IP Library Granted Patent US 10,975,874
Granted Patent B2
US 10,975,874 · App. 16/225,621 · Granted Apr 13, 2021

Connected fan systems

Inventors: Shawn Monteith (Burlington, CT); Michael Tetreault (Simsbury, CT)
Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
F04D25/088F04D27/004F24F1/0047F24F7/007F24F11/0001
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,975,874
App. No.
16/225,621
Granted
Apr 13, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Fan systems for circulating air in a space are provided. In one example implementation, a fan system includes a canopy controller configured to be disposed within a canopy housing of a ceiling fan. The canopy controller can be configured to control operation of a motor associated with the ceiling fan. The canopy controller can have a communication interface configured to communicate using a first wireless communication protocol. The fan system can include an in-wall controller. The in-wall controller being in electrical communication with the canopy controller via one or more electrical conductors. The in-wall controller can include an interface element configured to receive a user input. The in-wall controller can be configured to communicate one or more control commands to the canopy controller using the first wireless communication protocol. The in-wall controller configured to communicate data associated with the ceiling fan via a second wireless communication protocol.

Claims (39)

1. A fan system comprising:

a ceiling fan mountable to a surface, the ceiling fan having a canopy housing;

a canopy controller disposed within the canopy housing, the canopy controller configured to control operation of a motor associated with the ceiling fan, the canopy controller having a communication interface configured to communicate using a first wireless communication protocol;

an in-wall controller hardwired to the canopy controller via one or more electrical conductors, the in-wall controller configured to communicate one or more control commands to the canopy controller using the electrical conductors or the first wireless communication protocol, the in-wall controller further configured to illuminate a light indicator indicative of the implementation of the control actions by the fan system and also configured to communicate data associated with the ceiling fan via a second wireless communication protocol.

2. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the in-wall controller includes:

a first communication interface configured to communicate using the first wireless communication protocol; and

a second communication interface configured to communicate using the second wireless communication protocol.

3. The fan system of claim 2 , wherein:

the first wireless communication protocol is a Bluetooth Low Energy communication protocol; and

the second wireless communication protocol is an IEEE 802.11 communication protocol.

4. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the in-wall controller includes an interface element configured to receive a user input associated with controlling operation of the ceiling fan.

5. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the canopy controller includes a reactive fan controller configured to control operation of a fan motor associated with the ceiling fan.

6. The fan system of claim 5 , wherein the canopy controller further comprises a light controller configured to control operation of one or more light sources associated with the ceiling fan.

7. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the light indicator includes a light ring.

8. The fan system of claim 1 , wherein the light indicator further includes a night light disposed at a center of the light ring.

9. The fan system of claim 8 , wherein the in-wall controller is configured to illuminate a portion of the light ring based at least in part on a fan speed associated with the ceiling fan.

10. A method for operating a fan system, comprising:

obtaining, at an in-wall controller of the fan system, one or more signals indicative of a user input;

processing, at the in-wall controller, the one or more signals to generate one or more control commands;

communicating, by the in-wall controller, the one or more control commands from the in-wall controller to a canopy controller associated with a ceiling fan using a first wireless communication link;

implementing, by the canopy controller, one or more control actions based on the one or more control commands received from the in-wall controller;

receiving, by the in-wall controller, data from the canopy controller indicative of the implementation of the control actions by the fan system; and,

displaying, by the in-wall controller, one or more indicators indicative of the implementation of the control actions by the fan system.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more control actions comprise controlling operation of a fan motor associated with the ceiling fan.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more control actions comprise controlling a speed of a fan motor.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more control actions comprise controlling operation of a light source associated with the fan system.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein displaying one or more indicators comprises:

illuminating, by the in-wall controller, a portion of a light ring based, at least in part, on operation of the fan system.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein illuminating a portion of the light ring comprises:

illuminating, by the in-wall controller, a first portion of the light ring when the ceiling fan operates at a first speed; and

illuminating, by the in-wall controller, a second portion of the light ring when the ceiling fan operates a second speed that is greater than the first speed.

16. An in-wall controller for a fan system, the in-wall controller comprising:

an interface element configured to receive a user input associated with controlling operation of a ceiling fan;

an electrical conductor connecting the in-wall controller to a canopy controller of the ceiling fan, the electrical conductor facilitating communication of control commands from the in-wall controller to the canopy controller;

a first communication interface configured to communicate one or more control commands determined in response to the user input to the canopy controller configured to control operation of the fan via a first communication protocol;

a second communication interface configured to communicate data associated with operation of the fan via a second communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol is different from the second communication protocol;

a light ring indicator configured to be illuminated in a manner indicative of the execution of the control commands by the fan system.

17. The in-wall controller of claim 16 , wherein the interface element comprises one or more buttons.

18. The in-wall controller of claim 16 , further comprising a power meter.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Oct 14, 2021
From: IDEVICES, LLC
To: HUBBELL INCORPORATED (DELAWARE)
Reel/Frame 057797/0818 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 9, 2019
From: MONTEITH, SHAWN; TETREAULT, MICHAEL
To: HUBBELL INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 047942/0277 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 62640313 · Mar 8, 2018
Provisional Application 62608133 · Dec 20, 2017
Related Publication 20190186496A1 · Jun 20, 2019
Cited By (1)
US 12,270,407