US 8,786,196 B2Granted

Load control system having a rotary actuator

AssigneeLutron Electronics Co., Inc.

InventorsEthan Charles Biery, Maureen E. Flowers, Galen Edgar Knode

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Abstract

A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load comprises a rotary actuator, such as a rotary knob or a rotary wheel. The load control device increases and decreases the amount of power delivered to the electrical load in response to rotations of the rotary knob in first and second directions, respectively. The load control device accelerates the rate of change of the amount of power delivered to the load in response to the angular velocity of the rotary actuator. The load control device generates a ratcheting sound when the rotary actuator is rotated in the first direction at a high-end intensity of the load control device. The load control device is operable to control the electrical load in response to both actuations of the rotary actuator and digital messages received via a communication link.

Claims26

Dependent claims

A system for controlling the intensity of a lighting load powered from an AC power source, the load control device comprising:

a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the lighting load;
a controller coupled to a control input of the controllably conductive device, the controller operable to control the controllably conductive device to adjust the intensity of the lighting load;
a communication circuit operable to receive digital messages on a communication link, the controller coupled to the communication circuit, such that the controller is operable to adjust the intensity of the lighting load in response to the received digital messages;
and
a rotary actuator operable to rotate in a first direction and a second direction, the digital messages transmitted to the communication circuit in response to actuations of the rotary actuator, such that the controller is responsive to rotations of the rotary actuator to increase the intensity of the lighting load when the rotary actuator is rotated in the first direction and to decrease the intensity of the lighting load when the rotary actuator is rotated in the second direction;
wherein the rotary actuator is continuously rotatable, such that the position of the rotary actuator is not representative of the intensity of the lighting load.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/835,242Filed 15 Mar 2013 · continuation
Priority: 19 Feb 2008
Published: US 2013/0207553 A115 Aug 2013
Granted: 22 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

H05B 47/10
Circuit arrangements for operating light sources in general, i.e. where the type of light source is not relevant: controlling the light source
H05B 39/041
Controlling: the light-intensity of the source
H05B 39/08
Controlling: by shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes also in controlled semiconductor devices
H05B 39/083
By shifting phase of trigger voltage applied to gas-filled controlling tubes also in controlled semiconductor devices: by the variation-rate of…

Family

Application12/033,329Parent of this continuation · filed 19 Feb 2008
Application12/955,357Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Nov 2010
Application13/474,220Parent of this continuation · filed 17 May 2012
US 2013/0207553 A1Pre-grant publication · published 15 Aug 2013
US 8,427,061 B2Parent of this continuation
US 8,212,486 B2Parent of this continuation
US 7,872,423 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2009/0206769 A1Published application
US 2011/0187282 A1Published application
US 2012/0223656 A1Published application
US 8,786,196 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.