Lutron Electronics Company, Inc.

Lutron Technology Company LLC

Daniel F Carmen

Robert Charles Newman

Christopher Buck

Matthew V Harte

Christopher James Salvestrini

James P Steiner

Cyril Baby

Gregory S Altonen

Jeremy R Nearhoof

Donald R Mosebrook

Robert C Newman

Baby Cyril

A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor, a gate coupling circuit for conducting a gate current through a gate of the thyristor, and a control circuit for controlling the gate coupling circuit to conduct the gate current through a first current path to render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle. The gate coupling circuit is able to conduct the gate current through the first current path again after the firing time, but the gate current is not able to be conducted through the gate from a transition time before the end of the half-cycle until approximately the end of the half-cycle. The load current is able to be conducted through a second current path to the electrical load after the transition time until approximately the end of the half-cycle.

Load control device for high-efficiency loads

A load control device for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor, a gate coupling circuit for conducting current through a gate terminal of the thyristor, a controllable switching circuit coupled between first and second main terminals of the thyristor, and a control circuit for controlling the gate coupling circuit to conduct a pulse of current through the gate terminal to render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle. The gate coupling circuit is able to conduct at least one other pulse of current through the gate terminal after the firing time until a transition time before an end of the half-cycle. The control circuit is configured to render the controllable switching circuit conductive to conduct current through the electrical load between approximately the transition time until approximately the end of the half-cycle.

A multiple location load control system comprises a main device and remote devices, which do not require neutral connections, but allow for visual and audible feedback at the main device and the remote devices. The main device and the remote devices are adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between an AC power source and an electrical load, and to be further coupled together via an accessory wiring. The remote devices can be wired on the line side and the load side of the load control system, such that the main device is wired 'in the middle' of the load control system. The main device is operable to enable a charging path to allow the remote devices to charge power supplies through the accessory wiring during a first time period of a half-cycle of the AC power source. The main device and the remote devices are operable to communicate with each other via the accessory wiring during a second time period of the half-cycle.

Multiple location load control system

A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor, a first current path for conducting current through a gate terminal of the thyristor, and a control circuit for controlling the first current path to conduct a pulse of current through the gate terminal to render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle. The first current path is able to conduct at least one other pulse of current through the gate terminal again after the firing time until, a transition time before the end of the half-cycle, but prevented from conducting pulses of current after the transition time until the end of the half-cycle. The load control device may comprise a second current path for conducting current through the electrical load between the transition time and the end of the half-cycle.

A load control system comprises a main load control device and a remote load control device, which does not require a neutral connection and allows for feedback at the remote load control device. The main device and the remote load control device are adapted to be coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load. The main load control device comprises a load control circuit for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load. The main load control device is operable to enable a charging path to allow the remote load control device to charge a power supply during a first time period of a half-cycle of the AC power source. The main load control device and the remote load control device are operable to communicate with each other during a second time period of the half-cycle.

Load control system providing power and communication over AC line wiring

A two-wire load control device (such as, a dimmer switch or an electronic switch) for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor for controlling the power to the load, a gate coupling circuit electrically coupled to a gate terminal of the thyristor, a control circuit configured to control the thyristor to turn the load on or off, and a power supply configured to conduct current through the electrical load to generate a supply voltage across a capacitor when the thyristor is non-conductive. When the electrical lead is on, the control circuit is configured to maintain the thyristor non-conductive after a beginning of each half-cycle until the magnitude of the supply voltage exceeds a predetermined threshold.

A power supply for a load control device generates a DC voltage and provides an asymmetrical output current, while drawing a substantially symmetrical input current. The power supply comprises a controllably conductive switching circuit for controllably charging an energy storage capacitor across which the DC voltage is produced. The energy storage capacitor begins charging at the beginning of a half-cycle and stops charging after a charging time in response to the magnitude of the DC voltage and the amount of time that the energy storage capacitor has been charging during the present half-cycle. The charging time is maintained substantially constant from one half-cycle to the next. The power supply is particularly beneficial for preventing asymmetrical current from flowing in a multiple location load control system having a master load control device supplying power to a plurality of remote load control devices all located on either the line-side or the load-side of the system.

Power supply for a load control device

A two-wire load control device (such as, a dimmer switch or an electronic switch) for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a controllably conductive device for controlling the power to the load, a microprocessor operable to generate a control signal that is representative of whether the load should be controlled on or off, a capacitor operable to produce a supply voltage for powering the microprocessor, a power supply that charges the capacitor when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive, and a control circuit that receives the control signal from the microprocessor. The control circuit is operatively coupled to the controllably conductive device for maintaining the controllably conductive device non-conductive after the beginning of each half-cycle until the magnitude of the supply voltage exceeds a predetermined threshold.

A load control device adapted to be coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load for controlling the power delivered to the load includes a power supply having an energy storage capacitor and a charge pump circuit adapted to conduct an input charging current through the load and to conduct an output charging current through the energy storage capacitor to thus generate a DC supply voltage across the energy storage capacitor, where the output charging current has a magnitude greater than the input charging current. The charge pump circuit includes a switched capacitor operable to charge through the load during a first half-cycle, and to discharge into the energy storage capacitor in a second, subsequent half-cycle. The charge pump circuit operates at line frequency and the magnitude of the input charging current is substantially small so as to avoid generating noise in a noise-sensitive circuit of the load control device.

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Schnecksville, PA, United States of America

Daniel F Carmen