Aaron H Dobbins, 425 Liberty Cir, Hopedale, MA 01747

7312695, Dec 25, 2007

Jul 28, 2005

11/191780

Matthew J. Lehmer - Arlington VA, US
Nathan Boring - Allentown PA, US
Aaron Dobbins - Macungie PA, US

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. - Coopersburg PA

B60R 25/10

34042615, 315294, 315131, 315132, 34042612, 307140, 307115, 307139

A user interface for a load control device allows a user to control an operating characteristic of a load to a plurality of discrete levels. The user interface comprises an adjustment member for allowing the user to select one of the discrete levels and a linear array of status indicators for displaying the discrete level. The number of discrete levels is greater than the number of status indicators. According to a first embodiment of the present invention, either one status indicator or two consecutive status indicators are illuminated to indicate the presently selected discrete level. According to a second embodiment, a fully illuminated status indicator is surrounded by two dimly illuminated status indicators to indicate the presently selected discrete level. According to a third embodiment, a single status indicator may be illuminated to indicate one or more of the discrete levels.

7330004, Feb 12, 2008

Jun 6, 2006

11/447728

Stuart DeJonge - Riegelsville PA, US
James P Steiner - Royersford PA, US
Aaron Dobbins - Macungie PA, US
Chen Ming Wu - Emmaus PA, US

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. - Coopersburg PA

H02K 27/00

318244, 318245, 318727

An apparatus for controlling the speed of an AC motor comprising a switch adapted to be coupled in parallel with power terminals for the AC motor; a capacitor coupled in series with the parallel combination of the switch and the motor; the capacitor adapted to provide an AC supply voltage from an AC source to the parallel circuit comprising the motor and the switch; and a control circuit for controlling the conduction time of the switch in order to vary the speed of the motor. The switch is preferably pulse-width modulated at a frequency twice the line frequency of the AC supply voltage, and the switch is turned on when the voltage across the AC motor is zero volts. The apparatus is operable to provide for continuously variable control of the motor speed while minimizing acoustic noise in the motor.

7423413, Sep 9, 2008

Jun 6, 2006

11/447489

Aaron Dobbins - Macungie PA, US
Russell Weightman - Abington PA, US
David J Perreault - Brookline MA, US
James P Steiner - Royersford PA, US
Chen Ming Wu - Emmaus PA, US

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. - Coopersburg PA

G05F 1/455
H02J 3/12

323242, 323239

A power supply for a load control device is disposed in series with an AC voltage source and a load and generates a substantially DC voltage for powering a controller of the load control device. The power supply is operable to provide substantially all voltage provided by the AC voltage source to the load and includes a controllably conductive device, a triggering device, and a charging circuit. The charging circuit is operable to charge an energy storage device and to conduct current to the load when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive. The controllably conductive device begins conducting the full load current when the energy storage device has charged to a predetermined amount of energy. Before the controllably conductive device begins to conduct, only a minimal voltage, which is substantially the same as the break-over voltage of the triggering circuit, develops across the power supply to allow the energy storage device to charge.

7489094, Feb 10, 2009

Nov 16, 2006

11/560664

James P. Steiner - Royersford PA, US
Aaron Dobbins - Macungie PA, US
Chen Ming Wu - Emmaus PA, US

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. - Coopersburg PA

H02P 7/06

318249, 318245, 318257, 318268, 388838, 388839, 388855

An AC motor speed controller includes a plurality of capacitors that may be selectively switched, by means of controllably conductive switches, into series electrical connection with an AC motor and an AC voltage source to control the speed of the motor. To change the speed of the motor, a control circuit renders a first switch conductive, in response to a first detected AC voltage zero crossing, to charge a first capacitor to a predetermined voltage. The control circuit then renders a second switch conductive, in response to a subsequent second detected AC voltage zero crossing, to charge a second capacitor to the predetermined voltage. The control circuit then renders both switches simultaneously conductive at a predetermined time after a subsequent third detected AC voltage zero crossing. The capacitors will thereby be charged to the same voltage prior to being switched into series with the motor, thereby resulting in reduced acoustic noise when changing motor speeds.

7564227, Jul 21, 2009

Jun 17, 2008

12/140648

Aaron Dobbins - Macungie PA, US
Russell Weightman - Abington PA, US
David Perreault - Brookline MA, US
James P. Steiner - Royersford PA, US
Chen Ming Wu - Emmaus PA, US

Lutron Electronics, Co., Ltd. - Coopersburg PA

G05F 1/455
H02J 3/12

323242, 323239

A power supply adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between an AC voltage source and an electrical load for generating a DC voltage, the power supply comprising an energy storage capacitor, the DC voltage produced across the capacitor; a charging circuit adapted to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load and to conduct a load current from the source to the load, the charging circuit coupled to the energy storage capacitor for charging the energy storage capacitor; a controllably conductive device coupled in parallel electrical connection with the charging circuit and having a control input for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive, the controllably conductive device adapted to carry the load current from the source to the load when the controllably conductive device is conductive; and a triggering circuit coupled to the control input of the controllably conductive device for causing the controllably conductive device to become conductive when the energy storage capacitor has charged to a desired maximum value; wherein the charging circuit is adapted to conduct the load current from the source to the load when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive, the charging circuit imposing a low voltage drop relative to the peak value of an AC voltage of the AC voltage source, such that substantially all of the AC voltage is available to the load during the time when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive.

7579717, Aug 25, 2009

Sep 13, 2006

11/521234

Edward J. Blair - Telford PA, US
Aaron Dobbins - Hopedale MA, US
Nicole R. Vigue - Niagara Falls NY, US
Elliot G. Jacoby - Glenside PA, US

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. - Coopersburg PA

H01H 7/00

307141

A wall-mountable electrical timer for controlling the delivery of power from an AC power source to an electrical load, such as a lamp or a fan motor, includes: a timer adjustment actuator for selecting a predetermined time period of operation for the load; a toggle actuator for starting the timer, turning off the timer, and placing the timer in a bypass mode of operation; a vertical linear array of light-emitting diode visual indicators for indicating the length of a predetermined time period, the time remaining, and whether the timer is in the bypass mode; a controllably conductive device for regulating the delivery of power from the AC source to the load; and a controller for receiving inputs from the timer adjustment actuator and the toggle actuator, and for transmitting outputs to the visual indicators and the controllably conductive device.

7671549, Mar 2, 2010

Jul 15, 2008

12/173457

James P. Steiner - Royersford PA, US
Aaron Dobbins - Macungie PA, US
Chen Ming Wu - Emmaus PA, US

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. - Coopersburg PA

H02P 7/06

318249, 318245, 318257, 318268, 318772

An AC motor speed controller includes a plurality of capacitors that may be selectively switched, by means of controllably conductive switches, into series electrical connection with an AC motor and an AC voltage source to control the speed of the motor. To change the speed of the motor, a control circuit renders a first switch conductive, in response to a first detected AC voltage zero crossing, to charge a first capacitor to a predetermined voltage. The control circuit then renders a second switch conductive, in response to a subsequent second detected AC voltage zero crossing, to charge a second capacitor to the predetermined voltage. The control circuit then renders both switches simultaneously conductive at a predetermined time after a subsequent third detected AC voltage zero crossing. The capacitors will thereby be charged to the same voltage prior to being switched into series with the motor, thereby resulting in reduced acoustic noise when changing motor speeds.

7683504, Mar 23, 2010

Nov 21, 2007

11/943846

Edward J. Blair - Telford PA, US
Aaron Dobbins - Hopedale MA, US
Nicole R. Vigue - Niagara Falls NY, US
Kyle A. McCarter - Washington DC, US
Elliot G. Jacoby - Glenside PA, US

Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. - Coopersburg PA

H01H 7/00

307141

A multiple location electronic timer system comprises an electronic timer and one or more accessory timers. The electronic timer is adapted to be coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load. The electronic timer is operable to enable the delivery of power to the load and to subsequently discontinue the delivery of power to the load automatically after a preset timeout period has elapsed. In response to controls signals received from the accessory timer, the electronic timer is operable to adjust the preset timeout period, enable the delivery of power to the load, discontinue the delivery of power to the load, and to enter a bypass mode in which the load is turned on for an indefinite amount of time. The accessory timer may be coupled to the electronic timer via a single conductor, a wired digital communication link, a radio frequency communication link, an infrared communication link, or a power line carrier communication link.