Smart light switch/thermostat for control and energy management

• Main Authors: William H. DILLON, ROBERT P. MADONNA, SIEGMAR K. ESCHHOLZ
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Hebrew
• Published: 01.06.2023
• Subjects: AIR-CONDITIONING, AIR-HUMIDIFICATION, VENTILATION, USE OF AIRCURRENTS FOR SCREENING; BLASTING; CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; CONTROLLING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; HEATING; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS ORELEMENTS; PHYSICS; RANGES; REGULATING; SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION; VENTILATING; WEAPONS; WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS

In one embodiment, a smart light switch/thermostat is provided for deployment in rooms of a multi-room property (e.g., hotel) that is capable of monitoring and controlling in-room devices (e.g., climate control devices, lighting devices, A/V devices, etc.), as well as improving power optimization and reducing latency of certain battery-powered WPAN devices. The smart light switch/thermostat may be an in-wall device mounted in an electrical box (e.g., a 1-gang box) that maintains network connections (e.g., wired, WPAN and/or WLAN connections) to in-room devices being controlled and monitored, as well as to mobile guest devices and a central host controller that provides access to cloud control services. The smart light switch/thermostat may improve power optimization and reducing latency of certain battery-powered WPAN devices (e.g., BLE door locks) by operating as an agent for the room, opening a connection with a battery-powered WPAN device using a long negotiated connection interval, while sending send connectable advertising transmissions at a very short advertising interval.