IP Library Granted Patent US 11,700,147
Granted Patent B2
US 11,700,147 · App. 17/717,221 · Granted Jul 11, 2023

Commissioning load control systems

Inventors: Kyle Thomas Barco (Bethlehem, PA); Bryan Robert Barnes (Lansdale, PA); Erica L. Clymer (Northampton, PA); Brian Michael Courtney (Bethlehem, PA); Jordan H. Crafts (Bethlehem, PA); William Bryce Fricke (Bethlehem, PA); Galen Edgar Knode (Macungie, PA); Sanjeev Kumar (Harleysville, PA); Jonathan T. Lenz (Waltham, MA); Stephen M. Ludwig, Jr. (Coopersburg, PA); Sandeep Mudabail Raghuram (Breinigsville, PA); Richard M. Walsh, III (Bethlehem, PA)
Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
H04L12/4625G05B15/02H02J13/00H05B47/19G05B2219/23312
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,700,147
App. No.
17/717,221
Granted
Jul 11, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A load control system may include control devices for controlling power provided to an electrical load. The control devices may include a control-source device and a control-target device. The control-target device may control the power provided to the electrical load based on digital messages received from the control-source device. The control devices may include a load control discovery device capable of sending discovery messages configured to discover control devices within a location. The discovered control devices may be organized by signal strength and may be provided to a network device to enable association of the discovered control devices within a location. The discovery messages may be transmitted within an established discovery range. The discovery range may be adjusted to discover different control devices. Different control devices may be identified as the load control discovery device for discovering different control devices.

Claims (77)

1. A load control discovery device, comprising:

communication interface circuitry; and

control circuitry communicatively coupled to the communication interface circuitry, the control circuitry to:

receive a first input that includes data representative of control device discovery criteria;

responsive to receipt of the control device discovery criteria, cause a broadcast, via the communication interface circuitry, of a control device discovery message;

receive, via the communication interface circuitry, a response message from each respective one of a plurality of responding control devices that meet the received control device discovery criteria, the response message including at least data representative of a unique identifier assigned to the respective responding control device; and

receive a second input that includes data representative of an association between at least two of the plurality of responding control devices; and

communicate, via the communication interface circuitry, to a system controller communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of responding control devices:

the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices; and

data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices.

2. The load control discovery device of claim 1 , the control circuitry to further:

cause generation of a graphical user interface that includes the data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and the data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices.

3. The load control discovery device of claim 2 wherein to cause the generation of the graphical user interface that includes the data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and the data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices, the control circuitry to further:

cause the generation of the graphical user interface that includes data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices, the data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices, and data representative of the control device discovery criteria from each respective one of the plurality of responding control devices.

4. The load control discovery device of claim 1 , wherein to receive the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria, the control circuitry to further:

receive an input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria and data representative of a control device discovery type.

5. The load control discovery device of claim 1 , wherein to receive the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria, the control circuitry to further:

receive an input that includes the data representative of a defined strength of the control device discovery message.

6. The load control discovery device of claim 1 , wherein to receive the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria, the control circuitry to further:

receive an input that includes the data representative of a defined received signal strength of the control device discovery message at each of a plurality of control devices.

7. The load control discovery device of claim 6 , wherein to cause the broadcast of the control device discovery message, the control circuitry to further:

cause a broadcast of a control device discovery message that includes the received data representative of a defined received signal strength of the control device discovery message.

8. The load control discovery device of claim 1 :

wherein to broadcast the control device discovery message, the control circuitry to further:

cause a broadcast of a control device discovery message via a first portion of the communication interface circuitry, wherein the first portion of the communication interface circuitry includes a first type of communication interface circuitry that uses a first communication protocol; and

wherein to communicate to the system controller the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices; and the received data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices, the control circuitry to further:

communicate to the system controller the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices; and the received data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices via a second portion of the communication interface circuitry, wherein the second portion of the communication interface circuitry includes a second type of communication interface circuitry that uses a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol.

9. A load control device discovery method, comprising:

receiving, by control circuitry, a first input that includes data representative of control device discovery criteria;

responsive to receipt of the control device discovery criteria, causing by the control circuitry, a broadcast of a control device discovery message via communication interface circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry;

receiving, by the control circuitry via the communication interface circuitry, a response message from each respective one of a plurality of responding control devices that meet the received control device discovery criteria, the response message including at least data representative of a unique identifier assigned to the respective responding control device; and

receiving, by the control circuitry, a second input that includes data representative of an association between at least two of the plurality of responding control devices; and

causing, by the control circuitry, a communication, via the communication interface circuitry, to a system controller communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of responding control devices:

the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices; and

data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

causing a generation of a graphical user interface that includes the data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and the data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein causing the generation of the graphical user interface that includes data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices, further comprises:

causing, by the control circuitry, generation of a graphical user interface that includes data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices, the data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices, and data representative of the control device discovery criteria from each respective one of the plurality of responding control devices.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria further comprises:

receiving, by the control circuitry, an input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria and data representative of a control device discovery type.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria further comprises:

receiving, by the control circuitry, an input that includes the data representative of a defined strength of the control device discovery message.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein receiving the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria further comprises:

receiving, by the control circuitry, an input that includes the data representative of a defined received signal strength of the control device discovery message at each of a plurality of control devices.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein causing the broadcast of the control device discovery message further comprises:

causing, by the control circuitry, a broadcast of a control device discovery message that includes the received data representative of a defined received signal strength of the control device discovery message.

16. The method of claim 9 :

wherein causing the broadcast of the control device discovery message further comprises:

causing, by the control circuitry, the broadcast of a control device discovery message via a first portion of the communication interface circuitry, wherein the first portion of the communication interface circuitry includes a first type of communication interface circuitry that uses a first communication protocol; and

wherein causing the communication of the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and the received data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices further comprises:

causing, by the control circuitry, the communication to the system controller of the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices; and the received data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices via a second portion of the communication interface circuitry, wherein the second portion of the communication interface circuitry includes a second type of communication interface circuitry that uses a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol.

17. A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by control circuitry in a load control discovery device, cause the control circuitry to:

receive a first input that includes data representative of control device discovery criteria;

responsive to receipt of the control device discovery criteria, cause a broadcast of a control device discovery message via communication interface circuitry communicatively coupled to the control circuitry;

receive, via the communication interface circuitry, a response message from each respective one of a plurality of responding control devices that meet the received control device discovery criteria, the response message including at least data representative of a unique identifier assigned to the respective responding control device;

receive a second input that includes data representative of an association between at least two of the plurality of responding control devices; and

cause a communication, via the communication interface circuitry, to a system controller communicatively coupled to each of the plurality of responding control devices:

the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices; and

data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices.

18. Non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 17 wherein the instructions when executed by the control circuitry in the load control discovery device, further cause the control circuitry to:

cause a generation of a graphical user interface on the load control discovery device, the GUI including the data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and the data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices.

19. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 18 wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry in the load control discovery device to cause the generation of the graphical user interface that includes data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices, further cause the control circuitry to:

cause a generation of a GUI that includes data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices, the data representative of the unique identifier assigned to each respective one of the plurality responding control devices, and data representative of the control device discovery criteria from each respective one of the plurality of responding control devices.

20. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry in the load control discovery device to receive the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria further cause the control circuitry to:

receive an input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria and data representative of a control device discovery type.

21. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 17 wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry in the load control discovery device to receive the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria further cause the control circuitry to:

receive an input that includes the data representative of a defined strength of the control device discovery message.

22. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 17 wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry in the load control discovery device to receive the first input that includes the data representative of the control device discovery criteria further comprises:

receive an input that includes the data representative of a defined received signal strength of the control device discovery message at each of a plurality of control devices.

23. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 22 wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry in the load control discovery device to cause the broadcast of the control device discovery message further comprises:

cause the broadcast of the control device discovery message that includes the received data representative of a defined received signal strength of the control device discovery message.

24. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 17 :

wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry in the load control discovery device to cause causing the broadcast of the control device discovery message further cause the control circuitry to:

cause the broadcast of the control device discovery message via a first portion of the communication interface circuitry, wherein the first portion of the communication interface circuitry includes a first type of communication interface circuitry that uses a first communication protocol; and

wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry in the load control discovery device to cause the communication of the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices and the received data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices further comprises:

cause the communication to the system controller of the received data representative of each of the plurality of responding control devices; and the received data representative of the association between the at least two of the plurality of responding control devices via a second portion of the communication interface circuitry, wherein the second portion of the communication interface circuitry includes a second type of communication interface circuitry that uses a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol.

Continuity (7)
Continuation 16902945 · Jun 16, 2020
Division 16457126 · Jun 28, 2019
Continuation 15338029 · Oct 28, 2016
Provisional Application 62326466 · Apr 22, 2016
Provisional Application 62279409 · Jan 15, 2016
Provisional Application 62249117 · Oct 30, 2015
Related Publication 20220239529A1 · Jul 28, 2022
Cited By (2)
US 12,301,378 US 12,580,810