 11/19/2018
• Published: 03/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
• Original Assignee: Lutron Electronics Company Incorporated (Lutron Electronics)
• Inventors: Browne, John C., Henley, Sean, Rego, Ratan Dominic, Fricke, William Bryce, Stevens, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,516,546 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/23161 Hand held terminal PDA displays machine control program when user is near that machine
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25187 Transmission of signals, medium, ultrasonic, radio
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/25192 Infrared
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2639 Energy management, use maximum of cheap power, keep peak load low
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2807 Exchanging configuration information on appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving network analysis for automatically determining the actual topology of a network H04L41/12; hardware or software tools for network management using graphical user interfaces H04L41/22; address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/175 by remote control
• 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

Abstract

An energy control network may include a number of load control devices, such as dimmer switches, multi-button selector switch, occupancy sensors, and remote controllers, among others. These load control devices may be configured for wireless communication. Other wireless devices, such as laptops, tablets, and “smart” cellular phones may be configured to communicate with the load control devices of the energy control network. The load control devices and the other wireless communication devices may also be configured for Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC may be used to provide a load control device with its initial default configuration and/or an application specific configuration. Also, NFC may be used to transfer a configuration from one load control device that may have become faulty, to a replacement load control device. And NFC may be used to provide and trigger commands that may cause a load control load device to operate in a predetermined manner.

Claims

1. A mobile device operable for wireless communication, the mobile device comprising:

a processor configured to;

when the mobile device is proximate a second device, transmit a serial number to the second device via a low data rate and close proximity wireless protocol;

subsequent to transmitting the serial number, receive a command from the second device via the low data rate and close proximity wireless protocol; and

transmit the received command via a second wireless protocol to one or more load control devices; and

wherein the command comprises a command to change an amount of power delivered by a load control device to an electrical load.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein to transmit the received command comprises to wirelessly transmit the received command via radio frequency signals.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the load control device comprises one or more dimmer switches.

4. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the one or more load control devices comprises a wireless control device configured to receive the command and transmit a load control command to a dimmer.

5. The mobile device of claim 4, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the received command to the one or more load control devices via a wireless router.

6. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the command via Wi-Fi.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to transmit the serial number via a near-field communication protocol.

8. A method configured to be performed by a mobile device, the method comprising:

when the mobile device is proximate a second device, transmitting a serial number to the second device via a low data rate and close proximity wireless protocol;

subsequent to transmitting the serial number, receiving a command from the second device via the low data rate and close proximity wireless protocol; and

transmitting the received command via a second wireless protocol to one or more load control devices; and

wherein the command comprises a command to change an amount of power delivered by a load control device to an electrical load.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the received command comprises wirelessly transmitting the received command via radio frequency signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the load control device comprises one or more dimmer switches.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more load control devices comprises a wireless control device configured to receive the command and transmit a load control command to a dimmer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the received command to the one or more load control devices comprises transmitting the received command to the one or more load control devices via a wireless router.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the received command comprises transmitting the received command via Wi-Fi.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein transmitting the serial number comprises transmitting the serial number via a near-field communication protocol.

15. A non-transient computer readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that when executed by a processor of a mobile device operable for wireless communication, cause the processor to:

when the mobile device is proximate a second device, transmit a serial number to the second device via a low data rate and close proximity wireless protocol;

subsequent to transmitting the serial number, receive a command from the second device via the low data rate and close proximity wireless protocol; and

transmit the received command via a second wireless protocol to one or more load control devices; and

wherein the command comprises a command to change an amount of power delivered by a load control device to an electrical load.

16. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein to transmit the received command comprises to wirelessly transmit the received command via radio frequency signals.

17. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the load control device comprises one or more dimmer switches.

18. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more load control devices comprises a wireless control device configured to receive the command and transmit a load control command to a dimmer.

19. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to transmit the received command to the one or more load control devices via a wireless router.

20. The non-transient computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to transmit the command via Wi-Fi.

21. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the processor to transmit the serial number via a near-field communication protocol.