Patents by Inventor Christopher Trickler

Christopher Trickler 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: 10405404
    Abstract: A lighting control system includes a plurality of lighting system elements that are connected together over at least one lighting control network. The lighting system elements include a network controller, a luminaire, or a lighting control device. Some of the lighting system elements are designated as client lighting devices. At least one of the lighting system elements is designated as a lighting control data synchronization master. The lighting control system allows for changes in lighting control setting data, without sacrificing performance and maintaining stability with network failures, by generation and utilization of lighting control data keys. For example, data synchronization replicates or transfers lighting control setting data when a state change in a lighting control setting is detected based on a comparison of a current lighting control data key with an original lighting control data key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: ABL IP HOLDING LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Trickler, Mark Norton, Richard L. Westrick, Jr.
  • Patent number: 10123403
    Abstract: A method includes retrieving a current lighting state of at least one luminaire. The lighting state includes light intensity of the at least one luminaire. The method also includes retrieving a sensor state of at least one sensor and determining a next selectable lighting state available for the at least one luminaire and an illumination adjustment for a user interface element of a lighting control device configured to control the luminaire. The determining of the next selectable lighting state available includes comparing the current lighting state and the sensor state to a set of intelligent backlighting rules, and based on the comparison, determining an indicator state corresponding to the illumination adjustment to the user interface element of the lighting control device. The illumination adjustment produces visible output to the user via the user interface element as a visible cue to guide the user to select the next lighting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2018
    Assignee: ABL IP HOLDING LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Trickler, Richard Westrick, Jr., Mark Norton
  • Patent number: 10111275
    Abstract: A lighting control system of networks and devices designed to allow scheduled events to continue to operate in the case of partial or full network operation and failure. The lighting control system can rely on any network controller to act as a schedule master that evaluates a schedule of time-based lighting control events. When failure of the acting schedule master occurs or network communication therewith, the lighting control system changes the scheduling master to a different network controller based on a fail over protocol. The failover protocol includes detecting when an acting schedule master controller stops working by, for example, failing to receive a keep-alive message at a different network controller within a predetermined amount of time. Upon detecting failure of the schedule master controller, a network controller with a different controller identifier takes over as the schedule master in accordance with a controller identifier evaluation or protocol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: ABL IP HOLDING LLC
    Inventors: Mark Norton, Christopher Trickler, Dean Naib, Richard L. Westrick, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20180242426
    Abstract: A method includes retrieving a current lighting state of at least one luminaire. The lighting state includes light intensity of the at least one luminaire. The method also includes retrieving a sensor state of at least one sensor and determining a next selectable lighting state available for the at least one luminaire and an illumination adjustment for a user interface element of a lighting control device configured to control the luminaire. The determining of the next selectable lighting state available includes comparing the current lighting state and the sensor state to a set of intelligent backlighting rules, and based on the comparison, determining an indicator state corresponding to the illumination adjustment to the user interface element of the lighting control device. The illumination adjustment produces visible output to the user via the user interface element as a visible cue to guide the user to select the next lighting state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher TRICKLER, Richard WESTRICK, JR., Mark NORTON
  • Patent number: 9930763
    Abstract: A method includes retrieving a current lighting state of at least one luminaire. The lighting state includes light intensity of the at least one luminaire. The method also includes retrieving a sensor state of at least one sensor and determining a next selectable lighting state available for the at least one luminaire and an illumination adjustment for a user interface element of a lighting control device configured to control the luminaire. The determining of the next selectable lighting state available includes comparing the current lighting state and the sensor state to a set of intelligent backlighting rules, and based on the comparison, determining an indicator state corresponding to the illumination adjustment to the user interface element of the lighting control device. The illumination adjustment produces visible output to the user via the user interface element as a visible cue to guide the user to select the next lighting state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: ABL IP HOLDING LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Trickler, Richard Westrick, Jr., Mark Norton
  • Publication number: 20180042064
    Abstract: A lighting control system of networks and devices designed to allow scheduled events to continue to operate in the case of partial or full network operation and failure. The lighting control system can rely on any network controller to act as a schedule master that evaluates a schedule of time-based lighting control events. When failure of the acting schedule master occurs or network communication therewith, the lighting control system changes the scheduling master to a different network controller based on a fail over protocol. The failover protocol includes detecting when an acting schedule master controller stops working by, for example, failing to receive a keep-alive message at a different network controller within a predetermined amount of time. Upon detecting failure of the schedule master controller, a network controller with a different controller identifier takes over as the schedule master in accordance with a controller identifier evaluation or protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: February 8, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Norton, Christopher Trickler, Dean Naib, Richard L. Westrick, JR.