Patents by Inventor William Bryce Fricke

William Bryce Fricke 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: 10027127
    Abstract: A load control system may include load control devices for controlling power provided to an electrical load. The load control devices may include a control-source device and a control-target device. The control-target device may control the power provided to the electrical load based on digital messages received from the control-source device. A user device may discover load control devices when the load control devices are within an established range associated with the user device. The user device and the load control devices may communicate via a wireless communications module. The established range may be adjusted based on the configurable transmit power of the user device or the wireless communications module associated with the user device. A discovered control-target device may be associated with a control-source device to enable the control-target device to control the power provided to the electrical load based on digital messages received from the control-source device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Jordan H. Crafts, William Bryce Fricke, Stephen M. Ludwig, Jr., Jonathan T. Lenz, Bryan Robert Barnes, Kyle Thomas Barco
  • Patent number: 9991710
    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: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Gregory Altonen, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Publication number: 20170123390
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices for controlling power provided to an electrical load. The control devices may include a control-source device and a control-target device. The control-target device may control the power provided to the electrical load based on digital messages received from the control-source device. The control devices may include a load control discovery device capable of sending discovery messages configured to discover control devices within a location. The discovered control devices may be organized by signal strength and may be provided to a network device to enable association of the discovered control devices within a location. The discovery messages may be transmitted within an established discovery range. The discovery range may be adjusted to discover different control devices. Different control devices may be identified as the load control discovery device for discovering different control devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Kyle Thomas Barco, Bryan Robert Barnes, Erica L. Clymer, Brian Michael Courtney, Jordan H. Crafts, William Bryce Fricke, Galen Edgar Knode, Sanjeev Kumar, Jonathan T. Lenz, Stephen M. Ludwig, Sandeep Mudabail Raghuram, Richard M. Walsh, III
  • Publication number: 20170064798
    Abstract: A load control device is able to receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a smart phone, via a wireless local area network. The load control device comprises a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series between an AC power source and an electrical load, a controller for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive, and a Wi-Fi module operable to receive the RF signals from the wireless network. The controller controls the controllably conductive device to adjust the power delivered to the load in response to the wireless signals received from the wireless network. The load control device may further comprise an optical module operable to receive an optical signal, such that the controller may obtain an IP address from the received optical signal and control the power delivered to the load in response to a wireless signal that includes the IP address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Publication date: March 2, 2017
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Theodore F. Economy, John C. Browne, William Bryce Fricke, Galen Edgar Knode, Ryan S. Bedell, Christopher J. Salvestrini
  • Patent number: 9544977
    Abstract: A load control device is able to receive radio-frequency (RF) signals from a Wi-Fi-enabled device, such as a smart phone, via a wireless local area network. The load control device comprises a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series between an AC power source and an electrical load, a controller for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive, and a Wi-Fi module operable to receive the RF signals from the wireless network. The controller controls the controllably conductive device to adjust the power delivered to the load in response to the wireless signals received from the wireless network. The load control device may further comprise an optical module operable to receive an optical signal, such that the controller may obtain an IP address from the received optical signal and control the power delivered to the load in response to a wireless signal that includes the IP address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Theodore F. Economy, John C. Browne, Jr., William Bryce Fricke, Galen Edgar Knode, Ryan S. Bedell, Christopher J. Salvestrini
  • Publication number: 20160278188
    Abstract: A mobile device that is configured for wireless communication may be configured to operate as a remote control device in a lighting control system, controlling one or more lighting control devices of the lighting control system. The remote control device may control the light intensity in a space, for instance at a location of the remote control device, in response to an ambient light intensity measured at the remote control device. The remote control device may define a user interface for receiving an input that indicates a desired light intensity at the location. The remote control device may measure the ambient light intensity at the location via a light detector, compare the measured ambient light intensity to the desired light intensity, and cause the one or more lighting control devices to adjust the ambient light intensity at the remote control device until it agrees with the desired light intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Karc, James P. Steiner, William Bryce Fricke
  • Patent number: 9386669
    Abstract: A mobile device that is configured for wireless communication may be configured to operate as a remote control device in a lighting control system, controlling one or more lighting control devices of the lighting control system. The remote control device may control the light intensity in a space, for instance at a location of the remote control device, in response to an ambient light intensity measured at the remote control device. The remote control device may define a user interface for receiving an input that indicates a desired light intensity at the location. The remote control device may measure the ambient light intensity at the location via a light detector, compare the measured ambient light intensity to the desired light intensity, and cause the one or more lighting control devices to adjust the ambient light intensity at the remote control device until it agrees with the desired light intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Karc, James P. Steiner, William Bryce Fricke
  • Publication number: 20160056629
    Abstract: A load control system may control an electrical load in a space of a building occupied by an occupant. The load control system 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 also 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: August 21, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, John H. Bull, William Bryce Fricke, Jason C. Killo, Galen Edgar Knode, Sanjeev Kumar, Sean R. Pearson, James Mathias Weber, Daniel L. Twaddell, Daniel Curtis Raneri, Timothy Mann, Sriram Gopalakrishnan, Jeffrey Karc, Greg Edward Sloan
  • 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: 20150189724
    Abstract: A mobile device that is configured for wireless communication may be configured to operate as a remote control device in a lighting control system, controlling one or more lighting control devices of the lighting control system. The remote control device may control the light intensity in a space, for instance at a location of the remote control device, in response to an ambient light intensity measured at the remote control device. The remote control device may define a user interface for receiving an input that indicates a desired light intensity at the location. The remote control device may measure the ambient light intensity at the location via a light detector, compare the measured ambient light intensity to the desired light intensity, and cause the one or more lighting control devices to adjust the ambient light intensity at the remote control device until it agrees with the desired light intensity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Publication date: July 2, 2015
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Karc, James P. Steiner, William Bryce Fricke
  • Publication number: 20150179058
    Abstract: A load control system may include devices for performing communications for controlling an amount of power provided to an electrical load. The devices may include load control devices that may communicate by transmitting digital messages. A user device having an adjustable wireless communication range may be used for discovering devices, configuring devices, and/or diagnosing devices in the load control system. The user device may detect whether devices are within an established wireless communication range of one another for performing communications. The user device may detect digital messages transmitted from a device and/or digital messages received at a device to determine whether the digital messages are correctly communicated in the load control system. The user device may provide an indication to a user indicating whether a digital message is correctly transmitted or received by a device in the load control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Applicant: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan H. Crafts, Kyle Thomas Barco, Bryan Robert Barnes, David J. Dolan, William Bryce Fricke, Joel Hnatow, Jonathan T. Lenz
  • 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: 8901769
    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 temperature control device for controlling a setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to thus control a present temperature in the building. The load control system may also comprise a controllable electrical receptacle for turning on and off a plug-in electrical load connected thereto. The lighting control device, the daylight control device, the temperature control device, and the controllable receptacle are controlled so as to decrease a total power consumption of the load control system in response to a received demand response command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    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: 8866343
    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 motorized window treatment comprising a window treatment fabric for covering the window, a temperature control device for controlling a setpoint temperature of the heating and cooling system to thus control a present temperature in the building, and a dynamic keypad comprising a visual display and operable to receive a user input. The dynamic keypad allows a user to select, adjust, and monitor a plurality of energy-savings modes of the load control system. For example, the dynamic keypad allows the user to enable and adjust a setback temperature of the temperature control device on-the-fly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Arya Abraham, Gregory Altonen, Nikhil Vithal Bhate, Erica L. Clymer, William Bryce Fricke, Elliot G. Jacoby, Jason C. Killo, Stephen M. Ludwig, Jr., Lauren B. Margolin, Michael W. Pessina, Walter S. Zaharchuk, Joel S. Spira
  • Publication number: 20140277805
    Abstract: An energy control network may include a number of load control devices, such as dimmer switches, multi-button selector switch, occupancy sensors, and remote controllers, among others. These load control devices may be configured for wireless communication. Other wireless devices, such as laptops, tablets, and “smart” cellular phones may be configured to communicate with the load control devices of the energy control network. The load control devices and the other wireless communication devices may also be configured for Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC may be used to provide a load control device with its initial default configuration and/or an application specific configuration. Also, NFC may be used to transfer a configuration from one load control device that may have become faulty, to a replacement load control device. And NFC may be used to provide and trigger commands that may cause a load control load device to operate in a predetermined manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: John C. Browne, JR., Sean Henley, Ratan Dominic Rego, William Bryce Fricke, Robert D. Stevens, JR.
  • Publication number: 20140265568
    Abstract: A load control system may include load control devices for controlling power provided to an electrical load. The load control devices may include a control-source device and a control-target device. The control-target device may control the power provided to the electrical load based on digital messages received from the control-source device. A user device may discover load control devices when the load control devices are within an established range associated with the user device. The user device and the load control devices may communicate via a wireless communications module. The established range may be adjusted based on the configurable transmit power of the user device or the wireless communications module associated with the user device. A discovered control-target device may be associated with a control-source device to enable the control-target device to control the power provided to the electrical load based on digital messages received from the control-source device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Jordan Crafts, William Bryce Fricke, Stephen M. Ludwing, JR., Jonathan T. Lenz, Bryan Robert Barnes, Kyle Thomas Barco
  • Publication number: 20140254477
    Abstract: Load control devices may form an energy control network for the purpose of controlling one or more electrical and/or mechanical loads related to energy control in residential and/or commercial environments. The various load control devices of the energy control network may communicate with one another via a wireless communication network. Access information for communicating with/on a wireless communication network often takes the form of character-based information, such as a service set identifier (SSID), a type of network security, and/or a security key. The load control devices may have user interfaces that may not be well suited via which to enter the access information for a wireless communication network. Techniques and devices are described to provide network access information wirelessly in the form of data packets of modulated lengths to load control devices that may decode the access information from the modulated lengths to join the wireless communication network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC.
    Inventor: William Bryce Fricke
  • Patent number: 8786236
    Abstract: A load control system provides for automatically controlling a position of a motorized window treatment to control the amount of sunlight entering a space of a building through a window located in a façade of the building in order to control a sunlight penetration distance within the space and minimize occupant distractions. The load control system automatically generates a timeclock schedule having a number of timeclock events for controlling the position of the motorized window treatment during the present day. A user is able to select a desired maximum sunlight penetration distance for the space and a minimum time period that may occur between any two consecutive timeclock events. In addition, a maximum number of movements that may occur during the timeclock schedule may also be entered. The load control system uses these inputs to determine event times and corresponding positions of the motorized window treatment for each timeclock event of the timeclock schedule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Walter S. Zaharchuk, Brian Michael Courtney, William Bryce Fricke, William H. Howe, Timothy S. Majewski, Joel S. Spira