Patents Assigned to Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
  • Publication number: 20170118812
    Abstract: A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load is able to operate in a normal mode and a burst mode. The load control device may comprise a control circuit that activates an inverter circuit during active state periods and deactivates the inverter circuit during inactive state periods. The control circuit may operate in the normal mode to regulate an average magnitude of a load current conducted through the electrical load to be above a minimum rated current. The control circuit may operate in the burst mode to adjust the average magnitude of the load current to be below the minimum rated current. The control circuit may adjust the average magnitude of the load current by adjusting the length of the inactive state periods while holding the length of the active state periods constant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Stuart W. DeJonge
  • Patent number: 9521728
    Abstract: A multiple location load control system comprises a main device and remote devices, which do not require neutral connections, but allow for visual and audible feedback at the main device and the remote devices. The main device and the remote devices are adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between an AC power source and an electrical load, and to be further coupled together via an accessory wiring. The remote devices can be wired on the line side and the load side of the load control system, such that the main device is wired “in the middle” of the load control system. The main device is operable to enable a charging path to allow the remote devices to charge power supplies through the accessory wiring during a first time period of a half-cycle of the AC power source. The main device and the remote devices are operable to communicate with each other via the accessory wiring during a second time period of the half-cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: James P. Steiner, Cyril Baby, Christopher Buck, Daniel F. Carmen
  • Patent number: 9141093
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a heating and cooling system and a window located in a space of the building is operable to control a motorized window treatment in order to attempt to reduce the power consumption of the heating and cooling system. When the window may be receiving direct sunlight, the motorized window treatment closes a fabric covering the window when the heating and cooling system is cooling the space, and opens the fabric when the heating and cooling system is heating the space. In addition, when the space is unoccupied and the heating and cooling system is heating the space, the motorized window treatment may open the fabric if the window may be receiving direct sunlight, and may close the fabric if the window may not be receiving direct sunlight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: 8987994
    Abstract: A load control device (such as, a dimmer switch) for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load (such as, a high-efficiency lighting load) includes a thyristor coupled between the source and the load, a gate coupling circuit coupled to the gate of the thyristor, a control circuit, and an RF receiver for receiving an RF signal. The control circuit causes the gate coupling circuit to conduct a gate current to render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle of the AC power source, and allows the gate coupling circuit to conduct the gate current at any time from the firing time through approximately the remainder of the half cycle. The thyristor is able to remain conductive independent of the magnitude of a load current conducted through the thyristor and to conduct the load current to and from the electrical load during a single half-cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert C. Newman, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20140305602
    Abstract: A battery-powered window treatment, such as a roller shade, may include a battery compartment that provides access to batteries while the window treatment is assembled and mounted to a structure. The battery compartment may be pivotally supported by a housing of the window treatment, and operable between opened and closed positions. The batteries may be concealed when the battery compartment is closed, and may be accessible when the battery compartment is open. The battery compartment may be operated opened and closed while a shade of the window treatment is at any position, such that removal of the batteries does not result in the loss of tracking information for the shade. The window treatment may include a fascia that is operably connected to the battery compartment, such that when the battery compartment is opened, the fascia does not obstruct access to the batteries, and does not interfere with the shade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: David A. KIRBY, Samuel F. CHAMBERS, Edward J. BLAIR
  • Patent number: 7787485
    Abstract: A lighting control system having a plurality of control devices coupled to a communication link operates with a communication protocol that allows the system to expeditiously process high-priority events while operating communicate at a low enough baud rate to allow for a free-wiring topology of the communication link. The transmission of regular-priority messages is suspended if any of the control devices has a high-priority message to transmit. To signal that a control device has a high-priority message to transmit, each control device is operable to transmit a break character in a predetermined time period after the transmission of one of the digital messages. After the transmission of the break character, the transmission of the regular-priority messages on the communication link is suspended to allow the high-priority message to be transmitted quickly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: William H. Howe, Timothy S. Majewski, Daniel Curtis Raneri, Arya Abraham, R. Paul Stocker
  • Patent number: 7579566
    Abstract: A faceplate structure for a load control device comprises a bezel, an operating knob extending through an elongated rectangular opening of the bezel, and a sliding cover plate disposed behind the bezel. The bezel defines side walls and is adapted to be fixed to the load control device. The elongated rectangular opening extends along a vertical axis of the bezel. The operating knob is operable to vertically move along the length of the elongated opening. The cover plate is slidably coupled to the side walls of the bezel. The shaft of the operating knob is coupled to the cover plate, such that the cover plate is vertically movable with respect to the bezel. The cover plate covers the rear of the opening in all positions to which the cover plate can be moved by the operating knob.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Greg Edward Sloan, Edward J. Blair, Nicole R. Vigue, Richard David Samuels
  • Patent number: 7564227
    Abstract: A power supply adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between an AC voltage source and an electrical load for generating a DC voltage, the power supply comprising an energy storage capacitor, the DC voltage produced across the capacitor; a charging circuit adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load and to conduct a load current from the source to the load, the charging circuit coupled to the energy storage capacitor for charging the energy storage capacitor; a controllably conductive device coupled in parallel electrical connection with the charging circuit and having a control input for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive, the controllably conductive device adapted to carry the load current from the source to the load when the controllably conductive device is conductive; and a triggering circuit coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for causing the controllably conductive device to become conductive wh
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics, Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Aaron Dobbins, Russell Weightman, David Perreault, James P. Steiner, Chen Ming Wu
  • Patent number: 7489499
    Abstract: A captured offset linear guide system for a lighting control device includes a faceplate having an elongated slot, a knob, an offset member, and a linear potentiometer. The offset member allows the linear potentiometer to be offset from the elongated slot of the faceplate to prevent dirt and dust from collecting on the potentiometer. Also, the offset linear guide system prevents insertion of an object into the internal structure of the lighting control device where it might come into contact with energized electrical components. The faceplate includes two guide rails, which hold the offset member close to the faceplate and allow for easy assembly of the faceplate to the lighting control device. Further, the faceplate includes an alignment rail, which prevents the offset member from rotating and further constrains the offset member to move in a straight line within the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2009
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryan L Abel
  • Patent number: 7446486
    Abstract: A method of providing power to an electronic circuit in a two wire dimmer connecting a hot line of an AC network to a lamp load, the method comprising obtaining power from the two wire dimmer during regions of an AC waveform formed across a portion of a circuit of the dimmer when a phase cut switching device of the dimmer providing power to the lamp load is substantially off; driving a switching device providing charging current to a charge storage capacitor on in a saturated region of operation of the switching device when a voltage from a voltage source developed in the dimmer from the AC waveform is less than a predetermined level, and turning the switching device off when the voltage is above the predetermined level; and providing a voltage across the charge storage device as an output voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2008
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jamie J Steffie, Richard L Black
  • Patent number: 7365282
    Abstract: A push/pull switch control is incorporated into the surface pattern of a wall box dimmer having a planar face surface. The switch control is finger nail operated and contains a finger nail groove which is accessible on the bottom end surface of the operator so it can be withdrawn to an open position. A switch position indicia is exposed when the operator is withdrawn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gregory S. Altonen, Jeremy Nearhoof
  • Patent number: 7362285
    Abstract: A compact antenna for use in a device for controlling the power delivered to an electric load and operable to transmit or receive radio frequency signals at a specified frequency is presented. The antenna comprises a first loop of conductive material having a capacitance and an inductance forming a circuit being resonant at the specified frequency, and a second loop of conductive material having two ends adapted to be electrically coupled to an electronic circuit. The second loop is substantially only magnetically coupled to the first loop and is electrically isolated from the first loop. In a first embodiment of the antenna, the first and second loops are formed on respective first and second printed circuit boards, which allow for a small, low-cost antenna that is easy to manufacture and maximizes efficiency. When the antenna is installed in a load control device, such as a dimmer, the first loop of the antenna is mounted on an outer surface of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Spencer L. Webb, Stephen S. Thompson, Gregory S. Altonen, Edward M. Felegy, Jr., Siddharth P. Sinha
  • Patent number: 7193404
    Abstract: A load control circuit having first and second terminals for connection in series with a controlled load comprises a bidirectional semiconductor switch for switching at least a portion of both positive and negative half cycles of an alternating current source waveform to the load. The bidirectional semiconductor switch has a control electrode. The load control circuit includes a phase angle setting circuit, including a timing circuit, which sets the phase angle during each half cycle of the AC source waveform when the bidirectional semiconductor switch conducts. The phase angle setting circuit includes a voltage threshold trigger device connected in series with the control electrode of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Russell Weightman
  • Patent number: 7142932
    Abstract: An infrared hand-held remote control for handling a single or plural devices such as lights, shades, drapes and the like contains ergonomically selected and placed control buttons that are self-describing and easy to use. It allows explicit, easy-to-use control of different functions by providing for each function to be controlled vertically disposed discrete buttons that provide “all or nothing” control of some physical feature and similar, vertically disposed and horizontally aligned “adjust” buttons that allow for fine and continuous control of the physical quantities between the extremes or limits of the discrete button functions. Successive groups of buttons provide for the control of different appliances or devices, where each group of buttons is identified by easy to comprehend icon or alphabetic representations. A preset button is also provided for setting and recalling an operational preset value for the device(s) from memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2006
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joel S. Spira, Ethan C. Biery, Andrew Offenbacher, Matthew Skvoretz
  • Patent number: D534872
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2007
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D538756
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Noel Mayo, Joel S Spira, Jason Killo
  • Patent number: D538759
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Joel S Spira, Noel Mayo
  • Patent number: D775975
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Elliot G. Jacoby, Jason C. Killo, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Noel Mayo
  • Patent number: D814428
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chris Dimberg, Susan Hakkarainen, Jason C. Killo, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Noel Mayo, Matthew Philip McDonald
  • Patent number: D866490
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Benjamin F. Bard, Chris Dimberg, Jason C. Killo, David T. Saveri, III, Daniel L. Twaddell