IP Library Granted Patent US 11,677,261
Granted Patent B2
US 11,677,261 · App. 17/232,700 · Granted Jun 13, 2023

Load control device having a reduced leakage through ground

Inventors: Dinesh Sundara Moorthy (Allentown, PA); James P. Steiner (Royersford, PA)
Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
H02J9/005H02J3/00H05B45/50
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,677,261
App. No.
17/232,700
Granted
Jun 13, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical device may be configured to conduct current through earth ground and may disconnect a switching circuit to reduce an amount of current conducted through the earth ground. The load control device may comprise a controllably conductive device configured to control the power delivered from the AC power source to the electrical device so as to generate a switched-hot voltage, a switching circuit electrically coupled with a detect circuit, and a control circuit configured to render the switching circuit conductive and nonconductive. The detect circuit may generate a detect signal indicating a magnitude of the switched-hot voltage. The control circuit may be configured to monitor the detect signal and to render the switching circuit non-conductive after detecting an edge on the detect signal to reduce the total current through the earth ground.

Claims (83)

1. An electrical load system controller, comprising:

electrical load control circuitry operatively couplable to: a controllably conductive device; a first hot detect circuit, and a second hot detect circuit, the control circuitry to:

receive from the first hot detect circuit a signal representative of an input supply voltage to the controllably conductive device;

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit between a first operating state and a second operating state;

selectively transition the controllably conductive device between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state;

receive from the second hot detect circuit a signal representative of an output switched voltage from the controllably conductive device; and

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit between a third operating state and a fourth operating state.

2. The electrical load system controller of claim 1 , the electrical load control circuitry to further:

responsive to an initial power-up of the electrical load control circuitry:

maintain the controllably conductive device in an electrically non-conductive state;

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit in an electrically conductive state determine whether the supply voltage is present at the first hot detect circuit;

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit in an electrically non-conductive state;

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit in an electrically conductive state determine whether the supply voltage is present at the second hot detect circuit; and

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit in an electrically non-conductive state.

3. The electrical load system controller of claim 2 , the electrical load control circuitry to further:

responsive to the initial power-up of the electrical load circuitry;

determine a close time adjustment associated with the controllably conductive device, the close time adjustment including a temporal interval between supply of a control signal transition the controllably conductive device to the electrically conductive state and a subsequent zero crossing of the supply voltage.

4. The electrical load system controller of claim 1 wherein to selectively transition the first hot detect circuit between the first operating state and the second operating state, the electrical load control circuitry to further:

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state.

5. The electrical load system controller of claim 4 wherein to selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state, the electrical load control circuitry to further:

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state responsive to transitioning the controllably conductive device between the electrically conductive state and the electrically non-conductive state.

6. The electrical load system controller of claim 5 wherein to selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state, the electrical load control circuitry to further:

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically non-conductive state responsive to detection of a zero-crossing of the input supply voltage by the first hot detect circuit.

7. The electrical load system controller of claim 1 wherein to selectively transition the second hot detect circuit between the third operating state and the fourth operating state, the electrical load control circuitry to further:

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state.

8. The electrical load system controller of claim 7 wherein to selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state, the electrical load control circuitry to further:

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state responsive to transitioning the controllably conductive device between the electrically conductive state and the electrically non-conductive state.

9. The electrical load system controller of claim 8 wherein to selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state, the electrical load control circuitry to further:

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically non-conductive state responsive to detection of an edge of the output switched voltage by the second hot detect circuit.

10. An electrical load system control method, comprising:

receiving, by electrical load control circuitry, from an operatively coupled first hot detect circuit a signal representative of an input supply voltage to a controllably conductive device;

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the first hot detect circuit between a first operating state and a second operating state;

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, an operatively coupled controllably conductive device between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state;

receiving, by the electrical load control circuitry, from an operatively coupled second hot detect circuit a signal representative of an output switched voltage from the operatively coupled controllably conductive device; and

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the second hot detect circuit between a third operating state and a fourth operating state.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising, in response to an initial power-up of the electrical load control circuitry:

maintaining, by the electrical load control circuitry, the controllably conductive device in an electrically non-conductive state;

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the first hot detect circuit in an electrically conductive state

determining, by the electrical load control circuitry, whether the supply voltage is present at the first hot detect circuit;

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the first hot detect circuit in an electrically non-conductive state;

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the second hot detect circuit in an electrically conductive state

determining, by the electrical load control circuitry, whether the supply voltage is present at the second hot detect circuit; and

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the second hot detect circuit in an electrically non-conductive state.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising in response to an initial power-up of the electrical load control circuitry:

determining, by the electrical load control circuitry, a dose time adjustment associated with the controllably conductive device, the close time adjustment including a temporal interval between supply of a control signal transition the controllably conductive device to the electrically conductive state and a subsequent zero crossing of the supply voltage.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein selectively transitioning the first hot detect circuit between the first operating state and the second operating state, further comprises:

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the first hot detect circuit between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein selectively transitioning the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state further comprises:

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state responsive to transitioning the controllably conductive device between the electrically conductive state and the electrically non-conductive state.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein selectively transitioning the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state further comprises:

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the first hot detect circuit to the electrically non-conductive state responsive to detection of a zero-crossing of the input supply voltage by the first hot detect circuit.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein selectively transitioning the second hot detect circuit between the third operating state and the fourth operating state further comprises:

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the second hot detect circuit between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein selectively transitioning the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state further comprises:

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state responsive to transitioning the controllably conductive device between the electrically conductive state and the electrically non-conductive state.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein selectively transitioning the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state, further comprises:

selectively transitioning, by the electrical load control circuitry, the second hot detect circuit to the electrically, non-conductive state responsive to detection of an edge of the output switched voltage by the second hot detect circuit.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the instructions that cause the electrical load control circuitry to selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state, further cause the electrical load control circuitry to:

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically non-conductive state responsive to detection of an edge of the output switched voltage by the second hot detect circuit.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the instructions that cause the electrical load control circuitry to selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state further cause the electrical load control circuitry to:

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state responsive to transitioning the controllably conductive device between the electrically conductive state and the electrically non-conductive state.

21. A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by electrical load control circuitry, cause the electrical load control circuitry to:

receive, from an operatively coupled first hot detect circuit, a signal representative of an input supply voltage to a controllably conductive device;

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit between a first operating state and a second operating state responsive receipt of the signal representative of the input supply voltage to the controllably conductive device;

selectively transition an operatively coupled controllably conductive device between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state;

receive, from an operatively coupled second hot detect circuit, a signal representative of an output switched voltage from the operatively coupled controllably conductive device; and

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit between a third operating state and a fourth operating state responsive receipt of the signal representative of the output switched voltage from the operatively coupled controllably conductive device.

22. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 21 wherein the instructions further cause the electrical load control circuitry to further:

maintain the controllably conductive device in an electrically non-conductive state;

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit in an electrically conductive state determine whether the supply voltage is present at the first hot detect circuit;

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit in an electrically non-conductive state;

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit in an electrically conductive state determine whether the supply voltage is present at the second hot detect circuit; and

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit in an electrically non-conductive state.

23. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 22 wherein, in response to an initial power-up of the electrical load control circuitry, the instructions to cause the electrical load control circuitry to further:

determine a dose time adjustment associated with the controllably conductive device, the close time adjustment including a temporal interval between supply of a control signal transition the controllably conductive device to the electrically conductive state and a subsequent zero crossing of the supply voltage.

24. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 21 wherein the instructions that cause the electrical load control circuitry to selectively transition the first hot detect circuit between the first operating state and the second operating state, further cause the electrical load control circuitry to:

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state.

25. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 24 wherein the instructions that cause the electrical load control circuitry to selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state further cause the electrical load control circuitry to:

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state responsive to transitioning the controllably conductive device between the electrically conductive state and the electrically non-conductive state.

26. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 25 wherein the instructions that cause the electrical load control circuitry to selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically conductive state further cause the electrical load control circuitry to:

selectively transition the first hot detect circuit to the electrically non-conductive state responsive to detection of a zero-crossing of the input supply voltage by the first hot detect circuit.

27. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 21 wherein the instructions that cause the electrical load control circuitry to selectively transition the second hot detect circuit between the third operating state and the fourth operating state further cause the electrical load control circuitry to:

selectively transition the second hot detect circuit between an electrically conductive state and an electrically non-conductive state.

Continuity (5)
Continuation 16786287 · Feb 10, 2020
Continuation 16422935 · May 24, 2019
Division 15160909 · May 20, 2016
Provisional Application 62164670 · May 21, 2015
Related Publication 20210234394A1 · Jul 29, 2021