Detecting actuations of buttons of a control device
AssigneeLutron Technology Company LLC
InventorJaykrishna A. Shukla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A load control device may be used to control and deliver power to an electrical load. The load control device may comprise a control circuit for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load. The load control device may comprise multiple actuators, where each of the actuators is connected between a terminal of the control circuit and a current regulating device. The number of the actuators may be greater than the number of the terminals. The control circuit may measure signals at the terminals and determine a state configuration for the actuators based on the measured signals. The control circuit may compare the state configuration to a predetermined dataset to detect a ghosting condition.
Claims18
A charlieplex method, comprising:
- for each of a plurality of I/O connections, each of the plurality of I/O connections conductively coupled to a plurality of actuator circuits, each of the plurality of actuator circuits including an actuatable element coupled in electrical series with at least one current limiting device:
- providing, by control circuitry, a supply voltage at the I/O connection;
- and
- for each of the remaining plurality of I/O connections:
- measuring, by the control circuitry, a voltage at the respective I/O connection;
- comparing the measured voltage at the respective I/O connection with a first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, and a third voltage threshold;
- and
- responsive to the determination that the measured voltage at the respective I/O connection is greater than the first voltage threshold and less than the second voltage threshold, returning, by the control circuitry, a logical value indicative of a ghosting condition that includes an activated first actuator circuit and an activated second actuator circuit.
A charlieplex controller, comprising:
- a plurality of actuator circuits, each of the plurality of actuator circuits including an actuatable element coupled in electrical series with at least one current limiting device;
- and
- control circuitry having a plurality of I/O connections, each of the plurality of I/O connections conductively coupled to a plurality of actuator circuits, the control circuitry to, for each of the plurality of I/O connections:
- provide a supply voltage at the respective I/O connection;
- and
- for each of the remaining plurality of I/O connections:
- measure a voltage at the respective I/O connection;
- compare the measured voltage at the respective I/O connection with a first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, and a third voltage threshold;
- and
- responsive to the determination that the measured voltage at the respective I/O connection is greater than the first voltage threshold and less than the second voltage threshold, return a logical value indicative of a ghosting condition that includes an activated first actuator circuit and an activated second actuator circuit.
A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by charlieplex controller control circuitry having a plurality of I/O connections, causes the control circuitry to:
- provide a supply voltage at respective ones of the plurality of I/O connections, each of the plurality of I/O connections conductively coupled to a plurality of actuator circuits, each of the plurality of actuator circuits including an actuatable element coupled in electrical series with at least one current limiting device;
- and
- for each of the remaining plurality of I/O connections:
- measure a voltage at the respective I/O connection;
- compare the measured voltage at the respective I/O connection with a first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, and a third voltage threshold;
- and
- responsive to the determination that the measured voltage at the respective I/O connection is greater than the first voltage threshold and less than the second voltage threshold, return a logical value indicative of a ghosting condition that includes an activated first actuator circuit and an activated second actuator circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.