Lutron Technology Company LLC

Lutron Electronics Company, Inc.

Ankit Bhutani

Galen Edgar Knode

Richard S Camden

Timothy Mann

David T Saveri, Iii

Jeffrey Karc

Jamie Steffie

William Taylor Shivell

Nikhil Vithal Bhate

Sean R Pearson

Jeffrey S Hayes

Jordan H Crafts

Michael W Pessina

Matthew Knauss

Matthew J Swatsky

Vidur Garg

Jason A King

Prasad Pramod Kulkarni

Robert Charles Newman

Kevin L Gascho

Kaiming Li

Kevin Millner

Craig Alan Casey

Stephen Phillips

John F Yamrick

David T Saveri

David T Saveri Iii

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.

Control module for a lighting fixture

A load control system may include control devices for controlling power provided to an electrical load. The control devices may include an input device and a load control device. The load control system may include a hub device. The hub device may include a communication circuit and a control circuit. The communication circuit may be configured to receive a digital message from the control device. The control circuit may be configured to determine, based on content of the digital message, whether the control device has experienced a power removal event. The hub device may send, via the communication circuit, a power removal event indication to the control device of whether the control device has experienced the power removal event.

State retention load control system

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.

Control device having an adaptive transmission threshold

A state change device may be electrically connected to a switched receptacle, or to both the switched and unswitched receptacles, of an outlet. The state change device may generate a change of state signal when power is applied to, or removed from, the switched receptacle. The state change device may wirelessly communicate the signal. The state change device may include a load control circuit that may be configured to control the amount of power delivered to an electrical load that is electrically connected to the state change device. The state change device may receive commands directed to the load control circuit. The state change device may be deployed in a load control system and may operate as a control entity, such that the state change device may issue commands to one or more load control devices, responsive to the application or removal of power at the switched receptacle.

State change devices for switched electrical receptacles

A device may detect a power removal event, determine whether the power removal event is a local power removal event or a system power removal event, and perform state correction. For example, the device may receive an indication of a state change event turning on the lighting device. The indication may be received from a sensor. For example, the sensor may include a photosensing circuit (e.g., capable of detecting light emission from the lighting device) or the sensor may include a live voltage sensor (e.g., capable of detecting a change in current driven to the lighting device). The device may then determine whether the power removal event is a system power removal event or a local power removal event. If the device determines that the power removal event is a system power removal event, the device may perform state correction (e.g., setting the lighting device to its state prior to the power removal event).

A wireless device may receive packets according to a protocol, such as Bluetooth, and may rapidly react to receive an interfering RF packet instead of dropping the first RF packet and the interfering RF packet, to decrease message delay due to collisions in high device density environments. When a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) difference between the interfering RF packet and the first RF packet exceeds a threshold, the device may detect the interfering packet and resync a portion of its circuitry to lock on to and receive the interfering packet. The wireless receiver may detect the interfering RF packet by detecting one or more of: a specific resync byte sequence, an increase in RSSI, or a phase shift. Additionally, a wireless device may add the specific resync byte sequence to an RF packet of a standard protocol.

Collision detection method

A control device may be configured to transmit messages using an adaptive transmit power. The control device may determine a transmit power for transmitting the message based on a command in the message. The control device may determine a transmit power based on a change in lighting intensity caused by the command. The transmit power may be greater when the change in lighting intensity is above a threshold than when the change in light intensity is below the threshold. The control device may determine whether the message was successfully received based on the receipt of an acknowledgement message. The control device may increase the transmit power when the message fails to be received and retransmit the message including the command at an increased transmit power. The control device may store (e.g., learn) the increased transmit power for later use.

Control device having an adaptive transmit power

A control device may be configured to delay an attachment procedure while attachment messages are being transmitted over the network. The control device may be configured to initiate an attachment procedure with a router device on a network at the end a back-off period of time. The attachment procedure may include transmitting attachment messages (e.g., parent request messages) that enable the control device to transmit and receive messages over the network through the router device. During the back-off period of time, the control device may determine an attachment message is received from another control device on the network. And, if an attachment message (e.g., a parent request messages and/or a link request message) is received from another control device, the control device may increase the back-off period of time (e.g., delaying when the control device initiates its attachment procedure).

Network formation for a load control system

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.

Coordinated startup routine for control devices of a network

A control device may communicate messages with devices in a network through a parent device, and receive messages from auxiliary parent devices. The control device may store a respective communication metric associated with each of the parent device and the one or more auxiliary parent devices. The control device may set an auxiliary parent device of the one or more auxiliary parent devices as the parent device of the control device, e.g., when a respective communication metric of the auxiliary parent device determined to be set as the parent device indicates a stronger communication link than the parent device. The control device may determine that the respective communication metric of the auxiliary parent device indicates a stronger potential communication link than the parent device when the average received signal strength indicator of auxiliary parent device is greater than the average received signal strength indicator of the parent device.

Attachments in a network

A provided wireless wallbox dimmer may accommodate a plurality of button configurations. The dimmer may be configured to contain a variable number of controllably conductive devices. The dimmer may include a yoke that defines a first plane and an antenna that defines a second plane that is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the first plane. The yoke may have a flange that is oriented angularly offset relative to the first plane and provides a plurality of mounting locations for controllably conductive devices. The antenna may provide the dimmer with a first wireless transmission range. The dimmer may include a faceplate that cooperates with the antenna to provide the dimmer with a second wireless transmission range that is broader than the first wireless transmission range. The dimmer may include a button assembly that is supported independently of the yoke.

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Bethlehem, PA, United States of America

Ankit Bhutani