Patents Assigned to Lutron Technology Company LLC
  • Publication number: 20240153721
    Abstract: An illumination system and method are disclosed for maintaining a consistent change in illumination value among a group of illumination devices whenever a change command is manually sent from a keypad to those illumination devices. The consistent change results from maintaining a common start illumination value among not only the group, but also the keypad which controls the group. From the start illumination value, the keypad can then compute an end illumination value depending upon the amount of time that an increase or decrease in illumination value button is depressed and held. Since the change command can arrive at different illumination devices within the group depending upon where each illumination device is geographically located, a masking time is reserved after the button is released so that enough time is allocated for each of the illumination devices within that group to arrive at a common end illumination value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company, LLC
    Inventors: Mark Quilling, Rebecca Frank, Kenneth Priester
  • Publication number: 20240155751
    Abstract: A smart lighting device may be configured to be controlled in response to control instructions in messages and/or phase-control signals. The smart lighting device may determine whether to respond to the phase-control signal or the control instructions in messages. The smart lighting device may be configured to recognize whether it is electrically connected to a smart load control device or a non-smart load control device. A load control device may determine whether it is electrically connected to a mixed circuit or a non-mixed circuit. When the load control device determines that the circuit is a mixed circuit, the load control device may transmit phase-control signals and control instructions in messages at the same time. The load control device may determine that a smart lighting device has been added (e.g., electrically connected) to the circuit it is electrically connected to.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Gerard Darville, Matthew V. Harte, Robert C. Newman, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20240153699
    Abstract: A provided wireless wallbox dimmer may accommodate a plurality of button configurations. The dimmer may be configured to contain a variable number of controllably conductive devices. The dimmer may include a yoke that defines a first plane and an antenna that defines a second plane that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first plane. The yoke may have a flange that is oriented angularly offset relative to the first plane and provides a plurality of mounting locations for controllably conductive devices. The antenna may provide the dimmer with a first wireless transmission range. The dimmer may include a faceplate that cooperates with the antenna to provide the dimmer with a second wireless transmission range that is broader than the first wireless transmission range. The dimmer may include a button assembly that is supported independently of the yoke.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ankit Bhutani, Nikhil Vithal Bhate, William Taylor Shivell, Sean R. Pearson
  • Publication number: 20240153234
    Abstract: A sensor and/or system controller may process an image multiple times at multiple resolutions to detect glare conditions. A glare condition threshold used to determine whether a glare condition exists may be based on the resolution of the image. When the resolution of the image is higher, the glare condition threshold may be higher. The sensor and/or system controller may organize one or more adjacent pixels having similar intensities into pixel groups. The pixel groups may vary in size and/or shape. The sensor and/or system controller may determine a representative group luminance for the pixel group (e.g., an average luminance of the pixels in the group). The sensor and/or system controller may determine a group glare condition threshold, which may be used to determine whether a glare condition exists for the group of pixels and/or may be based on the size of the group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2024
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Craig Alan Casey, Brent Protzman
  • Publication number: 20240151416
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are described herein for enabling performance of maintenance tasks on one or more load control devices in a load control system. An indication of maintenance task may be received, from a cloud server, at a local controller configured to control the one or more load control devices in one or more rooms of a building. The local controller may identify triggering criteria for triggering a performance of the maintenance task on one or more load control devices in the one or more rooms of the building. The local controller may determine that the triggering criteria of the at least one rule has been met and perform the maintenance task on the one or more load control devices in the one or more rooms of the building.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Arya Abraham, Adam J. Andersen, Timothy Gill
  • Patent number: 11979957
    Abstract: A visible light sensor may be configured to sense environmental characteristics of a space using an image of the space. The visible light sensor may be controlled in one or more modes, including a daylight glare sensor mode, a daylighting sensor mode, a color sensor mode, and/or an occupancy/vacancy sensor mode. In the daylight glare sensor mode, the visible light sensor may be configured to decrease or eliminate glare within a space. In the daylighting sensor mode and the color sensor mode, the visible light sensor may be configured to provide a preferred amount of light and color temperature, respectively, within the space. In the occupancy/vacancy sensor mode, the visible light sensor may be configured to detect an occupancy/vacancy condition within the space and adjust one or more control devices according to the occupation or vacancy of the space. The visible light sensor may be configured to protect the privacy of users within the space via software, a removable module, and/or a special sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Craig Alan Casey, James P. Steiner
  • Patent number: 11979952
    Abstract: A wall-mountable remote control device may be installed in place of an existing light switch and may be configured to transmit wireless signals to an electrical load device, such as a screw-in light-emitting diode (LED) lamp, to provide control of the electrical load device. The remote control device may comprise an air-gap switch adapted to be electrically coupled in series between a power source and the controllable light source, but may not comprise a bidirectional semiconductor switch for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load device using a phase-control dimming technique. The remote control device may have a low-profile enclosure that is smaller than an enclosure of a standard dimmer switch, and thus may be easier to install in an electrical wallbox. The remote control device may comprise two parts including an air-gap switch device and a wireless communication device mounted to the air-gap switch device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: 11979955
    Abstract: A load control device for controlling the intensity of a lighting load, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) light source, may include a power converter circuit operable to receive a rectified AC voltage and to generate a DC bus voltage, a load regulation circuit operable to receive the bus voltage and to control the magnitude of a load current conducted through the lighting load, and a control circuit operatively coupled to the load regulation circuit for pulse width modulating or pulse frequency modulating the load current to control the intensity of the lighting load to a target intensity. The control circuit may control the intensity of the lighting load by pulse width modulating the load current when the target intensity is above a predetermined threshold and control the intensity of the lighting load by pulse frequency modulating the load current when the target intensity is below the predetermined threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Timothy P. Gredler, Matthew R. Zartman
  • Publication number: 20240147596
    Abstract: A two-way load control system comprises a power device, such as a load control device for controlling an electrical load receiving power from an AC power source, and a controller adapted to be coupled in series between the source and the power device. The load control system may be installed without requiring any additional wires to be run, and is easily configured without the need for a computer or an advanced commissioning procedure. The power device receives both power and communication over two wires. The controller generates a phase-control voltage and transmits a forward digital message to the power device by encoding digital information in timing edges of the phase-control voltage. The power device transmits a reverse digital message to the controller via the power wiring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2024
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Mark S. Taipale, Timothy P. Gredler, Akshay Bhat
  • Patent number: 11970903
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus are described herein for pre-winding a motorized roller shade. The motorized roller shade may include a roller tube, a flexible material attached to the roller tube, a motor drive unit, and mounting brackets configured to support respective ends of the roller tube. The roller tube of the roller shade may be slid to an extended position. A configuration procedure may be determined to have been initiated. The flexible material may be secured, for example, to prevent the flexible material from unrolling. The roller tube may be wound a predetermined number of rotations with the flexible material and a hembar of the roller shade secured, for example, to prevent the flexible material from being raised or lowered. Winding the roller tube may include pre-winding a spring that is coupled to the roller tube. The flexible material may be unsecured when the roller tube has been pre-wound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Olli T. Friman
  • Patent number: 11966202
    Abstract: Motorized window treatment systems are disclosed. A motorized window treatment system may include a covering material, a sensor circuit, and a control circuit. The sensor circuit may be configured to generate sensor signals indicative of a position of the covering material. The control circuit may be configured to determine a present sensor state of the sensor circuit, determine a predicted sensor state for the sensor circuit based at least in part on a power-down position recorded at a first time and a final position recorded at a second time, compare the predicted sensor state with the present sensor state, and determine a present position of the covering material based on the comparison of the predicted sensor state and the present sensor state. Methods of adjusting a position of a covering material of a motorized window treatment also are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Thomas F. Rebbert, Robert J. Thompson
  • Patent number: 11968761
    Abstract: A control device configured for use in a load control system to control an electrical load external to the control device may comprise an actuation member having a front surface defining a capacitive touch surface configured to detect a touch actuation along at least a portion of the front surface. The control device includes a main printed circuit board (PCB) comprising a control circuit, a tactile switch, a controllably conductive device, and a drive circuit operatively coupled to a control input of the controllably conductive device for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive or non-conductive to control the amount of power delivered to the electrical load. The control device also includes a capacitive touch PCB that comprises a touch sensitive circuit comprising one or more receiving capacitive touch pads located on the capacitive touch PCB and arranged in a linear array adjacent to the capacitive touch surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Dinesh Sundara Moorthy
  • Patent number: 11967821
    Abstract: A load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to a plurality of electrical load includes a plurality of independent units responsive to a broadcast controller. Each independent unit includes at least one commander and at least one energy controller for controlling at least one of the electrical loads in response to a control signal received from the commander. The independent units are configured and operate independent of each other. The broadcast controller transmits wireless signals to the energy controllers of the independent units. The energy controllers do not respond to control signals received from the commanders of other independent units, but the energy controllers of both independent units respond to the wireless signals transmitted by broadcast controller. The energy controller may operate in different operating modes in response to the wireless signals transmitted by the broadcast controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Walter S. Zaharchuk, Timothy S. Majewski, Christopher Buck, Daniel Vander Valk, John H. Bull, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: 11968756
    Abstract: The network device may be configured to define or update a scene for controlling a zone in a certain area or location of a load control system. For example, the load control system may be installed in a residential home or building. At least one lighting control device that is configured to control a corresponding lighting load may be assigned to each of the one or more zones. The network device may be configured to display one or more graphical user interfaces that a user of the network device may interact with to define or update a scene. The network device may also be configured to display one or more graphical user interfaces that a user of the network device may interact with to define or update natural show functionality. After a scene and/or natural show have been configured, the may enabled or activated in response to a triggering event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Bryan Robert Barnes, Shilpa Sarode, Shenchi Tian, Kenneth Priester, Brad Michael Kreschollek
  • Publication number: 20240126055
    Abstract: A multi-color LED illumination device and specifically a lens comprising a cylindrical opening extending into the lens from a light entry region at which one or more LEDs are configured. A concave spherical surface extends across the entirety of the light exit region of the lens, and a TIR outer surface shaped as a CPC extends between the light entry region and the light exit region. There are various diffusion surfaces placed on the sidewall surface of the cylindrical opening, as well as its upper planar surface and the exit surface of the lens. Lunes can also be configured on the sidewall surfaces of the cylindrical opening. The combination of lunes, diffusion elements, and the overall configuration of the lens provides improved color mixing and output brightness using three interactions in a first portion of light and two interactions in a second portion of light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Fangxu Dong
  • Publication number: 20240130019
    Abstract: A controllable lighting device may comprise a drive circuit characterized by one or more cycles and a control circuit configured to control the drive circuit to conduct a load current through a light source of the lighting device. The control circuit may be configured to determine one or more operating parameters of the lighting device during a present cycle of the drive circuit based on a feedback signal indicative of a peak magnitude of the load current conducted through the light source. The control circuit may be able to adjust an average magnitude of the load current conducted through the light source so as to adjust an intensity of the light source towards a target intensity based on the operating parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Stuart W. DeJonge
  • Publication number: 20240125910
    Abstract: A control device for a ceiling fan may have a motor drive circuit configured to control a rotational speed of a motor of the ceiling fan, an occupancy sensing circuit, and a control circuit configured to adjust the rotational speed of the motor in response to a detected occupancy or vacancy condition. The control circuit may process the signals generated by the occupancy sensing circuit to eliminate the effects of vibrations and/or wobbling of the ceiling fan. The control circuit may control the motor drive circuit to adjust the rotational speed of the motor in response to an accelerometer to minimize the magnitude of the wobble of the ceiling fan. The control circuit may be configured to learn a preferred rotational speed for the motor. The control circuit may also be configured to control the rotational speed of the motor to affect a thermal comfort level of an occupant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: James P. Steiner
  • Publication number: 20240125643
    Abstract: A wireless battery-powered daylight sensor for measuring a total light intensity in a space is operable to transmit wireless signals using a variable transmission rate that is dependent upon the total light intensity in the space. The sensor comprises a photosensitive circuit, a wireless transmitter for transmitting the wireless signals, a controller coupled to the photosensitive circuit and the wireless transmitter, and a battery for powering the photosensitive circuit, the wireless transmitter, and the controller. The photosensitive circuit is operable to generate a light intensity control signal in response to the total light intensity in the space. The controller transmits the wireless signals in response to the light intensity control signal using the variable transmission rate that is dependent upon the total light intensity in the space. The variable transmission rate may be dependent upon an amount of change of the total light intensity in the space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: James P. Steiner, Greg Edward Sloan, Nathan A. Boring
  • Patent number: D1024984
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Nicholas R. Baer, Jason C. Killo, Noel Mayo, Sean R. Pearson
  • Patent number: D1025097
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Prashant Chaturvedi, Rhythm Agarwal, Karelys Alfonzo, Gregory Altonen, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Shenchi Tian