Granted Patent B2

US 12,349,258 · App. 18/221,175 · Granted Jul 1, 2025

Inventors: Mark Eiding (Quakertown, PA); Mark Ryan Lopez (Lansdale, PA); David L. Wykes, Jr. (Quakertown, PA); Noopur Zokarkar (Bethlehem, PA)

Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC

H05B47/175G05B15/02H04L67/12

Abstract

Claims (93)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a communication circuit; and

a control circuit configured to:

receive a command for controlling a plurality of load control devices for controlling respective electrical loads, wherein a first subset of the plurality of load control devices associated with a first zone identifier are assigned a first group identifier and a second subset of the plurality of load control devices associated with a second zone identifier are assigned a second group identifier based on zone configuration information received from a network computing device, and wherein the first group identifier is configured for communicating group messages to the first subset and the second group identifier is configured for communicating group messages to the second subset;

determine whether the command is configured to cause a same type of control or a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, one or more messages using a first message type when the command is configured to cause a same type of control of the first subset and the second subset and using a second message type when the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset, wherein the first message type is a broadcast message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a load controller or a system controller in communication with one or more load controllers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the load control devices are lighting control devices for controlling respective lighting loads.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the zone configuration information comprises an association of zone identifiers to load control devices for controlling the lighting loads, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine a number of load control devices per zone identifier in the zone configuration information;

identify the first zone identifier as having a highest number of load control devices in the zone configuration information;

assign the first group identifier to the first subset based on the load control devices of the first subset being associated with the first zone identifier having the highest number of load control devices;

identify the second zone identifier as having a second highest number of load control devices in the zone configuration information; and

assign the second group identifier to the second subset based on the load control devices of the second subset being associated with the second zone identifier having the second highest number of load control devices.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of load control devices comprises a first load control device and a second load control device, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the command is configured to cause the different type of control to the first subset and the second subset;

determine that the command is configured to cause a similar type of control of the first load control device and the second load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, a first group message comprising the command for controlling the first load control device and the second load control device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the command is configured to cause a similar type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, a second group message comprising the command for controlling the third load control device and the fourth load control device.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, respective individual messages to each of the second subset of load control devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of load control devices comprises a first load control device and a second load control device, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the command is configured to cause the different type of control to the first subset and the second subset;

determine that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the first load control device and the second load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, respective individual messages to each of the first subset of load control devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the control circuit is further configured to:

determine that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, respective individual messages to each of the second subset of load control devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first zone identifier is configured for identifying that the first subset of the load control devices are associated with a first zone and the second zone identifier is configured for identifying that the second subset of the load control devices are associated with a second zone.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit being configured to determine whether the command is configured to cause a same type of control or a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset comprises the control circuit being configured to determine whether the command is configured to cause the respective electrical loads of the first subset of the load control devices and the respective electrical loads of the second subset of the load control devices to be controlled to a same level or a different level.

12. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a control circuit, cause the control circuit to:

receive a command for controlling a plurality of load control devices for controlling respective electrical loads, wherein a first subset of the plurality of load control devices associated with a first zone identifier are assigned a first group identifier and a second subset of the plurality of load control devices associated with a second zone identifier are assigned a second group identifier based on zone configuration information received from a network computing device, and wherein the first group identifier is configured for communicating group messages to the first subset and the second group identifier is configured for communicating group messages to the second subset;

determine whether the command is configured to cause a same type of control or a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, one or more messages using a first message type when the command is configured to cause a same type of control of the first subset and the second subset and using a second message type when the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset, wherein the first message type is a broadcast message.

13. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , wherein the zone configuration information comprises an association of zone identifiers to load control devices for controlling the lighting loads, and wherein the instructions further cause the control circuit to:

determine a number of load control devices per zone identifier in the zone configuration information;

identify the first zone identifier as having a highest number of load control devices in the zone configuration information;

assign the first group identifier to the first subset based on the load control devices of the first subset being associated with the first zone identifier having the highest number of load control devices;

identify the second zone identifier as having a second highest number of load control devices in the zone configuration information; and

assign the second group identifier to the second subset based on the load control devices of the second subset being associated with the second zone identifier having the second highest number of load control devices.

14. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , wherein the first subset of load control devices comprises a first load control device and a second load control device, and wherein the instructions further cause the control circuit to:

determine that the command is configured to cause the different type of control to the first subset and the second subset;

determine that the command is configured to cause a similar type of control of the first load control device and the second load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, a first group message comprising the command for controlling the first load control device and the second load control device.

15. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the instructions further cause the control circuit to:

determine that the command is configured to cause a similar type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, a second group message comprising the command for controlling the third load control device and the fourth load control device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the instructions further cause the control circuit to:

determine that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, respective individual messages to each of the second subset of load control devices.

17. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , wherein the first subset of load control devices comprises a first load control device and a second load control device, and wherein the instructions further cause the control circuit to:

determine that the command is configured to cause the different type of control to the first subset and the second subset;

determine that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the first load control device and the second load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, respective individual messages to each of the first subset of load control devices.

18. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 17 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the instructions further cause the control circuit to:

determine that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmit, via the communication circuit, respective individual messages to each of the second subset of load control devices.

19. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , wherein the load control devices are lighting control devices for controlling respective lighting loads.

20. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , wherein the first zone identifier is configured for identifying that the first subset of the load control devices are associated with a first zone and the second zone identifier is configured for identifying that the second subset of the load control devices are associated with a second zone.

21. The non-transitory computer readable media of claim 12 , wherein the instructions causing the control circuit to determine whether the command is configured to cause a same type of control or a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset comprises the instructions causing the control circuit to determine whether the command is configured to cause the respective electrical loads of the first subset of the load control devices and the respective electrical loads of the second subset of the load control devices to be controlled to a same level or a different level.

22. A method comprising:

receiving a command for controlling a plurality of load control devices for controlling respective electrical loads, wherein a first subset of the plurality of load control devices associated with a first zone identifier are assigned a first group identifier and a second subset of the plurality of load control devices associated with a second zone identifier are assigned a second group identifier based on zone configuration information received from a network computing device, and wherein the first group identifier is configured for communicating group messages to the first subset and the second group identifier is configured for communicating group messages to the second subset;

determining whether the command is configured to cause a same type of control or a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset; and

transmitting one or more messages using a first message type when the command is configured to cause a same type of control of the first subset and the second subset and using a second message type when the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset, wherein the first message type is a broadcast message.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the zone configuration information comprises an association of zone identifiers to load control devices for controlling the lighting loads, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining a number of load control devices per zone identifier in the zone configuration information;

identifying the first zone identifier as having a highest number of load control devices in the zone configuration information;

assigning the first group identifier to the first subset based on the load control devices of the first subset being associated with the first zone identifier having the highest number of load control devices;

identifying the second zone identifier as having a second highest number of load control devices in the zone configuration information; and

assigning the second group identifier to the second subset based on the load control devices of the second subset being associated with the second zone identifier having the second highest number of load control devices.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first subset of load control devices comprises a first load control device and a second load control device, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the command is configured to cause the different type of control to the first subset and the second subset;

determining that the command is configured to cause a similar type of control of the first load control device and the second load control device; and

transmitting a first group message comprising the command for controlling the first load control device and the second load control device.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the command is configured to cause a similar type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmitting a second group message comprising the command for controlling the third load control device and the fourth load control device.

26. The method of claim 24 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmitting respective individual messages to each of the second subset of load control devices.

27. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first subset of load control devices comprises a first load control device and a second load control device, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the command is configured to cause the different type of control to the first subset and the second subset;

determining that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the first load control device and the second load control device; and

transmitting respective individual messages to each of the first subset of load control devices.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the second subset of load control devices comprises a third load control device and a fourth load control device, and wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the command is configured to cause a different type of control of the third load control device and the fourth load control device; and

transmitting respective individual messages to each of the second subset of load control devices.

29. The method of claim 22 , wherein the load control devices are lighting control devices for controlling respective lighting loads.

30. The method of claim 22 , wherein the first zone identifier is configured for identifying that the first subset of the load control devices are associated with a first zone and the second zone identifier is configured for identifying that the second subset of the load control devices are associated with a second zone.

31. The method of claim 22 , wherein determining whether the command is configured to cause a same type of control or a different type of control of the first subset and the second subset comprises determining whether the command is configured to cause the respective electrical loads of the first subset of the load control devices and the respective electrical loads of the second subset of the load control devices to be controlled to a same level or a different level.

Continuity (3)

References Cited (12)