# US 9,883,571 B2 · Systems and methods of controlling light sources according to location > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,883,571 B2 - Document ID: US9883571B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/294,334 - Filed: 2016-10-14 - Published: 2017-02-02 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2014-12-30 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Henry Bowdoin Minsky - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883571B2 ## CPC - H04L 12/2816: {Controlling appliance services of a home automation network by calling their functionalities (arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station; in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00)} - H05B 45/20: Controlling the colour of the light - H05B 47/10: Controlling the light source - H05B 47/105: in response to determined parameters - H05B 47/11: by determining the brightness or colour temperature of ambient light - H05B 47/135: by determining the type of light source being controlled (electrical parameters of light source being controlled H05B47/14) - H05B 47/155: Coordinated control of two or more light sources - H05B 47/16: by timing means - H05B 47/175: by remote control - H05B 47/185: via power line carrier transmission - H05B 45/10: Controlling the intensity of the light - H05B 45/12: using optical feedback - H05B 47/115: by determining the presence or movement of objects or living beings - H05B 47/196: {characterised by user interface arrangements} - Y02B 20/40: Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - 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 Systems and methods of the disclosed subject matter provide a first light source, a second light source, and a controller communicatively coupled to the first light source and the second light source, the controller to control a first operation of the first light source according to an input received by the controller for at first period of time, and to control a second operation of the second light source when the input received by the controller is for a second period of time that is greater than the first period of time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a first light source included in a first device that is disposed at a first location in a room; a second light source included in a second device that is disposed at a distance from the first light source at a second location in the room; and a controller, including a switch, communicatively coupled to the first light source and the second light source, the controller to control a first operation of the first light source according to a first input received by the switch, and to control a second operation of the second light source when a second input is received by the switch, wherein the controller controls the first and second operations of the respective first light source and second light source sequentially based on respective positions of the first light source and the second light source to the switch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the switch has a plurality of positions, and the controller controls the first operation of the first light source according to the first input received by the switch that is in a first position of the plurality of positions, and the controller controls the second operation of the second light source according to the second input received by the switch that is in a second position of the plurality of positions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the switch includes a dial, and the first input that controls the first operation of the first light source is a first rotational input of the dial, and the second input that controls the second operation of the second light source is a second rotational input of the dial. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the first rotational input and the second rotational input are in the same rotational direction, and that a rotational distance of the second rotational input is greater than a rotational distance of the first rotational input. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the first rotational input corresponds to a first detent of the dial, and the second rotational input corresponds to a second detent of the dial. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein when the dial receives both a pressing selection and a clockwise or counterclockwise rotational movement, the controller controls the second operation of the second light source, without controlling the first operation of the first light source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, and the first input that controls the first operation of the first light source is a first press input of the switch, and the second input that controls the second operation of the second light source is a second press input of the switch. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the switch includes a slider, and the first input that controls the first operation of the first light source is a first directional input of the slider, and the second input that controls the second operation of the second light source is a second directional input of the slider. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the first directional input and the second directional input are in the same direction, and the second directional input is a greater distance than the first directional input. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first input that controls the first operation of the first light source is a first selection the switch, and the second input that controls the second operation of the second light source is a second selection of the switch. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second light source is a smart light source, and the controller includes a smart light source controller, and wherein the switch and the smart light source controller control the second operation of the smart light source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first operation and the second operation are selected from the group consisting of: an ON operation, an OFF operation, a dimming operation, and an operation to increase brightness. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a third light source communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller controls the third light source according to a third operation when a third input is received by the switch. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the controller successively controls the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source based on the first input, the second input, and the third input, respectively. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the controller transmits request messages to the second light source and the third light source to determine their respective locations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the controller determines that the second light source is closer in distance to the first light source than the third light source is to the first light source according to messages received in response to the request messages. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising: a user device to receive input to identify the position of the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source in an area. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein the user device controls at least one from the group consisting of: the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source according to an order that corresponds to the identified position. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a user device communicatively coupled to the controller, the user device to transmit commands from the group consisting of: the first operation to control the first light source and the second operation to control the second light source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller transmits request messages to the first light source and the second light source to determine their respective locations. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the order in which the first light source and the second light source are sequentially controlled to perform the first operation and the second operation. ### Claim 22 A method comprising: controlling a first light source included in a first device that is disposed in a first location in a room with a controller; controlling, with the controller, a second light source included in a second device that is disposed at a distance from the first light source at a second location in the room; and controlling, with the controller, a first operation of the first light source according to a first input received by a switch that is part of the controller, and controlling a second operation of the second light source when a second input is received by the switch, wherein the first and second operations of the respective first light source and second light source are controlled sequentially based on respective positions of the first light source and the second light source to the switch. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the controlling of the first operation of the first light source is according to the first input received by the switch that is in a first position of a plurality of positions, and wherein the controlling the second operation of the second light source is according to the second input received by the switch that is in a second position of the plurality of positions. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: receiving, via a dial that is part of the switch, a first rotational input that corresponds to the first input; receiving, via the dial, a second rotational input that corresponds to the second input; and controlling the first operation of the first light source based on the first rotational input of a dial, and controlling the second operation of the second light source based on the second rotational input of the dial. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the first rotational input and the second rotational input are in in the same rotational direction, and that the rotational distance of the second rotational input is greater than the rotational distance of the first rotational input. ### Claim 26 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the first rotational input corresponds to a first detent of the dial, and the second rotational input corresponds to a second detent of the dial. ### Claim 27 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising: receiving, with the dial, both a pressing selection and a clockwise or counterclockwise rotational movement; and controlling, via the controller, the second operation of the second light source without controlling the first operation of the first light source. ### Claim 28 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: receiving a first press input of the switch as the first input that controls the first operation of the first light source; and receiving a second press input of the switch as the second input that controls the second operation of the second light source. ### Claim 29 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: receiving a first directional input from a slider that is part of the switch that is the first input that controls the first operation of the first light source, and receiving a second directional input from the second input that controls the second operation of the second light source is a second directional input of the slider. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The method of claim 29, wherein the first directional input and the second directional input are in the same direction, and the second directional input is a greater distance than the first directional input. ### Claim 31 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: receiving a first selection of the switch as the first input that controls the first operation of the first light source; and receiving a second selection of the switch as the second input that controls the second operation of the second light source. ### Claim 32 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the controlling the second operation comprises controlling the second light source as a smart light source with the controller that includes a smart light source controller. ### Claim 33 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the first operation and the second operation are selected from the group consisting of: an ON operation, an OFF operation, a dimming operation, and an operation to increase brightness. ### Claim 34 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: controlling, with the controller, a third light source according to a third operation when a third input is received by the switch. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, further comprising: successively controlling, with the controller, the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source based on the first input, the second input, and the third input, respectively. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, further comprising: transmitting, with the controller, request messages to the second light source and the third light source to determine their respective locations. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The method of claim 36, further comprising: determining, with the controller, that the second light source is closer in distance to the first light source than the third light source is to the first light source according to messages received in response to the request messages. ### Claim 38 (depends on 34) The method of claim 34, further comprising: receiving, at a user device, input to identify the position of the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source in an area. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The method of claim 38, further comprising: controlling, with the user device, at least one from the group consisting of: the first light source, the second light source, and the third light source according to an order that corresponds to the identified position. ### Claim 40 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising: transmitting, via a user device communicatively coupled to the controller, commands from the group consisting of: the first operation to control the first light source and the second operation to control the second light source.