Patents by Inventor Rhodes B. Baker

Rhodes B. Baker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20250142704
    Abstract: A visible light sensor (VLS) may be configured to sense environmental characteristics using images of a space. The VLS may be controlled in one or more modes, including a daylight glare sensor mode, a daylighting sensor mode, a color sensor mode, and/or an occupancy/vacancy sensor mode. In the daylight glare sensor mode, the VLS may be configured to decrease or eliminate glares. In the daylighting sensor mode and/or color sensor mode, the VLS may be configured to provide a preferred amount of light and color temperature, respectively, within the space. In the occupancy/vacancy sensor mode, the VLS may be configured to detect an occupancy/vacancy condition within the space and adjust one or more control devices according to the occupation or vacancy of the space. The visible light sensor may be configured to protect the privacy of users within the space via software, a removable module, and/or a special sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Craig Alan Casey, Galen Edgar Knode, Brent Protzman, Thomas M. Shearer, James P. Steiner
  • Publication number: 20250093205
    Abstract: Color temperature in a space may be adjusted by controlling one or more lighting control devices (e.g., which control one or more lighting fixtures). Light may enter the space through a window. As a result of daylight control devices associated with the window, the color temperature of light that is entering the space may not be equal to a color temperature of light from outside of the space. A desired color temperature for the space may be input. The color temperature of light emitted by one or more lighting fixtures (e.g., controlled by one or more lighting control devices) may be adjusted to attain the desired color temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Craig Alan Casey, Thomas M. Shearer
  • Publication number: 20250056695
    Abstract: A load control system may comprise an electrical load control device and/or a computing device. The electrical load control device may control, for example, motorized window treatments (e.g., shades), lighting controls, and/or sensors (e.g., occupancy, radio window, daylight, etc.). For example, a load control device comprising a motorized window treatment may control the position of a covering material in the window treatment. The computing device may comprise a processor and/or a graphical user interface (GUI). The computing device may be a server and/or a user device, such as a wireless user device (e.g., a cellular phone, tablet, or laptop computer). The computing device may be configured to provide graphical representations that may be displayed on a GUI based on load control information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, John H. Bull
  • Patent number: 12225646
    Abstract: A visible light sensor (VLS) may be configured to sense environmental characteristics using images of a space. The VLS may be controlled in one or more modes, including a daylight glare sensor mode, a daylighting sensor mode, a color sensor mode, and/or an occupancy/vacancy sensor mode. In the daylight glare sensor mode, the VLS may be configured to decrease or eliminate glares. In the daylighting sensor mode and/or color sensor mode, the VLS may be configured to provide a preferred amount of light and color temperature, respectively, within the space. In the occupancy/vacancy sensor mode, the VLS may be configured to detect an occupancy/vacancy condition within the space and adjust one or more control devices according to the occupation or vacancy of the space. The visible light sensor may be configured to protect the privacy of users within the space via software, a removable module, and/or a special sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Craig Alan Casey, Galen Edgar Knode, Brent Protzman, Thomas M. Shearer, James P. Steiner
  • Publication number: 20250029461
    Abstract: A load control system may include a load control device for providing power to an electrical load and a control device that may send instructions to the load control device for providing the power to the electrical load. The control device may communicate with the load control device using a link address assigned to the load control device. The load control device may provide power to the electrical load in a manner that causes the electrical load to indicate the link address assigned to the load control device. The link address may be identified by a user or a user device. The identified link address may be associated with a load control device identifier that may identify a physical location of a load control device that is assigned the link address. A user may control a load control device at a physical location by sending instructions via the link address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rupesh Gajurel, Sandeep Mudabail Raghuram, Rhodes B. Baker, Brian Michael Courtney
  • Patent number: 12188826
    Abstract: Color temperature in a space may be adjusted by controlling one or more lighting control devices (e.g., which control one or more lighting fixtures). Light may enter the space through a window. As a result of daylight control devices associated with the window, the color temperature of light that is entering the space may not be equal to a color temperature of light from outside of the space. A desired color temperature for the space may be input. The color temperature of light emitted by one or more lighting fixtures (e.g., controlled by one or more lighting control devices) may be adjusted to attain the desired color temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Craig Alan Casey, Thomas M. Shearer
  • Publication number: 20240402746
    Abstract: A load control system for controlling an electrical load in a space of a building occupied by an occupant may include a controller configured to determine the location of the occupant, and a load control device configured to automatically control the electrical load in response to the location of the occupant. The load control system may include a mobile device adapted to be located on or immediately adjacent the occupant and configured to transmit and receive wireless signals. The load control device may be configured to automatically control the electrical load when the mobile device is located in the space. The load control system may further comprise an occupancy sensor and the load control device may automatically control the electrical load when the occupancy sensor indicates that the space is occupied and the mobile device is located in the space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Richard S. Camden, Sanjeev Kumar
  • Publication number: 20240389212
    Abstract: A wall-mounted assembly may include one or more host devices which receive line voltage and generate low voltage power on one or more contacts for powering one or more modular devices. The one or more modular devices may be installed adjacent to the host device and may share a faceplate with the host device, such as a standard decorator faceplate. The modular devices may receive power from the host device via a power bus between the host device and the one or more modular devices. Further, the power bus may include a communication bus for communication between the host device and the modular devices. The faceplate may be a smart faceplate, which may include circuitry, such as a battery backup, occupancy sensing, a charging dock for a mobile phone, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2024
    Publication date: November 21, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Karc, Galen E. Knode, Rhodes B. Baker
  • Patent number: 12133307
    Abstract: A load control system may comprise an electrical load control device and/or a computing device. The electrical load control device may control, for example, motorized window treatments (e.g., shades), lighting controls, and/or sensors (e.g., occupancy, radio window, daylight, etc.). For example, a load control device comprising a motorized window treatment may control the position of a covering material in the window treatment. The computing device may comprise a processor and/or a graphical user interface (GUI). The computing device may be a server and/or a user device, such as a wireless user device (e.g., a cellular phone, tablet, or laptop computer). The computing device may be configured to provide graphical representations that may be displayed on a GUI based on load control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, John H. Bull
  • Patent number: 12112615
    Abstract: A load control system may include a load control device for providing power to an electrical load and a control device that may send instructions to the load control device for providing the power to the electrical load. The control device may communicate with the load control device using a link address assigned to the load control device. The load control device may provide power to the electrical load in a manner that causes the electrical load to indicate the link address assigned to the load control device. The link address may be identified by a user or a user device. The identified link address may be associated with a load control device identifier that may identify a physical location of a load control device that is assigned the link address. A user may control a load control device at a physical location by sending instructions via the link address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rupesh Gajurel, Sandeep Mudabail Raghuram, Rhodes B. Baker, Brian Michael Courtney
  • Publication number: 20240334578
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices capable of being associated with each other at one or more locations for performing load control. Control devices may include control-source devices and/or control-target devices. A location beacon may be discovered and a unique identifier in the location beacon may be associated with a unique identifier of one or more control devices. Upon subsequent discovery of the location beacon, the associated load control devices may be controlled. The beacons may be communicated via radio frequency signals, visible light communication, and/or audio signals. The visible light communication may be used to communicate other types of information to devices in the load control system. The visible light communication may be used to identify link addresses for communicating with load control devices, load control instructions, load control configuration instructions, network communication information, and/or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2024
    Publication date: October 3, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Kyle Thomas Barco, Bryan Robert Barnes, John H. Bull, Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, David J. Dolan, Jason Groller, Sanjeev Kumar, Jonathan T. Lenz, Miguel Aguado Pelaez, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Publication number: 20240298389
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating via a communications network with a load control system of a respective user environment, receiving information on the load control system via the communications network, displaying graphical user interfaces based on the received information, and controlling and configuring the load control system via graphical user interfaces by communicating via the communications network messages the load control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2024
    Publication date: September 5, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhythm Agarwal, Karelys Alfonzo, Gregory S. Altonen, Rhodes B. Baker, Bryan R. Barnes, Christopher M. Green, Brad M. Kreschollek, Jennifer Wong
  • Patent number: 12079021
    Abstract: A load control system for controlling an electrical load in a space of a building occupied by an occupant may include a controller configured to determine the location of the occupant, and a load control device configured to automatically control the electrical load in response to the location of the occupant. The load control system may include a mobile device adapted to be located on or immediately adjacent the occupant and configured to transmit and receive wireless signals. The load control device may be configured to automatically control the electrical load when the mobile device is located in the space. The load control system may further comprise an occupancy sensor and the load control device may automatically control the electrical load when the occupancy sensor indicates that the space is occupied and the mobile device is located in the space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Richard S. Camden, Sanjeev Kumar
  • Publication number: 20240219880
    Abstract: A load control system may control an electrical load in a space of a building based on one or more parameters regarding the physical condition of an occupant. The parameters may be gathered by one or more sensing devices. The sensing devices may be included in a mobile device. A system controller may receive the parameters and may automatically control the electrical loads in response to the parameters. The system controller may control the electrical load to attempt to adjust the physical condition of the occupant in response to the sensed parameters. The system controller may control the electrical load to provide an alert, an alarm, and/or a warning in response to the sensed parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2024
    Publication date: July 4, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Jason C. Killo, Galen Edgar Knode, Sanjeev Kumar, Brent Protzman, Daniel Curtis Raneri, Greg Edward Sloan
  • Patent number: 12022594
    Abstract: A wall-mounted assembly may include one or more host devices which receive line voltage and generate low voltage power on one or more contacts for powering one or more modular devices. The one or more modular devices may be installed adjacent to the host device and may share a faceplate with the host device, such as a standard decorator faceplate. The modular devices may receive power from the host device via a power bus between the host device and the one or more modular devices. Further, the power bus may include a communication bus for communication between the host device and the modular devices. The faceplate may be a smart faceplate, which may include circuitry, such as a battery backup, occupancy sensing, a charging dock for a mobile phone, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Jeffrey Karc, Galen E. Knode, Rhodes B. Baker
  • Patent number: 12010772
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for communicating via a communications network with a load control system of a respective user environment, receiving information on the load control system via the communications network, displaying graphical user interfaces based on the received information, and controlling and configuring the load control system via graphical user interfaces by communicating via the communications network messages the load control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhythm Agarwal, Brad M. Kreschollek, Bryan R. Barnes, Christopher M. Green, Rhodes B. Baker, Jennifer Wong, Gregory S. Altonen, Karelys Alfonzo
  • Patent number: 12010780
    Abstract: A load control system may include control devices capable of being associated with each other at one or more locations for performing load control. Control devices may include control-source devices and/or control-target devices. A location beacon may be discovered and a unique identifier in the location beacon may be associated with a unique identifier of one or more control devices. Upon subsequent discovery of the location beacon, the associated load control devices may be controlled. The beacons may be communicated via radio frequency signals, visible light communication, and/or audio signals. The visible light communication may be used to communicate other types of information to devices in the load control system. The visible light communication may be used to identify link addresses for communicating with load control devices, load control instructions, load control configuration instructions, network communication information, and/or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Kyle Thomas Barco, Bryan Robert Barnes, John H. Bull, Richard S. Camden, Jordan H. Crafts, David J. Dolan, Jason Groller, Sanjeev Kumar, Jonathan T. Lenz, Miguel Aguado Pelaez, Daniel L. Twaddell
  • Publication number: 20240163998
    Abstract: A load control system may comprise an electrical load control device and/or a computing device. The electrical load control device may control, for example, motorized window treatments (e.g., shades), lighting controls, and/or sensors (e.g., occupancy, radio window, daylight, etc.). For example, a load control device comprising a motorized window treatment may control the position of a covering material in the window treatment. The computing device may comprise a processor and/or a graphical user interface (GUI). The computing device may be a server and/or a user device, such as a wireless user device (e.g., a cellular phone, tablet, or laptop computer). The computing device may be configured to provide graphical representations that may be displayed on a GUI based on load control information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, John H. Bull
  • Publication number: 20240155751
    Abstract: A smart lighting device may be configured to be controlled in response to control instructions in messages and/or phase-control signals. The smart lighting device may determine whether to respond to the phase-control signal or the control instructions in messages. The smart lighting device may be configured to recognize whether it is electrically connected to a smart load control device or a non-smart load control device. A load control device may determine whether it is electrically connected to a mixed circuit or a non-mixed circuit. When the load control device determines that the circuit is a mixed circuit, the load control device may transmit phase-control signals and control instructions in messages at the same time. The load control device may determine that a smart lighting device has been added (e.g., electrically connected) to the circuit it is electrically connected to.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2022
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Gerard Darville, Matthew V. Harte, Robert C. Newman, Jr.
  • Patent number: RE50169
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Lutron Technology Company LLC
    Inventors: Rhodes B. Baker, Erica L. Clymer, Benjamin F. Bard