Load Control Device User Interface and Database Management Using Near Field Communication (NFC)

Abstract

An energy control network may include a number of load control devices, such as dimmer switches, multi-button selector switch, occupancy sensors, and remote controllers, among others. These load control devices may be configured for wireless communication. Other wireless devices, such as laptops, tablets, and “smart” cellular phones may be configured to communicate with the load control devices of the energy control network. The load control devices and the other wireless communication devices may also be configured for Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC may be used to provide a load control device with its initial default configuration and/or an application specific configuration. Also, NFC may be used to transfer a configuration from one load control device that may have become faulty, to a replacement load control device. And NFC may be used to provide and trigger commands that may cause a load control load device to operate in a predetermined manner.

1 . An electrical load controller, comprising:
 first wireless communication interface circuitry using a first, relatively short-range, wireless communication protocol;   second wireless communication interface circuitry using a second, relatively long range, wireless communication protocol different from the first wireless communication protocol;   memory circuitry;   controller circuitry communicatively coupled to the first wireless communication interface circuitry, the second wireless communication interface circuitry, and to the memory circuitry, the controller circuitry to:
 initiate an exchange of information, via the first wireless communication interface with a proximate mobile device responsive to detection of the proximate mobile device; 
 receive via the first wireless communication interface an authentication signal that includes information representative of a unique identifier associated with the proximate mobile device; 
 authenticate the proximate mobile device using the received information representative of the unique identifier associated with the proximate mobile device; 
 responsive to a successful authentication of the proximate mobile device, autonomously retrieve one or more electrical load control instructions from the memory circuitry, the electrical load control instructions to adjust an output parameter of at least one remote electrical load device; and 
 transmit, via the second wireless communication interface the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electrical load controller of  claim 1  wherein the memory circuitry includes data representative of one or more configuration parameters; and
 wherein, responsive to the successful authentication of the proximate mobile device, transfer, via the first wireless communication interface, the data representative of the one or more electrical load controller configuration parameters to the proximate mobile device. 
 
     
     
         3 . The electrical load controller of  claim 1  wherein the proximate mobile device includes data representative of one or more configuration parameters; and
 wherein, responsive to the successful authentication of the proximate mobile device, receive, via the first wireless communication interface, the data representative of the one or more electrical load controller configuration parameters from the proximate mobile device. 
 
     
     
         4 . The electrical load controller of  claim 1 , the controller circuitry to further:
 receive, via the first wireless communication interface, at least one instruction to adjust one or more output parameters of the remote electrical load device; and   responsive to receipt of the at least one instruction to adjust the one or more output parameters of the remote electrical load device, transmit, via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device.   
     
     
         5 . The electrical load controller of  claim 1  wherein to transmit, via the second wireless communication interface the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device, the controller circuitry to further:
 transmit, via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to a system controller operatively coupled to the at least one remote electrical load device. 
 
     
     
         6 . An electrical load control method, comprising:
 initiating, by controller circuitry in an electrical load controller, an exchange of information with a proximate mobile device responsive to detection of the proximate mobile device via a first wireless communication interface using a first wireless communication protocol;   receiving, by the controller circuitry, via the first wireless communication interface an authentication signal that includes information representative of a unique identifier associated with the proximate mobile device;   authenticating, by the controller circuitry, the proximate mobile device using the received information representative of the unique identifier associated with the proximate mobile device;   autonomously retrieving, by the controller circuitry from communicatively coupled memory circuitry, one or more electrical load control instructions to adjust an output parameter of at least one remote electrical load device responsive to a successful authentication of the proximate mobile device; and   transmitting the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device via a second wireless interface using a second wireless communication protocol different than the first wireless communication protocol.   
     
     
         7 . The electrical load control method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 transferring, by the controller circuitry via the first wireless communication interface, data representative of one or more electrical load controller configuration parameters to the proximate mobile device responsive to the successful authentication of the proximate mobile device.   
     
     
         8 . The electrical load control method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller circuitry via the first wireless communication interface, data representative of one or more electrical load controller configuration parameters from the proximate mobile device responsive to the successful authentication of the proximate mobile device.   
     
     
         9 . The electrical load control method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the controller circuitry via the first wireless communication interface, at least one instruction to adjust one or more output parameters of the remote electrical load device; and   transmitting, by the controller circuitry via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device responsive to receipt of the at least one instruction to adjust the one or more output parameters of the remote electrical load device.   
     
     
         10 . The electrical load control method of  claim 6  wherein transmitting, via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device, further comprises:
 transmitting, by the controller circuitry via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to a system controller operatively coupled to the at least one remote electrical load device. 
 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by controller circuitry in an electrical load controller, causes the electrical load controller to:
 initiate an exchange of information with a proximate mobile device responsive to detection of the proximate mobile device via a first wireless communication interface using a first wireless communication protocol;   receive, via the first wireless communication interface an authentication signal that includes information representative of a unique identifier associated with the proximate mobile device;   authenticate the proximate mobile device using the received information representative of the unique identifier associated with the proximate mobile device;   autonomously retrieve, from communicatively coupled memory circuitry, one or more electrical load control instructions to adjust an output parameter of at least one remote electrical load device responsive to a successful authentication of the proximate mobile device; and   transmit the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device via a second wireless interface using a second wireless communication protocol different than the first wireless communication protocol.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 11  wherein the instructions when executed by the controller circuitry, further cause the controller circuitry to:
 transfer, via the first wireless communication interface, data representative of one or more electrical load controller configuration parameters to the proximate mobile device responsive to the successful authentication of the proximate mobile device. 
 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 11  wherein the instructions when executed by the controller circuitry, further cause the controller circuitry to:
 receive, via the first wireless communication interface, data representative of one or more electrical load controller configuration parameters from the proximate mobile device responsive to the successful authentication of the proximate mobile device. 
 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 11  wherein the instructions when executed by the controller circuitry, further cause the controller circuitry to:
 receive, via the first wireless communication interface, at least one instruction to adjust one or more output parameters of the remote electrical load device; and 
 transmitting, by the controller circuitry via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device responsive to receipt of the at least one instruction to adjust the one or more output parameters of the remote electrical load device 
 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 11  wherein the instructions that cause the controller circuitry to transmit, via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to the at least one remote electrical load device, further cause the controller circuitry to:
 transmit, via the second wireless communication interface, the at least one instruction to a system controller operatively coupled to the at least one remote electrical load device.