Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – Current and/or voltage regulation
Patent
1992-06-19
1994-10-04
Pascal, Robert J.
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
Current and/or voltage regulation
315313, 315314, 315316, 315363, 340310A, 340310CP, G05F 100
Patent
active
053529570
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a control system or several appliances in distributed arrangement, in particular lighting fittings, according to the preamble of claim 1. It further relates to a method for bringing into operation a control system according to claim 1.
In houses or larger buildings it is necessary that appliances arranged in several rooms, in particular light sources, can not only be switched on and off or have the brightness adjusted by switches and/or dimmers arranged in the relevant rooms but that these functions can be remotely controlled via central control devices. Remote control is carried out by means of so-called control centres or command generators which can address and control with commands the appliances arranged decentrally in several rooms and connected to a common supply system, usually the 220 V domestic supply. In this way central monitoring and control, if appropriate from several control centres, of all decentrally arranged appliances is possible. The term "appliance" is used to designate any electrically supplied elements, for example incandescent lamps, gas discharge lamps, electric motors or heating systems. An electric motor may, for example, be coupled to a shutter/louvre or a door opening and shutting mechanism.
A control system of the kind mentioned in the introduction is known, for example, under the designation Timac X-10. In a control system of this kind control points for transmitting and device points for receiving are connected to the domestic electricity supply. Operational addresses are attributed to the individual device points with two interconnecting setting wheels provided at each device point, of which the first setting wheel has 16 digits and the second setting wheel carries the letters A to P. A house code (A-P) for the address is set by the second setting wheel, the device point number (1 . . . 16) for the address is set by the first setting wheel. For each device point the two setting wheels are set by the user to a particular combination, for example B10 or P1. This combination forms the control address for the relevant device point. In this way, after installation of or attachment of a device point a single specific address can be set locally for each appliance which comprises said two components. To control a certain number of appliances a control point has the same number of control keys, each control key being set to an operational address corresponding to a device point via two setting wheels or setting keys in the control point. In this way, by pressing a control key, the device point (with connected appliance), of which the set operational address corresponds to the address associated with a respective control key, can be remote-controlled from the control point.
Dialogue remote-control switches are also known from the same system which include the device point receiver as described above and at the same time a state information transmitter. They provide the combination of remote-controllability and local control of the appliances by means of conventional switches or sensor keys. If, with a dialogue remote-control switch of this kind, a lamp is switched on or off locally, this dialogue remote-control transmits status information to the central control point that is now informed of the new operational state of the appliance.
The object of the invention is to provide an improved control system for distributed appliances that can be brought to an operational condition in a particularly simple manner.
This object is achieved in a control system of the kind mentioned in the introduction by the characterising features set forth in claim 1.
Alternatively this object can be achieved with a control system of the kind mentioned in the introduction by the characterising features set forth in claim 22.
A method for bringing into operational condition a control system according to the invention, having its own inventive merit, is set forth in the steps a) to e) according to claim 10.
A significant object of the invention is to simplify and simultaneously impro
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Patent Abstract of Japan, vol. 9, No. 266 (E-352) (1989), JP-A-60-112336.
Kemp, I., "Stage Lighting System", Wireless World, vol. 90, No. 1583: pp. 33-36 (1984).
Pascal Robert J.
Ratliff Reginald A.
Zumtobel Aktiengessellschaft
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