Methods and systems for controlling devices via power lines

摘要

Methods and systems are provided that control devices using signals transmitted over power lines in many different applications and configurations. They provide a lower cost approach for controlling devices via signals transmitted over power lines. The methods and systems may control intensity, spectral, and other characteristics of lighting devices, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or assemblies thereof, via power lines. They may also control other types of loads, such as motors, relays, valves or the like. Additionally, techniques for independently controlling intensity and spectral content of selected high efficiency lighting devices are also described. For example, the brightness and color of an LED may be controlled via the power lines that supply power to the LED.

主权项

1. A method for controlling one or more electrical devices powered by a DC power square wave comprising:
encoding said DC power square wave such that changes in increase and decrease in DC power voltage along the square wave encodes digital data, wherein said digital data comprises an ASCII-compatible code wherein a voltage above a static level interpreted to represent an ASCII start bit, and data signals follow ASCII standard with transmission of 8 data bits, least significant bit first, and one stop bit, with no parity bits, so that data transmission signaled by varying voltage from a nominal supply value to a signaling value, encoding a plurality of modulations of said nominal DC power voltage to form said ASCII-compatible code, with a plurality of so-encoded said ASCII-compatible code sequences forming a command set for controlling operation of said device, each said ASCII-compatible code sequence of said command set associated with a different, discrete operational parameter of said device, operating said device using an encoded DC power square wave, changing operation of said device in accordance with a decoded said ASCII-compatible code sequence; wherein microcontrollers used for decoding data signals transmitted over DC power lines and controlling a load in response to decoded commands represented by ASCII-compatible code data.