Dimming Control Including an Adjustable Output Response

Abstract

The present disclosure provides improved dimming or dimmer assemblies/modules for controlling lights or loads (e.g., as part of a control or automation system). More particularly, the present disclosure provides for systems and methods for utilizing dimmer control assemblies/modules advantageously having: (i) an adjustable output response, (ii) enhanced thermal management, (iii) a voltage detector to determine amplitude and zero-crossing, and/or (iv) an estimation of power consumption for multiple loads (e.g., using a single sensor).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A control assembly comprising:
 a first load circuit, the first load circuit including a first load control device, a second load control device, a first current detector and a first voltage detector, the first load control device in communication with a first controlled device and the second load control device in communication with a second controlled device;   a processor in communication with the first and second load control devices, the first current detector and the first voltage detector; and   a first line feed associated with the first load circuit and in communication with the first and second load control devices, the first current detector and the first voltage detector;   wherein at least a portion of the first line feed is configured to travel to and be output by the first load control device as a first load output to the first controlled device;   wherein at least a portion of the first line feed is configured to travel to and be output by the second load control device as a second load output to the second controlled device;   wherein the first voltage detector includes an analog-to-digital converter, the analog-to-digital converter adapted to take a plurality of measurements of the voltage that is present at the analog-to-digital input during each cycle of the first line feed;   wherein the analog-to-digital converter is adapted to communicate the measurements to the processor, the processor adapted to group the measurements into separate groups of measurements;   wherein the processor is adapted to calculate the average voltage measurement of each group and determine if the average voltage measurement is positive or negative;   wherein the processor is adapted to identify and analyze together consecutive groups of voltage measurements that have opposite positive/negative average voltage measurement values to estimate the voltage zero-crossing point of the first line feed's waveform.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein each group of voltage measurements includes about twelve consecutive voltage measurements, each voltage measurement of each group taken about every 63 μs. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein when the processor analyzes the consecutive groups of voltage measurements that have opposite positive/negative average voltage measurement values, the processor is adapted to draw lines between pairs of individual voltage measurement points from each group to estimate the voltage zero-crossing point of the first line feed's waveform. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 3 , wherein each group of voltage measurements includes about twelve consecutive voltage measurements;
 wherein the processor is adapted to draw lines between pairs of individual voltage measurement points from each group by first drawing a line between the first measurement point of the first group and the first measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the second measurement point of the first group and the second measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the third measurement point of the first group and the third measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the fourth measurement point of the first group and the fourth measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the fifth measurement point of the first group and the fifth measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the sixth measurement point of the first group and the sixth measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the seventh measurement point of the first group and the seventh measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the eighth measurement point of the first group and the eighth measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the ninth measurement point of the first group and the ninth measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the tenth measurement point of the first group and the tenth measurement point of the second group, then drawing a line between the eleventh measurement point of the first group and the eleventh measurement point of the second group, and then drawing a line between the twelfth measurement point of the first group and the twelfth measurement point of the second group.   
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 4 , wherein after each line has been drawn between pairs of individual voltage measurement points, the processor is adapted to determine the voltage zero-crossing point of each drawn line and estimate the voltage zero-crossing point of the first line feed's waveform by analyzing the voltage zero-crossing point of each drawn line. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the processor analyzes the median value of the voltage zero-crossing points of all the drawn lines to estimate the voltage zero-crossing point of the first line feed's waveform.