Patents by Inventor Joel S. Spira

Joel S. Spira 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20150249337
    Abstract: A load control system having a controllable electrical outlet provides a low cost solution for controlling a plurality of standard electrical outlets. The controllable electrical outlet may be coupled in series between a power source and at least one standard electrical outlet for controlling the power delivered to the standard electrical outlet. The controllable electrical outlet may comprise an actuator for allowing the controllable electrical outlet to be associated with an input device for receiving digital messages from the input device. The controllable electrical outlet may be installed in a standard electrical wallbox, e.g., replacing a previously-installed standard electrical outlet. The actuator may be easily accessed to associate the controllable electrical outlet with the input device and a radio-frequency receiver and antenna may be located in the controllable electrical outlet to provide optimum reception of radio-frequency signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: September 3, 2015
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Curtis Raneri, Joseph C. Guellnitz, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: 9124130
    Abstract: A wall-mountable temperature control device having a vertically-arranged temperature adjustment actuator for adjusting a setpoint temperature of a temperature control system to thus control a present temperature in a building, a room temperature visual display for displaying a visual representation of the present temperature of the building, and a setpoint temperature visual display for displaying a visual representation of the setpoint temperature. The room and setpoint temperature visual displays each comprising a linear array of light-emitting diodes arranged parallel to the temperature adjustment actuator and controlled such that one of the light-emitting diodes of the setpoint temperature visual display is illuminated to display the setpoint temperature in response to the actuations of the temperature adjustment actuator and one of the light-emitting diodes of the room temperature visual display is illuminated to display the present temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Nikhil Vithal Bhate, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Publication number: 20150189726
    Abstract: A wall-mountable remote control device may be installed in place of an existing light switch and may be configured to transmit wireless signals to an electrical load device, such as a screw-in light-emitting diode (LED) lamp, to provide control of the electrical load device. The remote control device may comprise an air-gap switch adapted to be electrically coupled in series between a power source and the controllable light source, but may not comprise a bidirectional semiconductor switch for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load device using a phase-control dimming technique. The remote control device may have a low-profile enclosure that is smaller than an enclosure of a standard dimmer switch, and thus may be easier to install in an electrical wallbox. The remote control device may comprise two parts including an air-gap switch device and a wireless communication device mounted to the air-gap switch device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Inventor: Joel S. Spira
  • Publication number: 20150171630
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a lighting load, a window, and a heating and cooling system comprises a lighting control device, a daylight control device, and a temperature control device operable to be controlled so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system in an energy-savings mode. The energy-savings mode can be manually overridden in response to actuation of the actuator of an input control device, such that the load control system enters a manual mode for manually adjusting the loads controlled by the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the temperature control device. The load control system is operable to automatically return to the energy-savings mode at a time after the load control system entered the manual mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: 9013059
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a lighting load, a window, and a heating and cooling system comprises a lighting control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load, a daylight control device (such as a motorized window treatment) for adjusting the amount of natural light to be admitted through a window, and a controller for adjusting a setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to thus control a present temperature in the building. In response to receiving a demand response command, the controller controls the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the heating and cooling system so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system. The load control system may comprise a controllable switching device for disconnecting power to or disconnecting the control lines to one or more components of the heating and cooling system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: 8975778
    Abstract: A load control system for a building having a lighting load, a window, and a heating and cooling system comprises a lighting control device, a daylight control device, and a temperature control device operable to be controlled so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system in an energy-savings mode. The energy-savings mode can be manually overridden in response to actuation of the actuator of an input control device, such that the load control system enters a manual mode for manually adjusting the loads controlled by the lighting control device, the daylight control device, and the temperature control device. The load control system is operable to automatically return to the energy-savings mode at a time after the load control system entered the manual mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D718723
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Erica L. Clymer, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Matthew Philip McDonald, Elliot G. Jacoby, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D719107
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Erica L. Clymer, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Matthew Philip McDonald, Elliot G. Jacoby, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D719108
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Erica L. Clymer, Brad Michael Kreschollek, Matthew Philip McDonald, Elliot G. Jacoby, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D722982
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick J. Lind, III, Gregory Altonen, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D726663
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Erica L. Clymer, Susan Hakkarainen, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D733668
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Erica L. Clymer, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D736718
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Inventor: Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D737222
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Erica L. Clymer, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D737223
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Erica L. Clymer, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D737224
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventor: Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D738320
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Erica L. Clymer, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D738321
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventor: Joel S. Spira
  • Patent number: D738328
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, Erica L. Clymer, Elliot G. Jacoby, Noel Mayo, Joel S. Spira