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.

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.

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.

Abstract: A method of controlling a motorized window treatment provides for continued operation of the motorized window treatment during an overload condition, a low-line condition, or an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. The motorized window treatment is driven by an electronic drive unit having a motor, a motor drive circuit, a rotational position sensor, a controller, and a memory for storing the command. The controller stores the present position of the motorized window treatment in the memory each time the rotational position of the motor changes by a predetermined angle, such that a plurality of positions are stored in the memory. When the controller is reset due to an overload condition or ESD event, the controller recalls the desired position from the memory, determines the present position, and continues to drive the motor drive circuit in response to the command and the present position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a reliable communication protocol that provides multicasting of digital messages on an interprocessor link coupling together a plurality of processors of a load control system. Preferably, the load control system includes a plurality of sub-systems, with a number of the processors in each sub-system. The processors are each characterized by a unique individual address, while all of the processors of a single sub-system are characterized by an identical multicast address. The processors re-transmit digital messages on the communication link if a target address of the digital message is equal to the multicast address. The processors determine if acknowledgement messages are received from each of the processors from which acknowledgement messages were expected during a predetermined amount of time after transmitting an initial digital message, and transmit a retry message in response to determining that the acknowledgement messages were not received.

Abstract: A method of controlling a motorized window treatment provides for continued operation of the motorized window treatment during an overload condition, a low-line condition, or an electrostatic discharge (ESD) event. The motorized window treatment is driven by an electronic drive unit having a motor, a motor drive circuit, a rotational position sensor, a controller, and a memory for storing the command. The controller stores the present position of the motorized window treatment in the memory each time the rotational position of the motor changes by a predetermined angle, such that a plurality of positions are stored in the memory. When the controller is reset due to an overload condition or ESD event, the controller recalls the desired position from the memory, determines the present position, and continues to drive the motor drive circuit in response to the command and the present position.

Abstract: A diagnostic apparatus for use in a light dimming circuit of the tape which selectively controls the current flow through a lighting load to adjust its luminous output. The dimming circuit has a controllably conductive device, such as a triac, connectable in series between an A.C. power source and a lighting load, and a control circuit which responds to a dimming level control signal to selectively apply a selected portion of an A.C. voltage waveform produced by the A.C. power source to the lighting load to adjust the RMS voltage across the load. The selected portion is determined by a firing angle at which the control circuit causes the controllably conductive device to conduct power during each half cycle of the A.C. waveform. The diagnostic appararus has a senior to sense the operating status of a component of the dimming circuit and/or the presence of the dimming level control signal.

Abstract: A lighting dimmer for controlling the current through a lighting load includes circuitry for applying a predetermined dimming level control signal to a control circuit in response to the absence of a dimming level control signal and the cycling OFF and ON of a circuit breaker. The dimmer further includes voltage compensation circuitry for maintaining a constant lighting load current notwithstanding short-lived changes in nominal line voltage.

Abstract: A wall mountable control panel for controlling power levels delivered to electrical loads, such as lighting loads defining zones, has a zone select switch for scrolling through multiple zones, so as to permit a single control unit (having a power level adjustment switch and a power level display for one zone) in the control panel to be used to separately adjust the power level for, and separately display the power level of, more than one zone. The control panel is capable of controlling M times N zones, where N is the number of control units in the control panel, and where M represents the number of selections that can be made by the zone select switch.

Abstract: A dimmer panel for controlling the intensity of a plurality of electric light sources includes a plurality of dimming circuits. Each dimming circuit has a control circuit, a heat producing controllably conductive power switch such as a triac, and a heat producing coil such as a choke. The power switches and coils are arranged on a corrugated heat sink to minimize component temperatures in the dimming control circuit and of the power switches. The heat producing coils are remotely located from the control circuit and the power switches, so that the heat generated by the coils does not increase the temperature of the components in the control circuit or of the power switches.

Abstract: A lighting control system operates to control multiple zones of lighting through multiple dimming circuits so as to achieve any one of several desired lighting scenes. The system includes a plurality of wallbox control units which collectively operate to multiplex digital lighting control information on a communications link. Each wallbox control unit includes a plurality of zone-intensity actuators which are manipulatable to alter the information transmitted by their respective wallbox control so as to vary the lighting intensity of an associated lighting zone. A central lighting control panel includes a microprocessor adapted to receive and processes the multiplexed information transmitted on the link, and re-transmit digital lighting control information, on a second multiplex link, to the dimming circuits.

Abstract: A wall mountable, fully modular lighting control system, is disclosed wherein several possible lighting scenes are user defined and stored in the lighting control system for recall by the user upon depression of a selected one of a plurality of scene select buttons. The lighting control system comprises at least one master control module, and, if desired, one or more slave control modules. Remote control units may also be provided.

Abstract: A lighting control system is adapted to dim a plurality of groups of light sources in a room to any one of a number of different preset levels to achieve a like number of different lighting scenes. Each group of light sources defines a lighting zone of the same type of light source, for example, incandescent lamps, fluorescent lamps, neon lights, etc. The system includes a plurality of dimmers for adjusting the respective light levels of the different lighting zones, and a display panel for displaying the instantaneous light level of each zone. According to the invention, a suitably programmed microprocessor or the like operates to normalize the system's dimming performance for a plurality of different types of light sources so that a given change in dimmer setting produces the same change in perceived light level from each of the different types of light sources.

Abstract: A wall mountable, fully modular lighting control system, is disclosed wherein several possible lighting scenes are user defined and stored in the lighting control system for recall by the user upon depression of a selected one of a plurality of scene select buttons. The lighting control system comprises at least one master control module, and, if desired, one or more slave control modules. Remote control units may also be provided.

Abstract: A hand-held programmer is provided for adjusting various functions of a multi-scene, multi-zone programmable lighting control. The programmer generally includes push-buttons for selecting particular scenes and zones to be programmed and for activating any one of the functions to be adjusted; namely, intensity, fade time, and fade delay. An alphanumeric LCD display includes a number of controllable display areas, adjacent to and aligned with the push-buttons, for identifying the names of the selected scene and zone and the function settings associated with them. A cylindrically elongated rotary encoder, having a knurled, rubbery surface, is easily manipulated to adjust the setting of the activated function and provides kinesthetic feedback, so that its adjustment can be coordinated with a visual perception of the lighting scene.

Abstract: One or more power dimmers have a preshaped phase controlled input signal connected to their control input. The preshaped phase controlled input signal is generated from the output of a master dimmer having conventional phase control circuits operated from a manual or other control. A relay having contacts in the output circuit of the power dimmers is opened in response to the reduction of the phase controlled input signal to a value less than a given value. In an alternative embodiment, the power dimmers are replaced by an interface circuit which produces a variable frequency, pulse width modulated or other signal.

Abstract: A pulse network is connected to the inductive ballast of a fluorescent lamp dimmer and includes a discharge resistor in parallel with the pulse network capacitor. The resistor size is such that it will completely discharge the capacitor prior to the initiation of any phase delayed half wave voltage which is applied to the ballast.