Patents by Inventor Benjamin F. Bard

Benjamin F. Bard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11983027
    Abstract: A wireless load control system for controlling one or more electrical loads comprises a wireless control device (e.g., a gateway device) able to obtain a present time from a server via a network (e.g., the Internet), control the electrical loads according to a timeclock schedule, and disable the timeclock schedule if the present time is not able to be obtained from the server via the network. The wireless control device may also be able to obtain the present time from a digital message received from an external device (e.g., a smart phone or a tablet device) via the network. The wireless control device may be configured to receive a control signal indicating a power outage (e.g., from a battery backup device), and to operate in a low-power mode in response to receiving the control signal indicating the power outage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, David J. Dolan, Timothy Mann, Christopher M. Riedl
  • Publication number: 20230389148
    Abstract: A battery-powered control device may be configured to control an amount of power delivered to one or more electrical loads and provide various feedback associated with the control device and/or the electrical loads. The feedback may indicate a low battery condition and/or the amount of power delivered to the one or more electrical loads. The control device may include a light bar and/or one or more indicator lights for providing the feedback. The control device may operate in different modes including a normal mode and a low battery mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2023
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Chris Dimberg, Matthew V. Harte, Jason C. Killo, Matthew Philip McDonald, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Patent number: 11765800
    Abstract: A battery-powered control device may be configured to control an amount of power delivered to one or more electrical loads and provide various feedback associated with the control device and/or the electrical loads. The feedback may indicate a low battery condition and/or the amount of power delivered to the one or more electrical loads. The control device may include a light bar and/or one or more indicator lights for providing the feedback. The control device may operate in different modes including a normal mode and a low battery mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Chris Dimberg, Matthew V. Harte, Jason C. Killo, Matthew Philip McDonald, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Patent number: 11672057
    Abstract: A wearable wireless device may be configured for control of a parameter of a load control device. The load control device may be responsive to a network device, for example, to provide fine tune adjustment of the parameter. The wearable wireless device may include a touch-responsive visual display for displaying feedback of the parameter of the load control device. The visual display may be configured to be actuated to receive a user input to adjust the parameter of the load control device. An actuation of the visual display of the wearable wireless device may adjust the parameter by a greater percentage than the fine tune adjustment provided by the network device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Erica L. Clymer, Jason C. Killo, Jeremy B. Kleinberg
  • Publication number: 20230126660
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices for controlling electrical loads. The control devices may include load control devices, such as a lighting device for controlling an amount of power provided to a lighting load, and input devices, such as a remote control device configured to transmit digital messages comprising lighting control instructions for controlling the lighting load via the lighting device. The remote control device may communicate with the lighting device via an intermediary device, such as a hub device. The remote control device may detect a user interface event, such as a button press or a rotation of the remote control device. The remote control device or the hub device may determine whether to transmit digital messages to as unicast messages or multicast messages based on the type of user interface event detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2022
    Publication date: April 27, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Thomas Lee Olson, David T. Saveri, III, Jaykrishna A. Shukla
  • Patent number: 11588660
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices for controlling electrical loads. The control devices may include load control devices, such as a lighting device for controlling an amount of power provided to a lighting load, and input devices, such as a remote control device configured to transmit digital messages comprising lighting control instructions for controlling the lighting load via the lighting device. The remote control device may communicate with the lighting device via an intermediary device, such as a hub device. The remote control device may detect a user interface event, such as a button press or a rotation of the remote control device. The remote control device or the hub device may determine whether to transmit digital messages to as unicast messages or multicast messages based on the type of user interface event detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Thomas Lee Olson, David T. Saveri, III, Jaykrishna A. Shukla
  • Publication number: 20230032462
    Abstract: A load control system may be configured using a graphical user interface (GUI) software. The GUI software may be implemented to collect control devices and add the control devices to the load control system for configuration. Programming data may be automatically determined for the added control devices based on the type of control device, the location of the control device, and/or the load type controlled by the control device. The programming data may include control settings for a scene, a schedule, or an automated control feature. The programming data may be displayed for being viewed and/or adjusted by a user. The programming data may be transmitted to the control devices and/or a system controller for being implemented in performing load control.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Publication date: February 2, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Craig Alan Casey, Erica L. Clymer, Christina Evans, Christoper Matthew Jones, Sanjeev Kumar, John Nill, Neil R. Orchowski, Brent Protzman
  • Publication number: 20230024518
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating via a communications network with a load control system of a respective user environment, receiving information on the load control system via the communications network, displaying graphical user interfaces based on the received information, and controlling and configuring the load control system via graphical user interfaces by communicating via the communications network messages the load control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Erica L Clymer, Christopher M. Jones, Benjamin F. Bard, Rhythm Agarwal, Shenchi Tian, Kyle T. Barco, Thomas L. Olson, Neil R. Orchowski
  • Publication number: 20230018425
    Abstract: A wearable wireless device may be configured for control of a parameter of a load control device. The load control device may be responsive to a network device, for example, to provide fine tune adjustment of the parameter. The wearable wireless device may include a touch-responsive visual display for displaying feedback of the parameter of the load control device. The visual display may be configured to be actuated to receive a user input to adjust the parameter of the load control device. An actuation of the visual display of the wearable wireless device may adjust the parameter by a greater percentage than the fine tune adjustment provided by the network device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Erica L. Clymer, Jason C. Killo, Jeremy B. Kleinberg
  • Publication number: 20220382311
    Abstract: A wireless load control system for controlling one or more electrical loads comprises a wireless control device (e.g., a gateway device) able to obtain a present time from a server via a network (e.g., the Internet), control the electrical loads according to a timeclock schedule, and disable the timeclock schedule if the present time is not able to be obtained from the server via the network. The wireless control device may also be able to obtain the present time from a digital message received from an external device (e.g., a smart phone or a tablet device) via the network. The wireless control device may be configured to receive a control signal indicating a power outage (e.g., from a battery backup device), and to operate in a low-power mode in response to receiving the control signal indicating the power outage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, David J. Dolan, Timothy Mann, Christopher M. Riedl
  • Patent number: 11497100
    Abstract: A load control system may be configured using a graphical user interface (GUI) software. The GUI software may be implemented to collect control devices and add the control devices to the load control system for configuration. Programming data may be automatically determined for the added control devices based on the type of control device, the location of the control device, and/or the load type controlled by the control device. The programming data may include control settings for a scene, a schedule, or an automated control feature. The programming data may be displayed for being viewed and/or adjusted by a user. The programming data may be transmitted to the control devices and/or a system controller for being implemented in performing load control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Craig Alan Casey, Erica L. Clymer, Christina Evans, Christoper Matthew Jones, Sanjeev Kumar, John Nill, Neil R. Orchowski, Brent Protzman
  • Patent number: 11460992
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating via a communications network with a load control system of a respective user environment, receiving information on the load control system via the communications network, displaying graphical user interfaces based on the received information, and controlling and configuring the load control system via graphical user interfaces by communicating via the communications network messages with the load control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Erica L Clymer, Christopher M. Jones, Benjamin F. Bard, Rhythm Agarwal, Shenchi Tian, Kyle T. Barco, Thomas L. Olson, Neil R. Orchowski
  • Patent number: 11452183
    Abstract: A wearable wireless device may be configured for control of a parameter of a load control device. The load control device may be responsive to a network device, for example, to provide fine tune adjustment of the parameter. The wearable wireless device may include a touch-responsive visual display for displaying feedback of the parameter of the load control device. The visual display may be configured to be actuated to receive a user input to adjust the parameter of the load control device. An actuation of the visual display of the wearable wireless device may adjust the parameter by a greater percentage than the fine tune adjustment provided by the network device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Lautron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Erica L. Clymer, Jason C. Killo, Jeremy B. Kleinberg
  • Patent number: D963680
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Erica L. Clymer, Benjamin F. Bard, Jennifer Wong, Joel Hnatow
  • Patent number: D967781
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Edward J. Blair, Kenneth Priester
  • Patent number: RE49264
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Erica L. Clymer, Benjamin F. Bard
  • Patent number: D969758
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Chris Dimberg, Jason C. Killo, Matthew Philip McDonald, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Patent number: RE49638
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Erica L. Clymer, Benjamin F. Bard
  • Patent number: D1002662
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhythm Agarwal, Benjamin F. Bard, Erica L. Clymer, Shenchi Tian
  • Patent number: D1003255
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Edward J. Blair, Kenneth Priester