Appliance control system with programmable receivers

A control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

• one or several command generators,
• a receiver associated with each appliance,
• a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,
• a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals, and
• a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,
• characterized in that
• provided in each receiver is an electrically readable second memory that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, and
• the control line comprises optically conductive material and the command generator controls the connected receivers by way of bidirectional optical control signals, or in that the connected receivers can be controlled bidirectionally or unidirectionally via infrared signals from one or more command generators, in particular portable or mobile command generators.

A method for putting into operation a control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

• one or several command generators,
• a receiver associated with each appliance,
• a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,
• a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals,
• a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,
• wherein an electrically readable second memory is provided in each receiver that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, said method comprising,
• a) storing before installation of the system the receiver-specific original address in the second memory of each receiver,
• b) instructing, after the system has been installed, via the control line by means of the command generator, the receivers of all appliances to transmit their receiver-specific original addresses,
• c) selecting by means of the command generator one of the transmitted original addresses and instructing the appliance associated with this address to identify itself,
• d) storing an operational address which, after installation of the system, takes account of a specific grouping and/or arrangement of appliances in different rooms, in the first memory of the receiver associated with the identified appliance by means of the command generator,
• e) repeating the steps b) to d) until all operational addresses are written in the corresponding first memories, and
• f) wherein according to step b) the receivers which send their original addresses do not yet have an operational address, and in that the receivers which have already been allocated an operational address in previous initiation of operations send this operational address instead of the original address.

A method for putting into operation a control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

• one or several command generators,
• a receiver associated with each appliance,
• a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,
• a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals,
• a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,
• wherein an electrically readable second memory is provided in each receiver that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, said method comprising,
• a) storing before installation of the system the receiver-specific original address in the second memory of each receiver,
• b) instructing, after the system has been installed, via the control line by means of the command generator, the receivers of all appliances to transmit their receiver-specific original addresses,
• c) selecting by means of the command generator one of the transmitted original addresses and instructing the appliance associated with this address to identify itself,
• d) storing an operational address which, after installation of the system, takes account of a specific grouping and/or arrangement of appliances in different rooms, in the first memory of the receiver associated with the identified appliance by means of the command generator,
• e) repeating the steps b) to d) until all operational addresses are written in the corresponding first memories, and
• f) wherein the operational address directly replaces the original address, while a characterizing address for denoting the type of appliance, in particular the type of lighting fitting, remains unchanged.

A method for putting into operation a control system for a plurality of appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, comprising

• one or several command generators,
• a receiver associated with each appliance,
• a control line which connects the command generator to each receiver,
• a first memory in each receiver into which an operational address for the associated appliance can be written by electrical signals,
• a control part provided in each receiver by means of which the appliance associated therewith can be controlled by the command generator if they have been previously activated by selection of the operational address of the appliance associated therewith,
• wherein an electrically readable second memory is provided in each receiver that contains a receiver-specific original address, and the original address comprises a production number, said method comprising,
• a) storing before installation of the system the receiver-specific original address in the second memory of each receiver,
• b) instructing, after the system has been installed, via the control line by means of the command generator, the receivers of all appliances to transmit their receiver-specific original addresses,
• c) selecting by means of the command generator one of the transmitted original addresses and instructing the appliance associated with this address to identify itself,
• d) storing an operational address which, after installation of the system, takes account of a specific grouping and/or arrangement of appliances in different rooms, in the first memory of the receiver associated with the identified appliance by means of the command generator,
• e) repeating the steps b) to d) until all operational addresses are written in the corresponding first memories, and
• f) wherein on the basis of a command from the command generator, each control part decides which of the two addresses is to be selected.