# US 12,010,780 B2 · Commissioning and controlling load control devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,010,780 B2 - Document ID: US12010780B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/315,694 - Filed: 2023-05-11 - Published: 2023-09-07 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-05 - Assignees: Lutron Technology Company LLC - Applicants: Lutron Technology Company LLC - Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker; Kyle Thomas Barco; Bryan Robert Barnes; John H. Bull; Richard S. Camden; Jordan H. Crafts; David J. Dolan; Jason Groller; Sanjeev Kumar; Jonathan T. Lenz; Miguel Aguado Pelaez; Daniel L. Twaddell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12010780B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services - H02J 13/1327: {using optical means} - H04B 10/116: Visible light communication - H04B 17/318: Received signal strength - H04W 4/023: {using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds} - H04W 4/029: Location-based management or tracking services - H04W 4/33: for indoor environments, e.g. buildings - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 16/28: using beam steering - H04W 52/0245: {according to signal strength} - H04W 52/343: {taking into account loading or congestion level} - H04W 76/11: Allocation or use of connection identifiers - H04W 76/14: Direct-mode setup - H05B 47/195: the transmission using visible or infrared light - H05B 47/1965: {using handheld communication devices} - H05B 47/199: {Commissioning of light sources} - H05B 47/196: {characterised by user interface arrangements} - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H04B: TRANSMISSION - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A load control system may include control devices capable of being associated with each other at one or more locations for performing load control. Control devices may include control-source devices and/or control-target devices. A location beacon may be discovered and a unique identifier in the location beacon may be associated with a unique identifier of one or more control devices. Upon subsequent discovery of the location beacon, the associated load control devices may be controlled. The beacons may be communicated via radio frequency signals, visible light communication, and/or audio signals. The visible light communication may be used to communicate other types of information to devices in the load control system. The visible light communication may be used to identify link addresses for communicating with load control devices, load control instructions, load control configuration instructions, network communication information, and/or the like. The information in the beacons may be used to commission and/or control the load control system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for determining a link address assigned to a load control device, the system comprising: a lighting control device configured to provide an amount of power to a lighting load; and a system controller configured to: instruct the lighting control device to provide the amount of power to the lighting load in a manner that causes the lighting load to indicate a link address assigned to the lighting control device via visible light communication; receive location information that indicates a location of the load control device; receive the link address assigned to the load control device from a network device; and associate the link address with a device identifier of the load control device based on the location information that indicates a location of the load control device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to: receive control instructions from the network device, wherein the control instructions include the device identifier; and send the control instructions to the lighting control device using the associated link address to control a lighting level of the lighting control device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to: receive lighting control configuration instructions from the network device, wherein the lighting control configuration instructions include the device identifier; receive a digital message from a control-target device; determine, based on the digital message and the lighting control configuration instructions, control instructions for controlling the load control device; and send the control instructions to the load control device using the link address. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to determine that the location of the load control device is within a predefined range of the location of the network device, and wherein the system controller is configured to associate the link address with the device identifier of the load control device when the location of the load control device is within the predefined range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system controller is configured to: receive a digital message that includes a triggering event for instructing the lighting control device to cause the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device; and instruct the lighting control device to provide the amount of power to the lighting load in the manner that causes the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device in response to the triggering event. ### Claim 6 A system controller for determining a link address assigned to a load control device, the system controller comprising: a processor configured to: instruct a lighting control device to provide an amount of power to a lighting load in a manner that causes the lighting load to indicate a link address assigned to the lighting control device via visible light communication; receive location information that indicates a location of the load control device; receive the link address assigned to the load control device from a network device; and associate the link address with a device identifier of the load control device based on the location information that indicates a location of the load control device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system controller of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to: receive control instructions from the network device, wherein the control instructions include the device identifier; and send the control instructions to the lighting control device using the associated link address to control a lighting level of the lighting control device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system controller of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to: receive lighting control configuration instructions from the network device, wherein the lighting control configuration instructions include the device identifier; receive a digital message from a control-target device; determine, based on the digital message and the lighting control configuration instructions, control instructions for controlling the load control device; and send the control instructions to the load control device using the link address. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The system controller of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the location of the load control device is within a predefined range of the location of the network device, and wherein the system controller is configured to associate the link address with the device identifier of the load control device when the location of the load control device is within the predefined range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The system controller of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to: receive a digital message that includes a triggering event for instructing the lighting control device to cause the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device; and instruct the lighting control device to provide the amount of power to the lighting load in the manner that causes the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device in response to the triggering event. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The system controller of claim 6, wherein the location information comprises a device identifier of a device at the location in a floor plan. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The system controller of claim 6, wherein the location information indicates a location of the network device. ### Claim 13 A method to determine a link address assigned to a load control device, the method comprising: instructing, by a system controller processor, a lighting control device to provide an amount of power to a lighting load in a manner that causes the lighting load to indicate a link address assigned to the lighting control device via visible light communication; receiving, by the system controller processor, location information that indicates a location of the load control device; receiving, by the system controller processor, the link address assigned to the load control device from a network device; and associating, by the system controller processor, the link address with a device identifier of the load control device based on the location information that indicates a location of the load control device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving, by the system controller processor, control instructions from the network device, wherein the control instructions include the device identifier; and sending, by the system controller processor, the control instructions to the lighting control device using the associated link address to control a lighting level of the lighting control device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving, by the system controller processor, lighting control configuration instructions from the network device, wherein the lighting control configuration instructions include the device identifier; receiving, by the system controller processor, a digital message from a control-target device; determining, by the system controller processor, based on the digital message and the lighting control configuration instructions, control instructions for controlling the load control device; and sending, by the system controller processor, the control instructions to the load control device using the link address. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: determining, by the system controller processor, that the location of the load control device is within a predefined range of the location of the network device; and associating, by the system controller processor, the link address with the device identifier of the load control device when the location of the load control device is within the predefined range. ### Claim 17 The method of claim, 13, further comprising: receiving, by the system controller processor, a digital message that includes a triggering event for instructing the lighting control device to cause the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device; and instructing, by the system controller processor, the lighting control device to provide the amount of power to the lighting load in the manner that causes the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device in response to the triggering event. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the location information that indicates the location of the load control device further comprises: receiving, by the system controller processor, a device identifier of a device at the location in a floor plan. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the location information that indicates the location of the load control device further comprises: receiving, by the system controller processor, a location of the network device. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by a system controller processor, cause the system controller processor to: instruct a lighting control device to provide an amount of power to a lighting load in a manner that causes the lighting load to indicate a link address assigned to the lighting control device via visible light communication; receive location information that indicates a location of the load control device; receive the link address assigned to the load control device from a network device; and associate the link address with a device identifier of the load control device based on the location information that indicates a location of the load control device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions, when executed by the system controller processor, further cause the system controller processor to: receive control instructions from the network device, wherein the control instructions include the device identifier; and send the control instructions to the lighting control device using the associated link address to control a lighting level of the lighting control device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions, when executed by the system controller processor, further cause the system controller processor to: receive lighting control configuration instructions from the network device, wherein the lighting control configuration instructions include the device identifier; receive a digital message from a control-target device; determine, based on the digital message and the lighting control configuration instructions, control instructions for controlling the load control device; and send the control instructions to the load control device using the link address. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions, when executed by the system controller processor, further cause the system controller processor to: determine that the location of the load control device is within a predefined range of the location of the network device; and associate the link address with the device identifier of the load control device when the location of the load control device is within the predefined range. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions, when executed by the system controller processor, further cause the system controller processor to: receive a digital message that includes a triggering event for instructing the lighting control device to cause the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device; and instruct the lighting control device to provide the amount of power to the lighting load in the manner that causes the lighting load to indicate the link address assigned to the lighting control device in response to the triggering event. ### Claim 25 (depends on 20) The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions that cause the system controller processor to receive the location information that indicates the location of the load control device further cause the system controller processor to: receive a device identifier of a device at the location in a floor plan. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of claim 20 wherein the instructions that cause the system controller processor to receive the location information that indicates the location of the load control device further cause the system controller processor to: receive a location of the network device.