Patents Assigned to Lutron Technology Company
  • Patent number: 11950385
    Abstract: A veneer for a wall-mounted keypad may include indicia that are laser cut therethrough and that are representative of functions that may be performed by the keypad. The veneer may include a recess that extends into an inner surface of the veneer, proximate to the indicia. The recess may be shaped such that a perceived aesthetic of an outer surface of the veneer is preserved during formation of the indicia. The recess may for example have an organic shape defined by a curved outer perimeter that does not define any corners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Dmitriy Vinokurov, Daniel C. Raneri, Alexander W. Gage
  • Patent number: 11950336
    Abstract: A load control device for regulating an average magnitude of a load current conducted through an electrical load may operate in different modes. The load control device may comprise a control circuit configured to activate an inverter circuit during an active state period and deactivate the inverter circuit during an inactive state period. In one mode, the control circuit may adjust the average magnitude of the load current by adjusting the inactive state period while keeping the active state period constant. In another mode, the control circuit may adjust the average magnitude of the load current by adjusting the active state period while keeping the inactive state period constant. In yet another mode, the control circuit may keep a duty cycle of the inverter circuit constant and regulate the average magnitude of the load current by adjusting a target load current conducted through the electrical load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Steven J. Kober
  • Publication number: 20240107648
    Abstract: A lighting device may include one or more light sources, a load control circuit configured to control an amount of power delivered to each of the one or more light sources, and a control circuit for controlling the load control circuit to control an intensity level and a color of the cumulative light emitted by the one or more light sources. The control circuit may be configured to generate a show. For example, the control circuit may be configured to receive, via the communication circuit, show information and auxiliary information from a computing device in one or more messages. The control circuit may be configured to store the show information and the auxiliary information in memory of the lighting device. The control circuit may be configured to receive, via the communication circuit, a command to execute a show in a message, and in response, generate the show.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Henry Garant, Andrew Robert Heller-Jones, Dat Ho, Charles Kelley, Braeden Morrison
  • Publication number: 20240105371
    Abstract: A control device includes a moving portion, a magnetic element coupled to the moving portion, at least one magnetic sensing circuit responsive to magnetic fields, and at least one magnetic flux pipe structure. The magnetic element may comprise alternating positive and negative sections configured to generate a magnetic field. The magnetic element may be any shape, such as circular, linear, etc. The magnetic sensing circuit may be radially offset from the magnetic element, and the magnetic flux pipe structure may be configured to conduct the magnetic field generated by the magnetic element towards the magnetic sensing circuit. The magnetic element may generate the magnetic field in a first plane, and the magnetic sensing may be responsive to magnetic fields in a second direction that is angularly offset from the first plane. The magnetic flux pipe structure may redirect the magnetic field towards the magnetic sensing circuit in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Wade Gage, Stephen M. Ludwig, JR., Robert C. Newman, JR., William Taylor Shivell
  • Publication number: 20240102632
    Abstract: A lighting device may include a first lens, a housing defining a cavity, an emitter, a reflector, and an internal optical structure. The emitter may be mounted within the housing. The emitter may be configured to generate light. The reflector may be located within the cavity. The reflector may be configured to reflect the light generated by the emitter toward the first lens. The internal optical structure may be located between the emitter and the first lens. The internal optical structure may include a second lens and a light shield between the second lens and the emitter. The light shield may include a first surface configured to reflect the light emitted by emitter. The light shield may include one or more apertures therethrough that are configured to allow the light emitted by the emitter to pass therethrough.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2023
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Fangxu Dong, Joseph M. Nissen
  • Patent number: 11942287
    Abstract: A load control device may be configured to control multiple characteristics of one or more electrical loads such as the intensity and color of a lighting load. The load control device may switch from controlling one characteristic of the electrical loads to controlling another characteristic of the electrical loads based on the position of one or more components of the load control device. Such a position may be manipulated by moving the one or more components relative to an idle position of the load control device. The load control device may be a wall-mounted device or a battery-powered remote control device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Shan Shi
  • Patent number: 11943854
    Abstract: A load control device adapted to be coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load for controlling the power delivered to the load includes a controller, an actuator for turning the electrical load on and off, an occupancy detection circuit, and an ambient light detector. The load control device automatically turns on the electrical load in response to the presence of an occupant only if the detected ambient light is below a predetermined ambient light level threshold. After first detecting the presence of an occupant, the load control device monitors actuations of the actuator to determine whether a user has changed the state of the load. The load control device automatically adjusts the predetermined ambient light level threshold in response to the user actuations that change the state of the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ryan S. Bedell, James P. Steiner
  • Publication number: 20240098845
    Abstract: A control device may comprise a primary radio circuit for receiving radio-frequency signals via an antenna, and a secondary radio circuit for waking up the primary radio circuit when a radio-frequency signal is presently being transmitted by an external device. The control device may include a control circuit that may be coupled to the primary radio circuit, and may control the primary radio circuit into a sleep mode. The secondary radio circuit may generate a first control signal indicating that the radio-frequency signal is presently being transmitted by the external device. The control circuit may wake up the primary radio circuit from the sleep mode in response to the secondary radio circuit generating the first control signal indicating that the radio-frequency signal is presently being transmitted by the external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Stuart W. DeJonge
  • Publication number: 20240093862
    Abstract: A lighting device may include an elongated housing that defines a cavity. The lighting device may include plurality of emitter printed circuit boards configured to be received within the cavity. Each of the plurality of emitter printed circuit boards may include a plurality of emitter modules mounted thereto. Each of the plurality of emitter printed circuit boards may include a control circuit configured to control the plurality of emitter modules mounted to the respective emitter printed circuit board based on receipt of one or more messages. The lighting device may include a total internal reflection lens for each of the plurality of emitter printed circuit boards. The total internal reflection lens may be configured to diffuse light emitted by the emitter modules of the plurality of emitter printed circuit boards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ryan M. Bocock, Richard S. Burberry, Christopher M. Green, Jivan J. Luu, Ananthanag Nemmani, Jaykrishna A. Shukla
  • Publication number: 20240097598
    Abstract: A motor drive unit for driving a motor of a motorized window treatment may comprise software-based and hardware-based implementations of a process for detecting and resolving a stall condition in the motor, where the hardware-based implementation is configured to reduce power delivered to the motor if the software-based implementation has not first reduced the power to the motor. A control circuit may detect a stall condition of the motor, and reduce the power delivered to the motor after a first period of time from first detecting the stall condition. The motor drive unit may comprise a stall prevention circuit configured to reduce the power delivered to the motor after a second period of time (e.g., longer than the first period of time) from determining that a rotational sensing circuit is not generating a sensor signal while the control circuit is generating a drive signal to rotate the motor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Donald F. Hausman, JR., Chen Ming Wu
  • Publication number: 20240098856
    Abstract: A lighting device, such as a light-emitting diode (LED) light source, may operate in an interim operable state to avoid and/or prevent undesirable characteristics in the light emitted by the lighting device (e.g., strobing and/or flickering of a brightness of the light and/or shifting or change of a color of the light). When operating in a normal state, the control circuit may determine if a measured value of a first operational characteristic (e.g., a forward voltage of an emitter of the lighting device) is outside of a range and operate in the interim operable state if the measured value of the first operational characteristic is outside of the range. When operating in the interim operable state, the control circuit may adjust a drive current for the emitter in response to a measured value of a second operational characteristic (e.g., a forward voltage of a detector of the lighting device).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Jason E. Lewis, Jivan J. Luu
  • Publication number: 20240098861
    Abstract: A load control system includes a load control device and a remote control for configuring and controlling operation of the load control device. The load control device and remote control may be mounted to an electrical wallbox. The system may be configured by associating the remote control with the load control device, and actuating a button on the remote control to configure the load control device. A second remote control device may be directly or indirectly associated with the load control device. The load control device and remote control may communicate via inductive coils that are magnetically coupled together. The remote control may be operable to charge a battery from energy derived from the magnetic coupling between the inductive coils. The load control device and remote control may include near-field communication modules that are operable to communicate wirelessly via near-field radiation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: Lawrence R. Carmen, JR.
  • Publication number: 20240096207
    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 controller devices, such as a remote control device configured to transmit digital messages for controlling the lighting load via the load control device. The remote control device may communicate with the lighting devices via 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 as unicast messages or multicast messages based on the type of user interface event detected. The remote control device, or other master device, may synchronize and/or toggle an on/off state of lighting devices in the load control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2023
    Publication date: March 21, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Robert C. Newman, JR., Shan Shi, Jaykrishna A. Shukla
  • Patent number: 11935251
    Abstract: A sensor may be configured to determine how many people that have entered or exited a space. The sensor may comprise a pyroelectric infrared (PIR) detection circuit capable of generating different output signal patterns in response to a person entering or exiting the space. The sensor may determine whether the person has entered or exited the space based on the output signal pattern. The sensor may include a thermopile array, a radar detection circuit, or a visible light sensing circuit. The thermopile array, radar detection circuit, or visible light sensing circuit may be capable of detecting a person's location and/or movements within an area monitored by the sensor and determining, based on the detected movements, whether the person has entered or left the space. An occupant count of the space may then be determined accordingly by the sensor or by a system controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventor: James P. Steiner
  • Patent number: 11935714
    Abstract: A load control device may control power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source. The load control device may include a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the electrical load, a zero-cross detect circuit configured to generate a zero-cross signal representative of the zero-crossings of an AC voltage. The zero-cross signal may be characterized by pulses occurring in time with the zero-crossings of the AC voltage. The load control device may include a control circuit operatively coupled to the controllably conductive device and the zero cross detect circuit. The control circuit may be configured to identify a rising-edge time and a falling-edge time of one of the pulses of the zero-cross signal, and may control a conductive state of the controllably conductive device based on the rising-edge time and the falling-edge time of the pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Robert W. Lenig, Michael Sizemore, Joshua W. Thaler, Russell L. MacAdam
  • Patent number: 11937354
    Abstract: The remote control device may provide feedback via the status indicator that indicates the present intensity level of a lighting device responsive to the remote control device. The remote control device may provide feedback to indicate a first present intensity level of a first lighting device when the command is a first command type, and a second present intensity level of a second lighting device when the command is a second command type. When the first command type is a raise command and the second command type is a lower command, the first present intensity level may be less than the second present intensity level. In addition, the first lighting device may be a lighting device responsive to the remote control device with a lowest present intensity level and the second lighting device may be a lighting device responsive to the remote control device with a highest present intensity level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Matthew Knauss, Timothy Mann
  • Patent number: 11935709
    Abstract: A control device includes a button assembly having one or more buttons and a button carrier that includes a plurality of resilient, independently deflectable spring arms. The control device may be configured as a wall-mounted keypad to control a load control device, or as a thermostat to control a temperature regulation appliance. The button carrier may be configured to prevent interference between the buttons during operation of the control device. The button assembly may be captured between a faceplate of the control device and a housing that is attached to a rear side of the faceplate. The control device may include one or more button retainers that are attached to the buttons and that are configured to align respective outer surfaces of the buttons relative to each other, and relative to the faceplate of the control device, when the buttons are in respective rest positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Nikhil Vithal Bhate, Rich Destremps, James Harrison, Jason Edward Jennings, Eric Jonathan Mace, Stephen Phillips
  • Patent number: 11930570
    Abstract: An illumination device, system, and method are provided herein for emulating sunlight along a daytime or nighttime locus. Color temperature is determined using a first color temperature curve that includes data representative of a first color temperature as a function of a time of day. In response to a request to a change in brightness of one or more LED chains, a target color temperature output as a function of the current time of day is determined using a second color temperature curve based on the requested change in brightness. The second color temperature curve includes the target color temperature corresponding to the determined current time of day. The target color temperature output includes a lesser change in color temperature at solar noon than the change in color temperature at sunrise and sunset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Nav Sooch, Horace C. Ho, Rebecca Frank, Jason E. Lewis, Ryan Matthew Bocock
  • Patent number: 11927057
    Abstract: A sensor may detect glare from a recorded image and a shade position of a motorized window treatment may be controlled based on the position of the detected glare in the image. A luminance of a pixel may be calculated in an image and a glare condition may be detected based on the luminance of the pixel. For example, the sensor may start at a first pixel in a bottom row of pixels and step through each of the pixels on the bottom row before moving to a next row of pixels. When the sensor detects a glare condition, the sensor may cease processing the remaining pixels of the image. The sensor may calculate a background luminance of the image by reordering the pixels of the image from darkest to lightest and calculating the luminance of a pixel that is a predetermined percentage from the darkest pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Craig A. Casey, Brent Protzman
  • Patent number: D1018330
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Nikhil V. Bhate, Jason C. Killo