System and method for controlling electrical devices

An electrical system comprising:

• at least one controllable electrical device;
• and
• a line controller, connectable to the electrical device via a power line, for providing power to the electrical device and for controlling a mode of operation of the electrical device, the line controller comprising a switching device for selectively interrupting power to the electrical device in accordance with a command message corresponding to a user-selected mode of operation, wherein the user-selected mode of operation includes two dimensions associated with the mode of operation, and
• wherein the command message encodes the user-selected mode of operation and the two associated dimensions in accordance with a multi-field command protocol comprising:
• a first variable length OFF time;
• a variable length ON time following the first variable length OFF time;
• and
• a second variable length OFF time following the variable length ON time,
• wherein the first OFF time, the ON time and the second OFF time form three discrete fields of the command message, with each field having a value represented by its length, wherein at least one of the three fields, or the three fields together, define a command to control the electrical device in accordance with the user-selected mode of operation, and wherein the at least one of the three fields defines a parameter to control the electrical device in accordance with at least one of the associated dimensions;
• and
• wherein the three fields of the command message together define the command and two parameters to control the electrical device in accordance with the user-selected mode of operation and the two associated dimensions.

A line controller connectable to at least one controllable electrical device via a power line, for providing power to the electrical device and for controlling a mode of operation of the electrical device, the line controller comprising a switching device for selectively interrupting power to the electrical device in accordance with a command message corresponding to a user-selected mode of operation, wherein the user-selected mode of operation includes two dimensions associated with the mode of operation, and wherein the command message encodes the user-selected mode of operation and the two associated dimensions in accordance with a multi-field command protocol comprising:

• a first variable length OFF time;
• a variable length ON time following the first variable length OFF time;
• and
• a second variable length OFF time following the variable length ON time, wherein the first OFF time, the ON time and the second OFF time form three discrete fields of the command message, with each field having a value represented by its length, wherein at least one of the three fields, or the three fields together, define a command to control the electrical device in accordance with the user-selected mode of operation, and wherein the at least one of the three fields defines a parameter to control the electrical device in accordance with at least one of the two associated dimensions;
• and
• wherein the three fields of the command message together define the command and two parameters to control the electrical device in accordance with the user-selected mode of operation and the two associated dimensions.

A controllable electrical device operable within an electrical system and having a plurality of selectable modes of operation,

• the controllable electrical device being connectable to a power line of the electrical system and being configured to detect selective interruptions of power on the power line representing a command message corresponding to a user-selected mode of operation and two dimensions associated with the mode of operation, wherein the user-selected mode of operation and the two associated dimensions are encoded within the command message in accordance with a multi-field command protocol comprising:
• a first variable length OFF time;
• a variable length ON time following the first variable length OFF time;
• and
• a second variable length OFF time following the variable length ON time, wherein the first OFF time, the ON time and the second OFF time form three discrete fields of the command message, with each field having a value represented by its length, and at least one of the three fields, or the three fields together, define a command to control the electrical device in accordance with the user-selected mode of operation, and
• wherein the electrical device comprises a microcontroller
• configured to decode the command message having encoded therein the user-selected mode of operation and two user-selected dimensions associated with the mode of operation,
• the user-selected mode of operation being identified within the command message by a mode command defined by one of the three fields,
• a first user-selected dimension being identified within the command message by a first parameter defined by another of the three fields, and
• a second user-selected dimension being identified within the command message by a second parameter defined by the remaining field of the three fields, and
• wherein the microcontroller is configured to operate the electrical device in accordance with the user-selected mode of operation and the two associated dimensions.