Remote Control Lighting Intensity Fade Period Synchronization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing lighting control systems face issues with synchronization and uniform control of lighting devices due to wireless signal failures, leading to a poor user experience.

Innovation Solution

A remote control device that transmits command messages with a fade period for adjusting intensity levels, and periodically repeats these messages during user interactions, ensuring consistent control across lighting devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If wireless signals are transmitted to control lighting devices, then remote control capability is achieved, but signal transmission failures occur causing synchronization issues

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveremote control capabilityVSAvoidsignal transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system transmits control commands periodically at defined intervals (e.g., 100ms, 200ms) rather than relying on a single transmission. This periodic repetition ensures that even if some signals are lost, subsequent signals will reach the devices, maintaining synchronization while preserving remote control functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates a fade period (e.g., 200ms-1s) that is longer than the transmission interval, creating a time buffer that accommodates potential signal transmission failures. This cushioning period allows devices that miss a signal to still receive subsequent signals and synchronize properly, preventing synchronization issues while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

2Speed

If transmission interval is shortened to improve responsiveness, then control speed increases, but synchronization becomes more difficult to maintain

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontrol responsivenessVSAvoidsynchronization reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically balances transmission interval and fade period parameters. By setting the fade period longer than the transmission interval (e.g., fade period = 200ms-1s, transmission interval = 100ms-200ms), the system maintains fast responsiveness while ensuring synchronization reliability through the time buffer provided by the extended fade period.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If fade period is extended to ensure smooth transitions, then lighting control smoothness improves, but transmission timing becomes more critical

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelighting control smoothnessVSAvoidtransmission timing precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system sets the fade period (e.g., 200ms-1s) to be longer than the transmission interval, creating a cushioning time buffer that accommodates timing variations and signal transmission delays. This ensures smooth lighting transitions while reducing the criticality of precise transmission timing, as devices have additional time to receive and process commands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentEP4550940A1Controlling groups of electrical loads
Publication Date: 2025.05.07 LUTRON TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LLC
  • EP4550940A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4550940A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4550940A1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B

AI summary

A remote control device may be configured to transmit command messages based on user interactions. The remote control device may receive an indication of a user interaction and transmit a command message based on the indication of the user interaction. The command message may include a command to adjust an intensity level of a lighting device and a fade period. The fade period may include the period of time over which the lighting device is to transition to the intensity level. After a transmission interval period of time from when the command message was transmitted elapses and based on a subsequent user interaction, the remote control device may transmit another command message, which may include a command for the lighting device to adjust to another intensity level over the fade period. The fade period may be longer than the transmission interval.