Configuring a load control system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing load control systems face difficulties in configuring and associating load control devices without spatial information, leading to challenges in understanding device compatibility and installation, particularly with occupancy sensors that sense different types of movement at varying ranges.
Innovation Solution
A load control system that includes system controllers and a graphical user interface software for associating control-source devices with control-target devices, using digital messages to establish relationships and store association information, enabling effective communication and control of electrical loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an association table is used to associate input devices with load control devices, then device association and control communication are enabled, but spatial information and installation compatibility information are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a flat, one-dimensional association table to a multi-dimensional spatial model by implementing a floor plan visualization that displays devices in their actual physical locations. This dimensional expansion preserves spatial relationships, device orientations, and installation contexts while maintaining the association functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a visual copy of the physical installation environment through a digital floor plan representation. This graphical copy mirrors the actual spatial arrangement of devices, allowing users to see device locations, orientations, and relationships without leaving the configuration interface.
2Ease of manufacture
If occupancy sensors are selected without spatial context, then sensor installation is simplified, but sensor selection accuracy and coverage optimization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary spatial analysis during the configuration phase by displaying occupancy sensor coverage areas overlaid on the floor plan. This allows users to evaluate sensor placement and coverage before actual installation, ensuring optimal positioning and selection without requiring complex post-installation adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying coverage areas and detection zones of occupancy sensors on the floor plan. This immediate feedback allows users to adjust sensor placement and selection to achieve desired coverage, creating an iterative optimization process that balances ease of installation with measurement precision.
3Reliability
If detailed spatial information is collected for all devices, then installation compatibility and device relationships are improved, but system complexity and configuration time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements automatic device detection and placement features that reduce manual configuration requirements. The system can automatically identify devices, determine their locations, and populate the floor plan without requiring extensive manual input, thereby maintaining high reliability while reducing configuration complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The floor plan configuration is designed to be dynamic and adaptive, allowing users to add, remove, and move devices flexibly. The system automatically updates associations and spatial relationships when devices are repositioned, reducing the need for manual reconfiguration and maintaining simplicity while preserving detailed spatial information.
Data Source
AI summary
A load control system may be configured using a graphical user interface software. The graphical user interface software may display a first icon and a second icon. The first icon may represent a first electrical device and the second icon may represent a second electrical device. The first icon and the second icon may represent the relative location of the first electrical device and the second electrical device within a load control environment. The graphical user interface software may display a line from a selected icon (e.g., first icon) to a cursor. The graphical user interface software may adjust the line from the selected icon, for example, as the cursor moves. The graphical user interface software may define and store an association between the first electrical device and a second electrical device, for example, in response to the user selecting the first icon and the second icon.