1. A load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to a lighting load provided in a space, the load control system comprising:
a load control device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the lighting load for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load to control the intensity of the lighting load, the load control device operable to receive wireless control signals and to control the intensity of the lighting load in response to the wireless control signals; and
two occupancy sensors, each operable to independently detect an occupancy condition in the space and to transmit an occupied wireless control signal to the load control device in response to detecting the occupancy condition, the occupancy sensors further operable to transmit a vacant wireless control signal to the load control device in response to detecting a vacancy condition in the space;
wherein the load control device adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to a first intensity in response to receiving the occupied wireless control signal from at least one of the occupancy sensors, and adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity less than the first intensity in response to receiving vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors,
the load control device associating a unique identifier with each occupancy sensor and storing in respective memory locations an occupancyvacancy status of each occupancy sensor in accordance with its unique identifier, the load control device adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity when the occupancyvacancy statuses of the memory locations for both of the occupancy sensors denote vacancy.
2. The load control system of claim 1, wherein each of the occupancy sensors are characterized by a unique serial number, the unique serial number comprising the unique identifier, the load control device comprising a memory for storage of the serial numbers of the two occupancy sensors, the load control device responsive to wireless control signals including the serial numbers of the two occupancy sensors.
3. The load control system of claim 2, wherein the load control device keeps track of the occupancy sensors from which the load control device received the occupied wireless control signals.
4. The load control system of claim 3, wherein the load control device adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to the second intensity in response to receiving vacant control signals from all of the occupancy sensors from which the load control device received the occupied wireless control signals.
5. The load control system of claim 1, wherein each of the occupancy sensors transmits a third wireless control signal to the load control device in response to detecting a continued occupancy condition in the space, the load control device adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to the second intensity in response to determining that no wireless control signals have been received from one of the occupancy sensors for the length of a predetermined timeout period and receiving a vacant control signal from the other occupancy sensor.
6. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the second intensity is 0%, such that the load control turns the lighting load off in response to receiving vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors.
7. The load control system of claim 1, wherein the second intensity is a non-off intensity.
8. A method of controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to a lighting load provided in a space, the method comprising the steps of:
providing two occupancy sensors in the space;
detecting by one of the occupancy sensors an occupancy condition in the space;
transmitting by one of the occupancy sensors an occupied wireless control signal in response to the step of detecting the occupancy condition;
receiving at a load control device the occupied wireless control signal from at least one of the occupancy sensors;
adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a first intensity using the load control device in response to the step of receiving the occupied wireless control signal from at least one of the occupancy sensors;
detecting by one of the occupancy sensors a vacancy condition in the space;
transmitting by one of the occupancy sensors a vacant wireless control signal in response to the step of detecting a vacancy condition in the space;
receiving at the load control device vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors;
associating a unique identifier with each occupancy sensor and storing in respective memory locations an occupancyvacancy status of each occupancy sensor in accordance with its unique identifier at the load control device, and
adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity less than the first intensity using the load control device when the occupancyvacancy statuses of the memory locations for both of the occupancy sensors denote vacancy.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second intensity is 0%, such that the step of adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity comprises turning the lighting load off in response to the step of receiving vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second intensity is a non-off intensity.
11. A load control system for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to a lighting load provided in a space, the load control system comprising:
a load control device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the lighting load for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load to control the intensity of the lighting load, the load control device operable to receive wireless control signals and to control the intensity of the lighting load in response to the wireless control signals; and
an occupancy sensor operable to detect an occupancy condition in the space and to transmit a first wireless control signal to the load control device in response to detecting the occupancy condition, the load control device operable to adjust the intensity of the lighting load to a first intensity in response to the first wireless control signal, the occupancy sensor further operable to transmit a second wireless control signal to the load control device in response to detecting a continued occupancy condition in the space;
wherein the load control device adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity less than the first intensity in response to determining that no wireless control signals have been received from the occupancy sensor for the length of a predetermined timeout period; and
the occupancy sensor further comprising an occupancy timer, on the expiration of the occupancy timer, the occupancy sensor transmitting a vacant wireless control signal to the load control device, the load control device storing an occupancyvacancy status of the occupancy sensor in a memory location of a memory of the load control device.
12. The load control system of claim 11, wherein the load control device initializes a failsafe timer with the predetermined timeout period and restarts the failsafe timer in response to receiving the second wireless control signals from the occupancy sensor, the load control device operable to adjust the intensity of the lighting load to the second intensity when the failsafe timer expires.
13. The load control system of claim 12, wherein the occupancy sensor is characterized by a unique serial number, the load control device comprising a memory for storage of the serial number of the occupancy sensor, the load control device responsive to wireless control signals including the serial number of the occupancy sensor.
14. The load control system of claim 13, wherein the load control device comprises a first actuator and the occupancy sensor comprises a second actuator, the load control device operable to store the serial number of the occupancy sensor in the memory in response to simultaneous actuations of the first and second actuators.
15. The load control system of claim 14, wherein the load control device adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to the first intensity in response to an actuation of the first actuator, and starts the failsafe timer when the intensity of the lighting load is at the first intensity and the serial number of the occupancy sensor is stored in the memory.
16. The load control system of claim 12, wherein the second wireless control signal comprises an occupied-no-action command, and the first wireless control signal comprises an occupied-take-action command.
17. The load control system of claim 12, wherein the load control device adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to the first intensity and starts the failsafe timer in response to receiving the first wireless control signal.
18. The load control system of claim 11, wherein the second intensity is 0%, such that the load control turns the lighting load off in response to receiving vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors.
19. The load control system of claim 11, wherein the second intensity is a non-off intensity.
20. A method of controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to a lighting load provided in a space, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an occupancy sensor in the space;
detecting by the occupancy sensor an occupancy condition in the space;
transmitting by the occupancy sensor a first wireless control signal in response to the step of detecting the occupancy condition;
adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a first intensity using a load control device in response to the first wireless control signal;
detecting by the occupancy sensor a continued occupancy condition in the space;
transmitting by the occupancy sensor a second wireless control signal in response to the step of detecting a continued occupancy condition in the space;
determining in the load control device that no wireless control signals have been received from the occupancy sensor for the length of a predetermined timeout period;
adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity less than the first intensity using the load control device in response to the step of determining that no wireless control signals have been received;
providing the occupancy sensor with an occupancy timer;
transmitting by the occupancy sensor a vacant wireless control signal on the expiration of the occupancy times; and
storing an occupancyvacancy status of the occupancy sensor in a memory location of a memory of the load control device.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:
initializing a failsafe timer with the predetermined timeout period; and
restarting the failsafe timer in response to receiving the second wireless control signals from the occupancy sensor;
wherein the step of adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity further comprises adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to the second intensity when the failsafe timer expires.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:
starting the failsafe timer in response to receiving the first wireless control signal.
23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:
pressing a button;
adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to the first intensity in response to the step of pressing a button; and
starting the failsafe timer in response to the step of pressing a button.
24. The method of claim 20, wherein the second intensity is 0%, such that the step of adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity comprises turning the lighting load off in response to the step of receiving vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors.
25. The method of claim 20, wherein the second intensity is a non-off intensity.
26. A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to a lighting load provided in a space having at least two occupancy sensors, the load control device comprising:
a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the AC power source and the lighting load for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load to control the intensity of the lighting load;
a wireless receiver for receiving wireless control signals from the occupancy sensors, the wireless control signals comprising an occupied wireless control signal indicating an occupancy condition in the space and a vacant wireless control signal indicating a vacancy condition in the space; and
a controller operatively coupled to the controllably conductive device and the wireless receiver for controlling the amount of power delivered to the lighting load in response to the wireless control signals;
wherein the controller adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to a first intensity in response to receiving the occupied wireless control signal from at least one of the occupancy sensors, and adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to a second intensity less than the first intensity in response to receiving vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors,
the controller associating a unique identifier with each occupancy sensor and storing in respective memory locations an occupancyvacancy status of each occupancy sensor in accordance with its unique identifier, the controller adjusting the intensity of the lighting load to the second intensity load when the occupancyvacancy statuses of the memory locations for both of the occupancy sensors denote vacancy.
27. The load control device of claim 26, further comprising:
a memory for storage of the unique identifiers, each unique identifier comprising a unique serial number of each of the two occupancy sensors;
wherein each of the wireless control signals from the occupancy sensors includes the unique serial number of the respective occupancy sensor, the controller responsive to wireless control signals including the serial numbers of the two occupancy sensors.
28. The load control device of claim 27, wherein the controller keeps track of the occupancy sensors from which the load control device received the occupied wireless control signals.
29. The load control device of claim 28, wherein the controller adjusts the intensity of the lighting load to the second intensity in response to receiving vacant control signals from all of the occupancy sensors from which the controller received the occupied wireless control signals.
30. The load control device of claim 26, wherein the second intensity is 0%, such that the load control device turns the lighting load off in response to receiving vacant control signals from both of the occupancy sensors.
31. The load control device of claim 26, wherein the second intensity is a non-off intensity.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. In a Home Network telephone system, a method for backing up user data, the method comprising:
establishing a gateway to serve at least one Home Network endpoint; and,
at the gateway, storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
supplying the user data to the endpoints; and,
locally storing a copy of the user data at the endpoints.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein supplying the user data to the endpoints is an action selected from the group including:
supplying the endpoint with an initial start-up configuration of user data; and,
resupplying the endpoint in response to the endpoint losing the locally stored copy of the user data.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:
generating user data at an endpoint; and,
wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data generated at the endpoint.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein establishing a gateway includes:
transceiving calls on an external telephone line that communicate call information in a first format;
converting between the first format and a digital Home Network format;
establishing traffic channels to communicate information in the Home Network format; and,
establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein storing a copy of user data associated with endpoint at the gateway includes storing user data selected from the group including telephone directories, calling line ID (CLID) lists, call-logs, and user preferences for organizing the stored data.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data in nonvolatile gateway memory.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein establishing a gateway to serve at least one Home Network endpoint includes establishing a unique identifier for each endpoint; and,
wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data cross-referenced to endpoint identifiers.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
the endpoint inquiring if the gateway supports user data backup functions; and,
the endpoint receiving communications from the gateway that the backup function is supported.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
at an endpoint, setting an archive flag to the on position;
communicating user data to the gateway for backing up;
receiving an acknowledgement from the gateway; and,
setting the archive flag to the off position.
11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
initially powering on a first endpoint;
wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
following the initial powering, inquiring if the gateway supports user data backup functions;
receiving communications from the gateway that the backup function is supported, but that no user data is stored for the first endpoint; and,
at the first endpoint, setting an archive flag to the on position;
wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes communicating first endpoint user data to the gateway for backing up;
wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data further includes:
receiving an acknowledgement from the gateway; and,
setting the archive flag to the off position.
12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
powering on a first endpoint after its locally stored copy of user data has been lost;
wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
following powering on, inquiring if the gateway supports user data backup functions;
receiving communications from the gateway that the backup function is supported, and that user data has been stored for the first endpoint; and,
wherein supplying the user data to the endpoints includes communicating the stored user data to the first endpoint from the gateway.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing a generic user data configuration in the gateway memory; and,
wherein communicating the stored user data to the first endpoint from the gateway includes communicating the generic user data configuration.
14. The method of claim 10 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
receiving a copy of the user data at the gateway from an endpoint;
sending an acknowledgement from the gateway to the endpoint that the user data has been received; and,
wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes storing the user data received from the endpoint.
15. The method of claim 10 wherein generating user data at an endpoint includes modifying user data at a first endpoint;
the method further comprising:
at the first endpoint, setting an archive flag to the on position;
wherein storing a copy of user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes sending a copy of the modified user data to the gateway from the first endpoint; and,
the method further comprising:
sending an acknowledgement from the gateway to the first
endpoint that the modified user data has been received.
16. The method of claim 10 wherein establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data includes:
an endpoint requesting user data from the gateway;
the gateway supplying a copy of the user data to the requesting endpoint; and
the endpoint sending an acknowledgement to the gateway that the user data has been received.
17. The method of claim 10 further comprising:
a first endpoint losing its locally stored copy of user data;
the first endpoint requesting user data from the gateway;
the gateway supplying a copy of the user data to the requesting first endpoint; and
the first endpoint sending an acknowledgement to the gateway that the user data has been received.
18. The method of claim 8 wherein storing user data associated with each endpoint at the gateway includes:
each endpoint periodically transmitting user data to the gateway for backing up; and,
the gateway updating stored user data in response to the periodic transmissions from each endpoint.
19. A Home Network telephone system for backing up user data, the system comprising:
at least one endpoint having a port to transceive telephone communications; and,
a gateway having a port to transceive telephone communication with the at least one endpoint, the gateway having a memory to store a copy of user data associated with each endpoint.
20. The system of claim 19 wherein the gateway supplies the user data to the endpoint; and,
wherein the endpoint receives the user data from the gateway and stores a copy of the user data in a local memory.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein the gateway resupplies the endpoint in response to the endpoint losing the copy of the user data stored in its local memory.
22. The system of claim 21 wherein the endpoint has a user interface to generate user data, the endpoint storing the generated user data in local memory; and,
wherein the gateway stores a back-up copy of the user data generated by the endpoint in the gateway memory.
23. The system of claim 22 wherein the gateway has a port for transceiving calls on an external telephone line that communicate call information in a first format, the gateway converting between the first format and a digital Home Network format, establishing traffic channels to communicate information in the Home Network format, and establishing a control channel to manage storage and supply of the user data.
24. The system of claim 23 wherein the gateway stores user data selected from the group including telephone directories, calling line ID (CLID) lists, call-logs, and user preferences for organizing the stored data.
25. The system of claim 24 wherein the gateway memory is a nonvolatile memory.
26. The system of claim 24 wherein the gateway establishes a unique identifier for each endpoint and stores the user data cross-referenced to endpoint identifiers.
27. The system of claim 26 wherein the endpoint uses the control channel to inquire if the gateway supports user data backup functions; and,
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to communicate to the endpoint that the backup function is supported.
28. The system of claim 27 wherein the endpoint uses the control channel to set an archive flag to the on position and communicates user data to the gateway for backup;
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to send an acknowledgement that the user data has been received; and,
wherein the endpoint sets the archive flag to the off position in response to receiving the acknowledgement.
29. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint initially powers up and uses a control channel to inquire if the gateway supports user data backup functions;
wherein the gateway uses a control channel to send communications to the endpoint that the backup function is supported, but that no user data is stored for the first endpoint; and,
wherein the first endpoint sets an archive flag to the on position, communicates first endpoint user data to the gateway for backup, and sets the archive flag to the off position in response to receiving an acknowledgement from the gateway.
30. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint powers up after its copy of user data stored in local memory has been lost and uses the control channel to inquire if the gateway supports user data backup functions;
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to send communications that the backup function is supported, and that user data has been stored for the first endpoint; and,
wherein the first endpoint uses the control channel to receive the stored user data from the gateway and to send an acknowledgement to the gateway.
31. The system of claim 30 wherein the gateway stores a generic user data configuration for the first endpoint in the gateway memory and uses the control channel to communicate the generic user data configuration to the first endpoint.
32. The system of claim 28 wherein the gateway uses the control channel to request a copy of the user data from an endpoint, receives a copy of the user data from the endpoint, sends an acknowledgement to the endpoint that the user data has been received, and stores the user data received from the endpoint.
33. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint modifies the user data, uses a control channel to set an archive flag to the on position, and sends a copy of the modified user data to the gateway; and,
wherein the gateway uses the control channel to send an acknowledgement to the first endpoint that the modified user data has been received.
34. The system of claim 28 wherein the endpoint uses the control channel to request user data from the gateway, receives the copy of the user data from the gateway, and sends an acknowledgement to the gateway that the user data has been received.
35. The system of claim 28 wherein a first endpoint loses its copy of user data stored in local memory, uses a control channel to request user data from the gateway, and sends an acknowledgement to the gateway in response to receiving a copy of the user data from the gateway.
36. The system of claim 26 wherein the endpoint periodically transmits user data to the gateway for backing up; and,
wherein the gateway updates stored user data in response to the periodic transmissions from the endpoint.
37. The system of claim 19 wherein the endpoint is selected from the group of devices including hardwired devices, wireless devices, telephones, fax machines, video telephones, multifunction peripherals (MFCs), and computers.
38. The system of claim 19 wherein the gateway supplies the endpoint with an initial start-up configuration of user data.