Control system for electrical devices

• US 7,683,755 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Leviton Manufacturing Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Bruccoleri, Damon, Ostrovsky, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Holloway, III; Edwin C
• Application Number:
  US11/149,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20060125649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 340/3.9, 340/310.14, 340/825.22, 340/310.11, 340/310.12, 315/295, 315/291, 315/294
• US Class Current: 340/3.9
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/00 Arrangements for transmitting signals characterised by the use of a wireless electrical link
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 39/086 with possibility of remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/18 via data-bus transmission

Abstract

Systems and techniques for a lighting control system which include a control switch to control an electrical device are disclosed herein. The control switch includes a master display to display status information of the electrical device. Additionally, a remote control switch couples to provide user-initiated commands to the control switch for controlling the electrical device. The remote control switch includes a display and receive signals from the control switch to display the same status information of the electrical device which enables a user in a location separate from the electrical device to accurately control the electrical device. A second embodiment of the control system may include a unidirectional switch which generates additional control signals that are transmitted to the control switch for control of the electrical device.

Claims

1. A method for programming a control unit of a load, said control unit comprising an air gap switch, said air gap switch that selectively connects or disconnects power to a load, and a switch actuator, said method comprising:

entering a programming mode of the control unit while maintaining a control unit preset level stored in the control unit, said entering comprising;

disconnecting power to the load by opening the air gap switch;

closing the air gap switch; and

simultaneous to closing the air gap switch engaging said switch actuator and maintaining the air gap switch in a closed state, both for a predetermined amount of time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing a status light to indicate the end of the predetermined amount of time.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said indication is said status light blinking.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising exiting programming mode if no action has been taken for a second predetermined amount of time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the switch actuator is used to selectively switch said load between an ON state and an OFF state.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the switch actuator is operatively connected to a dimmer control switch.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising entering a second programming mode by further engaging the switch actuator.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising programming a preset intensity level of the load.

9. A method for programming a control unit of load, said control unit comprising an air gap switch that selectively connects or disconnects power to a load and a dimmer switch, said method comprising:

entering a programming mode of the control unit without changing a preset intensity level stored in the control unit, said entering comprising;

disconnecting power to the load by opening the air gap switch;

closing the air gap switch; and

engaging the dimmer switch for a first period of time.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising causing a status light to indicate the end of the first period of time.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said status light blinking indicates that programming mode has been entered.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising exiting the programming mode if no action has been taken for a predetermined amount of time.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising closing the dimmer switch substantially simultaneously to maintaining the air gap switch in a closed position.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising entering a second programming mode by further engaging the switch actuator.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising programming a preset intensity level of the load.

16. A programmable controller comprising:

an air gap switch that controls whether electric power is available to the load;

a switch actuator; and

a programmable control unit, the programmable control unit that is programmed to execute a programming mode, said programming mode that is entered when power is disconnected from the load by opening the air gap switch and then the air gap switch and the switch actuator are maintained in a closed position for a predetermined period of time, said programming mode that is entered without erasing information stored in the control unit.

17. The programmable controller of claim 16 further comprising a status light that indicates the end of the predetermined amount of time.

18. The programmable controller of claim 17 wherein said status light blinking indicates that programming mode has been entered.

19. The programmable controller of claim 16 said programming mode that terminates when no action has been taken for a second predetermined amount of time.

20. The programmable controller of claim 16 wherein the second switch selectively switches said load between an ON and an OFF state.

21. The programmable controller of claim 16 wherein the second switch is a dimmer switch.

22. The programmable controller of claim 16 said programming mode that executes a second programming mode that is entered by further engaging the second switch.

23. The programmable controller of claim 16 further comprising a programmable preset intensity level.

24. A programmable controller comprising:

an air gap switch that controls whether electric power is available to the load;

a dimmer switch; and

a programmable control unit, said unit that is programmed to execute a programming mode, said programming mode that is entered without changing a preset control unit parameter stored in the control unit, said programming node that is entered when the following conditions occur;

     1) power is disconnected from the load by opening the air gap switch, then

     2) the air gap switch is maintained in a closed state and

     3) substantially simultaneously with maintaining the air gap switch in a closed state, the dimmer switch is closed for a predetermined amount of time.

25. The programmable controller of claim 24 further comprising a status light that indicates the end of the predetermined amount of time.

26. The programmable controller of claim 25, wherein said status light blinking indicates that the programming mode has been entered.

27. The programmable controller of claim 24, wherein said programming mode terminates when no action has been taken for a predetermined amount of time.

28. The programmable controller of claim 24, wherein said programming mode comprises a second programming mode that is entered by further engaging the dimmer switch.

29. The programmable controller of claim 24 further comprising a programmable preset intensity level.

46. The programmable controller of claim 24, wherein said preset control unit parameter comprises one of a default intensity level and a fade rate.

30. A system for controlling a load, the system comprising:

a control switch coupled to the load, the control switch comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

at least one remote control switch, the remote control switch comprising a transmitter and a receiver, the remote control switch for communicating via a single wire with the control switch using four or more sequences of half cycles of a 60 Hertz alternating current signal, the remote control switch transmitter that transmits the sequence of alternating current cycles, the control switch receiver that receives a selected one of the sequences of alternating current cycles and converts the sequence of alternating current cycles into a digital signal, the control switch transmitter which transmits status information via the single wire to the remote control switch receiver; and

a microprocessor that receives and interprets the digital signal as a signal to control the operation of the load.

31. The system of claim 30, the control switch comprising a dimmer.

32. The system of claim 30, the control switch comprising one of an ON/OFF switch that selectively switches said load between an ON and an OFF state, a sensor switch, and a timer switch.

33. The system of claim 30, the sequence of alternating current cycles comprising M positive half waves and K negative half waves transmitted over L half cycle periods, where K and M are integers greater than or equal to zero, L is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and K+M is less than or equal to L.

34. The system of claim 30, further comprising a second remote control that communicates with the control switch using one of only three half wave sequences, said three half wave sequences comprising an alternating current full wave signal, a negative half wave signal, and a positive half wave signal.

35. The system of claim 30, the remote control switch comprising a remote control switch display.

36. The system of claim 35, the microprocessor that further causes the transmitter to transmit electrical load status information to a control switch display and the remote control switch display, said status information based, at least in part, on the digital signal.

37. A method for controlling a load using a control switch, the method comprising:

transmitting from a remote control switch to the control switch via a single wire a selected one of at least four sequences of half cycles of a power line frequency alternating current signal, said remote control switch that comprises a remote control switch display;

transmitting status information from the control switch to the remote control switch via the single wire;

receiving the status information at the remote control switch;

displaying the status information on the remote control switch display;

receiving the selected sequence of alternating current cycles and converting the sequence of alternating current cycles into a digital signal;

interpreting the digital signal; and

using the interpreted digital signal to control the operation of the load based on the digital signal.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising transmitting status information to the remote control, said status information being based on load status information.

39. The method of claim 37 further comprising transmitting load status information to a control switch display and the remote control switch display, said status information that is based, at least in part, on the digital signal.

40. The method of claim 37 further comprising displaying status information on the remote control.

41. The method of claim 37 further comprising receiving signals from a second remote control that communicates using only three half wave sequences, said three half wave sequences comprising at least one of an alternating current full wave signal, a negative half wave signal, and a positive half wave signal.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising using alternating current cycles comprising M positive half waves and K negative half waves transmitted over L half cycle periods, where K and M are integers greater than or equal to zero, L is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and K+M is less than or equal to L.

43. A control system for controlling an electrical device comprising:

a control switch coupled to the electrical device to control the electrical device, said control switch further comprising a first display that displays whether the electrical device is ON or OFF and a second display, separate from the first display, said second display that displays the intensity level of the electrical device; and

at least one remote control switch, having a remote display, the at least one remote control switch coupled via a wire to the control switch to control the electrical device through the control switch, the at least one remote control switch that receives status information from the control switch via the wire, said status information being transmitted as a selected one of at least four sequences of half cycles of a power line frequency alternating current signal, said status information to be displayed on the remote display, the remote display comprising a first display that displays whether the electrical device is ON or OFF and a second display, separate from the first display, that displays the intensity level of the electrical device.

44. The system of claim 43, said remote control switch that communicates with the control switch using four or more sequences of alternating current cycles, the sequence of alternating current cycles comprising M positive half waves and K negative half waves transmitted over L half cycle periods, where K and M are integers greater than or equal to zero, L is an integer greater than or equal to 1, and K+M is less than or equal to L.

45. The switching control system of claim 43, wherein the control switch and the at least one remote control switch are adapted to receive a plurality of user-command control signals to control the status of the electrical device.