Patents by Inventor Richard S. Camden

Richard S. Camden 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: 11915580
    Abstract: A wireless control device may include a housing, a yoke, an antenna, a communication circuit, and a control circuit. The yoke may be electrically conductive and be configured to mount the wireless control device to an electrical wallbox. The antenna may be configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals. The antenna may be a slot antenna. The communication circuit may be configured to transmit and receive the radio-frequency signals via the antenna, and the control circuit may be responsive to the communication circuit (e.g., the signals received via the communication circuit). The control device may also include a conductive component that is attached to a front surface of the housing. For example, the conductive component may be electrically connected to the yoke via a single electrical connection (e.g., a screw). Further, the conductive component may be parallel with the antenna and configured to be capacitively coupled to the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Richard S. Camden, Donald R. Mosebrook, William T. Shivell, Amy E. Yanek
  • Publication number: 20240063526
    Abstract: A control module attached to a lighting fixture and having a front cover portion may comprise one or more sensors, such as a daylight and/or occupancy sensor, for sensing information through the front cover portion. The control module may have a main printed circuit board (PCB) that extends from a front side to a rear side of the control module, and a sensor PCB perpendicular to the main PCB to enable at least one sensor attached to the sensor PCB to face the front side of the control module. The main PCB may comprise a wireless communication circuit and an antenna for communicating radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located within a plastic lip of the front cover portion of the control module. The control module may further have a conductive enclosure to reduce radio-frequency interference noise from coupling into the antenna.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 22, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Sean R. Pearson, Nicholas R. Baer, Angelo Caruso, Thomas E. Hibshman, Kevin L. Gascho, Robert Bollinger, JR., Richard S. Camden
  • Publication number: 20230403736
    Abstract: Wireless devices may perform modified carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) techniques in order to increase reliability while maintaining a reasonable latency for communications. The wireless devices may perform listen-before-talk (LBT) techniques using an adaptive transmission threshold (e.g., an adaptive CSMA threshold). The transmission threshold may be compared to a measured signal strength magnitude to determine whether the frequency channel is quiet enough for transmission of a packet. The transmission threshold may be initially set to equal a minimum value. The wireless device may increase the transmission threshold after each instance of LBT failure to allow the wireless device to get progressively more likely to transmit the packet each time LBT fails.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2023
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ankit Bhutani, Richard S. Camden, Robert C. Newman, JR.
  • Publication number: 20230375171
    Abstract: A lighting device (e.g., a controllable light-emitting diode illumination device) may have a light-generation module that may be assembled and calibrated prior to the light-generation module being installed in a finished good. The light-generation module may include an emitter module having at least one emitter mounted to a substrate and configured to emit light. The light-generation module may include a first printed circuit board on which the emitter module may be mounted and a second printed circuit board on which those circuits that are essential for powering the emitter module may be mounted. The light-generation module may include a heat sink located between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board. The emitter module may be thermally-coupled to the heat sink through the substrate and the first printed circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ryan M. Bocock, Robert Bollinger, Jr., Richard S. Camden, Kevin L. Gascho, Robert C. Newman, Jr., Peter W. Ogden, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11824256
    Abstract: A control module attached to a lighting fixture and having a front cover portion may comprise one or more sensors, such as a daylight and/or occupancy sensor, for sensing information through the front cover portion. The control module may have a main printed circuit board (PCB) that extends from a front side to a rear side of the control module, and a sensor PCB perpendicular to the main PCB to enable at least one sensor attached to the sensor PCB to face the front side of the control module. The main PCB may comprise a wireless communication circuit and an antenna for communicating radio frequency (RF) signals, wherein at least a portion of the antenna is located within a plastic lip of the front cover portion of the control module. The control module may further have a conductive enclosure to reduce radio-frequency interference noise from coupling into the antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Sean R. Pearson, Nicholas R. Baer, Angelo Caruso, Thomas E. Hibshman, Kevin L Gascho, Robert Bollinger, Jr., Richard S. Camden
  • Publication number: 20230354494
    Abstract: A load control system for controlling a plurality of lighting loads located in a space may be configured to track the location of one or more tracked devices. The load control system may comprise a system controller, lighting control devices, e.g., for controlling a plurality of lighting loads, and tracked devices. The tracked devices may each transmit beacon messages. The lighting control devices may receive the beacon message. The lighting control devices may measure a communication quality metric of each of the beacon messages, and process the measured communication quality metrics received over a period of time to determine a processed communication quality metric for the tracked device. The lighting control devices may transmit tracking data to the system controller. The system controller may determine a location of the tracked device. For example, the system controller may determine the location of the tracked device via trilateration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Richard S. Camden, Vidur Garg, Jeffrey S. Hayes
  • Publication number: 20230341882
    Abstract: A load control system for controlling an electrical load in a space of a building occupied by an occupant may include a controller configured to determine the location of the occupant, and a load control device configured to automatically control the electrical load in response to the location of the occupant. The load control system may include a mobile device adapted to be located on or immediately adjacent the occupant and configured to transmit and receive wireless signals. The load control device may be configured to automatically control the electrical load when the mobile device is located in the space. The load control system may further comprise an occupancy sensor and the load control device may automatically control the electrical load when the occupancy sensor indicates that the space is occupied and the mobile device is located in the space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Richard S. Camden, Sanjeev Kumar
  • Patent number: 11785641
    Abstract: Wireless devices may perform modified carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) techniques in order to increase reliability while maintaining a reasonable latency for communications. The wireless devices may perform listen-before-talk (LBT) techniques using an adaptive transmission threshold (e.g., an adaptive CSMA threshold). The transmission threshold may be compared to a measured signal strength magnitude to determine whether the frequency channel is quiet enough for transmission of a packet. The transmission threshold may be initially set to equal a minimum value. The wireless device may increase the transmission threshold after each instance of LBT failure to allow the wireless device to get progressively more likely to transmit the packet each time LBT fails.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ankit Bhutani, Richard S. Camden, Robert C. Newman, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20230309209
    Abstract: A control module for a lighting fixture may include an input circuit (e.g., a wireless communication circuit) that may be susceptible to noise generating by a noise-generating source (e.g., a lighting control device in the lighting fixture). The control circuit may execute a self-test procedure to determine if the magnitude of the noise is acceptable or unacceptable for normal operation of the control module. During the self-test procedure, the control circuit may measure a noise level at a connection of the input circuit and determine if the noise level causes the self-test procedure to fail. The control circuit may control the lighting load to multiple intensities, measure noise levels of the output signal at each intensity, and process the noise levels to determine if the test has passed or failed. The control circuit may illuminate a visual indicator to provide an indication that the self-test procedure has failed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, Vidur Garg, Kevin L. Gascho, Alexander F. Mosolgo, Dragan Veskovic, Sean R. Pearson
  • Publication number: 20230284363
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices capable of being associated with each other at one or more locations for performing load control. Control devices may include control-source devices and/or control-target devices. A location beacon may be discovered and a unique identifier in the location beacon may be associated with a unique identifier of one or more control devices. Upon subsequent discovery of the location beacon, the associated load control devices may be controlled. The beacons may be communicated via radio frequency signals, visible light communication, and/or audio signals. The visible light communication may be used to communicate other types of information to devices in the load control system. The visible light communication may be used to identify link addresses for communicating with load control devices, load control instructions, load control configuration instructions, network communication information, and/or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Kyle Thomas Barco, Bryan Robert Barnes, John H. Bull, Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, David J. Dolan, Jason Groller, Sanjeev Kumar, Jonathan T. Lenz, Miguel Aguado Pelaez, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Patent number: 11751312
    Abstract: A load control system for controlling a plurality of lighting loads located in a space may be configured to track the location of one or more tracked devices. The load control system may comprise a system controller, lighting control devices, e.g., for controlling a plurality of lighting loads, and tracked devices. The tracked devices may each transmit beacon messages. The lighting control devices may receive the beacon message. The lighting control devices may measure a communication quality metric of each of the beacon messages, and process the measured communication quality metrics received over a period of time to determine a processed communication quality metric for the tracked device. The lighting control devices may transmit tracking data to the system controller. The system controller may determine a location of the tracked device. For example, the system controller may determine the location of the tracked device via trilateration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Richard S. Camden, Vidur Garg, Jeffrey S. Hayes
  • Patent number: 11726516
    Abstract: A load control system for controlling an electrical load in a space of a building occupied by an occupant may include a controller configured to determine the location of the occupant, and a load control device configured to automatically control the electrical load in response to the location of the occupant. The load control system may include a mobile device adapted to be located on or immediately adjacent the occupant and configured to transmit and receive wireless signals. The load control device may be configured to automatically control the electrical load when the mobile device is located in the space. The load control system may further comprise an occupancy sensor and the load control device may automatically control the electrical load when the occupancy sensor indicates that the space is occupied and the mobile device is located in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Richard S. Camden, Sanjeev Kumar
  • Patent number: 11725809
    Abstract: A lighting device (e.g., a controllable light-emitting diode illumination device) may have a light-generation module that may be assembled and calibrated prior to the light-generation module being installed in a finished good. The light-generation module may include an emitter module having at least one emitter mounted to a substrate and configured to emit light. The light-generation module may include a first printed circuit board on which the emitter module may be mounted and a second printed circuit board on which those circuits that are essential for powering the emitter module may be mounted. The light-generation module may include a heat sink located between the first printed circuit board and the second printed circuit board. The emitter module may be thermally-coupled to the heat sink through the substrate and the first printed circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ryan M. Bocock, Robert Bollinger, Jr., Richard S. Camden, Kevin L. Gascho, Robert C. Newman, Jr., Peter W. Ogden, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11722377
    Abstract: A control device may be configured to form a network at a unique coordinated startup time. The control device may identify a role assigned to the control device in a previously-formed network that the control device was attached to. The control device may determine a unique coordinated startup time for the control device based on the role assigned to the control device in the previously-formed network. The control device may initiate a network formation procedure at the unique coordinated startup time for the device. For example, the network formation procedure may cause the control device to attach to another control device in the network. The network formation procedure is configured to enable the control device to assume the role assigned to the control device in the previously-formed network in the new network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. Hayes, Galen Edgar Knode, Ankit Bhutani, Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, Jason A. King, Prasad Pramod Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 11700681
    Abstract: A control module for a lighting fixture may include an input circuit (e.g., a wireless communication circuit) that may be susceptible to noise generating by a noise-generating source (e.g., a lighting control device in the lighting fixture). The control circuit may execute a self-test procedure to determine if the magnitude of the noise is acceptable or unacceptable for normal operation of the control module. During the self-test procedure, the control circuit may measure a noise level at a connection of the input circuit and determine if the noise level causes the self-test procedure to fail. The control circuit may control the lighting load to multiple intensities, measure noise levels of the output signal at each intensity, and process the noise levels to determine if the test has passed or failed. The control circuit may illuminate a visual indicator to provide an indication that the self-test procedure has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, Vidur Garg, Kevin L. Gascho, Alexander F. Mosolgo, Dragan Veskovic, Sean R. Pearson
  • Patent number: 11690157
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices capable of being associated with each other at one or more locations for performing load control. Control devices may include control-source devices and/or control-target devices. A location beacon may be discovered and a unique identifier in the location beacon may be associated with a unique identifier of one or more control devices. Upon subsequent discovery of the location beacon, the associated load control devices may be controlled. The beacons may be communicated via radio frequency signals, visible light communication, and/or audio signals. The visible light communication may be used to communicate other types of information to devices in the load control system. The visible light communication may be used to identify link addresses for communicating with load control devices, load control instructions, load control configuration instructions, network communication information, and/or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Kyle Thomas Barco, Bryan Robert Barnes, John H. Bull, Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, David J. Dolan, Jason Groller, Sanjeev Kumar, Jonathan T. Lenz, Miguel Aguado Pelaez, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Publication number: 20230198851
    Abstract: A control device may be configured to form a network at a unique coordinated startup time. The control device may identify a role assigned to the control device in a previously-formed network that the control device was attached to. The control device may determine a unique coordinated startup time for the control device based on the role assigned to the control device in the previously-formed network. The control device may initiate a network formation procedure at the unique coordinated startup time for the device. For example, the network formation procedure may cause the control device to attach to another control device in the network. The network formation procedure is configured to enable the control device to assume the role assigned to the control device in the previously-formed network in the new network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ankit Bhutani, Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, Jeffrey S. Hayes, Jason A. King, Galen Edgar Knode, Prasad Pramod Kulkarni
  • Publication number: 20230199611
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices configured to communicate via a network. The network may include router devices (e.g., a leader device and other router devices) for enabling communication of messages throughout the network. Boundary router devices may be assigned to assist with communications around a noise source. The boundary router devices may be identified as being outside of a first range from the noise source and within a second range from the noise source. Control device within the first range that are closer to the noise source may be assigned as end devices. The boundary router devices that are outside of the first range may be close enough to the end devices within the first range to assist the end devices with communication around the noise source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ankit Bhutani, Richard S. Camden, Vidur Garg, Prasad P. Kulkarni
  • Publication number: 20230189410
    Abstract: Devices of a load control system may communicate with each other via a network. The load control system may include different control devices, such as load control devices, input devices, or other devices capable of communicating with each other to perform load control. These control devices may be capable of providing feedback to a user that indicates different network information that may be used for network diagnostics and/or configuration. For example, a lighting control device may be capable of providing feedback via a corresponding lighting load that indicates network information that may be used in network diagnostics and/or configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2023
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Ankit Bhutani, Richard S. Camden, Craig Alan Casey, Jordan H. Crafts, Vidur Garg, Galen Edgar Knode, Prasad P. Kulkarni, John F. Yamrick
  • Publication number: 20230151953
    Abstract: A control module configured to be mounted in a fixture opening of a lighting fixture may comprise an antenna (e.g., a dipole antenna) having a majority of primary radiating structures located outside of the lighting fixture when mounted to the lighting fixture. The control module may comprise a detector positioned to receive infrared energy through a lens for detecting occupancy or vacancy conditions. The antenna may comprise two elements electrically connected in a dipole antenna configuration and comprising respective curved portions that are positioned to curve around the detector outside of the lighting fixture. The control module may comprise an enclosure comprising clips that each have teeth for attaching the control module within the fixture opening. The clips may be located adjacent to each other and the teeth may be staggered relative to each other, such that one tooth of either clip engages the fixture opening at a single time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Ankit Bhutani, Richard S. Camden, Kevin L. Gascho, Stephen Phillips, Kevin Millner