Apparatus for and method of inhibiting and overriding an electrical control device

In an electrical network including a plurality of input devices and an electrical control device coupled to and controlling electrical power to an electrical load, said input devices and said electrical control device adapted to communicate over a communications network, a method of inhibiting the normal operation of said input devices, said method comprising the steps of:

• tracking, in a memory, the status of each of the plurality of input devices as being either on or off;
• inhibiting a first input device in response to it being placed in the off state;
• transmitting an inhibit message from said first input device to said electrical control device;
• removing electrical power from said load in response to said inhibit message;
• inhibiting said electrical control device from responding to commands issued by any of said input devices to apply electrical power to said load until all input devices are removed from the off state;
• removing power from the load using the electrical control device responding to the inhibit message;
• transmitting a feedback inhibit message from said electrical control device to each of said input devices;
• inhibiting all input devices from activating said electrical control device to apply electrical power to said load until all input devices are removed from the off state;
• and
• updating, in the memory, the tracked status of each of the plurality of input devices as each input device changes between on and off states.

An apparatus for inhibiting the normal operating mode of a plurality of nodes logically connected to an electrical control device, comprising:

• means for tracking, in a memory, the status of each of the plurality of nodes as being either on or off;
• means for placing a first node in the off state;
• means for communicating to said electrical control device a status message indicating that said first node has been placed in the off state;
• means for inhibiting said electrical control device, in response to said status message, from activating an electrical load connected thereto until each of said plurality of nodes is removed from the off state;
• means for removing power from the electrical load using the electrical control device responding to the status message;
• and
• means for updating, in the memory, the tracked status of each of the plurality of nodes as each node changes between on and off states.